Washington telegraph., 1857-01-07
DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS.
The Patent Office.


BY synoptical statement furnished to
the Interior Department BY the Commits
sioner of Patents, which treats of matters
pertaining to that Office up to the 18th of
November, We are put in possession of the
following:
Previous to the year 1858 the highest
number of patents issued in any one year
was l, ,076, which was In 1919. In 1858.
the number was only 95S. In 1854, it
increased to 1902, and in 1856 it was aug
mented to 2,024
From small beginnings the Patent Of
flee has grown into proportions compare
lively gigantic. Half a century since the
whole revenue OF the Office did not exceed
81 800 per annum, which was all appro-
priated to the payment of one clerk, who
transacted the whole business of the Office.
The income of the present year VIII be
about 100000, which viii s,..I be scarce
ly sufficient to defray the contingent expen-
ses Of the office, with its one hundred ex-
aminers, clerks and other employees
If we compare the present condition Of
the Office with what it was a few wears since,
VIC shall find that during the four years
previous to 1858, the average annual num-
Der of applications for patents was / ,522,
while for the four years from 1852 inclu-
sive, such average annual number will fall
but little short of four tBoasdnd
The number of patents annually inereas-
ed during the former ;,eriod averages 900.
During the latter it viii be about 1856.
For the current year the whole number of
applications made, the whole number of
patents granted, and the whole amount
ofrevenue received, will respectively be at
least double what they were In any one
year prior to 1888.
The number Of applications for patents
to this office in 1855 was greater than
those in the Office of any other country on
earth, having been 4, ,435, against 1888
IN Great Britain and 4.05G in France.
For the present year, the number Of appli-
cations viii probably not fall short of five
thousand,
In pursuance of the design of Congress,
measures have been takea to procure cut
tings and seeds from every quarter of the
world where any new product can be found
which is likely to prove useful in any por-
ton of the United States. Many new pro-
-ductions of great probable utility have thus
been already introduced, and others are
being sought for wherever there is any
prospect OF success. Among other things,
a vessel has been sent to South America
to procure fresh supply of cuttings of su-
gar cane, to furnish our Southern planters
with a fresh stock to supply the place Of
that which is supposed to have become de-
Perforated by being transferred to ? some
what inc0ngcnial climate.
The benefits resulting from the app-orri-
ations already made have doubtless been far
more than sufficient to justify TIE expendl-
lures incurred, Unless there be some OBJ
jcc tions of a political character, thesystem
is believed to be founded in wisdom If
the appropriations can be judiciouSly ap-
Piled and restrained within proper limits
they viii prove eminently beneficial, and
their continuance viii be clearly expeGicnt,
unless there are counterbalaHcing reasons
resulting from doubts as to the propriety
Of such undertaking by the Federal Gov
eminent