The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-04-14
HEIRS OF ROBERT FULTON.
REMARKS OF mR. MCCLELLAN,
OF NEW YORK,


In ihs House ef Representatives., MaGk Q. ls3s--Iho
motion 20 reconsider the bill for the relief OF The heirs
OF Robert Fulton being under consideration
Mr.. MCCLELLAN addressed the House as follows;
Mr. SPEAKEn: 1t was my original intention 10 take
no part 10 the discussion Of this bill When y was
under examination upon former occasion, content,
cd my sell Ia listening the eolnence which poured
forth from different parts OF ms ilali ara ~ sniS
silent vote in favor VI tho bill, as reported ~ the csf-
man Of the Comrnittce Of Claims, tslr Whtilesey
rise Mr. Speaker resist the moiol 10 reconsider,
made by tho honorable member from South Carolina,
mir Thumpsoii) and to notice the remarks which have
falIen GDn MY honorable colleague, tMr Russcll,)
which heard with surprise, aud as an American citi-
zen. ,,i,h deep modification, That honorable member,
in exhibiting his opposition to this bill has made at.
tempt TO the we'll earned lanres from the brow Of
distinguished and deceased public heuefac,or lie
has eenied to the late Mr. Fulton the credit Of being
the inventor Of the successful and practical application
Of steam power TO boat navigation, II this allegation
be true the honorable member will succeed, not only
in defeating the award Of the national Justice proposed
by the passage Of this bill, but he will take from his
orphan children the legacy Of his achievements
When Mr. Fulton first demonstrated the practicable
ty of applying steam power 10 boat navigation and
when, IN 1907 he launched his FIRST boat at Now York,
which moved mp the waters OF The Hudson to the adj
miration Of the inhabitants on its banks when his ex-
pertinent had proved successful aud the benefit his in
yentien would confer upon the country evident TO
all an aware, sir, that envy and svalco were operst,
ing rob him Of his well earned reputation, had sup
posed that those times we're past and that great and
happy peopemade so, N a measure BY The efforts OF
his genus--woud be willing to accord to his memory
the need Of praise; and that no honorable member on
this floor would tear Gom orphanage the legacy be-
queathed BY such father
All that claimed BY Mr. Fulton was the SUCCESS
full application u steam power 10 boat navigation. The
expansive power Of steam known, and steam en-
gines invented before his time Ingenious me-
ch,nics had suggested the possibility Of propelng boats
by steam power but all their experiments this
Try, il Engand France aud Scotland, had proved abor.
live and nero abandoned
My colleague has referred tho experiments OF John
Fitch on the Delaware, in 1888 That individual was
supported by association Of men, who furnished hun
means, and were interested in his success The exPe-
rments resulted IN evidence OF practical utility The
report made upon them to the Philosophical Society at
Philadelphia shows that no possible advantage could be
derived from the plan proposed
The question is not sir, who first suggested the pos
sbilty OF applying steam power to boat navigation, but
who first perfected sach application, and made
pcrinenf ruth rntire success.
The mechanics, whose attention had been turned 10
the subject, were, doubtless Ingenuity and merit
bat, sir they not possessed of that union Of
genius and practical kno Wedge which was necessary
TO enable them to make successful application All
their efforts and experiments proved iruess
England rather her critics and reviewers, for a
time, claimed priority Of invention, But sir, the docu-
tables show the injustice of such claim.
The report Of the Commissioner Of Patents made 10
Congress at the present session says:
Among the losses occasoned by the fire. most
deeply regretted the destruction Of all the papers
deposited by Robert Fulton. His drawings were exc
cued by his own hand, and formed an interesting part
OF the records Of American genius Establishing for
our country the honor OF the first successful and pract
cal employment OF steam in navigation This loss has
been considered rreparabe. am happy, however, to
state that duplicates doubtless be procured
O Attr cd ha attic Ion of
government, Tor whom, application therefor complete
copies OF his drawings and transcripts of specifications
and other papers, deposited in this Office were made
and transmitted to London where il Is presumed,
pies may be obtained to supply the place Of the originals
Measures will Immediately be taken to accomplish tina.
Object %."#
Here is evidence that England established no claim
Every boa, built upon Eugllsh waters constructed
upon the plan and after the model and drawings Of Mr.
Fulton. 1t reserved for his inventive genius aud
enterprise by wonderful combination of machinery TO
produce the successful result The present generation
have awarded him this merit posterity will recog
nize, and history will record 1t, the achievement Of
Robert Fulton
Mr.. Speaker, rose to rescue his memory from I'M
deserved attack. Deeply impressed as / have been
from my yomth with the merits Of that distinguished
individual and the value OF his life and labors TO our
country and the world, could permit the remarks
of honorable members on this floor TO pass without
response from me-
will give my reasons in support OF the bill The
hill proposes 10 award 10 the heirs OF Robert Fulton
100000 not as Donation but for valuable services
rendered the country services IN which talent aud
inventive ingenuity employed and of such cha
racter as no other could have performed The
sources Of tho whole country have been developed and
the people Of every State the Union have been en-
rlched by his Inventions His whole life was one UNI
broken act OF devotion to the interests of his country
The interest OF sell merged in that of the public
good. As all evidence Of this, will read an extract
from his letter his friend, the poet Barlow in 1907
after his Now York, from his trip up the lud-
son by steamboat. He writes:
Having employed much time, money and zeal, in
accomplishing this work, lit gives me- it will you,
great pleasure TO see fully expectations II
will give cheap and quick conYeyanc the merchant
disc the Mississippi Missouri, and other great rivers
which laying open heI to the enter
PRISE oil countrymeH; and although the prospect of
present enoument has been some iuducement me,
yet leel Infinitely moro pleasure in rejecting the
immense advantage that n,y country will derive from
the nvc ntion."
Sir this was proud day for Fulton A short period
before he soliciting aid to complete his bost llav-
ing exhausted all his means, he made application
to Of property in the city Of New York. offering
them share in his boat, and the privileges granted him
but his project considered wild and visionary AZ
ter its completion, the morning it TO leave New
York crowd ofspectatois gathered upon tie wharycs
to witness what they believed would be an abortirc en-
pertinent. Jeers and sarcasms passed among the uube-
hevlng pnpuace. But when the boat rounded from East
rlvcr, and entered the waters OF the Hudson their
Jees aud sarcasms changed paudlIs of admra-
ton.
In reference to these facts Mr. Fulton writes il, the
same letter to his valued friend
"The morning left New York there were not thirty
persons in the city who believed that tho boat would
ever move one mile hour, be OF the least utility
and while we were putting off from tho wharf which
was crowded with spectators, heard number Of sar-
castle remarks This is the way in which ignorant
men compliment what they call philosophers and pro-
.--I. y