HC Deb 24 July 1885 vol 299 cc1869-71

(In the Committee.)

Bill considered in Committee.

Clause 1 agreed to.

Clause 2 (Construction and Interpretation).

MR. WARTON

said, he rose to move the omission from lines 18 and 19 of the words "and shall have been required of him by the bishop." It would be recollected that on the Motion for the second reading of the Bill he had opposed these words on the ground that they appeared to give too much power to the Bishop over the clergy. He now wished to have an explanation of the meaning of the words. This was not merely a Pluralities Bill, it was really a Church Discipline Bill; and he wanted to know how they were to understand the words— But also all such duties as any clergyman holding a benefice is bound by law to perform, or the performance of which is solemnly promised by every clergyman of the Church of England at the time of his ordination, and shall have been required of him by the bishop Were the words really in duplication of what had gone before, or did they really refer to some particular order or injunction given by the Bishop of his own motion?

Amendment proposed, In page 1, lines 18 and 19, to leave out the words and shall have been required of him by the bishop."—[Mr. Warton.]

Question proposed, That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Clause."

MR. ACLAND

said, the object of these words was that no clergymen might be taken by surprise on being found fault with.

MR. WARTON

said, he believed he understood the meaning of the hon. Gentleman opposite, but he did not think it was expressed by the clause. He would ask the hon. Member to agree to insert the words "and the performance of which shall be required of him."

MR. ACLAND

said, he would agree to those words.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Amendment proposed, In page 1, line 18, after the word "and," to insert the words "the performance of which."—(Mr. Warton.)

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment proposed, In page 1, line 19, after the word "him," to insert the words "in writing by the bishop."—(Mr. Warton.)

Amendment (agreed to.)

Amendment proposed, In page 1, line 25, to leave out from the word "require" to the word "population," in line 26, inclusive, and insert the words "more than one service in the Welsh language on every Sunday in such church or chapel of ease situated in any such benefice."—(Sir John Kennaway.)

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, agreed to.

Clauses 3 to 7, inclusive, agreed to.

Clause 8 (Bishop may assign extra stipend of seventy pounds to curate appointed by him under sections 75 and 77 of 1 & 2 Victoria, chapter 106).

Amendment proposed, In page 3, line 42, to leave out all after "that," to end of Clause, and insert "any stipend or stipends so augmented shall not exceed the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds, except in cases where the whole net income of the benefice exceeds the sum of three hundred pounds a year."—(Sir John Kennaway.)

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, agreed to.

Clauses 9 to 13, inclusive, agreed to.

Clause 14 (Two benefices may be held together by dispensation if churches within five miles of one another, and annual value of one does not exceed two hundred pounds).

Amendment proposed, In page 5, line 29, after "pounds," insert "or if, on one of the said benefices there be no church, then the distance between the two benefices, for the purposes of this Act, shall be computed in such manner as shall be directed by the bishop of the diocese."— (Mr. Stuart-Wortley.)

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, agreed to.

Remaining Clauses agreed to.

Bill reported; as amended, to be considered upon Monday next.

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