378 [Assembly 



As a motive power to accomplish all this, and put: into operation all 

 the diversified inventive energies of a country, nothing can be better 

 adapteil than judicious and well ordered Patent Laws, The benefit 

 thereby promised, is to the inventor himself, and having the exclusive 

 right to his production for a limited time, is proportionate to its value 

 and in exact accordance with his merit. 



The Patent Laws of the United States, like a large engine of mighty 

 power, geared to the national mind by belts of encouragement, with 

 Congress as the engineer, have carried and kept in operation, an 

 amount of well-prepared intellectual machinery, of which few can 

 form any conception, and which, alone, accounts for and has resulted 

 in the many valuable discoveries and inventions, destined to charac- 

 terize the nineteenth century, enhance the glory ofAmerican achieve- 

 ments, and remain as an enduring monument of the triumphant success 

 of Republican Government. 



This engine connects with and communicates its power alike to shop, 

 factory, furnace, laboratory and the field, and is the grand practical 

 regulator of steam power, water powder, atmospheric power, muscular 

 power, and the power of lightning. 



With what care and competency then should it be managed ? What 

 an amount of rcsponsibiUty devolves upon the engineer? But has it 

 been so managed '? Has Congress handled it as a matter of so great 

 importance? The response from every man familiar with the subject, 

 will be. No ! 



W^hatever may have been the cause, the fact is too apparent, that 

 the subject of the Patent Laws has not received that attention from 

 Congress, to which its great importance entitles it. The character and 

 contents of nearly the whole series of acts now constituting the Patent 

 Laws of this country, and particularly the act of 1836, both as to 

 frame-work and finish, bear evidence, of at least, hasty and inattentive 

 legislation. 



No marks of the great minds which annually assemble at our capital, 

 no appearance of elaborate investigation, no trace of earnest effort by 

 able men, are apparent in those statutes. But drawn, as if by one 



