tem before the University of New York.

From the greater publicity of this exhibition the date of Morse's
invention has erroneously been fixed in the autumn of 1837, whereas he
operated successfully with the first single instrument in November,
1835. In 1837 he filed his caveat in the Patent Office in Washington,
and asked Congress for aid to build an experimental line from that city
to Baltimore. The House Committee on Commerce gave a favorable report,
but the session closed without action, and Morse went to Europe in the
hope of interesting foreign governments in his invention. The result was
a refusal to grant him letters patent in England, and the obtaining of a
useless _brevet d'invention_ in France, and no exclusive privileges in
any other country. He returned home to struggle again with scanty means
for four years, during which he continued his appeals at Washington. His
hope had expired on the last evening of the session of 1842-3; but in
the morning, March 4th, he was startled with the announcement that the
desired aid of Congress had been obtained in the midnight hour of the
expiring session, and $30,000 placed at his disposal for his
experimental essay between Washington and Baltimore. In 1844 the work
was completed, and demonstrated to the world the practicability and the
utility of the Morse system of electro-magnetic telegraphing. Violations
of his patents and assumption of his rights by rival companies involved
him in a long series of law suits; but these were eventually decided in
his favor, and he reaped the benefits to which his invention entitled
him.

It is doubtful if any American ever before received so many marks of
distinction. In 1846 Yale College conferred on him the degree of LL.D.;
in 1848 he received the decoration of the _Nishan Iftikur_ in diamonds
from the Sultan of Turkey; gold medals of scientific merit were awarded
him by the king of Prussia; the king of Wurtemberg, and the Emperor of
Austria. In 1856 he received from the Emperor of the French the cross of
Chevalier of the Legion of Honor; in 1857 from the King of Denmark the
cross of Knight Commander of the First Class of the Danebrog; in 1858
from the Queen of Spain the cross of Knight Commander of the Order of
Isabella the Catholic; from the king of Italy the cross of the Order of
SS. Maurice and Lazarus, and from the king of Portugal the cross of the
Order of the Tower and Sword. In 1856 the telegraph companies of Great
Britain ga