The Placer herald., 1861-02-09
What will become of the Patent Office il
the Union is Dissolved?


The above inquiry we extract from bust.
ness letter received from correspondent re-.
siding in Alabama. The idea of a dissoIu.
tion of the Union has forced upon his mind
a painful interest in behalf of one of the
nobest institutions of our government. The
dissolution of. the Union can only be effec-
ted by secession of some of the States.
This would not necessarily break up the
Federal Government, and for the present, its
seat of power would remain at Washington,
Should the Government acquiesce in the
peaceful secession of the States, then, to all
intents and puroses these seeding States
would be regarded as foreign countries, and
their citizens treated accordingly. But The
business of the Patent Office would still 90
on, and all applicants for patents would be
dealt with according to law.
The citizens of seeding State would.
under such circumstances, be subject to all
the legal liabilities imposed upon foreigners
and upon a presentation by one of them of
an application for a patent, the government
fee would be $500. If an inventor could
swear that he was still citizen of the Uni
ted States, even though residing temporarily
in foreign country, he would be required
to pay fee OF only $50.
We believe we have stated the matter
fully and correctly, without reference to any
of the political issues that connect them
selves with the subject Inventors who are
desirous of applying for patents, and are
apprehensive that the States in which they
reside will withdraw from the Union, had
better fire their applications at once, and
thus save themselves 1910, being the differ.
ence between the present fee and the one to
which they would be liable when they could
no longer swear that they were citizens of
the United States. Scientific american.
II the Territorial government is sover.
eign, why are its Governor, Surveyor, and
Judges of Courts all sent to it by the Gen.
eral Government! Why does the Govern
ment pass laws giving the Territory limited
governmental authorityl And why, as has
repeatedly been the case, has Congress re-
pea!ed Territorial laws9 The truth is, a
Territory is not sovereign, but dependent.
The Supreme Court has decided that Con-
gress has no power to abolish slavery in the
Territories. 1t follows, then, that the Ter
ritories have not got that power, for they
have only such authority as Congress con-
fers upon them. popular Sovereignty"
commences on y with the organization of
State government. States are sovereign
Territories are not. ". II. Standard.
A Democrat of the Grand River Valley,
Methodist prayer meeting. We shall call
him Squiggles, by way of conceamept. In
a short time his countenance lost lis usual
jolly look, and he became oblvous of the
solemnties going on around him, and was
plunged in a profound reverie over the re-
cent defeat of his party in Maine, which he
had been discussing that morning. As he
reflected, his face naturally elongated, aud
his jaw dropped. Noticing his serious and
solemn look, and not remembering to have
ever seen him before, one of the brethren
took him to be a stranger, of a religious
turn of mind, and leaned over his bench
and remarked:
Brother, these are refreshing seasons"
Squggles gazed vacanty at the speaker
and groaned inwardly. The brother pur-
sued.
"It is good to be here"
Sduggles still absorbed in reverie, groan-
ed again.
"Brother, do you often think of your fu.
ture state!"
At the word estate" the eyes Of our Dem
ocraic friend lost their dreamy look, and
his jaw cashed into place like a rat trap.
State" he exclaimed, bringing down his
clenched fist on the back Of his questioner's
bench, with an emphasis that started the
worthy brother greatly. oil! its gone
Black Republican by $4,000 majority"
LIBERTY OF THE PREss.--If by liberty of
the press We understand merely the liberty
of discussing the propriety of public meas
ures and political opinions, let us have as
much Of it as you please; but it it means
the liberty of alfroniing, calumniatug and
defaming one another, !, for my part, own
myself willing to part with my share Of it
whenever our Legislators shall please to a.
ter the law; and shall cheerfully consent to
exchange my liberty Of abusing others for
the privilege Of not beng abused myself.
Franklin