§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading, read.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord HALSBURY), in moving that the Bill be now read a second time, explained that there were certain funds at his disposal, derived from the sale of certain livings, for the augmentation of benefices. The sum, unfortunately, did not now exceed £5,000. At present the amount which he could allocate out of this money in augmentation of a clergyman's income depended in each case upon the number of the population of the parish. The object of the Bill before the House was to abolish this condition and to enable him to augment livings which were below £200 a-year without paying regard to population. A clergyman, he held, ought not to be asked to undertake the work of any parish for a smaller income than £200. The Bill would enable him to augment benefices up to that amount.
§ Moved, "That the Bill be now read 2a."—(The Lord Chancellor.)
§ Motion agreed to; Bill read 2a accordingly, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House To-morrow.