Patents^ 
455 
every year, or oftener if need be, were published under the di^? 
rection of the board, of the specifications and plates filed in the 
office — ^the sale would bear the expence : if not, raise the fees on 
issuing patents to cover the cost of publication. If this were 
done, the public might stand the chance of knowing a little of 
what is going forward in the patent office, and be somewhat the 
wiser for the discoveries of individuals : at present they know 
nothing 5 and patents are taken out by persons who may innocently 
infringe upon the discoveries of others. 
Fourthly. The exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the 
United States, gives rise to vexatious levies on the community^ 
It is worth no rrian^s while in the back country of any state, to 
resist a claim of 2 or 300 dollars, however unfounded, if he is to 
be dragged to the metropolis, court after comt, to encounter an 
adversary, whose interest it is to render such a suit, by delays and 
removals, too expensive to be continued ; and to bear down oppo^ 
sition, by the trouble and the cost attending upon it. 
The remedy is difficult to be suggested , but I should sup- 
pose, that it would sufficiently guard the patentee against vex» 
atious contests, if after one decision in any court of a state in his 
favour on the point in contest, he should be entitled, on produs- 
ing the record, to double costs in every other suit on the same 
point, tried in the same state, wherein final judgment should be 
passed in his favour. In all suits brought by the patentee, every 
person interested ought to be allowed to become joint defendant, 
on motion after notice. 
Such are my present opinions, which I throw out fpr publiq 
jconsideration, T. 
