§ MR. HASSARDsaid, he wished to call the attention of the Chief Secretary for Ireland to the state of the law relative to the Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests in Ireland, and to ask him if he is to introduce any measure during the present Session to amend any defects therein? Considerable litigation had recently taken place on the subject, and the Commissioners declared that after considering carefully the law, they had come to the conclusion that they could not receive either land or money for trust purposes
§ SIR ROBERT PEELsaid, the question was one of considerable importance, and he quite admitted that the existing state of things in connection with the Board of Charitable Donations and Trusts in Ireland called loudly for remedy. On the part of the Irish Government, however, he might say that so anxious were they to consider the question, that on the 12th of September he wrote to the Master of the Rolls on the subject, and pointed out the difficulty of getting the business done. He found that before the vacation the Commissioners had passed a resolution in July, showing the inconveniences of the present system, which required not less than five of the Commissioners to be present—indeed, on the last two occasions they were unable to get a quorum, and therefore the business remained untrausacted. It had occurred to him that it might be well to introduce the English Act, 16 & 17 Vict. into Ireland; but after communicating with the Commissioners on the subject, their opinion was that it would be inconvenient to introduce the English Act into Ireland with the Board as at present constituted. On the part of the Irish Government he wished to say there was no wish to introduce any sweeping changes in the law of charitable donations and bequests; but such was the difficulty to obtain a quorum, that it was thought it would be a great advantage if a short Act were introduced making the quorum to consist of three instead of five members.