§ SIR H. MAXWELL (Wigton)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether an Order has been prepared or issued annexing the village, church, manse, and glebe of St. Ninians to the parish of Stirling; whether he is aware that a petition has been numerously signed by 562 the inhabitants of St. Ninians protesting against the said Order as injurious to their interests and those of the poor; and, what grounds exist for interfering with the traditional and historical independence of this parish?
§ SIR G. O. TREVELYANThe proposed Order was gazetted on the 25th January. I have received the petition from the inhabitants of St. Ninians protesting against the Order. This will be duly considered before the Order is confirmed. A similar course to that adopted with regard to Stirling burgh has been taken in other cities regarding which I have received applications to place the whole municipal area within a single parish.