§ 12.12 a.m.
§ Lieut.-Commander AgnewI beg to move,
That, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Faculty Jurisdiction Measure, 1938, be presented to His Majesty for Royal Assent.
§ Sir John BirchallI beg to second the Motion.
§ Commander Sir Archibald SouthbyAre we not to have any explanation of this Motion?
§ Lieut.-Commander AgnewThe hour is late, and I will say only a few words in explanation. This Measure does not alter the present law with regard to what is lawful or what is not lawful in the way of ornament or decoration inside a church, but it makes one important change in that it brings in for the first time a new officer as a legal person who may appear 2087 in faculty cases, namely, the archdeacon of the archdeaconry in which the parish is situated. The Measure also gives legal recognition for the first time to diocesan advisory committees, which have existed for a number of years but are now given the force of law although it is not made obligatory for the chancellor of the diocese to consult them before giving his decision. There are some minor points, among them the power upon a faculty to sell or dispose of books out of the parochial library. Up till now this power has been granted only by the ordinary, and then only if a duplicate copy of the book existed in the parochial library. Under this Measure it will be possible for the faculty to dispose of the book, even when it is the only copy in existence, provided that the proceeds are devoted to ecclesiastical purposes. I trust that these few words will be a sufficient explanation.
§
Resolved,
That, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Faculty Jurisdiction Measure, 1938, be presented to His Majesty for Royal Assent.
§ 12.15 a.m.
§ Mr. Maxwell FyfeI beg to move,
That, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Liverpool City Churches Act, 1897 (Amendment), Measure, 1938, be presented to His Majesty for Royal Assent.2088 This Measure deals only with a very small point. The present position of the law is that a building and endowment fund in Liverpool can be used for the acquisition of sites or the building of churches inside the city boundary. As hon. Members are aware, there are numerous housing schemes on the edge of the city and just outside its boundaries, and the object of this Motion is to enable the fund to be used for providing churches for parishes which are just outside the boundaries, in these new housing schemes.
§ Sir J. BirchallI beg to second the Motion.
§
Resolved,
That, in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Liverpool City Churches Act, 1897 (Amendment), Measure, 1938, be presented to His Majesty for Royal Assent.
§ The remaining Orders were read, and postponed.
§ It being after half-past Eleven of the clock upon Wednesday evening, Mr. DEPUTY-SPEAKER adjourned the House, without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order.
§ Adjourned at Sixteen Minutes after Twelve o'Clock.