Year: 1874

CASE.


DEFEAT OF BILL WITH AN INTERESTING HISTORY


HOW IT SEVERAL TINES MISSED BECOMING A


IAw-TuE GREAT ARMS MANUFACTURING COM


PANIEs GAIN BY THE RESULT.


IBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSEl


WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE petition Of Rollin
White for permission to apply to the Commissioner
of Patents for the extension of certain patents
granted to him in 1855 for improvements in pistols
has been before Congress for the last six years. and
has occupied much of the time of both Houses.
bill for the relief of Mr.. White, reported by the
House Committee on Patents last May. came up to-
day as the regular order of business and was
defeated on square vote by majority so
decisive that the subject will not be likely to make
its appearance again in this Congress if it ever
does This bill and others similar to 1t have bad
interesting history. The patents which ROllin
White desired to have extended covered the idea of
inserting the metallic cartridges in the rear of the
chamber in breacbOadiDg pistols instead Of loading
from the other direction idea that has now been
universally adopted by all the large arms manufac-
turing companies in this country. Before these
patents expired, Mr.. White employed as
his attorney one Of the most successful
patent lawyers of New-York. who was
entirely familiar with his inventions and had
conducted several suits upon them. This gentleman
prepared Mr. Whites papers and attended to
curing the testimony in his behalf, but was taken
sick Just before the time for taking testimony ex
pired. BY reason of this sickness he failed to for
ward some of the important papers bearing on the
case to the Patent Office. Besides this just before
the hearing before the Commissioners of Patents
the Office of the United States Com
missioner in New-York was broken into,
and the testimony and numerous exhibits
in the case were stolen and have never been re-


III ..l.o "
before the Commissioner, represented by man un-
familiar with the case and without some very inn
portant testimony and exhibits, and the extension
was refused April2, 1869. Mr.. White then went to
Congress, asking that the Commissioner be author
lied to hear the case again This application was
strongly opposed by the arms companies, and Mr.
Dawes was requested by colleague, who was
Obliged to leave Washington, TO watch on the last
day Of the session and prevent the passage of the
bill Nis he did all night. and until within few
minutes of the adjournment. when he left the
chamber as a member Of Committee to inform the
President that the House ready to adjourn, and
during his absence the bill was passed 1t did not
however, reach the President in time for his sigma
ture before the adjournment At the beginning of
the next session he vetoed the bill the advice of
Gen. Dyer of the Ordnance Department, who thought
that the Government ought not to be required to
pay royalty on this invention, as it might be
sary 10 do should the patent be renewed. This was
JAM H. 1870 In the Senate the bill was passed over
the veto, but it failed In the House. In the last
Congress another attempt was made to pass the BILL
but il failed, and to-day it defeated on square
VOTE Mr.. White has always been opposed by all
the great arms companies who have invested large
sums Of money in machinery for the manufacture Of
pistols on the plans covered by Mr. Whites patents
They have also asserted that the invention was
worthless until others utilized it, and that the in
yentor has received adequate compensation. Many
ns.lars on both sidAs of ths HOnae seemed to fAAf