§ MR. THOROLD ROGERSasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether his attention has been called to the letter in the "Daily News" of 23rd June, from Mr. Fielding, of Findlater's Corner, London Bridge, and from Mr. Stannah, of 20, Southwark Bridge Road, complaining of distresses being levied on them for church rates collected by the churchwardens of St. Saviour's, Southwark; and whether it is possible for the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, from the funds at their disposal, to make such payments to the minister of St. Saviour's Church as will obviate the practice complained of?
MR. GLADSTONESir, I believe the state of the case to be this. These proceedings are not accurately described— though I do not hold the hon. Member responsible for the inaccuracy—as distresses levied for church rates. As far as I understand the matter, they have no connection whatever with a subject which was at one time so well known to us under the name of the church-rate controversy. Under a private Act of Parliament, a compromise, as it was deemed at the time, was effected between the incumbents concerned and the parishioners. The incumbents, on the one hand, surrendered the extensive claims of which they conceived themselves to 841 be legally in possession, and the parishioners agreed to constitute an endowment of the church by a charge on the property of the parish. That, as I am informed, is a correct statement of the case. The distresses which have been levied, and of which I know nothing except from the Question of my hon. Friend, must have referred to the payments which fell due in respect of such endowments. I have communicated with the Ecclesiastical Commissioners on the subject, and the answer I have received from them is to the effect that they do not feel at liberty to appropriate their funds, which were destined for the relief of spiritual distress, in order to enable the authorities of Southwark to dispense with an income that is already available under statute.