The Express.
London, England, 1863-04-25 00:00:00

STAG/ CARRIAGE LICENUB.

In reply to Sir O. Dououn,
The OHANCELLOR of the IKKOHEQUER said the reap.
button with tepid to atop carriages had bees altered liar.,
he dm reenticiaed it to eke house. He dot thought of mi-
tigating what appeared to be an inequality ascordsag to the
statement of certain of the tamed carriers, and with a view
of doing what appeared to him jivitios between the parties.
They had not recopied that Justine, bat had mat his
limited propoml with a postal asset* es the review from
eine earrings. In the pignut earns of stain it was his
intuit= to hold by that revenue, and sat to surrender
it. He should not propose to lay the tax as any pre=
who did not now pay it, and, %bimetan, be should not
propose any preliminary rarolation, bat in the bill itmlf
be should propose a provision whisk be hoped would toad
to promote facilities for locomotion in thee. parts when it
was ddestive, each em minor railway stakes is canoe:ion
with small Iowa&

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MAIL CONTRACTS TO CALAIS AND OSTEND.
Mr. H. BERKELEY wished to ask the Masaißier of the
Exchequer if the °Detracts for carrying the mails betwrea
Ostend sod Cads wen awarded to aay party having ten-
dered for the moss • Use, the rase at the party or parties
obtaioingths emir:et and the rate paid for she same • and
whether slit party or parties, if in posesmicre of the con.
track had given security for it.
Mr. PEEL mid, to meet the ems of the mating contracts
est enntiaidag beyond the month of June next they bad
celled for tenders for the mail service between Dover and
Oilseed sad Calais. They bad not accepted the tender for
Dover and Calais, but they had sompfed the Belgian tender
fee Dover and Ostend.
, Ste H. BTRACEY moved that the Beard of Trade, or de-
prima. of the goveroment having the °petrol and tea-
-1 assemmet of the revenues belonging to the Mercantile
Marine sad Seamen's Funds, should be empowered by par-
liament to give to those Sailors' Homes not in the neigh.
bourhood of dockyards such pecuniary assistance as in its
lodgment and at its diseretim may be advisable.
Mr. M. GIBBON mid that there wits so illas, but in
fact a deficiency in the howls in question ; sad if the mo-
tion was agreed to it would resolve itself into a grant of
public money for Sailors' Homes.
The motion was negatived.
THE CABS OF JESSIE MACLANCHLAN.
Mr. STIRLING moved "an address for copies of the
proceedings as the trial of Jessie Mealeacklan, convicted of
murder at the Circuit Court, at Glasgow, in December,
1862, and of the evidence taken at the subsequent inquiry
before Mr. Young." The hon. gentleman detailed the cir-
cumstances of the mile am elicited at the trial, and men.
timed the fast that the judge, in sentimming the seamed,
slated that be believed the charges she had made against
Mr. James Flenairm, senior, of being the murderer, were a
tissue a falsehoods ; and that be entirely concurred in the
verdict of guilty found by the jury, both oe the charge of
theft ad of murder, end prooomosd the essence of death.
tinder all the circumstances of the ease diffinet opinions
wire entertained is Scotland. With Peeped to the teeing of
hethe public of Glasgow, might refer to a memoriel whith,
having been placed in the Exchange sad other places of re-
sort, was in • few days signed by 2,700 peewee, many of
whom had so daabt melded at the ovation recestly given to
the scads bad at the bead of the gaysmasoset. The memo-
rialists 1101SpiMilc i that the verdict of a public trial by jury
lad bee set aside on the award of a secret tribunal, and
that the effect must be to make jurymen refuse to aid in
future eases. The memorialists finally complained that the
act of the Home Secretary had placed in the position of a
criminal a man who wee as yet nettled. He must my that
he cordially concurred with the manmade of that me-
morial, and he hoped that the home would feel
that this turning of the prerogative of the crown
into a mutt of appeal is criminal cases was a very grave
Maturation oe the principle* of the constitution.
Siff G. GREY maid he could assure the hoe. member that
be was quite right in suppoeiag that he iSir G. Grey) acted
under a deep memo( responsibility is advising the crown to
the exercise of the prerogative of mercy. especially when
capital punishment wee in the ease. The duty wee a meet
painful, solemn, and responsible me ; but he could not
accept the doctrine that a person in his position was in all
cases to consider the verdict of the jury as final, and to
refuse to consider subsequent facts calculated to alter the
complexion of the ease. The duty of the 0/oratory for state
would indeed be an easy one if he were in all cases to refuse
appeal. founded OD farts which bad not bee* laid before the
limy. He could not shrink from hie duty on such a ground;
d he did, he should be exposed to public coademeatioo, and
therefore he had always eadeavoured to perform his duty,
coomieus that he might sometimes have hese led iota error,
but 'Misted that be had sated en • aosseieotioas view
of the case. He found public opinion obesely enlisted
on the side of the woman, is conesqueme of the state.
meet she had made. He had adored an investigatioa
into that statement, and the immeshes which its result
left on his mind was that it was • case to which thecapital
punishment should he remitted. The boa. member com-
plained of the letters be had written. In the first he had
given no opinion ; but being premed again. be did not know
bow he could have written otherwise than he bed done in
the second. Hie statement was simply that Fleming, baring
been admitted as a witeem, coold not subsequently be
tried. He had now stated the enures he had token, sad he
considered that he should have beau shriskiagfrom his
1 duty bad be taken any other ; and be had only further to
add that, although be had consulted the Lord-Advocate,
the whole remoosibilitv of the act rested en himself. (Hear.)
Mr. STIRLING asked whether the right hon. gentleman
intended to sive the papers
Air G. GREY said that he must leave the decision of that
question to the Lord• Advocate. as it might be establishing
a dangerous precedent If in every eel. of isquiry the docu-
ments were to be produced, sad that homes were to be made
a court of appeal in criminal cease.
XL BLACKBURN mid that this was a very peculiar
case, ievolvieg the character not only of an individual, bet
of a whole family. He banged to state that there was se
general opinion In Scotland that this woman should leave
bees acquitted, although there had bees a very load um-
, paper clamour as the subject. He did sot think there was
say doubt that the wernme was tie tale murderess of her
friend, sad although it we. of very little omeaqueoce who•
they she was banged or allowed to remain in prison for life,
still it was very hard that a whale family 7 should be allowed
to remain under a anal sod aajaal aaapYaa