§ LORD PORTMANinquired of Her Majesty's Government, What progress had been made by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in the Valuation ordered by the Act 3 & 4 Vict., c. 183, s. 77? The matter was one of very considerable importance, and it was very desirable that the valuation in question should proceed. From circumstances, however, which had come within his observation, it appeared as if the Commissioners had been guilty of some neglect of duty or disobedience of the law. Unless some answer could be given, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners ought either to ask Parliament to repeal the clause, or else Parliament ought to put such a pressure upon them as to oblige them to carry out the law. His Question appeared to assume that some progress had been made. He had, however, reason to believe that, had he moved for a Return, the answer would have been "nil," and he asked the question to elicit some information.
§ THE EARL OF CHICHESTERsaid, that his noble Friend had answered his own question. The object for which this valuation was to be made, or rather completed, was to enable the Commissioners to ascertain the value of the poor livings. One reason why they had not proceeded to cause a fresh valuation to be made was that they had obtained no additional powers since the last valuation, and there was no reason to believe that any new valuation would be more accurate than the last. The value of the property they were called upon to deal with was constantly changing, and the Commissioners believed that they were justified in postponing the valuation, in consequence of the great loss of time and labour, to say nothing of expense, which would be involved without commensurate results.