§ LORD JOHN MANNERSsaid, he wished to inquire of the right hon. Member for Morpeth (Sir G. Grey) by what authority, and with what object, the 19th question was inserted in the form of inquiry as to endowed, National, British, infant, and other schools; and the 20th question in the form of inquiry, as to endowed grammar schools, by the Charity Commissioners? and whether those questions were addressed to Roman Catholic and Dissenting schools, or only to those of the Church of England?
§ SIR GEORGE GREYsaid, that the authority under which the questions referred to had been inserted in the form of inquiry was contained in the 9th and 10th sections of the Act of last Session, establishing the Charities Commission. The first of these sections empowered the Commissioners to examine and inquire into all charities in England and Wales, and the nature, objects, management, and result thereof. The second section required all trustees or persons concerned in the management of any charity to answer all inquiries addressed to them by direction of the Board relating to those matters. The object with which the particular question had been inserted in the inquiries was to ascertain to what class of children any particular school was open, and whether in any endowed school there was any particular exclusion of children of Dissenters. This inquiry was an important one with respect to that class of cases in which it might be proposed to apply to educational purposes and other exigencies of a school inefficiently endowed the funds of other charities founded for the benefit of the poor of any particular place without distinction of creed. With regard to the question of the noble Lord, whether they were to be addressed to Roman Catholic schools, he had to state that these questions were not addressed to Roman Catholic schools, because, by the 62nd section, Roman Catholic charities were for two years exempted from the operation of the Act. With respect to schools managed by Protestant Dissenters, these particular questions would be clearly inapplicable. The form of inquiry included all the ques- 1352 tions fit to be put in any case, but the particular inquiries would be varied according to the circumstances of the case, while the same principle would be applied to all cases of Dissenting schools desiring to participate in the benefits of the general charity.