§ MR. J. COLLETTregretted that no information had yet been furnished respecting the new Bishop of Manchester, and wished to know the intention of the Government regarding the appointment of that or any other bishop.
LORD J. RUSSELLsaid, he had thought that the best way of giving the information to which the hon. Member referred, would be to lay on the Table the report of the Commission issued by Her Majesty, and he had done so some time ago. He believed it was printed, but was not sure whether it was yet in the hands of Members. The hon. Member would see by that document that it was proposed to retain the bishoprics of St. Asaph and Bangor as they were, and to found a bishopric of Manchester. It was likewise proposed to found three additional bishoprics. The report also contained information as to the manner in which the episcopal revenues were to be applied to the purposes of these foundations. It was not intended by Her Majesty to summon the new bishops to sit 406 in Parliament; but it was intended that the prelates holding those sees should take their seats in rotation as other dioceses became vacant, so that the number of bishops in the House of Lords would remain unchanged.
§ MR. ROEBUCKwished to know if the whole of this arrangement could be carried out without an Act of Parliament.
LORD J. RUSSELLreplied, that it would be impossible to carry any part of it into effect without an Act of Parliament. For the sake of arriving at a decision with respect to the bishopric of Manchester, he should probably ask leave to introduce a Bill on that subject alone; but he did not wish yet to give a positive answer on that point.