§ MR. ASHTON () Bedfordshire, LutonI beg to ask the hon. Member for the Thirsk Division of Yorkshire, as representing the Charity Commissioners, whether it is proposed that the sum of £2,000 from the Owen Jones Charity at Chester is to he given as an endowment to the Queen's School at Chester, which is a denominational school of the Church of England, with a Conscience Clause: and whether it is the practice of the Commission to appropriate money left for undenominational purposes to denominational use; and if not, on what ground the money of the Owen Jones Charity, which is an undenominational charity, is to be utilised for the Queen's School.
THE PARLIAMENTARY CHARITY COMMISSIONER (Mr. GRANT LAWSON,) Yorkshire, N. R., ThirskThe Owen Jones Charity was founded for the benefit of members of the city companies of Chester and their children. The Commissioners propose to comply with the request of the representatives of the companies and of the trustees of the charity, that £2,000 from this charity should be applied in aid of the buildings of the Queen's School. In return for this £2,000, the companies will have the first right to nominate competitors for four scholarships in the school worth from £8 to £16 a year. No denominational restriction is attached to these scholarships or to admission to the 801 school. The Queen's School is largely attended by daughters of Nonconformists. The Commissioners do not consider this to be diversion of money left for undenominational purposes to denominational. A scheme to give effect to the proposal of the city companies has been duly published in Chester, and no objection has been made by anyone.