§ * THE EARL OF SELBORNE,in rising to move—
For Returns of the 7,703 old pariah churches, and the 1,711 new parish or district churches, and the 754 churches in which sittings are held by faculty, referred to in the Report of the Select Committee on the Parish Churches Bill, 1886, as having no pews or sittings rented; with the answers received to the questions of the Committee,said: My Lords, from information which I have received I have been led to the conclusion that it would be desirable to have these Returns in order that there may be a more accurate knowledge upon the subject. If these Returns were granted I think they would be useful both to those who desire to see all seats free and open and to those who are willing that assignments of seats temporarily made by churchwardens in a reasonable manner should not be disturbed. I beg, therefore, to move for these Returns. I have agreed that they should contain only such answers to the questions of the Committee as are material, by way of supplement to those already made public.
§ EARL BROWNLOWMy Lords, I need only say that Her Majesty's Government have no objection to granting the Returns asked for by the noble and learned Earl.
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Motion agreed to.
Returns of the 7,703 old parish churches, and the 1,711 new parish or district churches, and the 754 churches in which sittings are held by faculty, referred to in the Report of the Select Committee on the Parish Churches Bill, 1886, as having no pews or sittings rented; with the answers received to the questions of the Committee": Ordered to be laid before the House.—(The Earl of Selborne.)