Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-08-01

fNNu' why snOulu IIesiuent, th@y -
have So, 900 a year to support himself and
wife Why Secretary $4,000, who, when
at home, was, perhaps, well content TO i've
and support his family for 81, 500 year!
All such croaking is idle. II is allayed
now, but occasionally it swells up to atempest.
Do these unquiet outsiders find President,
after four years service, or q Secretary or Cab
met Minister, come home with pockets dis.
tended with cash, their store-houses filed with
new accumulated treasures? Are they en-
riched from the public Golfers, or become Cd
ulent from tbs rewards of their public toll!
1t is not so. Men destitute of wealth &C..
cept of office moderate salaries teach them
the need Of economy, and it is practised by
them. But they are gentlemen, and do not
forget that the civilities of polite life are upon
them. They exercise with becoming grace
the virtues of liberal hospitality-at their
own cost; not that of the public. Men holding
official stations under the American Govern.
ment cannot grow rich on the salaries assigned
them by the law. The President, with just
regard to his own position, as the Chief Magis-
trate of great nation, cannot, if he would,
limit his personal expenditures, as q prudent
private gentleman may.
A Secretary of State canno. be simply a
private citizen; in the estimate of the outer
world, he represents the country at large.
To him foreign Ministers pay their respects;
he must receive them with urbanity; they are
not to be excluded from his table or the be-
coming Inequalities Of his house. These hos
FATALITIES constitute, in fact, part of that tax
which public men of official station pay for
their own eminence. The Government affects
to give them support; but if they would be
polite and civil to others, it must be at their
own cost. Other governments have thought
upon this subject; they give to their official
servants the means of being courteous. Hear
what Commodore Perry says on the subject
1T is unnecessary to note on every occa-
sion the cOurtesies that American Offices inva-
riably receive from British authorities abroad,
civil, naval, and military. In no instance,
says he, during long service in foreign coun-
tries, have experienced any want Of hospi
table attention; and, in fact, the govern
ments Of all nations, with the exception of
that of the United States, furnish means for
public entertainments, by ample allowance of
table money! and it thus becomes a duty, as
1t doubtless the pleasure of these officials to
expend it Hospitality ."-[Report on Japan
Expedition, p. 15S.
Is it becoming to the United States, the
richest nation in the world, to allow its public
officers, civil and naval, to partake Of the
Inequalities furnished at the cost of other
governments and to repay them by the forced
contributions of those officers themselves
Mr.. Canning was right in his assertion that
there were no wealthy men in Washington at
tho time he was here. Time has wrought
some changes in the city and its people. To
these, and the present aspect of things, We
will give attention in another article.
Patent Law Reform.-The short commu-
nicstion herewith appended, is from the pen
OF gentleman than whom no other man in
America is more experienced in such matters,
or more competent to judge Of what the public
interest requires in connection with proposed
changes in the United States patent laws
His labOrs to secure patent-lawsreform-sou
and real reform-have for many years been
known to us:
PATENT LAW REFoRx-Mr. Editor: I
have read the bill introduced by Gov Seward
in the Senate on July II, entitled SO A bill to
annul the several acts now in force in relation
to the Patent Office" have also read every
bill for n like purpose that has been intro
duced in Congress for the past ten years ; and,
with but two or three exceptions, have de-
tected unmistakable evidences of such clearly
defined efforts to promote private interests
under the guise Of public good tn at I have
been constrained to expose and oppose them.
L am now glad to be able to note one excep-
ton. This bill of Senator Seward is evidently
framed upon considerations wholly pro bono
pu6iico, and would remove very many Of the
difficulties which now exist, and greatly facili-
tate the relation between the Patent Office, the
inventors, and the public, and every way be
beneficial This bill ought, by all means, to
become law
Yet while approve this bill, and conclude
every intelligent and experienced mind will
agree with me, that it ought to be passed,
think that beyond the improvements it would
make In our patent system, there are two
great points which neither it or any previous
bill has yet efectually reached, and these 20
to the vital efficacy of all law designed to Sc
cure to inventors their rights, and, at the
same time to protect those of the public.
out in another letter. ID.
Dodge Contemplated Various Repub.
lican politicians were last night puzzling their
brains over legislative contrivances to defeat
the possibility of holding an election for q
delegate from Kansas after they shall have
contaminated their scheme Of ousting General
Whitfield from his seat. Tho truth is, they
are all we'll aware that he will be re elected
by an overwhelming majority, and that Reeder
will not dare to run against him in view of the
certainty of his (Gen. VS. reelection. The
plan they favored most last night was, after
adopting the resolution declaring Gen. Whit
field not entitled to his seat, to lay on the ia
BILE, subject to be called up at some future
time: the resolution declaring Reeder entitled
to it, with the understanding that it is not to
be called up during the residue of the pre-.
sent Congress or, again, to recommit that re-
solution, and To take good cara pot 10 horo :.