Lords Sitting of 31 May 1894

SALE OF WELSH BENEFICES.
THE EARL OF POWISasked the Lord Chancellor whether any benefices to which the right of presentation was vested in the Lord Chancellor had been sold in Wales or Monmouth under the Act of 1863 (26th and 27th Vict., chap, cxx.); and, if so, whether he would state which benefices had been sold under the Act, when they were sold, and at how many years purchase, and what was the amount of the purchase money in each case?
THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord HERSCHELL): My Lords, in reply to the question which the noble Earl has placed on the Paper, I have to state that under the Act to which he refers the first sale took place in 1864 and the last in June, 1866. All the particulars with regard to them are contained in a Return printed by Order of this House, dated 10th March, 1890, which gives the names of all benefices sold under the Act, the dates of sale, and the purchase monies. Probably
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that will give the noble Earl all he requires, but if there is any further information that he desires I shall endeavour to give it him. I ought to point out that with regard to all the livings except those sold under Section 23 of the Act, as was pointed out by the Lord Chancellor at the time, the transaction cannot be regarded, properly speaking, as a sale for the purchase money for this reason, that the whole of the purchase money went in augmentation of the living. So that it was for the person to whom it was transferred an addition by augmentation to the living. As regards sales where that was not so, the money was applied to the living. Under the 23rd section it went to the augmentation of the living transferred.
THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY: Will the Paper distinguish those which are in England from those in Wales—though generally one can tell a Welsh name on seeing it? I do not know whether the Return would show that.
THE LORD CHANCELLOR, (Lord HERSCHELL): If the Paper does not indicate it there will be no difficulty in giving the noble Earl the Return of those in Wales.
EARL STANHOPEasked the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack whether the Return of 1890 alluded to gave any details of the number of years' purchase of those livings? It was very desirable, in view of the Bill pending in the other House, that that point should be brought out.
LORD HERSCHELL: It gives the income and the purchase money, and of course the relation that one bears to the other can easily be seen.

POST OFFICE—EMPLOYMENT OF SOLDIEKS.
LORD WANTAGE LORD WANTAGE moved for a Return showing—

"1. The number of soldiers throughout the Kingdom who have been appointed to the established service in the Post Office since 1892, specifying the number appointed in each quarter of the years 1892 and 1893, and in the first quarter of the present year;

2. The number of soldiers similarly appointed to unestablished situations in London, specifying how many per quarter, as in Return No. 1.;

3. The number of men other than soldiers similarly appointed during the same period;

4. The number of soldiers and of civilians dismissed during the whole period;

5. The number of men from among those specified as soldiers who belong to the Reserve."

LORD PLAYFAIR: There is no objection on the part of the Government to grant the Return in the form asked for by the noble Lord.
Motion agreed to.

LOCAL TAXATION (CUSTOMS AND EXCISE) ACT, 1890.
LORD NORTON LORD NORTON moved that the Order for a Return on this subject, made on the 30th of April last, be discharged, and that the following Return be laid before the House in substitution thereof, namely—
"Return showing in respect of the period of four years ended 31st March, 1894, (1) the aggregate amount of the moneys received by the Council of each county and county borough in England and Wales out of the residue of the Local Taxation (Customs and Excise) Duties; (2) the aggregate amount of such moneys expended by each Council (a) on Technical Education, and (b) on other purposes, such purposes being specified as far as practicable; (3) the aggregate amount of such moneys appropriated by each Council under the provisions of Section 2 of the Technical Instruction Act, 1891, for technical education, and remaining unexpended; and (4) the residue of such moneys which have not been appropriated for technical education, but remain unexpended."
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He reminded the House that he moved for the Return a fortnight previously, but the Local Government Board had requested him to consent to some verbal alterations without altering the substance of the Motion. He now moved it in the altered form in substitution for the previous Return, the Order for which would be discharged.
Motion agreed to.

ARBITRATION (SCOTLAND) BILL [H.L.]
Was presented by the Lord Watson; read 1a and to be printed. (No. 78.)
TRAMWAYS ORDERS CONFIRMATION (No. 2) BILL [H.L.]
Read 2a (according to Order).

SOLICITORS' EXAMINATION BILL. (No. 53.)
Amendments reported (according to Order).
House adjourned at twenty-five minutes before Five o'clock.