THE MARQUESS OF BLANDFORDsaid, he now rose to move for leave to bring in a Bill to make better provision for the management of episcopal and capitular property. It would be in the recollection of the House that during the last Session of Parliament he obtained leave to introduce a Bill to provide for this object, and that he then entered at some length into the nature of the present management of this property, and of the alterations which he proposed to introduce. The approaching termination of the Session, however, rendered it necessary that he should withdraw that Bill, and on doing so he gave notice that he should take an early opportunity of reintroducing it in the present year. The Bill to the introduction of which he now asked the House to assent, was, with the exception of one provision, the same which he laid before them last Session. The only alteration he had made was the following. Representations having been made to him from different parts of the country where capitular property was situated, that a strong feeling existed on the part of many persons that the property should be applied to the relief of the spiritual wants of the districts where it lay, he had introduced into the Bill a provision giving any corporation, aggregate or sole, the right to apply their property to the augmentation of any rectory or living, from which they might be receiving tithes, or to making better spiritual provision for the district in which the property was situated. Having explained the details of the Bill on a former occasion, he should not then detain the House, but would reserve any further remarks which he might feel it necessary to make until the second reading of the Bill, which he would fix for a day sufficiently distant to give the House ample time for the careful consideration of the measure.
§ LORD JOHN RUSSELLsaid, that, on the part of the Government, he had no objection to offer to the introduction of the Bill, and for his own part he should be very glad to pay every possible attention to its details, when the noble Lord laid it 214 before the House. He thought the subject was a most important one, and he was glad to see the noble Lord devoting so much time and attention to it.
§ MR. HADFIELDsaid, he must express a hope that some provision would be made for applying this property to defray those charges for which Church Rates were now levied.
§ Leave given; Bill ordered to be brought in by the Marquess of Blandford and Mr. Kingscote.
§ Bill presented, and read 1a.