562 



PATENTS. 



PEACE CONFERENCE. 



ern States, for some time previously to the Fed- 

 eral occupation of the town. Other military 

 stores, ammunition, equipments and clothing, 

 had been sent over the same route. The place 

 also commands the mouth of the Tennessee 

 River, up which a large commerce had passed 

 to the South. The surface of the country on 

 the south presents no point of any considerable 

 strength. A force could be sent down the line 

 of the railroad, and also up the Tennessee Kiver. 



PATENTS. An act changing the patent law 

 in many essential particulars, passed Congress 

 near the close of the session which ended 

 March 4, 1861. Patents granted in future were 

 to remain in force seventeen years, and all ex- 

 tensions are prohibited. 



The act provides, where extensions are now 

 applied for, in cases of existing patents, for com- 

 pulsory process for witnesses, in order to make 

 a thorough investigation of the merits of the 

 case. It gives the Commissioner of Patents a 

 larger salary, as it imposes additional duties 

 and responsibilities. It provides for certain ad- 

 ditional examiners. It allows the commissioner 

 to refuse to recognize patent agents who have 

 been guilty of misconduct. It enlarges the 

 right to patent in relation to moulding, casting, 

 electrotyping, &c. It cuts off all patents not 

 prosecuted within two years after filing. It 

 requires labels on patented articles. It enables 

 the commissioner to dispose of models of re- 

 jected applications, and to dispense with mod- 

 els when he thinks the design can be suffi- 

 ciently represented by a drawing. It allows 

 the commissioner to require the printing of 

 papers in certain cases. 



The number of patents issued during the year 

 exceeded three thousand. The engrossing na- 

 ture of the events which transpired during 

 1861 so occupied public attention, that the vast 

 and most important field of mechanical indus- 

 try was comparatively overlooked. Many in- 

 genious and valuable inventions .were made, 

 which, with suitable illustrations, will find a 

 place in a subsequent volume of this work. 



PEACE CONFERENCE. The proposition 

 for a conference or convention of five commis- 

 sioners from each State on the condition of af- 

 fairs, was first brought forward and adopted by 

 the Legislature of Virginia. It was her meas- 

 ure, undertaken in good faith, for a settlement 

 of all difficulties and the preservation of the 

 Union. For the resolutions for this purpose, 

 adopted by her, see page 1Y8. 



The measure was laid before President Bu- 

 chanan, and by him communicated to Congress 

 with a special Message, expressing his approba- 

 tion in these words: "I confess I hail this 

 movement on the part of Virginia with great 

 satisfaction. From the past history of this an- 

 cient and renowned commonwealth we have 

 the fullest assurance that what she has under- 

 taken she will accomplish, if it can be done by 

 able, enlightened, and persevering efforts." 



The plan immediately attracted attention in 

 other States. In North Carolina and New 



Jersey it was immediately brought before the 

 Legislature ; in Massachusetts it was spoken of 

 as justifying "considerable hope that a new 

 turn would be given by it to the troubled state 

 of affairs." It was further said, "Massachu- 

 setts can consistently accept such an invita- 

 tion. Her doing so might have a good effect, 

 as evincing her readiness to confer with her 

 sister States, and her desire to provide for the 

 return of harmony." Private correspondents 

 from South Carolina wrote : ""We look with 

 hope to the movement just announced as having 

 been started in the Virginia Legislature. Vir- 

 ginia will be listened to despite all the press can 

 say. Four-fifths of our people will agree to 

 any arrangement that shall guarantee our rights 

 and be acceptable to the other Southern States." 

 The Convention assembled at "Washington on 

 the 4th of February. The delegates appointed 

 from the States respectively were as follows: 



Maine. William P. Fessenden, Lett M. Morrell, 

 Daniel E. Somes, John J. Perry, Ezra E. French, Free- 

 man H. Morse, Stephen Coburn, Stephen C. Foster. 



New Hampshire. Amos Tuck, Levi Chamberlain, 

 Asa Fowler. 



Vermont. Hiland Hall, Levi Underwood, H. Henry 

 Baxter, L. E. Chittenden, B. D. Harris. 



Massachusetts. John Z. Goodrich, Charles Allen, 

 George S. Boutwcll, Theophilus P. Chandler, Francis 

 B. Crowninshield, John M. Forbes, Richard P. Waters. 



Rhode Island. Samuel Ames, Alexander Duncan, 

 William W. Hoppiu, George H. Browne, Samuel G. 

 Arnold. 



Connecticut. Roger S. Baldwin, ChaunceyF. Cleve- 

 land, Charles J. McCurdy, James T. Pratt, Robins 

 Battell, Amos S. Treat. 



New York. David Dudley Field, William Curtis 

 Noyes, James S. Wadsworth, James C. Smith, Ama- 

 ziah B. James, Erastus Corning, Francis Granger, 

 Greene C. Bronson, William E. Dodge, John A. King, 

 John E. Wool. 



New Jersey. Charles S. Olden, Peter D. Yroorn, 

 Robert F. Stockton, Benjamin Williamson, Joseph F. 

 Randolph, Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, Rodman M. 

 Price, William C. Alexander, Thomas J. Stryker. 



Pennsylvania. James Pollock, William M. Mere- 

 dith, David Wilmot, A. W. Loomis, Thomas E. Frank- 

 lin, William McKennan, Thomas White. 



Delaware. George B. Rodney, Daniel M. Bates, 

 Henry Ridgely, John W. Houston, William Cannon. 



Maryland. John F. Dent, Reverdy Johnson, John 

 W. Crisfield, Augustus W. Bradford, William T. Golds- 

 borough, J. Dixon Roman, Benjamin C. Howard. 



Virginia. John Tyler, William C. Rives, John W. 

 Brockenbrough, George W. Summers, James A. Sed- 

 don. 



North Carolina. George Davis, Thomas Ruffin, 

 David S. Reid, D. M. Barringer, J. M. Morehead. 



Tennessee. Samuel Milligan, Josiah M. Anderson, 

 Robert L. Caruthers, Thomas Martin, Isaac R. Haw- 

 kins, A. W. 0. Totten, R. J. McKmney, Alvin Cullom, 

 William P. Hickerson, George W. Jones, F. K. Zolli- 

 coffer, William H. Stephens. 



Kentucky. William 0. Butler, James B. Clay, 

 Joshua F.'Bell, Charles S. Morehead, James Guthrie, 

 Charles A. Wickliffe. 



Missouri. John D. Coalter, Alexander W. Doni. 

 phan, Waldo P. Johnson, Aylett H. Buckner, Harri- 

 son Hough. 



Ohio. Salmon P. Chase, William S. Groesbeck, 

 Franklin T. Backus, Reuben Hitchcock, Thomas 

 Ewing, V. B. Horton, C. P. Wolcott. 



Indiana. Caleb B. Smith, Pleasant A. Hackleman, 

 Godlove S. Orth, E. W. H. Ellis, Thomas C. Slaughter. 



Illinois. John Wood, Stephen T. Logan, John M. 

 Palmer, Burton C. Cook, Thomas J. Turner. 



