HC Deb 13 May 1875 vol 224 cc604-5

(In the Committee.)

Clauses 1 to 6, inclusive, agreed to.

Clause 7 (The number of bishops sitting in Parliament not to be increased.)

MR. ANDERSON (for Mr. ERNEST NOEL)

moved, in line 21, to leave out from "and whenever," to the end of the clause, and insert "and the Bishop of the said See shall at no time have the right to sit or vote as a Lord of Parliament." At the same time, he acknowledged that he was not certain whether any Amendment was necessary in order to secure the object he indicated.

MR. ASSHETON CROSS

explained that as in the case of the Act creating the Bishopric of Manchester it was intended that the new Bishop should in the ordinary way have a seat in the House of Lords in rotation, and that the effect would be not to increase the number of Bishops in the House of Lords but to increase the number out of it.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Clause agreed to.

Clause 8 agreed to.

Clause 9 (Courts, officers, archdeaconries, and other incidental arrangements constituting the bishopric of Saint Albans to be provided by a scheme of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, approved by Order in Council.)

MR. ASSHETON CROSS

moved, in page 4, line 28, after "Saint Albans," to insert— Provided, That from and after such division the canonry in the cathedral church of Rochester now annexed to the archdeaconry of Rochester and Saint Albans shall be permanently annexed to the archdeaconry of Rochester.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 10 to 12, inclusive, agreed to.

Clause 13 (Trusts of Bishopric Endowment Fund.)

MR. SALT

made the suggestion that it would be far more economical for the Commissioners under the Bill to invest their funds in Consols and similar securities than in landed estates the management of which was very costly.

MR. ASSHETON CROSS

said, he thought there was great force in the suggestion, but deemed it necessary to give the Commissioners power to invest in lands, inasmuch as they might have occasion to buy a house and some ground.

MR. NEVILLE-GRENVILLE

was of opinion that it would be easy to manage landed estates much more cheaply than it was done by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.

Clause agreed to.

Remaining clauses agreed to.

Bill reported; as amended, to be considered upon Thursday next.