§ MR. J. W. BARCLAYasked the Lord Advocate, Whether he is aware of the conflicting decisions by local courts 1069 in Scotland in regard to the liability of parish ministers for school rates, and, whether, to save the useless expenditure of public money in obtaining a decision of the point in the supreme courts, he will introduce a Bill to interpret the effect of the Act of 1872, to be as stated by Lord Advocate Young when it was under consideration in this House, to make parish ministers liable for payment of school rates?
THE LORD ADVOCATE,in reply, said, he was aware that there had been two conflicting decisions in regard to the construction of the Act of 1872—one in Forfarshire, and one in another county. There were often such conflicts of opinion between the Judges of local Courts in Scotland; and from his experience he could only say they frequently occurred, even in the case of higher tribunals, and that it would be a great increase to the legislative work of that House if Bills were required to be brought in to reconcile those conflicting judgments. It might be proper to settle the point if a Bill was introduced to amend the Act of 1872; but, looking at the present state of Public Business, he could not promise to introduce a measure dealing with that subject.