§ MR. DISRAELISir, I wish to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, To state at once the number and names of the persons proposed to be appointed Commissioners of Church Temporalities in Ireland under Section 3 of the Irish Church Bill?
MR. GLADSTONESir, I am very sorry that I cannot meet what would appear to be the wish of the right hon. Gentleman—that I should state at once the numbers and names of the persons proposed by the Government as Commissioners under the Irish Church Bill, further than by saying that in an indirect manner a statement is made in the Bill with respect to the number of the Commissioners. The number which we have contemplated—and I hope it will be sufficient for the purposes of the Bill—is three. But I am not able to speak positively even upon the subject of the number, though it would only be with great reluctance if we found it absolutely necessary to take power to extend that number. I am not in a condition to state the names of the Commissioners at the present time. I will endeavour before going into Committee on the Bill to give the House intimation of the period at which we hope to be able to propose the number and names in a definite manner.