But under authority of this clause congress has established some post roads. The principal highway thus established was the Cumberland road from the Potomac to the Ohio. The Union Pacific and Central Pacific railways were built under the authority and with the assistance of the United States as post and military roads.
Clause 8.—Copyrights and Patents.
To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing, for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.
No one denies that an author or inventor is entitled to a fair reward for what he has done. But if every one were at liberty to print the book or to make the article invented, the due reward might not be received.
The wisdom of granting this power to the general government becomes apparent when we consider how poorly the end might be secured if the matter were left to the states. A person might secure a patent in one state and be entirely unprotected in the rest.
For further information upon this subject, see pages 318-19.
Clause 9.—United States Courts.
To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court.
Under this provision, congress has thus far constituted the following:
1. United States Circuit Courts of Appeal, one in each of the nine judicial circuits of the United States.