Memoir of the Life of Eli Whitney. 295 
“The Committee to whom was referred, &c. Report :— 
“That they have carefully attended to that part of the communi- 
cation which relates to the Cotton Gin, and cordially agree with the 
Governor in his observations, that monopolies are at all times odious, 
particularly in free governments, and that some remedy ought to be 
applied to the wound which the cotton gin monopoly has given, 
and will otherwise continue to give, to the culture and’ cleaning of 
that precious and increasing staple. They have examined the Rev- 
erend James Hutchinson, who declares that Edward Lyon, at least 
twelve months before Miller & Whitney’s machine was brought into 
view, had in possession a saw or cotton gin, in miniature, of the same 
construction ; and it further appears to them, from the information of 
Doctor Cortes Pedro Dampiere, an old and respectable citizen of 
Columbia County, that a machine of a construction similar to that of 
Miller & Whitney, was used in Siidoerlallfie leas forty years ago, 
for the purpose of picking rags to make lint and paper. 
“That, however, as Congress, has the constitutional power to es- 
tablish patents of the nature of Miller & Whitney’s, the committee 
uniting with the Governor in opinion that no Legislative power 
but Congress can interfere, and also convinced that in the passage of 
the law, Congress could have had no idea of laying the two Southern 
States, and in all probability North Carolina and Tennessee, under 
Contribution to two individuals, (the article at the passing of the first 
‘ct not being thought of, as about to become the principal staple of 
*xport from those States,) do recommend the following resolutions :— 
“Resolved, That the Senators and Representatives of this State in 
Congress be, and they hereby are, instructed to use their utmost en- 
deavors to obtain a modification of the act, entitled an act to extend the 
Privilege of obtaining Patents for useful discoveries and inventions, to 
Certain persons therein mentioned, and to enlarge and define the pen- 
alties for violating the rights of patentees, so as to prevent the opera- 
tion of it, to the injury of that most ne ‘staple cotton, and the 
mamping of genius in improvements, in, Miller & Whitney’s — 
ty ag well as to limit the price of obtaining a right of using it, the 
Price ‘at present being unbounded, and the planter and poor artificer 
altogether at the mercy of the patentees, who may raise the price to 
any sum they please. 
“And in case the said Senators and Representatives of this State 
shall find such modification impracticable, that they do then use their 
best endeavors to induce Congress, from the example of other nations, 
29 
OL. XXIL—N 0. 2 
