§ MR. HOZIERI beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether the Government intend to deal this Session with the question of the Disestablishment and Disendowment of the Church of Scotland; and, if so, whether they will introduce their Bill at the earliest possible moment, so that the people of Scotland may have some opportunity of considering its provisions before it comes on for discussion in the House?
§ SIR G. TREVELYANThe Government will use all their endeavours to pass the Scottish measures referred to in the Queen's Speech. They will introduce those measures in ample time to enable them to be considered before the Second Reading. The first measure will be the Local Government Bill, which will be placed before the House on Monday week.
§ MR. HOZIERI must ask for a definite answer to my question. Do the Government not intend to give the people of Scotland any adequate opportunity for considering their Disestablishment and Disendowment Bill?
§ SIR G. TREVELYANI have said that the Government would introduce their Scotch measures in ample time to enable them to be considered before Second Reading.
§ MR. HOZIERWhat do the Government consider to be ample time for the people to discuss such a Bill?
§ MR. THORBURN (Peebles and Selkirk)May I ask my right hon. Friend whether, looking to the fact that the Government have in the Local Veto Bill sanctioned the principle of reference to the people on the question of the liquor traffic, he will consider favourably the propriety of a reference to the electors of Scotland on the question of the Disestablishment and Disendowmeut of the Church before the Second Reading of the Bill?
§ SIR G. TREVELYANI think the proper parallel to that would be to refer it to the inhabitants of every village to say whether they want an Established Church or not.
§ SIR W. LAWSON (Cumberland, Cockermouth)May I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman puts the Church and the public-house on the same footing?
§ [The question was not answered.]