§ SIR THOMAS BATESON, who had a Question on the Paper, to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether there is any foundation for the rumour that the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland has refused to appoint to the Living of Valentia, co. Kerry, which is now vacant; and, whether the course pursued by His Excellency has been sanctioned by Her Majesty's Government? said, that considering the statement which had been made on the previous evening by the right hon. Gentleman at the head of the Government, he would not put his Question.
MR. GLADSTONESir, I trust I may be excused for answering the Question which has not been put to me by my hon. Friend; because, when once a Question has been put upon the Notice Paper it becomes a matter of general interest. What took place in connection with the living of Valentia I believe was this—Valentia has a population of 3,000 per- 483 sons, of whom seventy-nine, or about one-fortieth part, belong to the communion of the Established Church. Her Majesty's Government have not presumed to come to any absolute and final conclusion with regard to those livings which may become vacant between the time when they came into Office and the time when the judgment of Parliament will be given upon the proposals which they have introduced with respect to the Irish Church. Especially they have not come to any resolution which will prevent them from taking care that the wants of any parish, with a considerable population, are supplied. With respect to parishes of the particular class of Valentia, what we had to consider was, that no great inconvenience would arise to the. population from any temporary delay in making an appointment, inasmuch as the present law sufficiently provides the Bishop of the diocese with the means of making provision for the spiritual wants of the living. Under these circumstances, I think the Lord Lieutenant has exercised a sound judgment in not making a new appointment in a case like this, where the population of the Established Church is only about a fortieth or a fiftieth part of the whole population, seeing that that appointment would necessarily create a vested interest for life.