Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1894-03-28
The Senate.


has at last proved successful.
The Senate.
The senate has done little of interest
during the past week, but the next ten
days will probably ses them hard at work
in the discussion of the Wilson bill. A
leading member of that august as we'll IS
slow moving body, told your correspondent
yesterday that 1t would be the first of June
at least, before the bill would be ready for
final action, and the discussion of it might
take all summer.
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. CASE.
stepped into the court room the other
day while the Breckinridse Pollard case was
being heard and WAS surprised to see the in
terest manifested by members of the bar
from all parts of the country, who CHANGED
to be in the city at this time. They eagerly
listen to the testimony and discuss the
novel defense of Colonel Breckenridge
Tho feeling of contempt for the defendant
is rapidly growing here, and it ia said on
good authority that the resolution intro
duced in tie houee by Mr.. Morse shows the
FEELING the members of that body have for
their colleague, and thst should the case
be decided sRainst him, he will bs asked to
resign his seat.
PATENT COMMISSIONER sEYHouR's REPORT
TO CONGRESS - AN INTERESTING Docu-
NENT.
The annual report of Commissioner of
Patents John 8. Seymour of Connecticut
WAS submitted to congress this week, and
is = remarkably able and concise report of
the work done by the Office the past year
and of the pressing nesds of the Office for
the bettermsnt of the patent system of this
country.
Commissioner Seymour, whose deois-
Ions are meeting with so much favor
among patent attorneys, and whose record
for Improvement in the management of
the Office has been extremely successful,
says in his report:
VAST AMOUNT OF WORK DONE.
In 1898 there were received 81, 1893 sppll.
cations for patents, 1000 applications for
designs, 100 applications for reissues, g.
247 caveats, 1899 applications for trade
marks and 401 applications for labels.
There were % go patents granted, in
Guiding designs; 80 Patents were re issued
1 and 1,677 trade marks wore registered.
The number Of patent. which expired was
| IA 172. The number of patents which
were by operation of law forfeited for
non payment of the final fees WAS 4, 1O2
The total expenditures were 81, al ,03S 81;
the receipts over expenditures were SOL,
10, and the total receipts over expend-
itures to the credit of the patent Chloe in
| the treasury of the United States amounts
to 81. 2s1, 1886.
At the beginning of the year the arrears
n tod IN
awaiting action, and one division was be-
tween seven and eight months behind On
May the number reached 10, 42S. This
number has been reduced so that at the
close of the year there were on hand 6,261
spplications-a reduction since May of
A. 67 cases-and only one division was in
arrears four months. Four divisions had
the work so we'll in hand that an applica-
ton would be reached for its first action
within one month from the fling date; if
teen divisions within two months; seven
within three months, and six divisions
were within four months of date.
TIE oRHATEsz NEED OF THE oTY1cE.
One of the greatest needs of the Office Is
that of q classification division, which
would cost about $64, 500 year.
This proposed classification division is
the difference between the patent system,
capable of being administered with bene-
fioence and tending in all respects to the
common good, and the same system en-
croaching upon the domain of common
knowledge by reason of the deficiencies in
its own equipment. A patent for a new
thing adds to the common stock of knowl-
edge; Q patent for an old thing takes some
thing away from what the public already
aninva Aoafnsk
fore, must be opposed the whole prior art
Each of the thirty-two examining divisions
contains on the average more than sixteen
thousand domestic patents and a still!
larger number of foreign patents. These are
now effectively and insuEoisntly classified
In divisions and subdivisions, according to
the uses to which the inventions are to be
put. The kindred inventions of similar
construction and of like operation in other
arts and even in other subdivisions are not
before the examiner, excepting as he may
remember them or guees where they may
be found. Yet all such as anticipate an
application before the examiner must be
found, or else the grant of patent will be
void; and when found, all such must bs
critically and jadictally examined, or the
same disastrous consequences follow, and
this examination of applications must be
done promptly, for delay il often as great
an evil Is no artionlat slI.
When 1t is considered that thess are
judicial decisions involving large interests,
upon which the growth of the arts as we'll
as private rights is dependent, it will be
seen that the searching classification of all
existing grants and other material ia the
only condition upon which the work may
be done at all.
A PATENT BAR DEsIRA1LE.
In speaking of the needs of q patent
bar, Commissioner Seymour says: The
vast public and private interests involved
in the Just administration of the patent
system demand that the practitioners Ee-
fore the Office, like those before the federal
courts. shall be only those of ascertained
moral and intellectual ftress. To this
end 1t 10 respectfully recommended that
legislation be had establishing . patent
bar, which shall consist, in the FIRST in
stance, of those counselors-a t-lav who are
entitled to practice in the federal courts,
and that the commissioner of patents,
with the approval of the secretary of the
interior, may establish rules and
regulations for the admission, from
time to time, of those found qualified,
and who may be recommended for
admission by the federal bar of the state
In which they reside, or In the manner and
by those on whose recommendation admis-
sions to the state bar are made by the state
courts where the applicant may reside. It
IL believed that under the guidance of
patent bar of Recognised standing and re.
pute the soliciting Of patents would attain
Q regularity and dignity in the practice of
the profession of the law which is other
wise unsttainable, and that the first to
gain under such practice wouli be the
meritosious inventors, and. second only to
them, the industrial world and the pub
lie.
Oommissloner Seymour aIso made J