§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYasked the honourable Member for the Isle of Wight, Whether it is the general practice of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to require the intending donors of sites to them for church-building purposes to promise to pay all the legal expenses except one-half of those incurred by the Commissioners themselves; if so, whether this is a regulation dependent upon Statute, or simply as the regulations of the Commissioners; and, whether he will give his assistance towards getting rid of such a practice?
§ MR. EVELYN ASHLEYIt is the practice of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to look to the donors for payment of one-half of the law costs connected with the conveyance of sites, and this is done by them in accordance with their regulations, and not by virtue of any statute. There must evidently be some general rule in the matter. Up to within a very recent period the whole of the costs were payable by the promoters or donors; but the Commissioners, taking the matter into consideration, came to the conclusion that they might, consistently with their views, agree to undertake one-half. Apart from the very debatable question of how far the common fund could properly be employed for these purposes, experience convinces the Commissioners that it is necessary that the donors of sites should be liable for some considerable part of the cost, in order to secure in all cases a reasonable limit to the elastic and often excessive costs of solicitors and others engaged in carrying through transfers of land.