§ MR. ALFRED DAVIES (Carmarthen Boroughs)To ask the hon. Member for the Tonbridge Division of Kent, as a Charity Commissioner, in view of the fact that the scheme published in July, 1896, for the Cornwallis Charity, Carmarthenshire, which was amended in that year by the Charity Commissioners, was not opposed by either of the interested parishes of Llansadwrn and Llanwrda, if he will say by whom the scheme was opposed; and, seeing that the then Assistant Commissioner completed his inquiry in November, 1898, will he explain the reason of the delay which has caused no scheme to be adopted for four years after the completion of the inquiry, and two years after the Report has been printed; and will he state whether the funds connected with this charity have been found in order and what they amount to; and whether any, and, if so, what amount is now employed yearly in relief of local rates.
(Answered by Mr. Griffith Boscawen.) (1) The main reason of the delay which has taken place in the establishment of a scheme under the Charitable Trusts Acts for the Cornwallis Charity is the refusal of the trustees of the Charity to apply for a scheme. The Commissioners have no power under those Acts to establish a scheme for a charity, the yearly income of which exceeds £50, except on an application from the trustees. This application the trustees refused to make, and their refusal rendered it necessary for the Commissioners to bring the matter before the Chancery Division of the High Court. On a summons being issued against them on behalf of the Attorney General, the trustees made, in the spring of 1901, the required application. The Commissioners immediately took steps to prepare a scheme, a draft of which is now, and has for some time been, before the trustees for their consideration. Some delay has also been caused by the difficulty of dealing with the claims of the patron of the alms houses. (2) So far as the Commissioners have been able to ascertain, the property of the Charity is duly vested and secured. (3) The gross yearly income of that property is about £267. (4) No part of the income is directly applied to the relief of local rates. (5) The scheme 517 published in July, 1896, was opposed by the trustees of the Charity, but objections to some of its provisions were also made by the Parish Council of Llansadwrn, the School Board of Llausadwrn, and the Parish Meeting of Llamwrda.