The daily union., 1854-01-07
Extension or patents.

! 4 r
For reason in which the public has no interest," We
departed from general rule which We had adopted in
giving place TO communication in favor OF the sx,en.
sion OF Colts patent for firearms We give place to-
day to another communication in opposition 70 the pro.
posed extension, and here the controversy an 10 that ap
picaton, any OF those indicated ia The latter article
Closes so far az our columns ara concerned In ma.
king this remark, however, we do not intend 10 dsbar
oursef from exercising The full freedom Of investigation
into all public questions which may involve those car
dinal principles which we propose at all lines 10
MAINTAIN. What we mean directly to say l.. that the
Union under no circumstances. be made the chan.
mel through which schemes Of private interest. nvov-
ing the violation of great PRINCIPLES Of policy essential to
The purity OF the democratic Administrations can be press
ed upon Congress Whether the several applications
for the extension OF patents fall within his category
not depends upon facts which have moi invest aed
and therefore remark is intended have no special
bearing, but TO be taken the declaration Of the rule
which we propose to follow.
TO the Editor ofths Union.
see that you publish in your paper oil the 81 OF jan
uary inst article the signature of favor
OF The extension by Congress Of Coils pistol patent and
situated as Mr. Colts patent at The present tlme il
seems to that il s unjust towards other inventors and
leading papers Of the country, should 20 unanswered
especially when committee OF Congress- has within
few days reported bill for the extension OF his patent
under the title of bill for the relief OF Samuel Colt
By the present patent laws, inventor entitled TO an
extension OF his patent. if his discovery novel and
useful 10 the public, and he has not received reasonable
compensation for his skill labor, and ingenuity making.
producing. and introducing the discovery. proper
ecuiion Of this law wonld TO be all that fairly
claimed by your correspondent; and whether is no
il clear to me il is all that any inventor claim
and all the public bound 10 grant him. The man Of
genius should have his but the reward is given
him on the ground that he has, by bis ingenuity. con-
ferre pubic goods and when he has received his reason
able reward, such contemplated By the act Of Con.
gess giving the power oil extension, then the public
entitled TO the invention whou, the further payment OF
tariffs Otherwise the salnay objects OF the Law will be
defeated and inventors, perhaps, commonly, their
a.gne.s, will become ovogrov and powerful monopo.
lists Then, in my judgment, the rmpe question IN thus
case s hiss Mr Coli received such reward. and when,
and by whom is lhis TO be determined Congress BY
the general law has left the determination to the Com
missioner OF Patents and he determine il upon spp.
cation made for the extension aud upon proofs produced
before him In this the application has been made
by Nj Coli 10 The Comisslon of Patents and after
fu hearing, tolh sides having been represented by able
counsel, the Commissioner has refwed the extension,
upon the ground that however valuable the discovefy
n.
known to all persons coavesant with Dir. Colts affairs
that the producs OF the cn,on have rssssd him from
comparative obscur,y and poverty. to be worth d, least
one p,ox Of doliars il,his So the argument OF your
correspondent entirely fails. and the attempt OF Mr. Col
to procure special legislation should, justice 10 the peo
ple fail with it.
is suggested by your correspondent that Mr. Coli
has now The best means Of manufacturing the Ps
or and that he has been great 10 erect ana
f.r hs ma chintry &c, fof that purpose and thai
on, among the reasons Why he shouh have this rebel
Now II Mr. Colt has had the entire onopoy Of this en
susss and has been able during It's enoymen 10 acca-
mua,e out OF il large fortune and has got thereby such
an establishment. it will be long time before any man
niaetorsr can successfully compete with him after bis
monopoly ceases and ibis another benefit derived from
his invention and another reason why the monopoly
should not ougsr be continued ], or. would give &c
MUS s proper and jus, rewsrd, but would do that az
compensa,ion for what bestowa Therefore, when The
inventor has got all his invention 10 worth. and secad
large fortune, am 20, in favor Il giving him Gun
further aid because he has .uired the means opW
large fees conlirgen aod cetain, TO lawyers and oe'
while the at leas, equally meriiorious inventor, whos
really poor and who has really received nothing io hn
sk goes unrewsrded for the want OF mesns oi makns
his true case known - The Commissioner OF fsn
much less to keep up establishment, and aU}e.
and other hired servants al Washington, Tor the puP
OF influencing Congress 10 act 10 bfs behalf. :,
have ,een il stated that some other parties who boa
The lodarubber patents also about to ask aid h0m
(,oooress II the experiment altea]y made succeeds
this be So only shows how careful Congress shouia
in acting in such case, This is another patent on.
which both the inventor and all connected with o."
have become rich and only licb, but have made w
manufacture OF ndia-rubber goods one OF the woIs'
no, the worst. monopoly this country ever expensne
WATCHMAN.