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8 INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION, 1876. linens displayed much novelty and elegance of design. The damasks of Dresden and the embroidered linens in the collective exhibit of Wurtemberg were deserving of special mention. If pre-eminence may be claimed by the manufacturers of Ireland, it is only in such a degree as to extinguish envy and excite emulation. All the com peting countries in this class are entitled to commendation, and may be congratulated on the progress already made, and the promise .thus afforded of still further excellence. CLASSES 234, 521, 523, 524. On these classes the following statement has been furnished by Mr. William W. Hulse, a member of the group: “ The Chairman of Group VIII. has desired me to send a compar ative report on the machinery, as an addendum to his own report. But, really, it is not practicable to form a judgment based on com parison, for lack of means, there being in no instance a complete set of textile machinery exhibited from any nation. The only exhibit which approached completeness was in the United States department, and it was not worked, but kept idle. If I might venture on giving some opinions which I formed, of an abstract character, I would say that, as regards extent of invention and ingenuity of detail, the United States were far ahead, for there was scarcely an exhibitor who had not some novel features to claim. For consummate invention and arrange ment of mechanism—based, no doubt, on an older experience—the palm was, in my judgment, earned for Great Britain. I attributed the extent of ingenuity and invention manifested everywhere in the ma chinery department of the United States to the fostering, stimulating, and admirable patent-law system. As regards quality of construction, utility, and fitness for the purpose intended, I formed the opinion that the cotton-gin and the calico-printing machinery, and the machinery and tie-in warps from Yorkshire, were the most solid and best ex amples. The cotton-spool machinery of Conant; the calico dyeing machinery by Butterworth; spinning and weaving machinery by Draper, Lord, & Co., Kitson, Lyall, Thomas, Crompton, Knowles, and others; and the tentering machinery by Palmer,—all of the United States,—followed very closely upon the best examples from Great Britain. “The other class upon which I had to form a judgment, in con nection with my co-Judges in textile machinery, was that of oil cloths. In this class I had no hesitation in assigning the first place to the United States, for great variety, beauty of design, richness of colors, and quality of texture in oil floor-cloths, table-cloths, car-