§ MR. SCHWANN (Manchester, N.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether any fresh volumes of the abridgements of specifications for which patents have been granted are now ready or will soon be ready for distribution; when approximately these specifications will be completely abridged and indexed; and will the abridgements and indices be of such an accurate character as will enable the Patent Office to make a reliable search into the novelty of an invention, so far as prior patents are concerned, should such research into the 770 novelty of an invention become, at some time, the duty of the Patent Office?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OP TRADE (Mr. BURT,) MorpethAbout 20 fresh volumes of abridgements of specifications for patents relating to the period 1877 to 1883 are now ready. The remaining volumes to complete the period (probably about 100) may be expected by October next. I trust that these volumes will facilitate a reliable search into the novelty of an invention; but whether such search will become the duty of the Patent Office is another question.