d
object, this power was given to congress.

Sec.10. The next power in the list is the power "to provide for the
punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the
United States." By securities here are meant bonds and other evidences
of debt. As the general government has the power to borrow money and to
coin money, it is proper that it should also have the power to provide
for punishing those who forge its written obligations for the payment of
the money borrowed, and who counterfeit its coin. These offenses are
tried in the courts of the United States.

Chapter XXXV.

Powers of Congress in relation to Post-Offices, Copy-Rights, and
Patents, and Inferior Courts.

Sec.1. Congress has power "to establish post-offices and post-roads." The
post-office department, from the facilities which it affords for the
circulation of intelligence and the transaction of business, is an
institution of incalculable value to the union. It is impossible to
conceive all the difficulties which would attend the exercise of this
power by the different states. A uniform system of regulations is
indispensable to the efficiency of this department, and could be secured
only by placing this power in the hands of congress.

Sec.2. Congress has power "to promote the progress of science and the
useful arts, by securing, for limited times, to authors and inventors,
the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries."
Useful sciences and arts are promoted by new books and new inventions.
But if every man had the right to print and sell every book or writing,
without compensation to the author, there would be little to encourage
men of ability to spend, as is often done, years of labor in preparing
new and useful works. Nor would men of genius be likely to spend their
time and money in inventing and constructing expensive machinery, if
others had an equal right to make and sell the same. In pursuance of the
power here given, congress has enacted laws for the benefit of authors
and inventors.

Sec.3. The exclusive right of an author to the benefits of the sale of his
books or writings, is called _copy-right_, and is obtained thus: The
author sends a printed copy of the title of his book to the clerk of the
district court of the United States of the district in which the author
resides. The clerk records the title in a book, for which he receives
fifty cents, and gives the author, under the seal of the court