§ MR. DODD (Essex, Maldon)I beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that, while Nonconformist ministers can and do attest pension papers for the Army and Navy, the Royal Patriotic Fund, the Coastguard and Customs, and the Police, they cannot attest the papers of annuitants of the National Debt; whether he has received complaints that, on account of the absence from his parish of any minister of the Established Church and there being no resident Justice of the Peace therein, the papers of annuitants could not be attested for some two or three weeks after annuities have become due, and consequently that the annuitants could not receive their money for this time; and whether he proposes to take any steps to remedy this state of things?
§ SIR W. HARCOURTMy attention has been drawn to the inconvenience arising from the fact that Nonconformist ministers cannot attest the papers of annuitants of the National Debt. I hope to be able in some omnibus Rill to introduce a clause which will remedy this grievance.