way inany inventors are deprived of valid patents for their own inventions. Many valuable inventions are yearly introduced into Europe from the United States, by parties ever on the alert to pick up whatever they can lay their hands upon that may seem useful.

Models are not required in any European country, but the utmost care and experience are necessary in the preparation of the specifications and drawings

When parties intend to take out foreign patents, engravings should not be published until the foreign applications have been made.

[PERSONS dersiring other information concerning the procuring of Letters Patent than is contained in the laws and practice given above, can obtain all such advice, free of charge, by addressing Messrs. MUNN & Co., Editors of the Scientific American, 37 Park Row, New York City.

Messrs. MUNN & Co. have been engaged as solicitors of patents for nearly a quarter of a century, and their facilities are most complete for doing all kinds of patent business. More than onethird of all the patent business of the United States is transacted by this firm, and almost all of the patents annually obtained by American citizens in foreign countries are procured through Messrs. MUNN & Co., who have reliable agencies in London, Paris, and all the principal European capitals. Any letters of inquiry in regard to the law or practice of the Patent Office they will cheerfully answer, without charge; they also examine models and drawings of new inventions, and render advice as to the prospects of obtaining patents, etc., free of expense.]

HIGHWAYS.

It is the duty of Commissioners of Highways to give directions for the repairing of all roads and bridges in their respective towns; to regulate the roads already laid out, and to alter such of them as they may deem inconvenient, to divide each of their towns into road districts, and to assign each road district to such of the inhabitants liable to work on highways as they may think proper, having due regard to proximity of residence as near as may be;

to require the overscers of highways to warn all persons assessed to work on highways to come and work thereon; to discontinue all old roads that may appear to them on the oaths of twelve freeholders, to have become unnecessary; to lay out on actual survey, such new roads as they may deem essential to the public weal; and to cause mile-boards or stones to be erected on such post and other public roads as they may think expedient.

It is the duty of overseers of highways to repair and keep in order all highways in their respective districts; to warn all persons assessed to work on the same; to cause all noxious weeds on each side of the highway to be cut down and destroyed, once every six months; to cause all loose stones on the beaten track of the highway to be removed; to keep up and renew the mile-stones and guide-posts; and, when occasion demands, to make a second assessment, in addition to that made by the commissioners, on the residents in the town for the maintenance in order of the roads.

Every person owning or occupying land in the town in which he or she resides; every male inhabitant over twenty-one years, and all moneyed or stock corporations, are subject to assessment for highway labor. Commissioners are authorized to credit all persons living on private roads, and working the same, so much on their assessments as they may deem necessary, or to annex the same to some highway district.

Any person liable to highway labor may commute for the same in whole or in part, at the rate of one dollar per day, to be paid within twenty-four hours after receiving the notice to appear and work.

Persons assessed to highway labor are entitled to twenty-four hours' notice. No resident can be compelled to work on any highway except in the district where he resides, unless upon his appli cation the commissioners consent that he may apply his work in some district where he has land.

Every person refusing or neglecting to appear and work when notified by the highway overseer is subject to a fine of one dollar for each day, and twelve and a half cents for every hour any per son or his substitute may be delinquent. Every individual or substitute remaining idle, or not working faithfully or hindering others from work, is subject to a fine of one dollar for each offence.

Overseers are empowered to require from assessed persons hav ing the same, a cart, wagon, or plough, with a pair of horses or oxen, and a person to manage them; if he furnish them, according to order, he will be entitled to a credit of three days for each day's service therewith. If he fail to furnish them, he is liable to a fine of three dollars per day for each day that he may be assessed. If, however, the delinquent can give the overseer a satisfactory excuse for his non-compliance with the order, the latter has power to remit the fine.

Ministers of the gospel, paupers, and lunatics, are exempt from highway labor. The whole number of days' work to be assessed by the Commissioners must be equal to at least three times the number of taxable inhabitants in the town; and every male inhabitant over twenty-one years must be assessed at least one day; the remainder of the work must be apportioned upon the real and personal estate of every inhabitant, as the same may appear in the last assessment roll of the town, and upon each tract or parcel of land owned by non-residents.

Commissioners cannot lay out a road through any orchard of four years' growth, or more; nor through a garden cultivated four years or more; nor through any buildings, or fixtures for the purpose of trade or manufactures, nor any yards or other enclosures necessary for their use; nor through any enclosed or cultivated lands, without the consent of the owner or owners thereof, or on the oaths of twelve freeholders to the public necessity of the same. No private road can be laid out over the lands of any person, without his consent or the decision of a jury

When a Commissioner of Highways has determined to lay out a new highway, or to alter or discontinue an old road, he must file uch determination in writing at the office of the Town Clerk.

Any person aggrieved by any determination of the Commissioner of Highways, either in laying out, altering, or discontinuing any road, or in refusing to lay out, alter, or discontinue any road, may, at any time within sixty days after the Commissioner's determina tion shall have been filed, appeal to the Judge of the county, whe shall appoint three disinterested freeholders, residents of the county, but not of the town, to hear and determine the appeal.

When a public highway has been transferred to a plank-road

company, and the interest of the public road is paid for, the com. pany succeeds to all the rights of the Town Commissioners relative to making repairs.

TOWN OF

Assessment of Highway Labor.

COUNTY, S.S.

At a meeting of the Commissioners of Highways of the town of- held in said town on the — day of, J. C., H. D. and T. J., the said Commissioners, having proceeded to ascertain, estimate, and assess the highway labor to be performed in their town for the ensuing year, [if only two of them will agree to the assessment roll as prepared, then insert," the undersigned, two of the said Commissioners"-the decision of the majority is sufficient,] have made out the estimate and assessment for road district No.in said town, as follows:

day of

[Or if only two of the Commissioners were present at the assessment, then, instead of the preceding, say,] The undersigned, two of the Commissioners of Highways of the town of having met in said town on the and proceeded to ascertain, estimate, and assess the highway labor to be performed in their town for the ensuing year, all the Commissioners of Highways of said town having been duly notified to attend the said meeting of the Commissioners for the purpose of deliberating thereon, have made out the estimate and assessment for road dis trict No. in said town as follows:

First, The inhabitants of said town assigned to said road district are assessed ar follows, to wit:

NAMES.
A. C.
D. E.

1 day.
3 days.

NAMES.

X. Y.

L. M.

2 days. 10 days. town, and sit

$1,000

Assessment.
Four days.

Second, The lands owned by non-residents of said Aate therein, are assessed as follows, to wit:

Owner's name. | Description of Land. Value.

John Jones.

Lot No.

In witness whereof, we have hereto subscribed our names, this day of ―, 18.

J. C.

H. D. Commissioners.

T. J.

Additional Assessment by an Overseer.

The quantity of labor assessed on the inhabitants of road district No., in the town of, being by me, the undersigned, Ovorseer of Highways in said district, deemed insufficient to keep the roads therein in repair, I do therefore, in pursuance of the provis

ions of the statute in such cases made, hereby make a furtner assessment, as follows, to wit:

BY NON-RESIDENT OWNER OF LANDS, OR HIS AGENT, from the s SESSMENT BY COMMISSIONERS.

COUNTY, TOWN OF

SS.

A. B., a non-resident owner of lands in said town, considering [or, A. B., agent of C. D., a non-resident owner of lands in said town, who considers] himself aggrieved in the assessment for highway labor by the Commissioners of Highways of said town, upon the following described lands, to wit: [here insert the description, as in the list or statement made by the Commissioners,] doth hereby appeal from the assessment of said Commissioners to

three of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of

said county of·

Dated this

day of

18-.

A. B.

Notice by the Owner or his Agent,

TO THE COMMISSIONERS, OF THE PRECEDING APPEAL.

Tɔ J. C., H. D., and T. J., Commissioners of Highways of the

Town of

and

three

You are hereby notific that considering myself aggrieved by your assessment for highway labor of the land owned by me in Baid town, I have this day appealed to of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of the county of who will convene at, on the day of at o'clock in the -noon, to decide on said appeal. Dated the day of ―

18-.

Yours, &c.

A. B.

Notice by the Overseer as to Non-resident Lands.

I, the undersigned, Overseer of Highways for road district No. in the town of, do hereby give notice, That the labor assessed on the several tracts of land hereafter mentioned, which have been assessed owned by non-residents, is to be performed day of next, on the highway of said district, be

on the