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by the multitudes who are treading upon each other, the field beyond, to the eye of those who can explore it, is almost limitless. Every discovery which is made appears to shed light upon others hitherto enveloped in obscurity; each furnishes the key to a group, and the things to be discovered seem to multiply in proportion to those already discovered.

A part of the applications of every year since 1839 are still pending, and liable to be called up at any moment, though they are in such condition that this office is compelled to await the action of the applicant.

The history of this office for several years, in addition to a great and steady increase of inventions, presents also the fact, always observable in the progress The first examination of an applica- of the arts, that while some classes are tion is intended to be as thorough as receiving numerous and important adthe condition of the papers and models ditions, others appear to receive little will admit. If the claim can not be al- or no attention; or, if efforts are made lowed, the machine is carefully exam- toward their improvement, they fail of ined, to discover whether it comprehends success. But succeeding years produce any other feature or combination which an entire revolution; and those branches would justify the grant of letters-patent. whose rapidity of progress had astonIf anything patentable is discovered, the ished the world, in their turn become papers are returned to the applicant, torpid, and improvements burst forth with such suggestions as will assist him with unlooked-for brilliancy from the in mending them and properly modify- dust and ashes which have accumulated ing his claim; but if nothing patentable upon a long-neglected department of is discovered, the application is at once the arts. The main current, however, rejected, and the necessary references is always onward, although, at some given; as it is deemed worse than use- points, it appears to stagnate or retroless to put the applicant to the trouble grade. But let not the inventor be and expense of amending and perfect- deceived or discouraged; these are but ing his papers, when it is believed that the eddies. Let him persevere; the no amendment could avoid a final rejec- eddy of to-day may be the torrent of tion. But this office, from its reorgan- to-morrow. ization, has been liberal in reconsidering rejected applications. The applicant is always permitted to amend his papers, and to present new or amended claims, which render it necessary again to examine the application as if it were new. If it is again rejected, this additional rejection is entered upon the record kept by the examiner, and is counted as a rejection. There are instances in every year's experience of cases being represented with different claims two or three times, each change raising questions entirely new, and requiring the same examinations and consideration as would be required by so many distinct applications. All experience of the examining corps has shown the importance of making these re-examinatious, as it sometimes occurs that, owing to the imperfect manner in which | the papers have been prepared, a patentable feature of the machine has escaped the notice of the examiner.

The commissioner, in his report for 1845, speaks of the existing law by which a subject of Great Britain is compelled to pay into the treasury the sum of five hundred dollars before his application can be examined, and the citizens and subjects of all foreign countries to pay three hundred dollars on their respective applications. He says:

"These duties were designed to bear some proportion to the duties required of American citizens making applications for patents in other countries, and on that ground may, perhaps, be justified and defended.

"The effect of this provision is unquestionably to prevent the introduction into this country of many useful and valuable discoveries, which would otherwise be patented and introduced. Similar high duties have the effect to exclude American inventions from other countries. Thus all countries are injured by this system of taxing genius for the

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The Smithsonian Institution has a no- | barracks, the armory, and two large ble endowment, and is devoted to the pro-ship-houses. in which ships-of-war of motion of science in its various branches. different classes are constructed.

The funds bequeathed for its foundation. Capture of Washington by the British having lain for a number of years, accu-in 1814.-The better to provide for the mulating in value, and congress having organized it in 1846, it has commenced operations with flattering prospects. A large edifice has been erected, valuable collections have been begun, and the services of active officers engaged; so that under the supervision of the government, and with abundant pecuniary means at its disposal, it will doubtless afford important aid to the sciences in time to come.

Columbian College was incorporated in the year 1821. The buildings occupy an elevation north of the president's house, and a medical department is attached to the institution. The libraries contain upward of four thousand volumes.

The Navyyard contains twenty-seven acres of ground, three quarters of a mile southeast of the capitol, with ranges of stores, shops, dwellings for officers,

defence of Washington and the neighboring country, so much threatened by the enemy's fleet, a new military district was formed in the summer of 1814, making the tenth district in number, and embracing Maryland, the district of Columbia, and a part of Virginia. The president, on the 4th of July, 1814, made a requisition on the governors of those states for ninety-three thousand militia, fifteen thousand of whom were to be raised within the limits of the new military district. One thousand regular troops were added, and the whole force placed under the command of General Winder.

But the news was received, about a fortnight after the requisition had been made, that the British had landed at Benedict. At that time only three thousand men had been collected, and these

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