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excellent Properties above aſcribed to it; yet the greateſt Evil which attends common Locks, viz. an Accumulation of Duplicates, they will ſtill be expoſed to whenever they are liable to a random Fabrication, and ceaſe to be manufactured under the Controul of a ſcientific and well digeſted Syſtem.
That an Increaſe of Duplicates muſt diminiſh the Security of a Lock before inviolable is obvious on the ſlighteſt Conſideration. Suppoſe a Lock in Principle perfectly ſecure; a ſingle Duplicate will certainly leſſen that Security in a Ratio proportioned by the Probability or Improbability of the Key B. ever finding its way to the Lock A. and, vice verſa, the Key A. to the Lock B.; and let the Sum of this Probability or Improbability, which depends on Circumſtances of Time and Place, be what it may, it certainly will form the determinate Security of each; and therefore, although the Lock A. was in Principle of infinite Security, the Lock B. will render both only finite; and that Security will be yet farther diminiſhed by every ſucceeding Duplicate; and that this Duplication of Locks and Keys will be the inevitable Conſequence of unreſtrained and promiſcuous Fabrication requires alſo as little Trouble to demonſtrate; for without a ſtrict Adherence to arithmetical Calculations, it will not be poſſible to aſcertain, when a Lock is making, whether it is or not the Counterpart of ſome former one; but ſuch a Rule the Experience of the common Lock above recited gives ſtrong Reaſon to preſume the Lockſmiths in general could not be brought to purſue, independent of the Difficulty, not to ſay Impracticability, of maintaining a Connexion between ſuch a numerous Body of Men of oppoſite Intereſts. It is alſo to be apprehended, that a Trade of manufacturing Duplicate Keys would be the Conſequence of ſuch irregular Tranſactions, whereby the Ill-diſpoſed would be readily furniſhed with any Number, to attempt the Accompliſhment of their Purpoſes; and though the tranſpoſitive Property of the lock would be a partial Corrective for this Evil, yet much Miſchief might very probably reſult, which is a further Argument for the Neceſſity of ſome Reſtraint.[1]
I ſhall not preſume to propoſe a Method of rendering the Principle permanently uſeful to Society; but I hope I may be permitted to queſtion, whether any better Mode can at preſent be adopted, than at once to continue to the Public the Advantages which, during Fourteen Years, they have received from this Article, under the Conduct of a regular Syſtem, and afford a Compenſation to an Individual, who has laboured inceſſantly, and expended immenſe Sums, to perfect the Invention without any adequate Advantage.
I am aware that it may be ſaid, the excluſive Privilege of ſelling the Article for a certain Time is a Reward. That it was ſo intended, and that it is in moft Caſes ſufficient, I am well convinced; but in this particular Inſtance that it has not been ſo I feel equally certain. The numerous Machines and Apparatus, which the Nature of the Buſineſs required, and others progreſſively introduced for the sake of Accuracy and Diſpatch, have involved a Capital, on which (though the Sale is now conſiderable) I have not been able to realize a Profit equal to Five per Cent. having gradually lowered the Price (from a Deſire that the Public ſhould reap every poſſible Benefit from the Invention) in proportion as the Means employed curtailed the Expence of manufacturing, ſo that the ſame Article is now ſold at One-Third leſs Price than at the Commencement of the Buſineſs; and I have every Reaſon to believe a reaſonable Prolongation of the Term of my Patent will enable me to make ſtill greater Reductions of Price, as well as further important Improvements.
Indeed ſo coſtly are the Machines erected for making theſe Locks, that no Individual with a ſmall Capital could poſſibly undertake the Buſineſs, to do Juſtice to the Principle; and without them it muſt unavoidably ſuffer much Mutilation, or the Article be increaſed in Price in a Fourfold or greater Proportion; but as a Reduction in the Price would certainly be the Aim of a Competitor, of the Two Evils the former is the moſt probable, and that which in my Opinion it is of the greateſt Conſequence to the Public to prevent. At the ſame Time ſuch Competition will neceſſarily leave in a great Meaſure unemployed thoſe expenſive Implements above-mentioned, which have been made principally with a view to perfect the Invention, and which are the ſole Product of the Buſineſs, and as thoſe Tools are not adapted to any other Purpoſe, they will in ſuch Caſe be comparatively of no Value, wherefore it will be vain for the Patentee to expect even common Intereſt for the Capital veſted in the Concern, much leſs that Reward which, it muſt be allowed, is due to active Ingenuity.
Theſe are Facts which can be verified by the Records of my Tranſactions; and as I aſſure myſelf the Nation will not refuſe a Compenſation to the Individual who labours ſucceſsfully for their Service, I have ventured to lay before Parliament a Petition for the Extenſion of the Term of my Patent, a Copy of which precedes this Statement of Facts.
- ↑ A Circumſtance which has recently fallen within my Knowledge, and which I will beg Leave to mention, ſerves to ſtrengthen the above Suppoſition. Having lately made Locks for the Gates in the Iron Railing of Portman Square, and ſupplied every Inhabitant with a Key, to exclude improper Company (who gained Admittance by Keys to the old Locks, which could be readily purchaſed in the Vicinity) and to prevent any Thing of that Kind in future, I was ſhortly after applied to by an eminent Ironmonger in the Neighbourhood, to know whether I would furniſh him with Duplicate Keys, or permit him to make them; obſerving at the ſame Time, that from repeated Applications already made at his Shop for them, he conceived it would turn to good account; and aſſuring me, he had received a Key of my make from a Perſon who had it in Poſſeſſion, to provide Duplicates to give to Friends, &c. I anſwered, that I was under Obligations not to ſell Keys to open thoſe Locks without official Orders from the Truſtees for the Management of the Square, and that if any Perſon attempted to make and vend them during the Continuance of the Patent, ſuch would be proſecuted; he was alſo informed, that the Moment it ſhould be diſcovered that any counterfeit Keys had made their Appearance, the Arrangement of the interior Works of the Lock would be varied, ſo as to render them uſeleſs.
