§ MR. CAUSTON (Southwark, W.)I beg to ask the hon. Member for Penrith (Mr. J. W. Lowther) if he will explain the reason of the practice of the Charity Commissioners never to entertain auy appli- 1006 cations for a scheme from the trustees or governors of any Charity which is not an open application, leaving the Charity, its funds, and administration wholly at the mercy of the Commissioners; whether, in all new schemes, the Commissioners make a practice of inserting clauses rendering all fresh appointments of trustees void until confirmed by them; and whether the Commissioners are legally empowered, in framing new schemes, to confer upon themselves powers of appointing auditors, examiners, and other officers at the expense of the Charity without consulting the trustees or governors?
MR. J. W. LOWTHER (Cumberland, Penrith)It is conceived that the Commissioners would not conform to the provisions of the Charitable Trusts Acts as to dealing with objections and suggestions made on the publication of draft schemes if the applications are made in a restricted form. It has not been the practice in new schemes to insert clauses rendering all fresh appointments of trustees void until confirmed by the Commissioners; but in the case of co-optative trustees it has been the practice to do so where publicity of appointment is riot likely to be otherwise secured. The Commissioners apprehend that they have power to insert in their schemes all powers and provisions that may be thought by them expedient for carrying the objects of the schemes into effect.