New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-06-15
WASHINGTON.
The United state. Patent 0nes.

iu- Republic the Patent Office Is the most interesting
and important The others or less Ortliy sociey
sni aid the march of civilization by taking care oil
the exceptional nfractOns Of those laws OF amity and
orler vhick Nature herself has efectually impressed
upon the mass Of mankind OF by other like fanc
ton-except the War Office which regulates our preda
tory incursions upon weak neghbOrs, and makes them
essdsastrous-to ourselyeshan they otherwise might
Ia But the grand mission of man, collectively, if b.
has auv mission superior 70 that OF grub or beetle is
n carry on the conquests Of mind and the subsection Of
,,an,r is the first field to be These victories are
econd only 70 the creation Of life, which God has re-
rod 70 Himself Now the Patent Office is, or ought
70 no the Grand record office for the nation OF its Veto
res in this sublime wara place where every soldier,
biob or low in this service, may readily see what has
be.n already achieved that he spend his strength
., -eslsv the slain unwtngly endeavor TO appropr-
ate 10 himself the conquests OF his predecessors Ths
i MIGHT be- with space enough and scientific arrange
emf and the halfcompeted enlargement which vii
reble the space of the old Office gives reason to hope
that il soon will be.
Ar nreseut the chaotic and ruinousy crowded state Of
tho model rooms gives very little opportunity to study
mechanical subjects Models Of the graniest inventions,
inventious whch have covered the nation with glory
and added umeasuraby to the comfort and progress of
socievsre crammed in with and half concealed by the
rde.t mechanical aborons. In spite OF the additional
bindings II is very likely that this state Of things Will
coon oc,nr again. unless the law and logic OF the oice
-aoverbaued and better tests ofinyentye
,.bl;sbed On looking over models on the subject
and comp,rpo the dates attached. it il very easy to
that large proportion of the patents granted must have
proved either mere traps to the deuled Parenees,
means by which sharp ones have swindled the public.
The fact is, they have been granted on taaciOl theo
~ With all our worship of the BacOnian philosophy. it
scss never thoroughly to have penetrated the Patent
Ofca machine or process is submitted 20 the Elk
ariners and they rummage their books, brains, and
,o,l,rs the model shelves 20 see whether she same
bnst;on or method has been devised for that or any
o.er purrose before Ii not, it Is new AMI. being of
oo,,rss useful patent is issued. The last thing the
t.,,iner or Honorable Commissioner thinks of is to
;ir, whether this invention Is practically sups.
~ others for the same purpose that have preceded
!. The law enoins no such inquiry, unless il be in
- n a claim expressly for an improvement
Wa. i the consequence! Hit is Peter Simple who
ho rateut he goes home invests al he
I'll in the construction Of his machine AMI Il
i,ea for want Of sale On the other hand, if it is
riot shy he sells rights, buys farm and laughs az
a. no has swindled But has not every man a right
% ,be exclusive use and property Of his own invention
ttber il is superior, practically TO all others mott
no so Let him have patent it he insists on il.
H. al means let the office thoroughly aud scientif
n test the practical superiority OF the invention over
lor ones for the purpose and if that is found NIL
- hat fact be certified or the reverse II otherwise In
ords let the Patent Office be organized with suit
~ fscers 10 try this important question and report in
80, ease not 50 much opinions, as honest td,ts, from
,;h rho publlc may form their own La that case Pc.
80 c;mnle would orego his patent and his money
"a Dick shy if he took one, being obliged TO show
s c.tomers the official report on the question of re,
,;o tilitv would sell no rights Moreover the Pat
ont Office would be greatly protected against the present
dlroo of crude complications, which threaten 10 in
Tho ubole District of Columbia, and would become
tho te and Ineligible exponent Of the progress of i'm
venOn.
Tho present state of the Patent Law and practice il
90 much the reverse of this, 50 completely NIB conan
tb., the author of worthless invention stands better
cb,nce Of getting patent than docs the author Of
y,irable one A really good invention is anos, uni.
orulv more simple and direct in its combination Of
means and Just in proportion as IL IS simp le does it
heroine difficult for the Examiner to find in il nousLy-
that almost sole legal element OF patentabty lie is
nrgzled TO get hold of what he calls new principle
IN II NAV work infinitely better than anything ever
eprloyed for the same purpose-lndeed, it may accom-
nrh ia nnrpose willie every previous machine ba,
Ir,red C,irre-and yet because the Examiner cannot
o.. from model drawings or specifications a neto or
Instinct principle" %, the mystery there is in that
- ~ 10 will refuse patent Biconian commits.
ion which should practically test the results with work
inc machines. or compare the working Of the new ma
L;re ui.b recorded results of the older ones would
h.,lv brino in very different verdict So happens
H. from The Patent Office as at present Organized and
o,,sted real practical inventors find it very difficult to
,otection while the country at large gets unbound
Init 10 leave the bewiderng receptacle of the fruits
of various Yankee ingenuity let US ascend the stairs and
see some of the inventions Of the Almighty and Of
lie work. of His savage children These collections
of exporpg expeditions contributions Of Consuls
abroad and other patriotic offerings vegetable mineral
Geological geological, archaeological, chronological &c,
nor 10 speak of the Mexican spar, coats hats old
nine asp-stafs are the germs Of national institution
which cannot fail before it counts It's age in centuries
70 rival the British Museum. The variety and excel
lent preservation Of most of the specimens of natural
history and the rich exhibition Of the peaceful and
ike arts OF the Oeeanlctrbes, with the faithful portraits
Of nr red brethren make this one of the most in
terestug the stranger in Washington can visit Limited
a. the collection still IT, there is hardly peak cave or
cryut of the peopled or desert world which has not
been made 10 Weld its choicest variety 80 that mary
things are 10 be found here which lacked in the larger
collections Of an older date. was particularly struck
with the Feee and Japanese manufactures People VINO
can do such things with such means must have destiny
reaching further. Some specimens OF the flying hsh
yiydv impressed upon me the truth that mental acul-
ties of very high order not confined % man. the
mammalia No one animal, other than man, may have
a mentality made up Of score or two a faculties per-
ceptye intellectual and moral, nicely Nlanced aud ad-
1ar.ud unou II into whatever animal kiny-