Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-12-06


present. when laws obnoxious particular sections OF the
country opposed by violence and the authority OF the
courts openly at defiance reasonable effort should
be spared the services of judges who have not
only the ability to understand their duties but the firm
to discharge them with fidelity. To obtain them
Just compensation must be paid And therefore recon-
mend that such increase Of the salaries Of the judges DC
made may be necessary to accomplish these objects
In conclusion beg leave say that In my opinion the
public interests would be promoted by the passage OF
law constituting the Attorney General the head OF the
department of justice, and making it his duty to seal and
countersgn all commissions for judges marshas and at
torneys and exercise the supervisory and appellate
control all connected with the expenses OF
the judiciary which is now exercised by this Department
Public Buildings and Grounds.
Various appropriations having been made by the last
Congress for the improvement of the mall and other pub
lie grounds in this city, it deemed proper to have
plan projected by competent person, combining as lar
practicable beauty of arrangement with utility For
this purpose the services Of Mr. A. j. Downing gentle
man distinguished for his judgment and good taste in the
| establishment of pleasure grounds, were engaged he
has reported designs fer grading laying OUT and planting
with trees the mall and several Of the public squares some
which have been approved and partially executed His
plan for the improvement Of the mall appears to me adj
mraby adapted carry into effect the views Of Congress
That portion of it which applies to the grounds west Of
Seventh street having been approved is partially comple
ed But the in regard to the section east OF Seventh
street involved change in the location of portion Of
the canal for which appropriation had been made you
did not feel at liberty to give your official sanction until
the wishes of Congress should have been expressed in
gard to it. The diagram exhibiting the design in all its
Details will be submitted Congress and respectfully
its adoption and that the necessary appropr
alton be made to carry it into effect
The Treasury and Patent Office buildings have been
neatly painted in pursuance of the order Of Congress
The has been faithfully executed and will doubtless
prove be great protection to the walls against the
action Of the atmosphere
The eastern wing of the Patent Office has been placed
under the direction and control of Mr. Thomas u Walter
the architect of the Capitol and will soon be ready for
No been made by the last Con-
gress for completing the western wing it remains as it
was at the date of my last report
have caused plan to be made out by Mr. Walter for
its completion accompanied by detailed estimates of the
cost This plan contemplaes changes in the origi
nal design which will tend greatly to improve the beauty
stability and convenience of the building The plan and
estimates will the proper time be laid before the Com
mitees Public Buildings Of the two houses of Con-
gres In my judgment the public interests require that
appropriations should be made for the completion Of that
wing with little delay possible The present means
Of accommodation for the public officers insufficient
in extent nconyenient in their location and insecure
from danger by fire.
The Office Of the Department of the Interior is
kept in rented building, which is illadapted to such
purposes and contiguous to private dwellings, which
constantly expose it to casualties The Pension Office is
also in rented apartments in the fourth story Of swim
The Indian Office is in the War Department and
pies which the head Of that Department has
ed me ndspensaby necessary for the accommodation
of his branch Of the public service.
The Land Office is in the upper story Of the Treasury
building where it kept to the great annoyance of the
Secretary the Treasury who obliged to rent in
private buildings for the Of of his bureaus
1t is believed that the paid for the of ncon
yenen and unsafe buildings is nearly equal to the inter-
est on the of constructing in all respects
suitable for the purposes Of the Department when to
with the heads the Bureaus who scattered through
five six buildings some Of which are more than quar-
ter of mile distant from the Office of the head OF the
Department. and the increase of expense oGcasoned by
the employment of additional doorkeepers messengers
watchmen and aborers it will be found that true
nomy will be promoted by the erection of suitable build
ing for this Department
The eastern wing of the Patent Office, including the
basement contains thirty besides the large saloon,
two hundred and feet long and xyhree wde
which designed for the display of models The Patent
Office does not now, and probably will not for years to
come, need o-cthird Of these rooms. propose, there
as soon that wing ready for USE to transfer 70
it the officers Department proper and also
those belonging to the Indian Bureau
/ When the west wing shall have been completed II
SHOULD be appropriated with the exception OF the upper
saloon, to the Land and Pension Offices The War Ind
Treasury Departments would thereby be relieved frtm
the Inconvenience which they subjected and
all the bureaus connected with the Department of the In
teror would be brought together under one roof If in
the of time the Patent Office should need more
room it could supplied either by the construction OF
building on the north side Of the square, so as to com
pete the quadrangle according to the original design or by
Withdrawing Of the bureaus to some other
building Many years however Will probably eiapse De
mand for increase Of will be for the exhibition OF
models and not for the accommodation Of clerks; and
as the plan which suggest contempates the appropril
ton Of two halls of the entire size of the wings for that
purpose it is hardly probable that they will be filed fSI
i twenty years to come.
Objection has been made to the occupation OF any par
of the Patent Office for purposes other than those fol
which it was originally designed 1t is said that it wa
paid for out of the patent fund.- and that therefore be
longs to the inventors. This objection rests upon mis-
take both as to the facts Of the and the Inference
i which is drawn from them But as it may possibly mis-
lead some who conversant with the subject it i
proper to notceit.
It is not true that the cost Of the Patent Office building
has been paid of the patent fund On the contrary
will be found on careful examination of the accounts
that but little than oneeghth part of the cost Of TIL
principal building and two wings has been derived from
the patent fund But if the facts as represented
they by no means justify the inference derived from them
and inventive genius of citizens grants by patent
the authors of books or inventors Of and useful i'm
proyements in machinery &c., an exclusive ownership in
them limited time As consideration for the franchises
thus secured to them the Government exacts from the
patentees fee 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 Paten.
Office the property of inventors necessarily involves
the proposition that they entitled not only to e
franchises but also to the price which paid for them
Upon the principle the purchasers of public lands
might claim right to control the appropriation of the
money which they paid for them the consumers Of du
table goods the privilege Of regulating the expenditure d
the revenue derived from customs.