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

MUSEUM FOR PATENTS.

The Earl of PO WIS asked whether her Majesty's Go-
vernment intended during the present year to establish a
proper museum and library for patents? The noble earl
referred to the want of a well-organised establishment of the
nature referred to, because if such was really in existence
it would afford facilities for persons contemplating bygone
inventions, and also allow inventors to bee.ome acquainted
with that which had already been discovered.

Earl GRANVILLE agreed in many of the observations
of the noble lord, and he thought the present accommoda-
tion ought to be extended. He could give no distinct answer
to the question further than assuring his noble friend that
the matter was under the consideration of Government

The Earl of ROMNEY:called attention to the state of the
law with regard to the removal of clerks of the peace from
their office, and asked whether Government would consider
the subject with a view of amending the 13w in that respect.
The LORD CHANCELLOR said the subject would be
taken into 2.onsideration with a view of ascertaining whe-
ther some judicious amendment of the law could not be
made.
Lord CRANWORTH thought the evil complained
of could be met if the power of removing clerks of the peace
from office was given to the Lord Chancellor.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE• OF COMMONS—Yesterday.
The SPEAKER. took the chair shortly before 4 o'clock.

NEW MEMBER.
iqr. Moon took the oaths and his seat on his election for
Brighton, in the room of Mr. Coningham, and was received
wig h cheers from the Conservative benches.
GREAT EASTERN AND NOR THERN JUNCTION
RAILWAY BILL.

On the motion for the second reading of this bill,
Mr. G. H. PACK E opposed the motion on the ground
that there was no necessity for the undertaking,and moved
the rejection of the bill.
Captain JERVIS supported the motion.
Mr. EGERTON, as a director of the Great Northern,
said that he did not oppose the bill on the ground of the
mere fact that it would introduce competition with the
line in which he was interested, but that it enunciated a
new principle, namely, as to the rights of a large commer-
cial company who had no interest in the proposed under-
taking to come forward and subscrioe a large sum for its
construction. He therefore would second the amendment.

Lord J. MANNERS opposed the second reading of the

bill on principle.
After some remarks by Alderman SALOMONS,
Mr. MASSEY said that the time had passed when Par-
liament would take into consideration the question of com-
petition as being a ground for rejecting a bill. With
reference to the second objection, he could only say that
the company who had advanced the money for the new
line had complied with the standing orders and could not be
objected to at present.
Sir J. SHELLEY protested against the house being in-
fluenced by the opinion of the Chairman of Ways and

Means,
Col. WILSDN-PATTEN took exception to the remark
of the last speaker.
Mr. PACKE then withdrew his amendment, and the bill
was read a second time.
ARMY ESTIMATES.
Sir H. WILLOUG [IBY asked the Under Secretary of
State -:or War if the accounts of the army receipts and ex-
penditure for the year ending March 31, 1863, would be
presented Fevioua to the discussion on the Army Estimates
for the current year ?
The Marquis of HARTINGTON said he believed that
expla=natory statements had already been laid on the table,
and the accounts in question would be in the hands of hen.
members in the course of a few days.
TARIFF BETWEEN AUSTRIA AND THE
Z OLLVE REIN .
Mr. S. BEAUMONI asked the President of theßoard of
Trade for the production of a tariff beta een Austria and
the Zeilverein, which was officially published at Vienna in
November, 1863.
Mr. HUTT said that the document alluded to would be
laid on the table shortly.

CAPTURE OF BRITISH VESSELS.
Mr. H. BAILLI F., asked the Attorney- Gene7al whether
he vas of opinion that when an English mcrchantvessel 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 a prize court before reparation was
demanded from the American Government; and, if so,

whether the Government would also have, to wait for the
action of a prize court if an English vessel shou.d be taken
out as a prize from an English harbour; and, whether, the
capture of the British vessel Science by an American
ship of war in the Mexican harbour of Matamoros was not
a violation of international law, and a direct act of hosti-
lity against England.
rhe ATTORNEY-GENERAL said with regard to the
principle involved, it could not be doubted that when an
English vessel was captured in neutral waters, the Govern-
ment should not wait for the action of a prize court. ID
reference to the case of the Science, it was denied by the
American captain who captured the vessel that it was seiz ?,d
in neutral waters, and no answer had yet been received by
this Government in reply to their communication with the
American Government. All they could have done was to
make that representation. He was happy to be able to
state that nothing was more distinct and clear than that
no neutral vessel could be taken by the American Govern-
ment in the Mexican waters, and that even if it were driven
by stress of weather beyond tha neutral line they would
be protected.

THE REV. DR. PA/NE.

Mr. O'NEILL asked the Under Secretary of State for

Foreign &ffaira whether her Majesty's Government had
taken any steps to obtain compensation for losses sustained
by the Rev. Dr. Payne, in consequence of an assault made
upon him by a Greek soldier in April, 1862 ; and, if not,
whether it was intended to take any steps for this purpose?

Mr. LAY AR I) said that the soldier had been condemned
to twelve months' imprisonment, and he thought that
punishment was sufficient for his offence.

RURAL PARISHES.

Mr. ROGERS asked the Secretary of State for the
Hoia Department, if, after a county had been divided into
highway districts under the Act of 1862, facilities would be
afforded to rural parishes, where the population according
to the last census was more than 3,000, and such parishes
desire to withdraw from such districts by adopting the Local
Government Act of 1858 ?

Sir G. GREY said that no additional facilities would be
afforded for the purpose mentioned by the hon. member.

QUEEN'S COLLEGE (CORK).

Lord NAAS asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whe-
ther the report of the President of the Queen's College,
Cork, to her Majesty, for the past year, had yet been
of
npre-
pre-
sented; and whether that report contained the whole the
correspondence which had taken place between the Irish
Government, Or. Millen, and Sir R. Kane ; and if it did
not whether he would lay the entire correspondence on the
talale of the house ?
„Sir R. PEEL said the report of the President of the
'4'l"n:a College in Cork had been presented, and was laid
on the table of the house yesterday. There would be no
objection to publish the correspondence alluded to.
LATIONS WITH BRAZIL.
Mr. HUNT asked the Under Secretary of State for Fo-
reign Affairs whether the Portuguese Government had ten-
dered its good (Aces to bring about a rene xal of diplomatic
relations between this country and Brazil, and whether her
Majesty's Government had accepted those good offices, and
whether any papers upon the subj
the table ? ect would be lard upon
Mr. LAYARD said that the offers of the Portuguese
Government made last year had been accepted by his noble
friend at the head of the Foreign-office,
but he could not
state whether it had been accepted by the ether Government
or not. No correspondence had taken place on the
subject. _