§ THE DUKE OF MARLBOROUGHasked the Lord President of the Council, in the absence of the First Lord of the Treasury, The reason why the publication in The London Gazette of the instruments passed by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners under their common seal for converting curacies into rectories, under Section 9 of 28 & 29 Vict. c. 42, has not been sanctioned by the Treasury? One of the clauses enabled incumbents to assume the title of rectors on a certain portion of tithe being transferred to them; power was given 1496 enabling rectors to make the sale, the assent of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners being required; and when all this was complete the designation of the clergyman might be changed from curate to rector or vicar, according to the nature of the tithe transferred. This was a matter of great importance to many of the clergy, who much coveted this designation of rector or vicar. He had made inquiries on this subject of his noble Friend (the Earl of Chichester) as to what had been done since the passing of the Act; and his noble Friend told him that a large number of applications had been made to sanction agreements under authority of the Act; that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners had sanctioned them; that the agreements had been forwarded for insertion in The London Gazette, according to the Act; and that he was informed that the reason why they had not appeared was that they could not be published without the sanction of the Treasury. He was further informed by his noble Friend that application had been made to the Treasury on the subject, but that no answer had been returned.
§ EARL GRANVILLEwas understood to say that the application had unfortunately been overlooked, but that the necessary instruction for the insertion of the Orders in The London Gazette had been given upon the subject that day.
§ House adjourned at half past Six o'clock, till To-morrow, half past Ten o'clock.