inventions of others; they admit that the laws are just, and that the inventor should be protected, but at the same time, in all cases of suits for infringement, they deny that the patentee was the original inventor; they hold that the patentee could not possibly have possessed the ability to have made the invention, and at the same time admit that any one else could have easily made the invention years before the date of the patent; and in order to screen themselves from the just epithet of pirate, they resort to the basest means to destroy the character and reputation of the inventor, rob him of his rights, and ruin him by costs in lawsuits, in order to render their piracies legal.

The greatest defect in the law, consists in the impunity with which witnesses are permitted to testify to false dates, asserting that they had a previous knowledge of the invention in question, and carrying the time back of the date of the patent.

Suitable provisions in the law to detect and punish such faise testimony, together with the pirates of inventions, is all that inventors ask of Congress. Surely no honest man will call this request unreasonable.

In amending the patent laws, it should be considered that there are two classes of patentees, (not two classes of inventors); one class produces new and useful inventions, the other class makes alterations on the inventions of the first class, which are frequently immaterial or injurious. Those two classes are antagonistic. Real inventors can generally support their patents under the present law. The great evil which they complain of, consists in the long delay and great expense which the pirate patentee, or pirate without a patent, can subject them to, under the present law.

The real inventor desires that his patent may rest on the proof of originality. The pirate patentee desires that his patent should be held as proof positive that he is entitled to all that he claims, hence this class has been very active and officious, for many years past, in trying to induce Congress to make laws that will protect their spurious patents; they desire a" law of scire facias," for the purpose of repealing the patent of the real inventor, by means of false testimony, and thereby make the invention which they had pirated, public property, and then then they could use it, and establish their

claims of making some immaterial alteration, or frivolous addition to the invention, and obtain a patent therefor.

REMARKS ON THE EXTENSION OF TIME ON PATENTS.

A candid investigation of the subject will show that all opposition to the extension of time on patents, arises from three classes of people, (and fortunately those classes are very limited in numbers, although very officious and noisy.)

First. Such men as have pirated and been benefited by the inventions they oppose.

Second. Those who have been cheated out of their money by unscrupulous men, who have misrepresented the rights granted by an extension.

Third. Those who seek to derive profit from the inventions of others, without paying any compensation therefor, but who are restrained from piracies, through fear of the law, and. whose miserly spirit withholds pay for an invention by which they might be benefited if adopted.

The great bulk of the people are in favor of patronizing the labors and protecting the rights of inventors, and freely pay their money for a useful invention, which is always worth more to them than the money they pay, whether it be for the original term of the patent, or for an extension thereon; and if the question should be put to every honest man in the country, whether he would be willing to be deprived of the use of any useful invention, (which he has adopted,) and receive back the money which he has paid, it is presumed that no one could be found who would concede to such terms.

Those very people who make the greatest noise against the extension of time on patents, are the loudest in advocating the justice of the laws granting patents to inventors. This is perfectly natural and characteristic. If they condemned the whole system of granting patents, Congress would readily understand them, and would not listen to them for a moment. Such people well know that every member of Congress entertains just views of the rights which an inventor possesses to the object of his own creation; therefore, they resort to that course as being the most plausible means to deceive Congress with respect to the right to an extension of time, (which they oppose and misrepresent.) They pretend to be the agents

and guardians of the public, and pretend to represent the interests of the public. They pretend that the public have paid an enormous amount of money for the use of inventions, but they are very careful to suppress the fact that the public have been benefited an hundred fold in every instance of a useful invention, above what they have paid.

The grand question, and the only proper question which can arise on a petition for an extension, is simply this: Shall the inventor receive further protection on the property of his own creation, or shall those three classes, above named, have the protection in preference? If inventors, their agents, or assigns, have been in the habit of cheating the public by means of their extensions, the fault may be justly and solely attributed to the defects in the law, which should be revised, and made so clear and plain that such cheating could not be practised with impunity in future. Will Congress make the innocent suffer for the acts of the guilty? Shall honest men be deprived of their just rights to their own property, embodied in an invention, because others have cheated the public by misrepresentations respecting the rights granted by an extension? Would it not be far more just and wise to make the law so plain and clear that the public may not be liable to be deceived and cheated in future, and grant to the inventors additional time to protect the object of their own creation, against the piracies of those very men who had previously robbed them of their rights? Just laws would effectually silence all complaints in future, either by inventors, pirates, or the public. Complaints would no more arise against such laws to protect inventors and grant them extensions of time, than have heretofore arisen against the laws to protect titles to lands, houses, or merchandise.

REMARKS ON THE INVESTIGATION OF PATENT MATTERS BY

CONGRESS.

The labors of the committee appointed by Congress, near the close of the last session, to investigate the charges of bribery, will be productive of a result very beneficial to the country, although the idea advanced that individuals cannot obtain their rights without buying up the members of Congress, is very humiliating to the whole country. Such an im

pression has gained general credence through the country, in consequence of numerous claims of individuals having been delayed, from year to year, for a long period of time, by that body. Every body knows that long procrastination destroys confidence, whether it is practised between two individuals, or between the government and individuals. Government should set the example of promptness for individuals to follow, instead of the example of procrastination.

The following sentiment of an old song, together with some addition, is very appropriate when applied to the petitions of individuals.

"If fond of pure vexation,
And long procrastination,
You're in a situation"
To offer your petition,

To councils of the nation,
Praying for protection

And legal restoration

Of rights of long probation.

Delays are dangerous. This old and familiar warning has been held up to view by individuals of all nations, for ages past, and notwithstanding the constant repetition of this solemn warning, nations of old have heeded it not, and the rights of individuals have been neglected, from time to time, as being beneath the notice of those placed in power. Look at the result, for a moment, which has eventually and universally followed such neglect. The people have arisen in their might, thrown off the yoke of oppression, administered justice to their rulers and oppressors, and formed new governments. Can those whom the people of our republic have confidentially intrusted with the power of making laws for their mutual protection, expect to follow the same course, practise the same procrastination, produce the same oppression and destruction of confidence, and expect to escape the same fate? How recently have our people thrown off the yoke that oppressed the rights of individuals, and how unexpectedly have those intrusted with the administration of their rights "followed in the footsteps" of their British oppressors, and practised the same procrastination. It is to be hoped that a spirit of justice will arouse virtue to action, and

leave no individual a cause which shall serve as a trumpet to sound his wrongs inflicted by government procrastination, to the four corners of the earth.

แ THE WHEELS OF GOVERNMENT."

These wheels are frequently referred to by the public prints, but have never been described, therefore the following description may be considered very correct, until some person gives a better one.

When freedom's banner was hoisted yonder,
And tyrants' chains were snapped asunder,

then our forefathers commenced building the "wheels" which were designed to carry our government chariot safely over the broad road of time in the long race with other nations. The spokes of "the wheels" were composed of the rights of individ uals, and inventors have been continually at work adding new spokes, for the purpose of increasing the strength and durability of the chariot, and rendering its onward progress more safe and secure. The people have selected individuals-seated them in the chariot-placed the reins in their hands-and directed them to guide the chariot safely. This duty was performed with fidelity for a long time, but recently there seems to be some neglect. When the spokes of "the wheels" are closely watched, by those placed in the chariot, and kept in a sound condition, then the chariot will roll on safely and steadily; but when they are neglected, every little breach grows wider and wider.

"Still it widens, widens still,
Like circles on a smooth canal,"

till one spoke after another ceases to yield its support, and by a long continued neglect to keep them in repair from generation to generation. the spokes will successively and inevitably fail to yield their support, till at last the whole fabric will fall to the ground with a tremendous crash-an irreparable mass of ruins a solemn warning to rulers of all future times; and perhaps some may take the hint, that a view of the past and a peep into the future may be a warning to those of the present time.