THE EARL OF WICKLOWdesired to put a Question to his noble Friend the Lord President with reference to the accounts in the Patent Office. He found that in the Select Committee on the Resignation of Mr, Edmunds, the noble Earl opposite (the Earl of Derby) asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the following question:— 261
Is it the case that a number of officers, among others the Clerk of the Patents and the Clerk of the Commissioners of Patents, may hold in their hands just as much public money as they think fit, and pay it if they think fit, and if they pay nothing at all, there are no means of calling them to account for such non-payment?In answer to the Question, the Chancellor of the Exchequer said—That is a very true description of the case of the Clerk of the Patents, as far, at least, as it concerns the Treasury; and it would not surprise me at all to find that there were a great number of other officers in a similar condition.He should, therefore, be glad to know Whether, now that this case had been brought so prominently before the public, it was the intention of the Government to allow such a state of things to continue? It would be exceedingly hard upon the people of this country if the money which they contributed towards the revenue was to be applied in any way towards making good the deficiencies of these fraudulent officers. He trusted that the Government had a Bill for the correction of such abuses in contemplation, and that by some means or other a proper system of auditing the accounts would be provided.
§ EARL GRANVILLEreminded his noble Friend that he had not given any notice of his Question. He might, however, state with regard to the Clerk of the Patents that there would be in future certain quaterly returns which would exercise a check on behalf of the Crown. His noble Friend was mistaken in stating that the funds were taken out of the pockets of the tax payers. The whole matter was now under the consideration of the Government.