Du Buque visitor. [volume] (Dubuque, Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1836-1837, 1837-01-18
ANDREW JACkSUN.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 81, 1886.
From The National hnteHgenee-.
PATENT OFFICE.

1 Il +
The destruction of the Patent Offiee.
the American Museum Of the Artists
an event which calls forth the symps
THY of all friends to.the prosperity Of
thu United States, aud the useful arts;
and ELECTS some remarks or its ri.e
aud progress, till the final destruction
by fire on the morning Of thu 18th
inst.
In the year 1890 law was passed
agreeably to the Constitution, @to pro-
mote the progress of science and USE
fUl arts, by securing for limited times
to authors s. inventors iheexclusive RI ;
viieges to the;rrespcctive writings, and
discoveries" Sec. 8. par s, Con. U. 81
! Under this law the Secretary Of State,
Secretary Of w ar; s. ATTY. Gen. or any
Two Of sr,rrrp, are on apprIcatlon, to
grant patents for such invcntiocs as
! they should deem "suO Efficiently useful
0ndinsportamt" This board has there
fore by law. a power to r. juse patents.
But these duties being so extensive
and laborious, and requiring much
studyand scientific requirements could
not easily be fulfilled by gentlemen
who had other and important stations
to fill; law was therefore passed in
1893, making it the duty Of the Sec
rotary Of State to issue patents subject
to the revision of the Attorney Cen
eral, Under this law, between the
years 1898 and 1886, above 5000 pa
tents were issued requiring no other
conditions in granting them than the
patent fees were paid; the oath TO the
invention made, and other forms of
Office complied with; but there was no
power in the Department to refuse pa
tent, when fulfilled, and ofcourse many
useless inventions & infringements on
public & private rights were patented to
the great injury ofAihe Public; and the
evil was every day increasing till the
passage of the late law Of 1886.
Now although many Of The evils COM
planned ofin the law Of 1898, were cured
or prevented by this new law, vet it is
not altogether free from evils. An cx-
amincr isspFointed by this to examine
and report to the Com r. Of Patents as to
the novelty and use Of an invention in
the patent applied for. This is too ex.
fensive power to be intrustcd 10 any
individual, forhc may be inexperienced
Of very limited knowledge and ac-
quire'nents and may often do much M
Justice to applicants without knowing
It. II is true by this law the aggriev.
cd party may appeal to three other ex-
amlners, but must pay all the expcn.
ses Of the appeal; and these will amount
% about forty dollars per diem. Who. then
amongst the numerous poor applicants who
hink themselves aggrievcd, will venture on an
appeal! many Of whom may have travelled
,bove three hundred miles, and some carving,
heir models on their backs. This system al
mounts to total denial Of justice to the
'oor but Ingenious man, and the present
aw ought to be altered, for it is much more
lnfdir than that Of 1890. No maj, can con.
'uct himself more Justly and correctly in his
NICE than the present Commissioners; hut the
VII y radical. and, can only be procured bv |
ompiete change in the law. There oushf 70 |
s q !east two or three men Of science. WE'LL
$ cquainied with mechanics over whom the
commissioners should preside, and examine
no fa,Ily decide on all applications for pa
sn's. Mr: RueeLss in his report TO the Sem
Ie. very justly observes. that the duty Of ex-
and investigation, necessary TO 4
lrst decision at the Patent Office, Is an imnor-
'ans one, and will call for the exercise Ana
ana application Ct much scientific ACQUIRE I,
inert. and knowledge Of the existing state
i the arts ~ all their branches, not only ii
ur own, hut III other countries.'' .
Nhsn we lock upon the dreadful ruin spread
Duad ~ The destruction IT the archives I'll
2 Fatent Office, tho most solemn feeling
usteVeXN kAlm The mind. Their liz he aah1ss !.