§ Mr. Wrottesleymoved for leave to bring in>g bill to prevent the inconvenience arising from the too great facility of procuring copies of the specifications of Patents, enrolled by grantees of letters patent, for the sole and exclusive vending of manufactures within this realm.
§ Mr. Humeobserved, that the motion was contrary to all sound and liberal views of commercial policy, and that instead of concealing the specifications, of patents, every possible facility ought the to given to render them public. The legislature ought never to lend it self to any measure which was calculated to prevent the diffusion of knowledge.
§ Mr. Wrottesleysaid, that the object of his motion was not substantially to interfere with the facilities of examining specifications, but to Introduce such a modification of them as would limit the privilege of examination to such persons as were 1053 competent judges of the application of them.
§ The motion was agreed to.