§ 75. Mr. ALDENasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that a man and his son who have been working since December, 1911, three acres of land at Woodham Ferris, in Essex, tithed at 3s. 9d. per acre, were served with a demand in October, 1912, for £18 17s. 11d., being a half-year's tithe on the whole estate; whether he is aware that 1838 their goods and crops are being distrained upon to pay other people's debts; and whether he intends to take any action to amend the law dealing with such cases?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Runciman)Under Section 81 of the Tithe Act, 1836, the tithe-owner is entitled to collect, from any one of the owners of the tithe area, the tithe rent-charge in respect of the whole area, an owner so charged having the right under Section 16 of the Tithe Act, 1842, to recover contributions from the other part-owners. The Board have no power to intervene in the collection of annual tithe rent-charge, but they are empowered, on the application of a part-owner of a tithe area, to make a reapportionment of the charge so as to limit his liability to the land owned by him. An application for reapportionment was recently received, apparently from the landowner referred to in the question, but this cannot affect the collection of the tithe rent-charge now accruing. The reply to the last part of the question is in the negative.