The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-19 00:00:00

MUSEUM AND LIBRARY OF PATENTS.

Earl POWIS asked whether government intended in
the present year to take soy step for the establishment of
• proper museum and library of patents.
Earl GRANVILLE said then could be no doubt that the
present accommodation was insufficient. There was a space
of eleven acres contigurew to the Kensington Museum, on a
F.F.tioo of which he hoped a measure for patents would
before long be erected. The subject was one of consider-
able importance, and he entirely agreed in the desirability
of,the object which the noble lord had in view.
CLERKS OF THE PEACE.
The Earl of ROMNEY said he wished to call the atten-
tion of the government to the state of the law with regard
to the removal of clerks of the peace from their office, and
ho ask whether her Majesty's government would consider
the subject with the view of amending the law in that re-
spect. It was the duty of a clerk of the peace to make out
jury lima, and also lista of persons claiming to appear on the
register of voters. He held his office for life, during good
behaviour, and he was removable by the justifies in
sissirins for misconduct in his office. In some
eases it had beau said that he might be removed
if he bad been guilty of any disgraceful offence,
bat generally it was for saisoooduct in his office alone that
be was removed. Thane allows were often solicitors, sad
might in that capacity act as treeless, yet if a clerk of the
peace rendered himself liable to a prosecution under the
Fraudulent Trustees Act, the injured parties might not be
induced to proceed against him, from • belief that there
would be more chance of getting hack their money ii he were
not removed from his office. When persons in humble life
were committed to prison for stealing sums of two or three
shillings from their employers, he thought it was a scandal
to the law that any one holding this office should not be
made amenable for the offeoces of a much more serious
nature of which be bad been guilty.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said that the complaint of
the noble earl was very well founded, but the subject was a
difficult one to be dealt with by the legislature. The noble
lord's statement of the law was quite oorrect. A clerk of the
peace held his office quamdiu se bens geeserit, but the power
of the justices to remove him was limited to his nide-
:meaning himself in the exeentioo of his office. His whole
life, therefore, might be the subject of reproach, sad bring
disgrace on the administration of justice, and yet he could
sot be removed. The matter was one of considerable diffi-
culty, but he would consult the Secretary of State for the
Home Department in reference to it, and see whether any
alteration of the law could be made to remove the evil.

Lord CRAN WORTH suggested that a solution of the
difficulty might be found by giving the Lord Chancellor
power to remove a clerk of the peace from his office in
eart,iu cases, upon receiving a requisition from the court of
quarter sessions.
Their lordships adjourned at tan minutia' to six o'clock.

ROUSE OF COMMONS..--TEITTESDAY, FRE. 18.
The SPLAY= took the chair at 4 o'clock.
NEW MEMBER.
Mr. Mona took the oaths sod his seat for B • him The
boo. member, who woe introduced by his Mr.
White, and br Viscount Pommy, was received with cheers
from the opposition beaches.
PRIVATE BUSLNRSS.
The Glasgow and North British Railway Bill was read a
second time.
The Great Esatern Northern Junction Railway Bill ,was
seed a second time.
The Isle of Wight Ferry Bill was also read a 'mooed time.
BIGILWAY ACT.

Mr. R. LONG asked the Secretary of State for the Home
Department, if he inteadad to introduce a bill for amending I
ISO Highway Act this session ; and, If so, how emu it would
he laid upon the table of the hones.
Sir G. GREY said that several amendments had been
under the consideration of the government, and memorials
were still being received oa the subject ' • it was impossible
to bring in • bill until all these proposals had
been fully coisidered ; but when brought in it would not go
farther than to sassed certain details in the existing act.
TARIFF BETWEEN AUSTRIA. AND THE
ZOLLVEREIN.
Mr. S. BEAUMONT asked the President of the Board of
Trade for the production of the project of a tariff between
Austria and the Zollverein which was officially published
at Vienna in November, 143.
Mr. HUTT (to the absence of Mr. M. Gibs..) said that
the project had not yet been received by the governmeat,
bat that when received, it should be produced.
BRITISH SHIPS AND AMERICAN CRUISERS.
Mr. H. BAILLIE asked the Attorney-General whether
be was of opinion that when an English merchant vessel
was captured by an American ship of war in the harbour of
a neutral state, it was the duty of the government to wait
for the action and decision of • ' court before reparation
and satisfaction were demanded from the American govern-
ment ; and, if so, whether the government would also have
to wait for the action of a pries court if an English vessel
should be taken out as a prim from an English harbour;
and, whether the capture of the British vessel the Senn;
by ship of war in the Mexican harbour of
i oros was not a violation of international law, and a
direct act of hostility against Eagle:id?
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—The question of my hoe
friend relates, first, to • principle, and secondly to an
assumed fact. With regard to the principle there can be no
difficulty whatever. I certainly think that if the event ever
happened of en Eoolish merchant vessel being admitted to
have been captured by an American ship of war in the
harbour of a neutral state, it would not be the duty of her
Majesty's government to wait for the action and decision of
• prise court before demanding reparation and metafiction.
Of that then can be no question neither should we hold
ourselves bound by the decision of the prise court. There-
fore the other Mooch of the question falls to the ground,
berme if that principle applies to the harbour of a neutral
state, f. fortiori it will apply to the case of a British harbour.
The question about the ship &nom assumes a
controverted matter of fact. It ts not admitted by the
American government—indeed there has been so time to
remove the answer of the American govern/nest to our
meresentatioes—it is sot admitted to be the fact that the
ship Science was captured in Mexican waters. As regards
the harbour of !Unmans, there is oo such thing. The ship
was taken in a river, and whilst on the one hand it is
asserted by the officials of the ship that she was in Mexican
waters, the contrary proposition was stated by the captors.
Under these circumstances the ealy course open to us at
preemie is to represent the matter to the American
meet and wait for its reply. But I may state firoorvez
satirisation of the honourable gentleman and of the
house. that although there are, in the instructions
given by the government of the United States to their
'raisers at Matamoros, some provisions to which some ex-
emotion may justly be taken, nothing can be mom distinct
sad clear in the instructions on this point than that so
neutral shire are to be taken in Mexican waters • and that,
if taken, they are to be restored. The instructiens go even
further, to say that if by reasoa of currents or other air.
eximst3ooll. neutral vessels were drive° beyond the limits of
Mar kali waters, they are still to be treated as within the
mend waters of Mexican territory. If, therefore, the
United States cruisers have taken any of our ves-
sels in Mexican waters, the detention of those
versals is most clearly and distinctly an infraction
of the iostrurtimui laid down by the United States govern.
neat ; sad if so, I do not doubt that the United States go-
vernment would coder the immediate restoration of such
vessels. (Cheers.)
CASE OF THE REV. DR. PAYNE.
Mr. CYN FILL asked the Under Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs whether her Majesty's government had
taken any steps to obtain comp/exotica for loons sustained
by the Reversed Dr. Payne, in esiamquerice of as assault
wiside opus him by a Greek soldier is April, 1862 ; and if
wet, whether it was intended to take any steps for that
KrKr L.IYARD raid that Dr. Payee was assaulted by a
(Week soldier and robbed to an inconsiderable amount—
about rife ; the soldier was tried aid ccAdensoed to •year's
imprisonment. Dr. Payne w informed of this fact in
June lint year, and since then solids( has been heard from
him at the Foreign-office ; and under the impressive that be
was sainted with the amount of punishment of the soldier,
be (Mr. Layard) had thought that the punishment was Buf-
faloes, and that it was not desirable to apply for any pecu-
niary compassation. Meer, hear.)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT OF 1838.
Mr. ROGER.S asked the Secretary of State for the Hams
Department if, after a county had then divided isle high-
way districts under the act of 1162, facilities would be
afforded to rural raisins, where the population according
to the last comas was more than three thousand, and sash
perishes desired to withdraw from such districta by adopt-
am the Loral Governmeot Aot of ISIS,
Sir G. GREY maid that it would be very undesirable that
when rural parishes were once included in highway districts,
they should have (milder for withdrawing themselves
from those districts by adopting the Local Government Act.
If, therefore the boa. gentleman anterained any appre-
hension that:any such facilities would be afforded by the
bill about to be submitted by the government, be begged to
ensure hire that oothieg of the kind was iateaded. No
facilities greater that those which had existed already would
be afforded to thermal parishes for this purpose.
QUEEN'S COLLEGE, CORK.
Lord NAAS asked the Chief for Ireland
whether the report of the President of the n's College,
Dark, to her Majesty, for the pest year, bed yet been pos.
mated; and whether that report manna the whole of the
eoweepondeoos which bad taken place betimes the Irish
severemeet. Dr. Mullen, and Sir R. Sue; and if it did
net, whether he SIAM lay the satire COIITISpOOS•DOs OS the
Wed the boors