Details
BURR, AARON, VICE-PRESIDENT. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT SIGNED ("A. BURR") AND DATED, WITH AN 8-LINE HOLOGRAPH POSTSCRIPT SIGNED ("A.B."), TEXT IN THE HAND OF A CLERK, ENTITLED "OF THE VALIDITY OF THE LAWS GRANTING TO LIVINGSTON & FULTON THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USING FIRE AND STEAM TO PROPEL BOATS OR VESSELS". NEW YORK, 20 SEPTEMBER 1812. 15 PAGES, 4TO, SOME WEAR, SEVERAL HOLES ON CONCLUDING LEAF (WITH ARCHIVAL TAPE-REPAIRS ALONG FOLDS ON VERSO).
BURR ON LEGALITY OF ROBERT FULTON'S STEAMBOAT
IN SMALL PART: "...THE PLAINTIFFS HAVE VERY TRULY SAID THAT THEIR GRANT IS NOT A PATENT. IT IS IN EFFECT A DECLARATION THAT NO MAN BUT ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON SHALL INVENT A MACHINE TO BE MOVED ON THE WATER BY FIRE OR STEAM. THE DEFENDANTS HAVE INVENTED A MACHINE TO OPERATE BY FIRE AND STEAM, HAVING OBTAINED A PATENT FROM THE UNITED STATES FOR THE EXCLUSIVE EXERCISE THEROF, AND THE QUESTION NOW IS WHETHER THE ACT IN FAVOUR OF LIVINGSTON AND FULTON BARS THE DEFENDANTS FROM THE USE OF THIS MACHINE ON THE SEAS OR ARMS OF THE SEA WITHIN THE LIMITS OF OR CONTIGUOUS TO THIS STATE. I HAVE NO HESITATION IN PRONOUNCING, THAT THE DEFENDANTS ARE NOT TO BE THUS DEPRIVED OF THE EXERCISE OF THEIR INVENTION AND THAT THE COURTS OF THE UNITED STATES WILL SO DECIDE..." IN HIS HANDWRITTEN POSTCRIPT, BURR OBSERVES, "...THE JARGON OF THIS SCIENCE (AS IT IS TERMED) IS, LIKE THE SLANG OF HIGHWAYMEN, INVENTED FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES, INTELLIGIBLE ONLY BY THOSE OF THE PROFESSION."
BURR ON LEGALITY OF ROBERT FULTON'S STEAMBOAT
IN SMALL PART: "...THE PLAINTIFFS HAVE VERY TRULY SAID THAT THEIR GRANT IS NOT A PATENT. IT IS IN EFFECT A DECLARATION THAT NO MAN BUT ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON SHALL INVENT A MACHINE TO BE MOVED ON THE WATER BY FIRE OR STEAM. THE DEFENDANTS HAVE INVENTED A MACHINE TO OPERATE BY FIRE AND STEAM, HAVING OBTAINED A PATENT FROM THE UNITED STATES FOR THE EXCLUSIVE EXERCISE THEROF, AND THE QUESTION NOW IS WHETHER THE ACT IN FAVOUR OF LIVINGSTON AND FULTON BARS THE DEFENDANTS FROM THE USE OF THIS MACHINE ON THE SEAS OR ARMS OF THE SEA WITHIN THE LIMITS OF OR CONTIGUOUS TO THIS STATE. I HAVE NO HESITATION IN PRONOUNCING, THAT THE DEFENDANTS ARE NOT TO BE THUS DEPRIVED OF THE EXERCISE OF THEIR INVENTION AND THAT THE COURTS OF THE UNITED STATES WILL SO DECIDE..." IN HIS HANDWRITTEN POSTCRIPT, BURR OBSERVES, "...THE JARGON OF THIS SCIENCE (AS IT IS TERMED) IS, LIKE THE SLANG OF HIGHWAYMEN, INVENTED FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES, INTELLIGIBLE ONLY BY THOSE OF THE PROFESSION."