§ MR. DICK PEDDIEasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If his attention has been directed to the circumstance that in the parish of Old Meldrum a rate has been levied for the repair of the manse of the minister of the parish to the extent of 2s. 7½d. in the £ (the Dissenting churches being included in the assessment); and, whether Her Majesty's Government will next Session introduce a Bill for the abolition of compulsory rates for the erection and repair of churches and manses in Scotland?
§ MR. ARTHUR PEELThe attention of the Secretary of State has been directed to the matter, in consequence of the Question of the hon. Member; and, from the inquiry which he has instituted, it appears that the sum expended in connection with the repairing of the manse was £1,715, and that this included practically the re-building the greater part of the manse and offices, and other charges. By the Scotch law of 1663, c. 21, the obligation to repair manses is imposed on the heritors, or owners of lands and heritages within the parish. No assessment appears to have been levied in this case on the Dissenting churches, the reason being, according to a telegram received from the Procurator Fiscal of Aberdeenshire, that these are not on the Valuation Poll in that county. The Secretary of State has, however, conferred with the Lord Advocate, and the Government would desire to deal with the subject next Session, if the other demands on their attention enable them to do so.