Chapter M: FOCK (Secretary of State for Home Affairs) will not have much to say,

after all which has been argued in yesterday’s and to-day’s Session, in defence of the project. Nevertheless he will indulge in a few remarks on the final report. With a view to the same, M. Heemskerk submits the maintenance of Patents for inventions, but the repeal of those “of admission.” But the Minister calls the attention of the House to the circumstance that the Patents for inventions which are being granted may aggregate to ten a year or thereabout. What should remain for us to keep? Or else agents here will apply for Patents on foreign inventions, so that “Patents of admission” will re-appear under a different denomination. M. Godefroi has already pointed to instances abroad, and the Minister can but add that, despite M. Heemskerk’s assertion to the contrary, the Prussian Government is by no means favourably disposed to the Patent-Law. In December, 1868, Count von Bismarck addressed a message to the North German Confederation, embodying the opinion of the Prussian Government in favour of repeal, and even hinting that Prussia would not mind taking the lead in the matter.[9] After entering into a few more details concerning the final report, the Minister once more demonstrates that Patents are great impediments to industry and free-trade, and that it is in the public’s interest that they should be abolished. The Netherlands, having once been foremost in doing away with the tax on knowledge, must not now shrink from conferring entire freedom on the field of industry. That is no reaction. Is it reaction to break off with an intolerable state of things? No; it is progress, and leads to free development. The Minister concludes with a citation from Michel Chevalier, and declines to take M. Heemskerk’s hint of deferring the discussion on the project.