New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-01-21
Tho patfn,-OGiec Hrport-Natiou"i rT'
miums 90 Eminent fnvcnior~.

shall ne Qubdf'UhlHIis NiNN'""1'' ''' -''''''' ~
nr,ns to tho authors Of the most valuable ano
beneaccnt Inventions and Discoveries during the
,,eeeding four year. Commencing where oH
erner extract closed, We proceed Ia quote the full
deyelopmont Of his suggestion. AS follows
Ate per cent the accumuIaiive interest durin2
fIr wears on 500. 900 would amount 10 e26,247 g.
wbi.h sum might be awarded quadrenn!ally 10
ann, proportionod TO the merits and magnitude
nj the discoveries and inventions submitted Tor
premiums
s3ll79 60.
To carry ont the plan, Board Of EXAMINATION
,,d Award would be desirable. II might consist
Of 10 members, and be made mp thus
The Secretary Of the Interior.
The Commissioner Of Patents
The Superintendent Of the Coasi survey
The Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute
The Prof of Military Academy, West POM
The President OF National lusuule
The Director Of National Observatory
The remainder selected from the Phosorhca
AMI Mechanical associations IN different sections Of
the Union such
The President Of the Mechanic Association Of Boston
The Presden Of HE Mechanics Association Of NewNofk
The President Of the franklin Institute Of fhuade pha
The President of the Mechanics Association OF bano"
The President OF the Mechanics Assn Of CWclupau
The President of the Mechanics Asst Of Charleston
rs the wisdom of Congress may direct
Assembling in Washnet ton "A sufficient time Toe
fore the day or days for distributing the prizes I
would be their duty to examine the subjects OF
lered for premiums, ascertain their merits. and de
termine the amounts 10 be- awarded TO the author
or authors of each.
The reputation ofsuoh q body Of men would, 1t
is believed. be sufficient guaranty against the IN
PRODUCTION Of iavoritsm any other unworthy mo
tive Of action Above all personal aud political IN
huences in making the awards, Their decisions
could hardly be other than such as the pubhc would
approve. The eyes OF thousands aud tens OF
thousands would be on them, their verdicS
would DO subjected to general criticism, and be ap'
psaded or condemned 10y the world. Guided by
infexibe Justice, they would be respected aud re
vered as were the twelve who presided at the
great auadrennial festival at Els and eventually
the honor OF prlIo would be more sought tor at
their hands than the value Of the prize Itself
A genuine inventor cares little for wha, the world
calls wealth Mammon is not the first nor the hnsl
cause in his philosophy Ambitions OF disclosing
new facts. let him brine in fresh contributions to
the stock OF mechanical discovery, and the treas
ures Of India are nothing 60 him--and IN reality
ar, nothing in comparison with the riches he re
veals With him 1t is an affair OF honor more than
Of profit
The 5th day of March, the day following each
Presidential inauguration at the Caplto-it is pre-
sumed would be suitable one for the prcsenta
h0 at the Patent Office of the premiums to sue
osssiul competitors. Should the project be sane
honed by Congress, the first presentation might be
announced to take place on the 5th OF March at
noon OF the wear 1856, under the direction OF the
Secretary oithe Interior. to whose Department the
Patent Office belongs.
BY associating these Scientific Festivals with
the beginning OF each Administration, the occa'
sion Of awarding the premiums would be hight
encd in interest, aud be witnessed by citizens
nom every section OF the Union, and also 10y stran
gers from abroad. Appropriate addresses by dis
thsushcd citizens might form part oi the cere
monies. We should thus hold a kind OF political
aud scientific Olympiad, celebrated with ictes IN
unison with the ace-with competitions between
Intellectual instead OF physical athletg.
Those bearing oil the chief prizes under each
Administration would have their names associated
with u on the pages Of history-tor history hence
@rth IS TO be that OF benehcient rather than de
strueiive achievements OF some OF them also
dperhsps will be SAID, The honors OF genius are
eternal
Should the whole sum at the disposal of the
Board at each period of distribution not be used,
lfom the want Of sufficient importance or merit IN
me devices or discoveries submitted, mo moon
senlence could result since larger amounts would
% on hand 10 meet extraordinary claims ON sub
sequent occasions
Once established and lts benetCient effects ex
PefleDced, sccessions to the fund would in all
reliability DO received in donations and requests
y patriotic citizens, OF whom not a few would
md !, oongenial medium tor promoting by their
surplus wealth their country glory.
Asystcm Of national puzcs, thus established.
would il Is believed create sn epoch IN the his
DRY Of American Arts and would cherish IN the
srceSi and most lsbOrouS class of citizens an am
s'to9 with impulses rs pure as any that move
l. sn.slf
~inss that contribute ~ the prosperity and durs
on OF nations. Ii is well enough to talk of the
enetration of prominent statesmen and legislators
old but not one Of them perceived the true
Scans Of ecyatins their people The producing
essses they despised and the industrial arts We're
teemed beneath them
Had premiums been offered At Olympia foe use.
Il discoveries in Science and Ari-hSd they there
MOght out ,rist and saw mills, spinning frames
nd power looms-their names had come down In
nesi antial forms and been associated with cher
Sed "reminiscences through all generations. Inc
hstory OF the past would have presented very oil
brent aspects 20 those we compelled to con
snp.ste: Greece had not fallen before Nacedon
q Rome, and the Colonies OF Atnca had probably
eeu al this day as numerous and widely spread as
s,se Of any other people
HAD the idea once occurred to the moro advanced
ene sncients that lnammatc forces ara the para
1sa agents OF national prosperity and strength
aas only as they are developed can people rise N
a'azaton that savages are such because they use
ppeweFs but their own, that semi esrbarsns are
-saeosed hr what progress they make 10 the labor
Aarnals, and the moro advanced 70 currents o.
s'ha and water aud that when the more efficient
~ less obvious energies Of the gases are employ
~ agriculture, commerce manufactures and all the
~ Physical transactions of hfe can be carried on
SN othe Of the expenditure of human muscle -
. 9,
~ gnorance and misrule
,,,: my should be found TO object to the orgam-
az az o. the proposed insttation il might be re
,-es se ,hat It would add hnk-a bright aud not
/. one-to the chair Of national Brotherhood.
~slrs MrpALs-Another wise custom OF old
lssse because founded on a knowledge Of the
~. nesrt and Of the springs Of human action
mr. =. riks medals 10 honor Of remarkable men
| 60. NE names and features Of classical con
1 49,. statesmen, orators, historians. philoso,
I sso poets, that have come down. similar