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United States, Appellants, v. The Mayor, Aldermen, and Inhabitants of the Cities of Philadelphia and New Orleans, The U.S. 609 (1851)

handle is hein.slavery/ussccases0258 and id is 1 raw text is: DECEMBER        TERM, 1850.                609
The United States v. Philadelphia and New Orleans.
Secondly, if these three distinct improvements had been
claimed and granted in the letters, and described in the schedule,
then the patent would be void,,as I think, because no more than
one invention, distinct and disconnected from others, can be
granted in the same lettefs. Such is the construction that has
been given to the ,legislation of Congress at the Patent-Office,
and is supposed by me to be the correct one. If three indepen-
dent inventions can be patented and monopolized together, so
any number may be; by this means, the grant may cover many
fictitious claims, vith some valid ohes, which latter will stand
protected; so that little or no risk will be run by obtaining a
grant for that which is not new; and by this mode of proceed-
ing at the Patent-Office, fictitious claims may cover and as-
sume to monopolize the ordinary implements now in use on
the farm and in the workshop, and, yet more than is now the
case, harass the public with fictitious and ill-founded claims to
make and sell exclusively things in daily and extensive use.
Although the claim may be fictitious, still this does not protect
the public from harassment, as usually men using cheap im-
plements cannot afford to litigate in the United States courts.
It would be far better to allow the claim, unjust as it is, and
pay the patentee his fraudulent demand, than incur the ex-
pense of a suit, which the patentee or his assignee may well
afford to prosecute.
Order.
This cause came on to be heard on the transcript of the rec-
ord from the Circuit Court of the United States for the South-
ern District of New York, and was argued by counsel. On
consideration whereof, it is noiv here ordered and adjudged
by this court, that the judgment of the said Circuit Court in
this cause be; and the same is hereby, affirmed, with costs, and
damages at the rate of six per centum per annum.
THE UNTiED STATES, AFPELLANTS, v. THE MAYOR, ALDERIEN, AND
INHABITANTS OF THE CITIES OF PHILADELPHIA AND NEW ORTEANS.
The decision of this court in the United States v. Rleynes (9 Howard, 127), again
affirmed, to wit, that under the acts of Congress of May 26, 1824 (4 Stat. at
Large, 52), and June 17, 1844 (5 Stat. at Large, 676), the courts of the United
States have no power to decide upon complete or perfect titles to land.
The contract made between the Baron de Bastrop and the Spanish government did
not vest a perfect title in Bastrop, and therefore this court can exercise jurisdiction
over the claim.

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