HC Deb 29 June 1868 vol 193 cc323-4
SIR JOHN GRAY

said, he would beg to ask the hon. Member for Hereford, What progress has been made with the inquiry entrusted to the Irish Church Commissioners; has the inquiry been concluded, and, if not, what subjects have been investigated, and what yet remain to be investigated; if the inquiry has been concluded, why the Report, which the House was led to expect would be presented in the early part of the Session, has not been presented before this; is it intended to present the Report in such time as to admit of its being printed and circulated amongst the Members of the present House of Commons?

MR. CLIVE

The delay, where there has been delay in London, has been entirely caused by the necessity for several of the Commissioners sitting in Dublin, there to get up the statistics. The Report has been completed, and it is not necessary for me to go into the subjects that have been investigated and the subjects that have not been investigated; for none remain to be investigated. The Schedules of this Report—the draft of which I hold in my hand—are very voluminous and complicated, and require extensive examination and close revision. That examination and revision have been going on within the last few weeks in Dublin. That accounts for the Report not being issued, and there is reason to hope that in less than a fortnight the Report will be in the hands of Members. Two more sittings are all that will he necessary; the Commissioners will be in London to-morrow, and in a fortnight from that time I have reason to expect the Report and Schedules will be presented to hon. Members.

In reply to Sir JOHN GRAY,

MR. CLIVE

added: The Report has not been conclusively adopted, and there must be one or two more sittings of the Commissioners, but there is hardly anything to be done.

MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUE

Has any fresh inquiry been taken up by the Commissioners within the last two months that has tended to prolong their labours?

MR. CLIVE

I am not aware that anything new has taken place since that time. The delay, as I have already stated, is almost entirely due to the voluminous nature of the Schedules.