15

A.—2

No. 27. (Circular.) Sir, — Downing Street, 30th November, 1885. With reference to my predecessor's circular despatch of the 29th of October, 1883, I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of the colony under your government, a copy of the Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks (Amendment) Act (48 and 49 Viet., c. 63), passed during the late session of Parliament. I have, &c, PEED. STANLEY. The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand.

Enclosure. Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks (Amendment) Act, 1885.— [48 and 49 Vict., c. 63.] 1. Construction and Short Title, 4. Specifications, &c, not to be published unless appli2. Amendment of section 5 of 46 and 47 Viet., c. 57. cation accepted. 3. Amendment of sections 8, 9, and 12 of 46 and 47 Viet., 5. Power to grant patents to several persons jointly. o. 57. 6. Amendment of section 103 of 46 and 47 Viet., c. 57. An Act to amend "The Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks Act, 1883." [14th August, 1885.] Be it enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows :— 1. This Act shall be construed as one with " The Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks Act, 1883 " (in this Act referred to as " the principal Act"). This Act may be cited as "The Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks (Amendment) Act, 1885;" and this Act and the principal Act may be cited together as the Patents, Designs, and Trade-marks Acts, 1883 and 1885. 2. Whereas subsection two of section five of the principal Act requires a declaration to be made by an applicant for a patent to the effect in that subsection mentioned, and doubts have arisen as to the nature of that declaration, and it is expedient to remove such doubts :. Be it therefore enacted that the declaration mentioned in subsection two of section five of the principal Act may be either a statutory declaration under " The Statutory Declarations Act, 1835," or not, as may be from time to time prescribed. 3. Whereas under the principal Act a complete specification is required (by section eight) to be left within nine months, and (by section nine) to be accepted within twelve months, from the date of application, and a patent is required by section twelve to be sealed within fifteen months from the date of application, and it is expedient to empower the Comptroller to extend in certain cases the said times : Be it therefore enacted as follows : A complete specification may be left and accepted within such extended times, not exceeding one month and three months respectively after the said nine and twelve months respectively, as the Comptroller may on payment of the prescribed fee allow; and where such extension of time has been allowed, a further extension of four months after the said fifteen months shall be allowed for the sealing of the patent; and the principal Act shall have effect as if any time so allowed were added to the said periods specified in the principal Act. 4. Where an application for a patent has been abandoned, or become void, the specification or specifications and drawings (if any) accompanying or left in connection with such application shall not at any time be open to public inspection or be published by the Comptroller. 5. Whereas doubts have arisen whether under the principal Act a patent may lawfully be granted to several persons jointly, some or one of whom only are or is the true and first inventors or inventor; be it therefore enacted and declared that it has been and is lawful under the principal Act to grant such a patent. 6. In subsection one of section one hundred and three of the principal Act, the words "date of the application" shall be substituted for the words "date of the protection obtained."

No. 28. (New Zealand, No. 77.) Sir, — ■ Downing Street, 22nd December, 1885. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch No. 112, of the 26tli of September last, with its enclosures, respecting Colonel Rooke's application for some decorative distinction for services performed during the period of his military career on the West Coast of Africa and in New Zealand. I request that you will inform Colonel liooke that it is not in my power to make any recommendation to Her Majesty for the special recognition of services, however distinguished, which were rendered many years ago, and of which I have no personal knowledge.