§ Order of the Day for the Second Heading read.
THE BISHOP OF EXETER, in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, said, that this Bill was identically the same as that which was passed by this House last year, but which, on going down to the Lower House, was there crowded out by the press of Business, and did not reach the second reading. The Pluralities Acts defined the relations between the endowments which a beneficed clergyman might hold and the duties which he had to discharge as holding those endowments. The Acts, therefore, laid down under what circumstances a beneficed person might hold more benefices than one; what provision he was to make for the discharge of the 1540 duties of the benefice in which he was non-resident; and what was to be done if ho was accused of not discharging his duties. In various particulars, and especially in regard to the salaries assigned to curates, the Acts, which were very suitable to the time at which they were passed, were now found unsuitable; and the present Bill proposed to amend the Acts in these particulars. The Bill had been carefully prepared by a joint Committee of the two Houses of Convocation. The clergy, by their representatives, had therefore concurred in everything that the Bill contained.
§ Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a." —(The Bishop of Exeter.)
§ In reply to the Earl of CARNARVON,
THE BISHOP OF EXETER, said, that where an incumbent was non-resident and the population was more than 2,000, the Bishop was to be empowered to require the incumbent to appoint two curates.
§ Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House on Monday next.