PROCEEDINGS OF THE REGENTS. 113 



wires. I urged him to put his wires on poles, and stated to him my 

 experiments and their results. 



In the course of the years 1836 and 18S7, various plans of more or 

 less merit, were devised, and more or less fully carried into effect, for 

 applying the principles already discovered to the construction of electro- 

 magnetic telegraphs in different parts of the world, but of these 1 do 

 not undertake to give any particular account. I would say, however, 

 that of these plans that for which Mr. Morse subsequently obtained a 

 patent was, in my judgment, the best. 



3. Please state whether or not you are acquainted with the electro- 

 magnetic telegraph for which S. F. B. Morse obtained a patent in 

 1846. If you are, please state whether any, and if any, which of the 

 principles or plans which you have described as discovered, or an- 

 nounced by yourself or others are used in the construction or opera- 

 tion of it. State also what principles used in the telegraph are, so 

 far as you know, original with Professor Morse. 



Ansiver. — I am acquainted with the principles and general mode of 

 operation of the telegraph and improvement referred to. The tele- 

 graph is based upon the facts discovered by myself and others, of 

 which I have already given an account. 



The plan which was first described to me in the autumn of 1837 by 

 Mr. Morse, or by Professor Gale, who was associated with him in the 

 construction of the telegraph, was to employ a single entire circuit of 

 wire, with an intensity battery to excite the current, and an intensity 

 magnet to receive it and produce a mechanical action, which would 

 work the recording apparatus. Mr. Morse afterwards employed the 

 intensity battery in a long circuit, and an intensity magnet to receive 

 its current at a distant point, and produce the mechanical effect of 

 closing a secondary circuit. The secondary circuit may be either em- 

 ployed to transmit a second current to a distant point and there close 

 a third circuit, and thus continue the line, or for working a recording 

 apparatus in the secondary circuit, or it may be employed without 

 reference to the continuation of the line, as a short local circuit to work 

 a local magnet. In the first case, there must be in the secondary cir- 

 cuit an intensity battery and intensity magnet; in the last case, a quan- 

 tity magnet and quantity battery are required. 



I heard nothing of the secondary circuit as a part of Mr. Morse's 

 plan until after his return from Europe, whither he went in 1838. It 

 was not till long after this that Mr. Morse used the earth as a part of 

 the circuit in accordance with the discovery of Steinheil. 



I am not aware that Mr. ]\Iorse ever made a single original dis- 

 covery, in electricity, magnetism, or electro-magnetism, applicable to 

 the invention of the telegraph. I have always considered his merit 

 to consist in combining and applying the discoveries of others in the 

 invention of a particular instrument and process for telegraphic pur- 

 I)Oses. I have no means of determining how far this invention is 

 original with himself, or how much is due to those associated with him. 



4. Please state when you first became acquainted with Mr. Morse, 

 and what knowledge he possessed of electricity, magnetism, and 



8 s 



