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MR. PACKE moved an Address for
Return of all the Parishes in England and Wales where Church Rates have ceased to he collected; when a Rate in such parish, was last
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levied; what sum was collected by Rates to keep the Church in repair during the last seven years before the Rate ceased; and what sum has been raised by voluntary contributions for that purpose since the Rate ceased.
SIR GEORGE LEWISsaid, without wishing to oppose the Motion, he would observe that great delay and trouble had arisen in obtaining returns relating to church rates, owing to the different forms in which the information was called for. He thought it would be convenient that a short Act of Parliament should be passed, making it compulsory in Churchwardens to make an annual return in a prescribed form, in the same manner as was now done with highway and other local rates. If it were thought this would be giving a Parliamentary sanction to church rates, and prejudicing the decision of the House, that objection seemed to him not to apply, since the maintenance of church rates to a certain extent was contemplated by all the plans for dealing with the question last Session.
MR. PACKEsaid, it was most important that the House should be in possession of the information specified in his Motion, having regard to the discussion which might be expected to take place on the second reading of the Bill, for leave to bring in which the hon. Baronet the Member for Tavistock (Sir J. Trelawny) was about to move.
§ LORD JOHN MANNERSasked if the right hon. Baronet, the Home Secretary, proposed to introduce a Bill of the kind to which he had alluded?
SIR GEORGE LEWISsaid, he had not stated that it was his intention to introduce such a Bill. He had mentioned the subject to the House rather with the view of ascertaining whether such a measure would be acceptable; and if so, he should be prepared to propose it.
§ Motion agreed to.