The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-01-14

We CLEAN from the report Of the commission
er Of patents, that previous to 1858 the hIshes
number of patents issued during any year was
1916, in 1849 In 1853, only 958 were issu
. ed: in 1853, ii increased to 1902, and IN 1850
| reached 2O24. 1t may not be unInterestln9 &c
glance at the rapid manner in which the 'nVen
! tive genius of our people has developed Itself
, Forty years ago the revenue of the patent OF
, fee scarcely reached $500 per annum, wh'ci
, was appropriated to pay the salary OF the soil
J tarv employee kept in the Office, and who was
able to transact all the business app6rtalnIns &c
it. The income during 1856 was s2Oo,ooo
which will prove scarcely sufficient to detray
the contingent expenses of the office, with Its
. 100 clerks, examiners and other employees. IL
the present condition of the Office be compared
with that of few years ago, it will be seen that
during the four years previous to 1888, the
average annual number of applicants for patents
was 1891: while during the four years from
1858 to November last, the average annual
number was near 1000 The number OF patents
increased annually during the former period
about go During the latter it was in the
neiohborhood of 1850 For 1885, the total
number of applications made, and the whole
number OF patents issued, were respective y at
| least double to what they were in any year pfi-
or to 1858. The number of applicants for pat
ents in 1885, was greater than those in the Of
fee of any other country, having been 4435,
against 4O56 in France, and 1858 IN Great Bril-
tain. In 1885, the number OF applications
amounted to near 5000. The commissioner, in
addition TO investigating claims for patents and
granting letters for the same, has the super
vision of the national gallery. and the control
and disposition OF the fund annually appropr-
ated for agricultural purpose. The duties of
the national gallery Of small moment; but
those of the agricultural department are of
great importance to the whole country. There
seems at first glance no very natural connexon
between the proper business of the patent Of
fee and the subject of agriculture, but we sup
pose they are joined together, as parts Of the
industrial family, and as such having mutual
relation to the pursuits of tie people. The rev.
enues Of the patent Office being in excess dur
ing 1899, the commissioner OF patents was di-
reced to applyeslO00 for the purpose of pro
curing agricultural statistics. Subsequent to
that time annual appropriations were made by
congress for the same purpose, and increased
from time to time. until they reached $4,000, .
at which amount the appropriation remained
to s35, 600, and had in l856 swelled
up to S1O5,O0 The OBJ jects embraced in this
appropriation are stated in the appropriation
bill to be for 1.-THE collection Of agricultural sta
tlstics, investigations for promoting agriculture
and rural economy, and the procurement and
distribution of cuttings and seeds'' In pursu
ance of the design Of congress, measures were
taken TO procure cuttings and seed from every
quarter of the globe where any new or rare pro-
duct can BE- found which is likely to prove of
benefit to any portion Of this country Many
new productions of great utility have thus al
ready been introduced, and others are being
sought for wherever there is any prospect of
securing them. Among other laudable enter
prises Of the kind at the insti cation of the hon.
John SliIeII, of this State, vessel was deS-
patched to South America to procure supply
Of fresh cuttings of the sugar cane, for distrbu-
ton among the planters Of Louisiana, to replace
the cane destroyed by the intense irosts Of last
wear, and that which has become deteliorated by
being too often nSpanted. The benefits &C
sruiny from these appropriations have proven
far more than to Justify the expenditures incur
red, and the system is undoubted founded in
wisdom. Appropriations judiciousy applied,
and restrained within proper limits, cannot
Drove otherwise than beneficial, and their con-
inuance may be looked upon as part of the
Indispensable expenses Of the general governs
nent, unless ''the strict constructionsts" wing
If the democracy take up notion that all such
measures are unconstitutional, ;" and therefore
ut them off
The TOTAL VorE.-Below will be found the
,ffical vote Of the States for president: