inventor; and, but for the persevering attempts of others to deprive Ged of the fame his memory so justly merits, and which he dearly earned, I might still have remained silent."

The attempts here alluded to were made by the French, who are never behind-hand in claiming the merit of a new discovery. The art, however, being in its infancy, underwent rapid improvements; so that although Dr. Tilloch's patent remained unimpeached, it never seems to have been to him of any pecuniary benefit. It appears, nevertheless, from some circumstances which transpired at the Society of Arts at the Adelphi, some years afterwards, that Earl Stanhope was indebted to Dr. Tilloch for much of his knowledge in the process of making stereotype plates.

On returning to Glasgow, he entered into the tobacco business, in conjunction with his brother and brother-in-law; but not finding it answer their expectation, it was finally abandoned. He then turned his attention to printing, and, either singly or in partnership, carried on that trade for some time in his native city.

Somewhat prior, however, to this period of his life, Dr. Tilloch married; but the joys of connubial felicity were not long his portion. In the year 1783 his amiable partner was taken from him by death, from which time his days were spent in widowhood. The fruit of this union was one daughter, who is the wife of Mr. Galt, the celebrated author of "The Annals of the Parish," ," "Sir Andrew Wylie, of that Ilk," "The Provost," "The Spae Wife," "Ringan Gilhaise,” and other popular Scottish novels.

In the year 1787 Dr. Tilloch came to the British metropolis, where he spent the remainder of his life. In 1789, in connection with others, he purchased "The Star," a daily evening paper, of which he immediately became the editor, and continued so until within four years of his death, when bodily infirmities, and various engagements, compelled him to relinquish its management altogether. In this respectable paper his political opinions were mild and temperate, equally

remote from the virulence of party, the clamours of faction, and the unmanly servility of temporizing baseness.

Being forcibly struck, soon after his arrival in London, with the vast number of executions that took place for forgery, Dr. Tilloch, who was always an active philanthropist, began to devise means for the prevention of the crime; and in 1790 he made a proposal to the British ministry to that effect. His scheme, however, meeting with an unfavourable reception at home, he offered his invention to the Commission d'Assignats at Paris, where its merits were very differently appreciated; but the political contentions of the time caused considerable delay in the negociation. However, in 1792, L'Amour, from the French authorities, waited on him, and they consulted together on the subject. On his return to Paris, some French artists were employed to make copies of Dr. Tilloch's plan; but in this they were finally unsuccessful, and their endeavours caused an additional delay. The commencement of the war in the beginning of 1793 occasioned a still greater interruption; but so anxious were the French Commissioners d'Assignats to avail themselves of Dr. Tilloch's invention, that L'Amour was directed to release some English smugglers, and to give them their vessel, on condition that, on returning to England, they would communicate to Dr. Tilloch a proposal for him to come to the continent, and impart his secret, offering him a handsome remuneration. By this time, however, the Treasonable Correspondence Bill having passed into a law, he prudently declined all further intercourse with the French authorities on the subject. It was afterwards ascertained, that some of those who had been active in releasing the smugglers and giving them their boat, very narrowly escaped the guillotine; the fall of Robespierre alone saving their lives.

The practice of forgery still continuing, with unabated perseverance, in the year 1797 Dr. Tilloch presented to the Bank of England a specimen of a note, which, if adopted, he conceived would place the impressions on bank paper be

yond the reach of imitation. Of this plan, and the fate which awaited it, some information may be gathered from the following petition, presented to the House of Commons on the occasion, in the year 1820;

"To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled. "The humble Petition of Alexander Tilloch, of Islington,

"Sheweth, That in the year 1797 your Petitioner presented to the Bank of England a specimen of a plan of engraving, calculated to pervent the forgery of bank notes, accompanied with a certificate signed by Messrs. Francis Bartolozzi, Wilson Lowry, Thomas Holloway, James Heath, William Sharp, James Fittler, William Byrne, J. Landseer, James Basire, and other eminent engravers, stating each for himself, that they could not make a copy of it,' and that they did not believe that it could be copied by any of the known arts of engraving;' and recommending it to the notice of the Bank of England, as an art of great merit and ingenuity, calculated not merely to detect, but to prevent the forgery of bank notes.

"That the said specimen was executed in consequence of a written permission from Mr. Giles, then Governor of the Bank, and on a verbal promise from him, that your petitioner should be well remunerated by the Bank if his specimen could not be copied, and at all events be paid for his trouble and expences.

"That the bank-engraver (then a Mr. Terry) said he could copy it, and in about three months thereafter did produce what he called a copy, but which was, in fact, very unlike the original.

"That on the 4th of July, 1797, the said pretended copy was examined before a committee of the Bank Directors, by Messrs. Heath, Byrne, Sharp, Fittler, Landseer, and Lowry, all engravers of the first eminence, who all declared that the

pretended copy was not any thing like a correct resemblance of the original, nor even executed in the same manner, your Petitioner's specimen being executed on, and printed from, a block in the manner of letter-press, but the copy executed on, and printed from, a copper-plate in the common rolling press; and the said engravers signed certificates to that effect, and gave the same to your Petitioner; and the other engravers, who were not at the bank when the examination was made, afterwards compared the pretended copy, and gave your Petitioner a certificate similar to the last-mentioned-all agreeing that the copy was no more like the original, than a brass counter is like a guinea.

"That, notwithstanding these certificates, the Bank rejected the plan offered by your Petitioner, followed their old plan for upwards of twenty years longer, trusting to the infliction of punishments for their protection and that of the public, of the effects of which your Petitioner will say nothing -and never paid your petitioner any remuneration for his expences and trouble, both of which had been considerable.

"That on the appointment of a Royal Commission in the year 1818, to examine and report on the best means for the prevention of forgery, your Petitioner laid before the said Commissioners the fore-mentioned specimen, accompanied with another executed for the purpose, and exhibiting some improvement; and stated to them, that not being a professional artist, these specimens (notwithstanding their certified merit) could give but an imperfect idea of the perfection of which your Petitioner's art was susceptible.

"That the said Commissioners, from many specimens offered by different individuals, recommended the adoption of one offered by a Mr. Applegath.

"That the said plan of the said Mr. Applegath is, as your Petitioner has been informed, and believes, in fact, the same with and differs not in the principle of execution from the plan offered by your Petitioner twenty-three years ago; and.

therefore, the preference thereto given appears to your Petitioner to be an act of great injustice towards him, the original inventor.

"That your Petitioner has seen a Bill now before your bonourable House, entitled A Bill for the further Prevention of Forging and Counterfeiting of Bank Notes,' in which there are various clauses calculated, and, as your Petitioner humbly submits, intended, to prevent him from exercising in any way that art of which he was the original inventor; and which, he humbly submits, is an act of great injustice.

"That to prohibit the exercise of any modes of engraving, on the pretext of preventing forgery, stands as much opposed to the progress and improvement of the Arts, and cousequently as impolitic, as it would be to prohibit die-sinking for medals, buttons, and many branches of metallic ornament, on pretext of hindering the current coin from being imitated and counterfeited.

"Your Petitioner therefore humbly submits, that the said Bill, containing such clauses, should not be passed into a law; or, if deemed indispensable on grounds respecting which he may not be qualified to judge, that your Petitioner ought previously to receive such a remuneration as to the wisdom of your honourable House may appear reasonable; not only for the great trouble and expence he has already incurred, but for the damage and loss which your Petitioner must incur if prevented from exercising that very art of which he was the original inventor, and from the exercise of which he desisted all these years, only in the hope that the Bank of England would, sooner or later, adopt it; and which they have done, but given the credit of it to another person, and consequently the remuneration and advantage arising from its adoption.

"Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays that his case may be taken into consideration, and that he may be granted such relief in the premises as this honourable House in its wisdom may deem meet.

(Signed)

"ALEXANDER TILLOCH."