§ Sir WILLIAM BULLasked the Home Secretary whether his attention had been drawn to the fact that the official return of Welsh Church Endowments laid before the Royal Commission on the Church in Wales shows that more than one-half of the benefices in Wales would have been deprived of the totality of their endowments by the Government's Welsh Disestablishment Bill of 1909; and whether he will give an undertaking that in any future Government Bill for the Disestablishment of the Church in Wales such deprivation of endowments shall not take place?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe return in question distinguishes income from private benefactions since 1703 from all other income; and probably the hon. Member has in mind the fact that in rather more than half of the whole number of benefices mentioned in the Return there is no income from benefactions since 1703. Under the Established Church (Wales) Bill, 1909, however, the line between private benefactions preserved or not preserved to the Church was drawn at 1662, and not 1703. The difference, though no doubt small, is in favour of the Church. I cannot give any undertaking as regards a future Bill.