§ MR. SUMMERS (Huddersfield)I beg-to ask the President of the Local Government Board with reference to the proposed arrangement for the provision of a public cemetery at Hyde, whether, in the event of a portion of the cemetery being consecrated, the Bishop of the Diocese would have the right to insist upon a separate chapel being built, at the expense of the rates, for the Episcopalians, in the consecrated portion of the cemetery; whether he would have control over all monuments and inscriptions in that portion of the cemetery; and whether he would have the right of appointing a chaplain to be paid for by the Corporation at a salary to be approved by him?
§ *THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. RITCHIE,) Tower Hamlets, St. George'sI do not understand that in the case of the Hyde cemetery, to which the hon. Member refers, any difference arises with regard to the provision of a separate chapel for the Episcopalians. The proposal that was submitted at the inquiry was that three chapels should be erected—one for the Church of England, one for Nonconformists, and one for Roman 246 Catholics. As regards the question of control over monuments and inscriptions in the cemetery, the arrangement which I am informed was proposed on behalf of the Established Church was that the monuments should be under the control of the Town Council, the Council being responsible for all inscriptions being of a proper character. The right of appointing the chaplain would not, as suggested, devolve on the Bishop, but would be vested on the Town Council. The appointment and salary, however, would require the approval of the Bishop, but in order to meet objections to this requirement, the offer which, as I understand, was made to the Town Council, was that the stipend so fixed and approved should be a nominal one only, say £1 per annum, and that this salary should be deducted by the Town Council from the fees payable to the chaplain.