The Express.
London, England, 1864-04-22 00:00:00

CLAIMS OF MR, J. CLARE

Colonel DICKSON, in movies for a 'elect eatomittee to
inquire into the daunt of Mr. John Clare, junior, on the
government for compensation for inventions and designs
supplied to the Admiralty in C01211411i011 with iron ship build-
ing and the construction of gunboats, said that be was afraid
that he should have some difficulty in bringing this matter
forward on account of some eccentricity manifested by Mr.
Clare in endeavouring to enforce his claims • but there was
eo questiou that be had suffered lajtlltiOS aid (Tweaks at
the hands of the Admiralty. He disclaimed all political
motives in besieging the matter forward, for be had to
complain of the department when presided over by Drab
the present and the former government, sod he
would read extracts from this correspondence which would
show that Mr. Clare had been unjustly treated by both
sides. Mr. Clare had his attention called to the subject of
improving iron ships as long ago as 1853, and in December
of that year brought certain negations before the Secretary
of the Admiralty, then Mr. Bernal Osborne. Sabesqueutly
he communicated with Sir H. Berkeley, Mr. Phinn, and Sir
C. Wood. He had especially called the attention of the
right hoe. baronet to the ulefficieocy of the gunboats on-
strained in 1854 and 1855 ; and he (Colonel Dickson) asked
the house whether the opinion Mr. Clare then expressed
respecting those pinata had not bees amply justified
He would only trouble the house with another Ist*,
which was to Sir J. Pskiegton to which Mr. Corry replied
that the board had limited the reception of plans to their
own officer, or to ponces who would build their own boats;
but that any suggestions would be received from him. The
with the Admiralty extended over en yeses.
The aid models of Mr. Clare were sent in in 1854 and
1855 ; they were in the office of Sir B. Welker in 1857' and
the Warrior was built in 1859, entirely on Mr. Clara's Oleo,
to the merits of which it was a signal recognition. He knew
he should be told the matter had been the subject of au
' action in a court of law, sod he bad no intention whatever
to attempt to disparage our courts of law, nor did he accuse
either judge or jury of bias. It could not be denied either
that Mr. Clare had the advantage of the best legal advice,
I but his case was snot wretchedly put into the hand
of counsel the evidence that ought to have been produced
was not produced, and if a committee were granted he
should be prepared to prove that the evidence of the Ad-
miralty was utterly illusory and could be contradicted in '
every particular. He proceeded to quote the evidence of
Sir C. Fox, which was contradicted by an affidavit of Mr.
Morrison, who stated that no ship was constructed with '
longitudinal and vertical frame works before the Warrior
was built, it being stated by Sir C. Fox that such construe- '
Lion (the principle of which was claimed by Mr. Clare) was
previously knows and adopted. Other witnesses who could
haveproved Mr. Clare's case were absent, and the result was
that the verdict was given against him. No doubt the extra-
swan demand of that gentleman and his eccentric conduct
bed a considerable effect upon the result. The verdict was,
however, not entirely against Mr. Clare, but the jury had
expressed an opinion that the patent had not been infringed
in the construction of the bull, and that the petitioner's
specification did not show longitudinal vertical framing
separate from the plates. They desired to be excused alto-
gether from answering the question of novelty- The model
of one side of the Warrior was made entirely from Mr.
Clare's specifications, which were 'in possession of the Ad-
miralty for upwards of six years. If, then, Mr. Clam did
not design the Warrior, who did? It was not built till
1839, and no ens except the officials of the Ad.
miralty claimed the invention of the longitudinal
and vertical construction of iron ships. Was it not
palpable that with the drawings and specificatioes at the
Admiralty, and the attention of all concerned being con-
stantly drawn to them, the Warrior was designed from
them ? Under these circumstances he thought some com-
pensatioa was due to Mr. Clare. He believed that Captain
Cooper Coles took the idea of his cupola coven from Mr.
Clare, and that gentlemen received 6001. a year salary, be-
sides W. 3a. a day, and 4001. • year for travelling aspenaes,
with a bonus for every cupola cover which he constructed.
He appealed to the character of the noble lord as a
frank sod generous naval officer, and to the justice of the
House of Commons to grant this committee. (Hear,
hear.)

Lord C. PAGED said, in reply to the question which had
been put to him by the hon. member for Duogarvau (Mr.
Maguire), he begged to state that the order of reference to
the committee would enable them to go into the question as
to the capabilitivw of Cork harbour--(heir, bear)—and be
had no doubt it would receive a fall and fair investigation.
His hon. !Amid the member for Team had asked him
whether there would be any objection to lay on the table
the paper which Sir Snow Harris had communicated to the
government on the subject of schools for naval architects.
Now he had the greatest obis:time to withhold any informa-
tine which hos. members desired, and for Sir S. Harris he
had the highest newt. Sir S. Harris had contributed au
invention of the greatest value to the navy in his applica-
tion of lightning conductors—(hear, hear)—but he was not
aware that Sir S. Harris had had any experience on the
subject of the duration of naval architects; and if he were
asked to lay on the table this communication, be should be
called upon to do the same with a multitude of similar
communications. He should reooenwend Sir S. Harris to
publish the paper as a pamphlet, and circulate it amongst
boo. members. !be noble lord the member for Huntiogdon
had also communicated a very interesting paper on this sub-
ject ; and there were others; and he thought itscarody fair that
Sir S. Harris's paper should be selected from them and pub-
lished at the public impious. His hon. irked had 'eked
him what comae the government intended to adopt with re-
gard to the school of naval architecture. Bat to rescind
the vote that bad been agreed to on this subject, and to
transfer this school to the dockyards, would be imposeible.
They bad already very good dockyards school—{hear, hear)
—but the system of education in these schools was not of
that high order that was requisite for naval architects.
He trusted that the cost of the school of naval architecture
would not cost the country more than 4,C001. a year. Some
persons were sanguine enough to suppose that it would be-
come self eupportiog ; and though he (Lord C. Paget) did not
share in this view, be thought there need be no alarm of its
becoming a costly establishment. He now came to the motion
of his hon. and gallant friend (Col. Dickson). In the first
place he must say he thought it highly undesirable that the
House of Commons should constitute Heel( a court of appeal
from the courts of law. He was not about to defend the
course which previous governments had taken with regard
to Mr. Clare ; be would *Defies himself to what had taken
piece since he bad the honour of being a member of the pre.
sent government. Mr. Clare had besieged the Admiralty
with all sorts of determinations to try his claim. He had
Bled a petition of right, which was tried before the Chief I
Justice and a jury in the Queen's Bench. His hon. and gal-
lant friend bad declared that the summing up of the Chief
Justice rather resembled the address of an advocate thee the
speech of au impartial judge. The Solicitor-General, who
was present at the trial, would probably give a different
version of that trial. But his bon. and gallant friend bad
insinuated that the witnesses were mostly official men.
Was Sir C. Fox an official man? or Mr. Carpenter or Mr.
Samuda (Colonel Dicgsog—Mr. Hamada had held con-
tracts under government.) Mr. Saniuda was an independent
shipbuilder, and was it to be supposed that he or any other
gentleman in his position would give any other than camel-
entious evidence, bemuse he had held a contract under
government! (Hear, hear.) He should he ashamed if any
of our shipbuilders were open to such an insinuation.
Another witness was Kr. Eday—he at any rate could not be
thought too favourable to the Admiralty. Then his bon.
and gallant friend bad said that the trial was not a fair one.
Did he mean to say the jury were packed'
Colonel DICKSON declared that he had spoken in the
highest possible terms of the judge and jury.
O. PAGET said that if the boa. and gallant member
did not intend to use the expressions he had let fall, he was
glad of it. The result of the verdict was that the jury
found the Admira/y had not infringed any of Mr. Clare's
patent*. Mr. Clare had threatened to prosecute the wit-
tiest* for perjury. Then why bad he not done so? The