§ MR. GABBETTasked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether the Irish Church Temporalities Commissioners have replied to the Letter from the Treasury of the 12th of January 1880, referred to in the Papers laid upon the 555 Table, containing inquiries as to the mode of providing certain funds for the relief of distress from the Church surplus; if such a reply has been given, whether he will state generally its nature; whether he will lay the documents constituting it upon the Table; and. whether he will bring in and explain in detail the proposed Bill on the subject of the application of funds from the Church surplus to the relief of distress at an early day, so as to give ample time for the consideration and discussion of so important a measure?
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUERSir, there is an answer from the Church Temporalities Commissioners relating to the details for providing the money; but as the Chairman of the Commissioners was in London at the time, the greater portion of the arrangements were made by them in personal communication with him. The whole of the arrangements have been covered by the clause or clauses of the Relief of Distress (Ireland) Bill, which has passed this House, and which empowers the Church Temporalities Commissioners to advance £750,000 for the purposes of the Act, and also to borrow an equal amount from the National Debt Commissioners. I hope soon to be able to lay on the Table a Bill dealing with the Church Surplus Funds generally, and I shall then make a statement on the subject.