The New York herald., 1850-12-27
Congress cannot eqaalize the Disadvantages they

| Congress cannot eqdalize the Disadvantages they
labor under. Mr.. Ashmun's proposition 10 reduce
the rate 10 two cents 10 with great favor and
il is supposed will be adopted.
The report Of the Secretary Of the Treasury
seonceded TO be an able, plain and practical paper,
Bile arguments for an immediate change in the
tariff. What the change will be. remains yet a
matter OF speculation, and every effort will be made
bility upon the next Congress- v.
WAsHISaroN, Dec 2l, 1850.
The Presidency Gewerai Scott Congress and as
Doings-- Amendment of the Patent Laws Pro-
posed and Ogpossd-Stretchof Potcer on the part
of the Commissioner of Patents-Hts Powy too
dangerous, &C., &c.
The Presidential current in favor of General
Scou,is running, just now, silently and deeply. The
veteran hero is not expected to write or commit
himself on any of the leading issues of the day He
Is 10 get The nomination OF the Wing National
Convention, if it Can be given TO him by mighty
effort on the part of all those who are for him-if
not, he is to be run in spite of the conventions
nomination.
Congress will do no work to be praised until the
holidays shall be passed. The reform postage bill
has strong parry, opposed 30 its passage. Il will
pass only alter hard hight. The New York
bill, the French Spoaton bill and the Mississippi
and Pacific Railroad bill, probably ditto. The bill
granting bounty lands TO soldiers and officers in
ell the wars, passed the last session. will proba-
bly, be so amended as TO render the land warrants
transferable. The bill TO amend the patent laws so
that fraudulent patent may be repealed, and the
power to extend patent, now exercised solely by
the Commissioner OF Patents, vested as il formerly
was, in board consisting of the Secretary of State
the Solicitor of the Treasury, and the Commission
Of patents, hangs by the gills as yet. Mr.. Tur-
ney, chairman Of the Committee on Patents in ths
Senate, has introduced the bill which he reported
al the last session, with a valuable amendment,
and Mr.. Jefferson Davis has offered long substi-
tute, understood TO have been drawn up by an Of
hcer or ex-officer of the Patent Office. Both pro
positions have been laid on the table, after some
debate, and ordered to be printed.
The law ought to be amended. There ought TO be
some process by which fraudulent patent may be
repealed The power TO extend patent, now vested
solely in the Commissioner of Patents is too great
for any one man TO be entrusted with In August
last, patent was extended, which was worth TO the
party asking its extension, a. least two hundred
thousand dollars. Testimony and an argument
against Its extension, of very vouminous and lu-
mno us character, were filed in the Patent Office,
on the 2Oh of August, the day of hearing: The
Commissioner decided the question on the Both of
that month, and extended the patent. The
day previous 10 his decision, that is, the
18th, he declared to two gentlemen who
were inteIestt in the matter, that he had not then
examined the testimony nor read the arguments on
either side of the question. The testimony and
arguments submitted by the two parties covered
come fourteen hundred pages of manuscript; and
yet, IN this important case, the Commissioner made
up his mind, and gave his decisio,, without deign-
ing TO examine The testimony and arguments, got
up at great labor and expense, according TO the
requirements of the law and placed before hun, on
the subject
The law is explicit, that patent shall not be
continued after having run its term of fourteen
years, unless the patentee shall show that he has
not been fairly remunerated for his labor and ex-
pense in bringing forth, and getting into public use,
his invention
In the case referred to, the patenee had sold out
company, before he had procured his patent BY
his testimony, it appears that he made no outlay
amounting to as much as fifty dollars, in bringing
forth his invention; and he confesses that he was
remunerated for his invention by the company, in
yearly sum OF oHe thousand dollars, for hve
years, and then yearly sum OF fifteen hundred
dollars, for ten years.
All this time his invention was in general use in
several of the New England States 1t was COM.
mon property IL was everybody's property. Still
the Commissioner, to crafty and oblige monopo-
ly, extended the patent on the last day of Angus.
last, for seven years.
Ought such power to be vested in such hands
Senator Jefferson Davis thinks il ought. He
the classmate, and is the oblgng friend, of an
examiner in the Patent Office, who is for the law
remaining unamended on this subject Senator
SewaId opposes the proposed amendment, as well
as Senator Jefferson Davis. Mr.. Seward stands
by his friend, the Commissioner Of Patents.
Thereby hangs a tale, which / may, at some
future day, unfold.
WASHINGTON, Dec 22, 1850.
Prs,dsntiai Morsmsnfs-Ihe Undertor-Ge General
Scott and the Se,card Cliqus-7he Union Party
and Millard Fillmore.
Though little enoughprogress has been made, in
all conscience in getting through with the business
Of the country, il must not, therefore, be supposed
that our Legislators have been idle. The undertow
has been work, and the ropes are being prepared
for the election of President in 1852 In all proba-
bilty, this winter will measurably decide the con-
teet, and, by spring, each party will be prepared
with full blown candidate. On the democratic
side, the friends of 'Cass, Houston, Buchanan,
Walker, w. o. Butler, Dickinson, and others too
numerous TO mention, as the advertisements would
say, are working like grim death. Cass stands but
apoor chance, and principally because OF the bad
odor which attaches to a beaten nag. There is a
prestige Of defeat about such candidate, marvel
lousy unsavory to democratic nostrils Buchi-
mans friends are not numerous, and mainly con-
fined 10 local area. w. q. Butler Is regarded
in the light of corps de reserre, in case the
contest should again turn upon military fame
Robert J. Walker will be brought forward in
case the tariff is made the stumping ground (;
score Of availability, and for pretty general be-
lief In his "uck."
Here there is very fine and well selected as
sortment-ihe only man among whom, who can
be garded as Of first class abilities, being Mr.
Walker, and he standing, at present, the least
chance Of being the one selected. But, in these de-
generate days, il is not the man Of most ability who
10 selected for popular favor. The dear people have
generally but little to say in the matter, the polt-
cal wire.pullers generously managing things for
them, and thus saving them the trouble of making
up ticket. Every vote, every act, every speech,
will now be modelled to suit the particular views Of
some one or other Of the asprants for the Presiden-
tal chair.
On the whg side but one open movement has
yet been made, and that originated in the worst
possible quarter. The Seward clique have nomi-
mated Gen. Scott, and are now actively engaged in
pushing his claims In the most skilful manner
Gen. Scott is no doubt a popular man, and il the
II. IT, kx~ Aa1 hu
fame, there Is no one in the Unied States who can
compete with him. But,Ibeyond his military fame,
what single claim can he or his friends urge why
he should be taken sp, instead Of Clay, Webster,
abilities to conduct the civil affairs Of the govern
ment are as undoubted as Gen. Scott's are doubt
full Gen. Scott is a great man in military mat
ters-in our opinion, the first General Of the age