The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-02-13

touching the said charges, and beg leave to sub
NIT to the House, the fol owing resolution AS the
| result ofthe'r Investigation
Resolved, Thatthe charges exhibited agains,
Dennis Mclaughlin, are in the opinion of this
committee unioanded, and not supported by tue
evidence exhibited to them. 4
This Resolution being read second tin-, a
motion was made" That the note and accompa
"nyments from Greenbrier, by order ofthe Com.
mi,tee Of Privileges and Elections referred to
9 in the first specifications, be real."--
a motion was made to amend this Proposition
ny adding to It the following words "ToCeth-
" err with all the testimony exhibited before the
Committee of Privileges and Elections, be
" heard and that the said Mclaughlin may be
heard, by his attorney, at the bar of this
" House."
motion was then made to amend the said a
mendment by striking out the words I" and that
the said Mclaughlin may be heard, by his attor.
ney, at the bar of this House - and the question
being pat on the proposed amendment, it passed
in the negative
motion was then made to nit the said
report and resolution to the Committee of Privi-
leses and Elections and the question being put
On the said motion for recommiiment, it passed in
the Affirmative.
A motion was then made that the Committee
OF Privileges and Elections be discharged from
further proceeding on the said resolution, as also
The sad report and resolution and the question
being put OH the said motion, il passed in the al.
hrmatve. Ayes GO. Noes ST.
Steam Boat of Messrs. Livingsfon and Fulton.
On the 9TH the House of Delegates had the en-
crossed bill before them, 90 For granting and Sc
curing to Robert X. Livingston and Robert Full.
" ton the sole right and advantage of making and
employing, for limited time, the steam boa,
or boats by them invented" and several blanks
were filled up, when the House adjourned
| On the subsequent day, the Speaker laid before
lat...
perintendsnt ofihe Patent Off &c, Washington. m
the following words and figures
| DEpAaTMENr or State,
PATENT OFFICE, JAM 90, 1910.
SIR,
| address you with extreme reluctance on
| a subject which affects very nearly the nt erests
OF many my fellow-citzens but being called
upon by them, ! consider it as a duty to repre-.
sent to You, and through you to the honorable bo
! dy over which you preside, that they view with
VERY great concern an attempt TO obtain from the
legislature OF Jour state, an exclusive right to
navigate with steam boats, the waters therein
FOR very long periods which, if granted, would
leHectusiiy deprive many ingenious inventors
and mechanics, OF the benefits expected from
their various inventions and improvements III
steam boats, for which they have taken patents
from the United States, under an impression
that the States had ceded by the constellation, to
the congress, the right to grant patents or exclu
sive privileges for limited times to authors or in
Ven,ors, thereby to promote the sciences x arts
on the expiration of which limitations their seye
RAJ Inventions become the property OF every cit
zen OF the United States by which tacit con.
tract the individual Is for time benefited and the
public for ever after but if the honorable the le
sisiature OF your state grant the privileges now
idesired. the example may lead to dangerous anG
Oppressive consequences
4 THE ia
the highest respect and Difference. ~
n, WILLIAM THORNTON.
To the Honorable the Speaker)
OF the House of Representa-
tives of the state of Virginia - ~.
40 The Patent law of the United States
cedes The patent right for fourteen years only
Messrs Livingston and Fulton wished the pc.
rod to be extended for u LONGER time, as 10 the
state OF Virginia-hence their application to the
Legislature OF this state--the law, If it had pas
sed, would have allowed them 30 years AS tc
the right of tie States to issue paten,s--Ss as e
the consequences of this cashing jurisdiction be
tween the States and the United States-we
shall not enter upon that question
c. BY the law ofVirginia (1785, passed preyi-
GUS to the adoption of the Constitution of the u
Staes,) the exclusive right OF printing 6. vending
their works, that u.s. hooks banlbhiets is secured
to the authors ofthem, being Citizens of any one oil
the United States, for twenty one years. By the
constitution of the United States, Congress are
authorised to promote the progress of science
and useful arts, by securing, for limited times
" tn authors and inventors, the EXCLUSIVES RICH,
" to their respective rvritngs and discoveries -
And now by the law of the ". States, the authors
OF any maps, chart, or book, being a citizen of
or resdentin, the United States, lis executors,
administrators, and assigns, shall have the ex-
elusive right of printing, and vending the same
for IL years, and it at the end ofthat term the
author be living, and a citizen of, or resident in
'he U States, the same exclusive right shall be
continued tn nan, his executors administrators
or assigns, tor tie further term of Ii years /.
u =. Cong Ssss. C. II. 80 As this act (says
Judge tucker IN his notes to BiacIstone) is more
| extensively beneficial than the Law Of this State
| the former will probably fall into dsuse !"--The
Ike exclusive right is sec, al to the inventors oi
| any new and useful art, machine, manufacture,
| or composition OF matter, any new and useful
| Improve of any art &c. for "a term not ex-
ceeding ii years. l.. u. S Cong Sess C 7. 3
| Cong. c. o1-Such are the laws &c on this subject
from these data w leave the reader to form
| MS own opinion
| The letter of Mr. Thornton was ordered to be
| laid upon the table The House then resumed
the consideration Of the engrossed bill =" For
| granting and securing to Robert r. Livingston
and Robert Fulton, the sole right and advantage
Of making and employing for limited time, the
steam boat or boats by t'ien invented :" which,
bad been read third time, aud several blanks
| therein filled up, and was in possession of the
! CHAR whenthe House adjourned oa the evening
before & the question beng put on the passage oi
the bill, 1t passed in the .egatiye;
The Bill was, of course, rejected.