The Portland daily press., 1877-11-14
WASHINGTON.
Revision of The Patent Iaws.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13.-The House Commit
tee on Patents today had under consideration
the subject of the proposed enactment of a
statute of limitations in regard to Infringement
OF PATENTS and also the question of the extent
to which damages may be allowed. Nodefnits
conclusions were reached
The Senate Committee on Patents meet on
Thursday for the special purpose of hearing ar
guments for and against various propositions
hitherto submitted, involving a radical revision
of the patent laws. A number of leading pat
ent lawyers, inventors and manufacturers of
patented articles are to be present from all parts
OF the country.
The Senate Finance Committee to Roper.
Against Free Coinage of Silver.
The Senate Finance Committee have COM
menced formal consideration of the silver
bill for action, and have adopted an amendment
striking out the clause which provides for free
coinage of silver bullion, but adjourned without
arriving at a decision as to what provision
should be inserted in place of the clause thus
omitted.
This action, which was taken by nearly
unanimous vote, was understood to be merely
preliminary to replacing the omitted clause by
some other provision on the subject which is
yet to be agreed upon by the committee or a
majority OF its mem bers. Various means of
obtaining the bullion for coinage and getting
the new silver dollars into circulation, and at
the same time reServing the profits seignorage
for the benefit of the national treasury, have
been suggested in the committee. One is to
devote So, 900 900 of the currency balance to the
purchase of bullion and issue the silver dollars
in exchange for green backs which WHOM accu-
muIated TO the amount OF $4,000 900 are to
be again used for the issue of an addition al
100000 of silver dollars, and SO on indefinite
ly. This it is said will be advocated by two
members of the committee as an amendment
to the bill in case it is to be reported favorably
at all. Two or three other members are UNI
deIstood to be in favor of of an amendment
nrOvidinn n of,
dollars shall be coined each year. The discus
sion thus far has not however, indicated with
any degree of defniteness or certainty what
final action will be taken by the committee up
on this or any other individual feature of the
oil
Move TO Adjourn ON the 22d.
The Committee on Ways and Means have
agreed to report joint resolution for adjourn
ment of the extra session on Thursday, the 22d
inst
Senator Eaton's Navigation Bills.
The bill introduced by Mr. Eaton to encour-
age and protect the shipping interest and to
revive American commerce, provides that
when not forbidden by treaty stipulatons a
discriminating duty of 10 per cent. ad valorem
in addition to the duties now imposed by law
shall from and after the LIST of April 1873, be
levied and collected upon all goods, wares and
merchandise imported in ships and vessels not
of the United States, and that the President of
the United States shall take such action as is
necessary to cancel and terminate any treaty
stipulations now in force preventing levy and
collection of discriminating duty as herein
provided
Mr. Eaton's bill allowing registry to for
eign built vessels, provides that from and after
April 1st. 1873, the act entitled an act con-
corning the registry and recording of ships and
vessels approved Dec. 31st 1892, and all acts
supplementary thereto shall be repealed SO far
as to admit to register foreign built vessels of
wood or iron belonging to citizens of the Unit
ed States provided said vessels were purchased
in good faith by citizens of the United States.
Worthless Statistics.
The committee appointed by the Secretary of
the Treasury have made a report accusing Dr.
Young of the statistical bureau of making il
regularites and showing that his tables of com.
MERGE and navigation are grossly incorrect,
while his list of American vessels are over 1000
different from that prepared by the Register of
the Treasury. They recommend thorough
reorganization OF that bureau and a radical
change in the method OF gathering statistics.
Various Matters.
Specials to the New York papers saw that the
prospect is that Louisiana will remain unrepre-
sented in the Senate for several months; that
the silver bill will not come up ia the Senate
till after recess. and that opposition to the Pres
ident in the Senate is rapidly diminishing. The
President is reported as saying that he has been
compelled to appoint Democrats to office in the
South in certain cases because he could not find
suitable Republicans.
Kellogg and Spofford were requested by the
Senate committee to submit short briefs of their
cases.
Charles Bartlett of Wilton, Me-, was con-
firmed by the Senate today as Consul at Turks
Island.
Representative Banks bill to cheaper and ex-
tend land and water transportation proposes to
set apart all moneys due or that shall become
due from the several Pacific railroad companier
as permanent fund to aid in the construction
of such railways canals, Sc as Congress may
see fit. no other government aid to be furnish
ed. This loan shall constitute first lien and
when it is repaid it shall be held for similar
purposes in the future.
Mr.. Merrimon's bill to provide for the paw
ment of arrearages due certain persons for SER
vices actually done for the United States in the
Southern states prior to the war, appropriates
$1000000 for that purpose.
The Treasury Department has decided that
the agreement made between the government
and parties who turn ed states evidence in the
The President has recognized VIM. A. Muir
chic as Vice Consul Of Brazil at Calais, Me.
Representatives Lawrence (Rep.), Ellis,
Elan and Robertson (Dems }, called upon the
President this morning and urged the nomina-
ton of Hou. Effingham Lawrence (Rep
for collector Of customs at New Orleans, as ac-
ceptable to all parties.
Several gentlemen representing banking and
other financial institutions, appeared before the
Senate committee on finance last night to argue
against the silver bill. They contended that
if the bill should pass all the progress of the
last four years towards stable currency would
of the bill.