§ SIR ROBERT PEELsaid, he wished to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council, Upon what grounds certain charitable monies called Plot Rents, which for more than 200 years have been expended for the benefit of the deserving poor inhabitants of the parish of Clifton-on-Duns-more, in the county of Warwick, have been applied at the instance of the Charity Commissioners, and contrary to the wishes of the ratepayers and inhabitants, in aid of Church Rates for the repairs, &c. of the parish church, and also upon what grounds the Charity Commissioners nominated four persons as trustees of the said charity, not one of whom was possessed of any real property in the said parish?
§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGU, in reply, said, he thought he had given the right hon. Baronet a very full answer to his Question on a former occasion. The Charity Commissioners were a distinct Court of Law, forming a subordinate branch of the Court of Chancery. During the whole of the proceedings facilities had been given to the ratepayers, and every objection made by 773 them was duly considered; and they had a right of appeal within three months after the award was made if they felt aggrieved with the decision. That had not been done. The foundation, which dated from the 1st of May 1648, devised the funds for two purposes. One moiety was given to the churchwardens of the parish for the repairs of the church, and the other moiety went to the constables of the parish. It was useless now to give the latter moiety to pay parish constables. That moiety therefore went to provide material comforts for the poor; and the other moiety still went towards the repairs of the church. The Charity Commissioners had the sole authority to appoint trustees, and they did in that respect what they thought best. It was not necessary that such trustees should be owners of real property in the parish.