The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-12-20
XIV CONGRESS.
SENATE.

dent appointed as the conference couWc =
lee on the part of the senate on the toTtin-
,ations appropriation bill Messrs. WINDOW,
Allison and Withers, and on the consular
aud diplomatic appropriation Dill Messls'
Dorsey, and Wa"aoe OF fenn'
sylvaDia.
q bill making an appropriation to improve
the Little Kanawha river IN west VIZ
gina. Referred. In
Mr.. Dorsey then called up the house bill {
TO amend the act of June 20, 1878, ana 10
fix the rate of interest on the bonds OF the
District of Columbia and for other pur'
poses The bill passed-2S to 10. -,
The senate then resumed consideration
of the statutes in relation to patents. and
MIR. Window gave notice that he would
hereafter submit the following as an add
tional section:
In any suit brought in any court now
having jurisdiction in patent cases Tor an
alleged infringement OF any patented artl-
Gle, device, process, invention or discovery,
where it shall appear that the defendant
purchased the same from the manufacturer
thereof or from person or firm engaged
in the operation, sale, or practical appLlca-
ton thereof, or that he manufactured or
applied the same for and to his own use
and not for sale nor making product Tor |
sale, if the plaintiff shall recover judg- |
ment for merely nominal damages the
court shall adjudge that he pay all the
costs of the suit, and if the plaintiff shall
not recover the sum of $50 or over the
court shall adjudge him 70 pay bis own
costs; unless it shall also appear that the
defendant at the time Of such purchase,
manufacture or practical application had
knowledge or actual notice OF the existence
of such patent, and that such purchase,
manufacture or practical application was
an infringement of the rights OF the PLAIN
tiff
Mr.. Davis, of Illinois, said the bill now
before the senate was calculated IN many
respects to effect improvements in the pa
tent law. lie spoke of the present imper-
fections in the patent law and the Difficult
ties which inventors, as well as consumers,
were subjected to. He submitted an
amendment to the first section OF the bill:
That if in any suit instituted in any one
circuit court of the United States the va
hdity of patent shall be determined, up
on the final hearing any other circuit court
may recognize said decision and 10 its dis
erection grant injunctions based thereon, to
continue pending an appeal to the supreme
court of the first suit, and if the validity OF
any such patent has been decreed against
in suit instituted in any one circuit court,
any other circuit court may in its discretion
grant stay of proceedings ID any United
States suit brought under said patent,
pending az appeal to the supreme court OF
the United States in said first suit.
Pending discussion the vice-presldent
announced as the select committee on
southern outrages, under the Blaine resC-
luton, Messrs. Teller, Cameron OF Wis
consin, KirkWood, Mitchell, Plumb, Bay
ard, Wallace, Bailey and Garland.
Messrs Mitchell and Plumb, at their
own request, were excused, but their places
were not filed.
Mr. Clnristiancy then spoke OIL the pat
ent laws.
Several amendments were offered and
rejected and pending discussion the bill
was laid aside informally.
Mr.. Burnside took the 1oor - explain
the provisions of the bill recently reported
from the Joint committee fo- the reorganiz
alton of the army. He said the officer;
of the army were law-abidiug men anC
while they might disagree as to regula
tons and customs always obeyed the law
Nearly all troubles between the staff ant
line had arisen from uncertainty as to tn
regulation OF the service, and IL was TO
the purpose of turning them into n Lay
that the committee had engCafted numeI
Gus army regulations in the bill. Tn
committee tried to keep in view both tn
efficiency aud economy of the service. ii
quoted at length from the bill and said
was most likely that in few years henc
some Of the cavalry regiments might b
changed to infantry regiments, and thu
the expense of the service be decreased
Referring to the provision forbiddlne tn
further manufacture of arms by the ord
nance department, he said he thought
was calculated to stimulate the inveUtio
of arms throughout the country. It ha
been said by the opponents of the bi
that it curtailed the powers OF the secre
tary of war. He denied that such wa
the case. la no way did it abridge tn
powers of that officer. The general-in
chief had no power to appoint staff off
GERS The bill provided that theS shoul
be appointed by the president upon th
recommendation Of the CO Dmanding gen
eral, aud be BURNSIDE knew Of no on
better fitted to recommend appointment
than the commanding general Of the army
The bill was then laid aside,
Ga motion of Mr.. Wadleigh furthe
consideration OF the patent bill was post
poned until Tuesday, Jan. 7.
The vice president appointed Mr. Hoa
member Of the select committee uude
the Blaine resolution, in place of Mr.
Mitchell declined, and Mr.. Mcmillan
member 10 place of Mr.. Plumb, declined
Mr.. Teller, chairman of the selecte
committee, submitted resolution autho
rizing the committee to employ such clerk
aud steuographers as may be necessary
Mr.. Voorhees, submitted resolution
instruetlng the census committee to in
Quire into the ACCESSIBILITY of including il
the next census the total number of pen
soners OF Indian blood in the Indian coun
try, the number of mixed blood, tn,
number of white members of tribes b
marriage relation, the amount of proper
ty owned. the extent of agriculture, thu
number Ofschools 10 that territory, child
rem attending, etc Agreed to-.
The house joint resolution extending
the time for the joint committee 10 tn
transfer of the Indian B0reau to repor
was passed
After an executive session adjourned.
WASHINGTON, Dee. I9-HoUsE-
Messrs. White and Hale objected to tn,
resolution reciting charges agains
Judge Rive.
Mr.. Cabell hoped the DIRECTORS would
be Doted.
Mr.. Townsend, of New York, inquired
if the members were TO be menaced IN III,
dis )harge of their duties. de uuderstooc
the gentleman from Virginia to call out /,
menaceing manner that he wanted i
noted who objected and that was breach
OF privilege.