Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-01-15
The TeIegraph-Incidents Of IFS Early
History.

PROFESSOR MORSE, This recent speech
at the the Morse banquet, in New York,
gave the following "reminiscences of the
early history of his great invention, par
ticularly in Congress:
The session of 1897 and 1888 passed
away with no other action ON The subject
of the telegraph than a unanimously IA
vorable report from the House Committee
OF Commerce. An interval of four years
occurred before the attention of Congress
could be again reused to consider the mat
ter. Senator Benton in the abridged de-
bates gives in brief the kind of reception
the bill for aid to test the telegraph met
with in the House from certain members.
AS the narrative is very short allow me to
quote it:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,,
February 81, 1S43.
ELECTRO AND ANIMAL MAGNETISM.
On motion of Mr.. Kennedy, of Mary
land, the committee took up the bill to
authorize series of experiments to be
made in order to test the merits of Morse's
electro omagnetic telegraph. The bill ap-
propriates $4,000 to be expended under
the direction of the Postmaster General
Mr.. Cave Johnson wished to have Il
word to say upon this bill. AS the pres
ent Congress had done much to encourage
! science, he did not wish to see the science
of mesmerism neglected and overlooked.
He therefore proposed that one-half the
appropriation be given to Mr.. Fisk, "a
gentleman at that time lecturing in Wash
ington on mesmerism), to enable him to
carry on experiments as well as Professor
Morse
Mr.. Houston thought that Millerism
should also be included in the benefits of
the appropriation.
Mr.. Stanley said he should have no OBJ
| lection to the appropriation for mesmeric
experiments, provided the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Johnson) was the subject.
| "a laughl
! Mr.. Cave johnson said he should have
no objection, provided the gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Stanly) was the ope-
rator. (Great laughter.)
| Several gentlemen called for the reading
of the amendment, and it was read by the
Clerk as follows
! Provided, That one-half of the said sum
shall be appropriated for trying mesmeric
| experiments under the direction of the
/ Secretary of the Treasury.
| Mr.. Mason (of Ohio rose to a question
of order. He maintained that the amend
ment was not bona tide, and that such
amendments were calculated to ipjure the
character of the House. He appealed to
the Chair to rule the amendment out of
order
| The Chairman said it was not for him To
/ iuGge of the motives of members in offer
J ing amendments, and he could not there
/ fore, undertake TO pronounce the amend
ment not bona fds. Objections might be
raised to it on the ground that it was not
sufficiently analogous in character to the
| bill under consideration but in the opin-
ion of the Chair it would require scien-
tihc analysis TO determine how far the
magnetism of mesmerism was analogous
TO that to be employed in telegraphs-
/ -(laughter)- therefore, ruled The
amendment in order. On taking the vote
the amendment was rejected-ayes 22
noes not counted. The bill was then laid
aside TO be reported.
The temper of the House is easily in
ferred from this narrative To those who
thus ridiculed the telegraph, it was Chi
mera, a visionary dream like mesmerism,
rather to be matter OF merriment than
seriously entertained. Men Of character,
men OF erudition, men who in ordinary
affairs had foresight, were wholly unable
20 forecast the future of the telegraph.
was told at the time by many personal
friends In the House that the bill finally
passed, more out Of Difference TO my per
sonal standing than from any Just appre
ciatlsn of the importance Of the inYen
! ton, which compliment, however crafty