§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
THE BISHOP OF CARLISLEin moving that the Bill be now read the second time, said, its object was to remove doubts which had been entertained as to the validity of certain trusts for the exercise of ecclesiastical patronage. The single clause of which the Bill consisted provided that the powers and provisions of the Acts of Parliament which authorize the assignment or limitation of the patronage of churches or ecclesiastical benefices with cure of souls should be held to authorize assignments or limitations of such patronage with such consents and under such circumstances as are declared by the said enactments, so as to vest the same patronage in any number of corporations sole not exceeding five, or in one or more of such corporations. It was provided that the Bill should have a retrospective operation as to patronage heretofore assigned.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Friday next.