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Ld Rosse)May 30 / 52.
I beg to say that I am ready to place myself in ye hand of ye acknd leaders of scce & art & to act as they may advise – I make no condns upon ye subjt not thinking it worty either of myself to do so nor of those to whom I appeal My grt diffclty is ye uncertnyy I feel as to ye opnn of ye scientfc & artistc world upon ye m nain questn namely whther my pt rights are or are not an obstacle to the improvnt of photy & the advance of Scce & Art.
<expanded version>
Lord Rosse)May 30 / 1852.
I beg to say that I am ready to place myself in the hands of the acknowledged leaders of science and art and to act as they may advise – I made no conditions upon the subject not thinking it worthy either of myself to do so nor of those to whom I appeal My great difficulty is the uncertainty I feel as to the opinion of the scientific and artistic world upon the main question namely whether my Patent rights <1> are or are not an obstacle to the improvement of Photography and the advance of Science and Art.
Notes:
1. WHFT is speaking mostly of his calotype patent of 1841 (patent no. 8,842).