§ MR. SEAGER HUNT (Marylebone, W.)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, If the Bishopric of Jerusalem is still vacant; if so, whether the appointment to it rests with the German Government; and, if it does, whether he can tell the House the reason why the German Government have not filled up the vacant appointment?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. E. GLADSTONE) (Edinburgh, Mid Lothian)I believe the state of the facts to be this—In the first place, the Bishopric in question is still vacant; and, in the second, it is the turn of the Emperor of Germany, under the existing arrangement, to nominate a successor to the late Bishop. But His Imperial Majesty has made a communication to this country, that he desires the arrangement made in 1841 to be either modified or abrogated altogether. Under these circumstances, I understand a communication has been recently received from the Archbishop of Canterbury consenting, on behalf of the British Trustees to the British deed of endowment, that the present arrange- 1371 ment should be abrogated. What will be put in its place I am not in a position to say.