New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-12-05


Ccnertss Ter competing the western wing, 1t re-
ans as /! vas tke cato OF my las, report.
have causfd plan 70 be made out by Mr.. Walter
10Y Us condition. accompanied BY detailed est
nsi's of the cost. This plan coniempla;es some
cis1ees III the original design, which viii tend
greatly to improve the beauty. stability. and con
VtIleIce OF the bui'cinS. The plan and estimates
VIII ~ TIE proper time be laid before the Committees
On Pubic Buildings OF the two houses Of Congress.
IL my judgment the public interests require that
appropriations should be made for the comp elton OF
hist wing with as little delay possible. Toe pres
CIT mesns Of accommodation for the public oE.cers
are insuMclent IA extent, fncoGvenen IN their To-
calon' ard insecure rom cangtr by ire.
Ihe Office o. the Department of the Interior Is new
kept IN rented building, which Is al adapted TO lch
purposes ana contiguous to private Neilngs whl n
constantly expose II to casualties. The Pension Vi
fee Is also III rented apartments, in the fourth story
Of Ninder's BUILDING"
Ire Indian Office Is in the War Department and
occupies rooms which the head of that Department
has assured me are lndispensably neceSs0y for the
accommodation of his branch of the public service
The Lard Office is in the upper story ofthe Treas.
uIy Dulclng where II Is keptto the great annoyance
OF tne secretary of the Treasury, who IS obliged to
reLt rooms IN private buildings for the use OF some
ms bureaus IL is believed that the ren; now paid
Tor the use OF nconvenlent and unsafe buildings Is
nearly equal to the interest the cost of construct
ng a new one II all respects suitable for the pur-
poses OF tne Department. When 70 this fact are
acced The loss OF time IN communicating with the
heacs OF the Bureaus, who scattered through ave
or SIX buildings, some Of which are move than a
quarter OF mile distant from the Office OF the head
OF the Department, and the increase Of expense &C.
cdsiOneo by the employment Of additional DOOR
keepers, messengers, watchmen, and laborers, II will
be found that true economy will be promoted by the
erection of a suitable building for this Department
The eastern wing of the Patent Office, including
The basement contain thirty rooms besites the large
sa DOR. two hundred and sixty eight feetlOng and
SKY three wide, which is designed for the display
of a.odels The Patent Office does not now and
probably will not for years TO come, need onethrd
o. these rooms propose therefore. rs soon as That
ready for use, to transfer to II the officers At
tachsd TO the Department proper, ard also those be-
longing to the Indian Bureau.
When the west wing shall have been completed.
" should be appropriated, with the exception Of the
upper loon, 10 the Land and Pension Offices The
War ard Treasury Departments would thereby be
relieved from the Inconvenience to which they are
subjected. and all the bureaus connected with
the Department of the Interior would be brought
together under roof II IN the progress of time
the Patent Office should need more room, II could
he supplied either BY the construction OF building
Oh the north side OF the square, so as to complete
the quadrangle according to the original design, or
by Withdrawing one ormore of the bureaus to some
other building. Many years, however, will probably
elapse before such withdrawal will become neces-
sary The demand for increase Of room Will be for
the exhibition OF models, and not for the accomo1a-
ton OF clerks and, as the plan which Suggest
contemplates the appropriation OF two halls OF the
entire size of the wings for that purpose 1t is hardly
probable that they will be filed for twenty years to
come.
Direction has been made to the occupation of any
part of the Patent Office for purposes other than
those for which it was originally designed. IL is
said that 1t paid for out of the patent fund, and
that 1t therefore belongs to the inventors; ms
objection rests upon mistake both as to the facts
of the and the inference which is drawn rom
them. But, as it may possibly misead some who
not conversan with the subject, II is proper to
notice Il.
Il is not true that the cost of the Patent Office
t,,flr linz, hoe .a Mold Of hn font
the contrary, il will be found, on a careful exami-
nation OF the accounts that but little more than one
eighth part of the cost of the principal building and
i've wings has been derived from the patent fund.
But, If the facts were as represented, they by no
n cans justify the inference derived from them.
The Government, for the encouragement OF the
Ia ent and inventive genus OF our citizens, grants,
by patent to the authors OF books or inventors OF
new and useful Improvements IN machinery, &c,
an exclusive ownership in them for limited time
As consideration for the franchises thus secured TO
them, the Government exacts rom the patenteeS
fee or tax of thirty dollars which is PAID into the
patent fund. When the inventor gets his patent he
has received the consideration for his money, and
the transaction is at an end.
The ground assumed by those who claim the Patent
Office the property Of inventors, necessarily IN
wolves the proposition that they entitled not only
heI franchises but also to the Pees %hen WAS
trs of public lands might claim right TO control the
appropriation of the money which they paid for
them or the consumers of dutiable goods the priv
dtIyed from customs.
EXTENSION OF THE CAPITOL.
Since tie adoption of the plan approved by you for
u idlgtment Of the Capitol, the WORK mas Oeen
oileeItiy prosecuted.
The foundations Of both wings ale now nearly
completed, and IL suitable appropriations be made
by Congress at ITS approaching session, no effort wil
IL sparec to push on the work with us much dispatch
as may DC consistent with It's faithful execution.
THE CENSUS.
Returns have been received from the officers en-
Gagged IL taking the Census In all the States and Ter
noIies except California Partial returns nave
toen received from Utah and California, and the re-
MaiLdtr ale expected in a few days. This delay has
prevented my making the sppor,onment OF repre-
sontation among the several States, as contempla-
todby the act OF Corr gross approved 23d May, 1850
That act provides that so soon as the next and each
subsequent enumeration Of the inhabitants OF the
several States directed by the Constitution OF the
United states to be taken. shall be completed and
returned 10 the Office Of the Department OF the lte
nor it shall be the duty of the Secretary OF the In
tenor TO ascertain the aggregate representative pop
ulation in the manner prescribed by The Constitution
ard the laws, and then proceed to ascertain the
r. representative population oil each slate, ana tne
number Ct repTesentaivesto which each IS entitled
The law further requires that the Secretary OF the
Interior shall transmit to the House OF representa-.
tlves and 10 the Executive OF eacn STATE, without
DELAY a certificate under has seal o. ONCE oil the
number of ms mbers appoftioned 10 each State.
Ii will thus he perceived that there are two condi-
lions precedent TO the performance OF this duty
Before | can act the enumeration must be COM
uleted and returned to the Office of the Department
Of the Interior Until these conditions performed
have no jurisdiction over the subject am not
authorized 10 act upon partial returns nor until they
aIe officially made to the department. Neither OF
II csc prerequisites having yet been complied with,
have lot been able TO make the apportionment-
When the enumeTatons are completed and returned,
no time will be lost IN performing the duties teyolved
on the Department
A large number of clerks are now engaged IN clas-
sifyng and arranging III a suitable form for publlcs-
ton The diversified statistical Information furnished
b. the tables 1t is believed that when completed a.
will be the most perfect work OF the kind ever pre-
SC nlec to the public No pains have been spared to
secure persplculty OF arrangement and accuracy OF
II o former works Of the kind, have required that
ali the calculations and classifcatons should be
uade BY responsible clerks in Office instead Of beng
confded to females and other persons having no IN
tGest II the subject, has been done on foImer oc
cssioDs This course has required the employment
q more clerks that particular service, but the
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