The question of the Galway contract has been fiercely agitated
in the chief towns of Ireland. One and all demand a restoration of the subsidy and a renewal of the contract. One of the speakers at Clonmel said that "the sooner they got rid of the crafty scheming Whigs, the authors of the injustice, the better ;" so difficult is it for the Celtic mind to discriminate between justice and injustice, law and licence.
Forged trade marks have long been the opprobrium of trade. One of the measures of the session is a bill to amend the law affecting this class of frauds. The measure, as drawn, suited, it appears, neither manufacturers nor vendors, and they have laboriously con- ferred together in order to devise emendations acceptable to both. Having agreed, they waited upon Mr. Milner Gibson on Tuesday, and set forth their requirements. The great object of these altera- tions appears to be that of protecting manufacturers and vendors alike from vexatious snits and proceedings under the bill. Mr. Milner Gibson said it was his desire to approach this question with great care. He was aware of its difficulties. On the one side it was wished to prevent frauds, and on the other hand there was a desire not to open the door to' vexatious prosecutions. He was most anxious to receive every suggestion, and they would meet with proper consideration. If the amendments brought forward that day were considered by the law officers of the Crown proper to be adopted, it would be for the Government to consider whether they should be
introduced into bill. It was important that they should be agreed as to the main provisions of the bill. It had been urged that foreign countries would give no protection to the trade marks of our manu- facturers, the law on that subject in this country being so defective that there was no reciprocal protection. He could promise the deputation that the various points brought forward should have his best consideration.
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