The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-04-29

were particularly explained in my former report ii
necessary further 70 consider them
In connexon with the subject OF the amendment OF the
existing patent law, would respectfully suggest the ex-
pedency of making some new provision in reference to
the applications OF the citizens and subjects OF other coun
tries for letters patent in the United States
| BY the existing law subject OF Great Britain is re-
qued pay into the treasury duty of $500 before his
application can be examined. The citizens and subjects
OF all other foreign countries each required pay IN
to the treasury aduty OF $500 on their respective appi-
cations These duties designed 10 bear pro-
portion to the duties required of American citizens ma
king applications Tor patents IN other countries, and on
that ground may perhaps, be justified and defended
The effect OF this provision is unquestonaby topeven
| the introduction into this country of many useful and
valuable discoveries which would otherwise be patented
and introduced Similar high duties have the effect to
exclude American inventions from other countries Thus
all countries injured by this system OF taxing genius
Tor the eXerton OF IT'S powers IN order to OBTAIN conp-
atvey very small and trifng amount of revenue.
1t affords no protection to the American inventor to
keep out the discoveries OF his foreign emuato mot ri
va in the arts, by taxing the emanaions OF his genus
with high duties, while the country would derive much
| benefit from their Introduction.
Therefore, il respectfully submitted whether IT would
not be eypedlent, If Congress should make the amend
ments the patent law already proposed also to provide
application for patents by the citizens subjects of for
esn governments to thirty dollars whenever shall APP
pear that corresponding reductions have been made, by
those governments, OF the duties required oil American
citizens have reason to believe that the proposition
would be received with favor by some, ii not all, OF the
European governments.
|
parts of the Union for information in relation to the laws
of foreign governments respecting the granting OF pat
ents have, for the accommodation and convenience OF
such PERSONS caused abstracts to be made OF the legisa
tive provisions and ordinances of all foreign governments
OF which this office is in possession which are hereto an
neXed, marked f.
The law providing for the admission of Texas into the
Union failed to make provision for the transfer to this Of
flee of the records models and drawings OF the patent
office Of Texas Nor has there yet been made by
| in Texas, before the admission Of that State into
the Union, shall be valid in the United States.
Under the new relations of that State the Union it
would appear to be necessary for tie public convenience
and the protection OF those citizens OF Texas who OBJ
tanned patents under the government of that State when
existing independent republic, that the contents OF
the patent Office of Texas should be transferred to this
office, and that such legal provision should be made by
Congress may appear to be necessary TO secure the
dity of all patents granted under the authority OF that
State prior to its annexation to this republic
Congress, at its last session, having declined to make
the usual appropriation for the annual agricultural report
made by this Office regarded the instruction to
not to prepare report OF that character tor the
just past, and accordingly has been prepared, and
WILL OF course be made to Congress at its present
session.
Whether not such report as this Office has been re-
CURED to make for some years past upon the state OF the
crops the amount of agricultural products, and the dis
coveries and improvements in the science and practice OF
agriculture is OF any value to Congress or TO the coun
try, it is not for the undersigned to affirm.
Yet it is respectfully submitted that from no other
source could much accurate AMI valuable information
relation to the condition and progress OF agriculture be
obtained, from the reports of this Office upon that sub
ect of course, not referring to the report of last year
The remark, am confident, may be safely hazarded,
that from other could such accurate estimates
OF the amount of agricultural production of each be
obtained from the reports OF this oiice the state
ment of few facts showing the ground on which those
estimates were made, will clearly prove.
In the first place. the office assumed the returns OF the
census of 1910 the basis of its estimates 1t then OBJ
served the progress of the growth Of each crop in each
succeeding in every district and county in the Union,
from the planting of the seed until the harvest of the
week, all the causes which opsrotcd favonby OF unt,
insects the effects of blight and mdew, and decreased
or additional cultivation.
This extended system of observation enabled to
adopt through the aid of agricultural and other newspa-
pers and journals and of letters from distinguished pract
cal agrcutursts, received from every neghborhood in
our widely extended country. To show the extent of
this system OF operation, is only necessary to state the
fact that the great number of 5000 newspapers journals,
and letters carefully read and examined IN making
up the report for the last year.
Ii may, therefore, be safely assumed that institution
association of Individuals in the country had such
ensive means at command for estimating the amount OF
agricultural products within the Union IN the
possession OF the Patent Office
Of course it is not pretended that the estimates of this
office were automatically precise and exact for in rela-
ton to such subjects precision and eyactness abso
utey impossible 1t is only assumed for them that they
appropriated near to precision and exacness as the
nature OF the subject rendered it possible to approach
to certainty But their general accuracy and value
sufficiently proved by the fact that they received
in this and foreign countries the best and most reliable
estimates OF the amount OF the agricultural products OF
this country that could be obtained from any And
they cited and referred to in public documents, and
in the leading journals of trade and commerce, the
only authentic estimates Of the crops OF the United States
worthy of reference and confidence.
Assuming the general accuracy of those estimates it is
hardly necessary speak of their value The time has
gone by when legislation for great communities is to be
based upon theories abstract axoms in political philo
sophy. Facts, now, deemed the only solid founda-
ton for the supestructures of the modern statesman
And without knowledge Of the statistics of a nation,
which embrace every fact relating to its condition and
welfare, physical moral, POLITICAL 1t Is almost impos
sibe to legslae wisely for its interests. And statls
teal knowledge is more important than that which ex
hbits the resources OF nation, indicated by the pro-
ducts of its labor An important part OF that knowledge
the agricultural estimates OF the Patent Office were de-
signed to furnish Another object of the agricultural
port OF the Patent Office was TO collect and embody every
fact within its reach, which tended TO show the improve
men and progress of agriculture the United States
during each year and in order to accomplish this result
desirable and valuable to the agrcuturis every
discovery the science OF agriculture and those
kindred and auxiliary sciences from which it derives its
tanyand every new Improvement and experiment IN the
practice OF agriculture, IN this, and all foreign coun
tries, carefully noted, collected, and embodied
in a form which enabled every intelligent cit
izen to and comprehend the progress of that
greatest and nobles occupation Of during the year
In order TO perform this portion OF its duties this office
amply provided with the ablest and most approved pub
LEGATIONS of this country, England, Scotland, France
Germany, and Prussia, not only relating directly to the
science of agriculture but to all branches of science with
which 1t had immediate remote connexion 1t also
awaited itself of the labors of eminent expernenters in
our own country who kindly and generously communi
Gated to the head OF the Office the results of their labors
and experiments.
All this mass Of valuable information collected from
thousand different sources was embodied and presented