§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ MR. DALRYMPLE, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that it was the same as a measure which was introduced last Session, but which, owing to pressure of time and an opposition now not repeated, had never got beyond a first reading. The Act of 1844, known as Sir James Graham's Act, was an Act for disjoining parishes and erecting new parishes, and the 8th section of that Act sanctioned the erection of quoad sacra parishes in 662 connection with the Church of Scotland. But that Act dealt only with Parliamentary charges and chapels of ease, and omitted to deal with united parishes, of which there were several in Scotland. A "united parish" was what was known as a double charge, with two glebes, but only one minister; and the Act of 1868, called the "United Parishes Act," introduced into the House by private Members—one of whom was Sir James Fergusson, a near relative of his own—but having the support of Government, attempted to supply the defect by making these parishes divisible and providing that one of the churches separated from the Mother Church should be declared the church of a new parish quoad sacra. Unfortunately, however, that Act did only half its work. It failed to deal with the double glebe, and its provisions were rendered nugatory, because no arrangement was made for one of the glebes going with the quoad sacra church. The present Bill was consequently introduced to complete, what the Act of 1868 omitted. It made as little change as was possible, and one of the sections provided that the heritors should not be liable to any increased liability. The hon. Member concluded by moving the second reading of the Bill.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Bill read a second time, and committed for To-morrow.