THE BISHOP OF WINCHESTER, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that as he believed there was no opposition to the measure, 2 he need not trespass at length on their Lordships' attention. The occasion for the Bill was this—certain Acts passed in the present reign provided for the union of contiguous benefices; but if, after such union, it was found desirable to take down one of the churches in the united benefices the parishioners of the church so removed did not obtain full parochial rights in the now common church. The Bill therefore provided that, after the union of several benefices in which there were two or more churches, the Bishop of the diocese, with the consent in writing of the incumbent and the patron of the benefice, might, by a written instrument duly registered, appoint one of those churches to be the parish church of the united benefices; the other church being removed either entirely or partly, or be converted into a mortuary chapel; and thereon all the residents within the united benefice would be entitled to the same privileges and liable to the same obligations in respect to the preserved -church as if it had always been the sole parish church. 3 Provision was made for preserving the site and churchyard of the disused church, and, if it were demolished, for removing the monuments to the now sole church.
§ Bill read 2a (according to Order), and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Thursday next.