The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-10-20

uvUntOrs and dlBcovercrB IN this city u01t eoncs-
day, the I'D inst-the call being made py III;
Nou of Union College, with Mr.. Ewbank ana
others. !.
Such an institution il much wanted; for, Of all
other classes Of mankind while the most useful IN
ventors are the worst treated
The patent laws Of Europe and in this country
are VIGOROUSLY detective, UNJUST and oppressive'
They have generally been framed by lawyers, who,
somehow, have the fatality of bringing forth laws
SO ambiguous, especially in reference to patent IN
ventions. which, failing to protect their rights, too
often involve parties in ruinous lltigation. Many
valuable Inventions lost 10 mankind for the want
of just encouragement.
out thing truly valuable, he is remorseessly rob
bed of it, and ifhe fails for the want of means, he Is
derded as a visionary fool. Arkwrght travelled
from pillar post in rags for seven years. before he
could find patronage sufficient TO enable him TO
bring out his great invention Of spinning cotton
wool by machinery. While he was doing this, the
archbishop of Canterbury was receiving salary Of
100000 per annuni, and several Judicial officers,
such as The Lord Chancellor, 100000 sterling a
year. M lA
Whitney and Fulton both failed to realize the pc
cuniary rewards justly due them for their great IN
ventions. Yet, look at modern commerce--the in
creased population, wealth, and intercourse OF the
world--see how large portion of IT 10 based upon
the inventions of three humble men! How ma
nv millions of dollars could the civilized world
afford to pay for the inventions of these THREE POOR
INVENTORS rather than give up the use OF their In
ventionsl
II is said, SO badly was Whitney treated, that he
declared to mis- friends that he had invented in his
mind vastly more useful cotton-gin than the one
brought into use but that he had determined to lei
it die with him.
There is wanted a safe tribunal of competent and
impartial judges, before which an inventor can car
ry his invention, without the fear of being robbed
iltreated; and where, if his continuance is really
valuable, he may hope for succor and encourage
ment. Such a tribunal can only exist with ma
tonal society of inventors eagued to encourage and
protec. each others interest.
Inventors Of merit are naturally timid. They
often want counsel and advice, to be put right il
they are wrong, and not to spend money and time
on what may have been previously invented, or
tried and abandoned. Their poverty and timidity
often cause them to withhold useful discoveries, for
fear Of being robbed before they can obtain means
to secure patents and bring them into notice. In
such cases. their inventions often die with them,
while the public is deprived of their use, or others
more fortunate supersede them.
A national society of inventors should, if possi-
BILE, have fund at its disposal to devote to the
couragement Of useful inventions and discoveries.
1t should call to its aid the patronage of the state
and the country at large. No institution would be
more deserving the patronage of the wealthy. To
it, legacies might be left, and money given, to pro-
mote useful inventions and discoveries, with
tainty that the means would be properly applied by
those capable of discriminating between real merit
and pretension. Such an institution would be wor-
thy the endowment Of Girard or an Aston, a
LorilIard or a Whitney. Such an institution
would be benefaction to the country and to mar
kind at large. Esat
1t should also provide tribunal for arbitration
between the conflicting claims of discoveries, before
which disputes might be settled, without the pres.
ent mutually runous resort to courts Of law.
The shnud NAL cnrda 1n0al
evidence in courts of justice; and when inventor
recorded his invention in the archives of the nstit-
tion the priority of his claim his title to prop
erty, should only be doubted by the best legal evil
dence to the contrary. All such records at WASH
ngon and everywhere else should be free to the in
ventor. No $40 fee, as now charged at the United
States Patent Office, for merely entering notice of
an invention by an inventor, should be paid.
look forward with much interest to the forthcoming
convention.
City, 6 o'clock, p. m.-The steamship Great Brit
ain was drawn up to-day on the sectional floating
dry dock. The elevation Of this Leviathan IRON
built steamer too large for the Bristol dock in which
she was constructed) from her element to float
ing-doek in New York, has excited good deal of
interest," and will induce thousands to visit the dock
to witness the spectacle.
The synod Of New York meets in Brooklyn on
Tuesday next, the 2lst instant. Rev. James John
son is TO preach the opening sermon. On Wednes-
day, DR.. Potts is to preach sermon on ordination.
On Thursday, the Rev. J. w. Alexander is to de-
liver an address on the subject of missions.
A daring robbery was committed last night in the
house Of Mr.. Barrett, living in Lexington avenue,
between Gath and 25th streets. The rogucs entered
through window in back basement, and carried
off a lot of clothing with some money. Mr.. Barrett
awoke in time to snap double-barrelled gunat one
of the rogues, as he was escaping over the back
plank fence.
The -four market Of good quality may be consid-
cred firm to-day at IS IS; Southern wheat, 81 O5;
rye, as to II cents; corn, Northern and Southern,
so to 60 cents. Cotton is without change. Sales OF
the week amount TO between 5000 and 200 bales.
Commerce Of the port of New York for the week
ending 10th Of October: