§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
§ LORD EGERTON, in moving that the Bill be now read the second time, said, that under the Ecclesiastical Dilapidations Act of last year clergymen were obliged to put their houses in perfect order to enable them to get a five years' certificate of freedom from dilapidations from the surveyor. In pursuance of that Act many applications had been made to the Governors of Queen Anne's Bounty, and loans obtained for the purpose of executing the necessary repairs. It would be obviously unfair that the repayments of such loans should be spread over the long period of 31 years, because it would throw on future incumbents of livings charges which ought to be defrayed by their predecessors. It was with a view to remove that defect in the Act of last year, and to give power to have the period of payment shortened, and the conditions of repayment of advances modified, that he begged to move the second reading of the Bill.
§ After a few words from Lord CAIRNS,
§ Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House To-morrow.