§ MR. STANLEY LEIGHTONI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he is aware that violent resist- 690 ance to the payment of tithe rent-charge has been renewed in Wales; that at Llannefydd, in the Vale of Clwyd, Mr. Stevens and a distraining party were unable to proceed with the recovery of tithe rent-charge by the ordinary means provided by the law owing to the disturbance of rioters; that stones were thrown, and one of the emergency men injured; whether he is also aware that there are at present arrears of tithe rent-charge in Wales amounting to thousands of pounds; that grave breaches of the peace are anticipated during the winter should remedial legislation be any longer denied; and whether, in the interests of law, order, and justice, he will recommend the House to proceed with the Tithe Rent-Charge Recovery Bill in the present Session?
§ *MR. G. OSBORNE MORGAN) (Denbighshire, E.Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the unfortunate occurrences referred to in the first paragraph of the question are largely due to the indiscreet and injudicious conduct of Mr. Stevens himself, and that in cases where the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have employed another agent to collect tithes no disturbances whatever have occurred?
§ *MR. W. H. SMITHI desire to avoid entering into any controversial question as to the action of the officers of the law engaged in collecting tithe, and I trust my hon. Friend will not ask me to express any opinion on the subject. I. venture to hope that the tithepayer in Wales will come to see the impost is one which the law requires him to pay, and which he is not entitled to possess himself of, or refrain from paying. All I can say is that I hope the House will be enabled to pass the Bill.