§ MR. MORGAN HOWARD (Camberwell, Dulwich)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, in the event of an inquiry being instituted by a Select Committee of this House, or otherwise, into the revenues and endowments of the Church of England, he will be prepared to recommend such an extension of the inquiry as shall include within its scope the revenues and endowments of other religious bodies holding property in the United Kingdom?
§ MR. PICTON (Leicester)wished to ask, Whether, if the right hon. Gentleman felt himself able to answer the Question, he would also answer the preliminary Question, whether he was prepared to recommend a Select Committee at all to inquire into the revenues and endowments of the Church of England?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE) (Edinburgh, Mid Lothian)In answer to my hon. Friend (Mr. Picton), I have to say that when some time ago he gave Notice of his Motion I consulted with the Home Secretary, and the conclusion we came to was that the object of his Motion was perfectly legitimate and proper; but the question was whether it would be necessary to set at work unaccustomed machinery for the purpose, and we thought that the information might be otherwise obtained in a manner much loss cumbrous, but effectual. With regard to the Question asked by the hon. Gen- 1630 tleman on the other side, I feel so far with him that it would be extremely interesting if we could obtain full information or any amount of trustworthy or relevant information on the additional points of which he speaks. I recollect particularly hearing with very great interest a speech of a Gentleman who then sat, I think, for a division of Surrey, in which he described the sort of natural movement toward endowments in a multitude of cases connected with the Nonconformists of this country. I shall always feel under obligation to him for producing that information. But I own I do not see how it is to be added to by public agency. These Bodies—take the Roman Catholic Church, for instance—are in the nature of private Societies; and I do not see my way to set Departments of the State at work for the purpose of laying upon them the burden of supplying this information.