§ Order for consideration of Lords' Amendments read.
THE MARQUESS OF BLANBFORDsaid, 1419 he would beg to move that the Lords' Amendments should be agreed to. At the same time he must confess that he very much regretted that the clause which permitted the application of voluntary offerings towards the endowment of the clergy had been rejected from the Bill. He felt very strongly on the subject of that clause; nevertheless, he felt it might, at that late period of the Session, endanger the passing of the Bill if he were to insist upon its reinsertion. He should, therefore, content himself with expressing his complete adhesion to the principle of the clause, and he hoped that on a future occasion the subject would be again taken up.
MR. GLADSTONEsaid, he was very glad to hear the observations of his noble Friend. He confessed he felt they were placed in a very unfortunate position. The clause had been inserted in the Bill with the unanimous approval of a Select Committee, and it had passed through that House without a division. However, it went up to the House of Lords at the end of the Session and it was rejected by a Majority of two Peers in a House of only forty Members. Although the majority against the clause was no larger, he quite agreed with his noble Friend, that as it was within a few days of the end of the Session, it would endanger the passing of the Bill if they were to insist on its reinsertion. At the same time, having regard to the unequivocal expression of opinion in that House in favour of the principle of the clause, he trusted that at a future time attention would be again attracted to the subject.
§ Amendments read, and agreed to.
§ The House adjourned at Ten o'clock.