§ MR. SNAPE (Lancashire, S. E., Heywood)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that only one set of Patent Specifications of the United States of America is presented to this country, whilst twelve sets of British specifications are presented by the British Government, one set to the United States' Patent Office, and the other 11 to the United States' public libraries, he will take steps to procure a corresponding number of United States specifications for the public libraries of the principal towns of the United Kingdom?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. MUNDELLA,) Sheffield, BrightsideOnly one set of the specifications of the United States of America is presented to this country. Communications have, from time to time, been addressed to the United States' Patent Office, with a view to obtaining additional sets for the chief public libraries of the United Kingdom; but it would appear that the United States law does not allow the United States Patent Office to present free copies of its publications to any public libraries either in the United States or elsewhere.