§ MR. BRAND (Cambridge, Wisbech)I beg to ask the Parliamentary Charity Commissioner whether he is aware that, on 6th May, 1886, this House passed a Resolution that every scheme of the Charity Commissioners ought to provide for the majority of the trustees or managers being directly elected by the ratepayers of the locality to which the charity extends; and, if so, whether he can state in what number of new schemes proposed under the Charitable Trust Acts and the Endowed Schools Acts, respectively, since 1892, the proposal has not been in accordance with this Resolution; and if he cannot now give the exact number, whether he will give the approximate number and inquire further into the matter?
§ MR. T. E. ELLISI am well aware of the Resolution. Subsequent 1o its passing, the Select Committee of the House which inquired in 1886–7 into the working of the Endowed Schools Acts, referring to the Resolution mentioned in the question, say—
Your Committee failed to satisfy themselves that this Resolution could be practically carried into effect.The action of the Charity Commissioners in this matter, a full account of which will be found in paragraphs 29–37 of their Fortieth Report (for 1892), has been guided by the opinion thus expressed by the Committee. A Return is now being prepared which will show how every body of Governors or Trustees-in all schemes under the Endowed Schools Acts from January, 1886, to December, 1892, was constituted, and will be laid on the Table in a few weeks. In these circumstances, and in view of the varying character of the charities under the Charitable Trust Acts of the Commissioners, the numerical statement asked for would be imperfect and misleading.