CO885-(1-2) — Page 508

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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Reference :-

C.O.885

BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

44

I have not been able to ascertain the exact amount of fees received on that occasion by the Attorney- General. I should think that from 121. to 151. ster- ling would be a fair amount for the fees of that officer in making the petition to the Governor and Legis- lative Council, preparing the Ordinance, &c., but this is not regulated by any tariff.

No other fee would be payable except soine twelve shillings to the Registrar of the Colony on filing at his office a specification of the invention.

TRINIDAD.

The form of procedure to obtain a Patent

ST. LUCIA.

Governor, No. 28, October 31, 1856.

TRINIDAD.

hitherto pursued in the Colony has been this:-The Governor, No. 78, August 8, 1857. party makes a petition to the Legislative Council, giving the name and purport of his invention, and on this an Ordinance is passed, granting to him the exclusive benefit of his invention for a limited time, on condition that he lodges a specification, before a certain day, with the Registrar-General of the island; and on condition also, that if the inven- tion is not a new one, or that it is prejudicial or inconvenient to Her Majesty's subjects, then that the privileges granted to him shall cease.

No fees are exacted either on the petition or the passing of the Ordinance.

LEEWARD ISLANDS.

Governor, No. 11, October 24, 1856.

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required for a like purpose in Great Britain; and in the event of direct grant from the Executive, the

same requisitions have to be complied with in the Colonies as in the mother-country.

It is difficult to furnish a statement of any value of official fees and expenses payable in these cases, in the absence of any recognized authority ou the subject; but I annex a Memorandum ab. stracted from the Returns from the several Colonics, showing fees which have been payable, in some instances by custom, on Private Bills, and in others as the usual fees on the issue of Letters-Patent In no in- under the Great Seal of the Colony. stance, I believe, do they apply to Patent rights specially as such. In cases of application to the Local Legislatures for enactments ensuring a Patent right, the expenses would probably vary even in the same Colony on different occasions; and it is not in my power to furnish a specific scale from the means

at my command.

I would observe that, although some doubt has appeared to affect the question of the prerogative of the Crown to grant Patent rights in these Colonies, that question would seem never to have been defini- tively answered in the negative; while the weight of opinion is in favour of the right of the Cown. I would also subunit, that if it be considered that any means, besides those by Local Legislative enact- ment, exist for securing rights of this description, the issue of Letters-Patent by the Governors of Colonies could have no local validity superior to that conferred by a grant in Great Britain.

MEMORANDUM showing the Fees payable on Private Bills, &c.

LEEWARD ISLANDS.

In none of the Colonies in this Government is there any Statute Law governing Patents; and there is, therefore, no regulation in force with re- gard to the documents required from an inventor or British patentec, to enable him to make application for a Patent right. In the few cases where pro- tection of this nature has been sought, it has usually been the practice to obtain it by means of a Private Bill passed through the Legislature, on condition of the registration of such a specification as would be

LEEWARD ISLANDS.

Governor, No. 11, October 24. 1856.

Antiguo

No fees payable on Patent granted in England.

Chancery Fecs:—

א

s. d. £

On Letters-Patent under Great Seal

of the Island

0 0

By custom on Private Bills:-

To Speaker of Assembly

6 15 0

N

46

£

To Clerk of Assembly

8. d.

3 7 6

To Clerk of Council

3 7 6

To Governor and Secretary for Great

Seal

8 0 0