Lords Sitting of 19 April 1926

Preamble
The House met at a quarter past four of the clock, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.

PARISH OF MANCHESTER DIVISION ACT, 1850 (AMENDMENT) MEASURE.
THE LORD BISHOP OF MANCHESTER THE LORD BISHOP OF MANCHESTER rose to move to resolve, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Parish of Manchester Division Act, 1850 (Amendment) Measure, 1926, be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent. The right rev. Prelate said: My Lords, this Resolution comes before your Lordships' House with good credentials because the Measure was introduced into the Church Assembly at the instance of a weighty commission on the Cathedrals of England, of which the Archbishop of York is the Chairman. It has already received the overwhelming vote of the diocesan conference and of the Rectors of the ancient parish of Manchester, whose interests are affected in certain ways. The Chapter is entirely agreed that what is aimed at in this Measure ought to be effected, and a Bill to achieve the same result was actually drafted by my predecessor, Bishop Knox, before he left the diocese.
The Cathedral of Manchester is an ancient collegiate church, working under a Charter of 1421, and it lately celebrated its five hundredth anniversary. When the diocese was founded the Charter was modified in some degree and that modification was finally completed through the Act which we are now asking should be amended. The ancient college was in charge of the parish church of Manchester, but the fellows, now the Canons, had become largely non-resident. The Act of 1850 proposed to remedy this by attaching to each canonry a parish in the centre of Manchester. At that time these parishes were very prosperous and well-to-do and many wealthy people attended the churches. They could be worked very well though the Rector was frequently absent, if he had a sufficient staff.
Those conditions are completely altered. All the parishes are now poor, and continuity of work is of the utmost importance. The aim we have in view in this Measure is the better fulfilment of the original intentions under the new conditions. The claims of the ancient parish are specially recognised in one of the clauses of the Measures, and the diocese stands to benefit by receiving, through this Measure, canonries free from parochial ties, which may supply either diocesan officers or men of learning, able to give help to the clergy and the church work of the diocese in any direction in which they are specially competent. Nobody disputes that the thing ought to be done, but there has been opposition raised outside on the ground that the Measure alienates parochial funds and turns them into capitular endowments. To that I should reply, first, that if it were true, which I deny, it was done by the Act of 1850, because, under that Act, the Canons of Manchester Cathedral are paid one sum in respect of their canonries out of the ancient endowments and another sum in respect of their rectories. We are not taking any of the money that is now paid to them in respect of their rectories, but are leaving that money attached to the parishes to which it is already attached.
But I should deny that this was really true at all, because, though the ancient church was a parish church, the fellows of the ancient college were not in the ordinary modern sense of the word parochial clergy. They were not, for example, responsible for the weekly or daily services in the various daughter churches and chapels of ease of the ancient parish. They were to discharge general spiritual duties in that parish, but not those special, exacting and binding duties which we now associate with incumbents of parishes. Therefore the only objection that has been alleged seems to me to have no foundation, and, inasmuch as there is universal agreement that the step is in itself desirable, I have great confidence in commending this Resolution to your Lordships' House.
Moved to resolve, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Parish of Manchester Division
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Act, 1850 (Amendment) Measure, 1926, be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent.—(The Lord Bishop of Manchester.)
LORD MUIR MACKENZIE: My Lords, I observe that the right rev. Prelate has not mentioned one circumstance which I think is of considerable importance with regard to this and other matters—namely, that a Report in favour of the Measure is on your Lordships' Table from the Ecclesiastical Committee. This House, in common with the other House, retains the ultimate sanction for Measures coming from the Church Assembly, but with very few exceptions the Report of the Ecclesiastical Committee is treated by both Houses as guiding them in the course that they should take. With regard to this particular Measure, which was received nemini dissentienti in the Ecclesiastical Committee, I should like to make one observation, which applies not perhaps very specially to this Measure but to one or two other Measures that have been already passed in this House, and that is that the Measures I refer to partake of a local rather than of a general character.
When proposals of that sort are made in Bills brought into Parliament the Bills are sent to the body of experts called the Examiners, who make a Report as to whether any special procedure ought to be adopted and whether local notices and other precautions should be taken before the Bill proceeds. I think it will probably be found necessary for some procedure to be set up with regard to Measures which may put them in a position analogous to Acts of Parliament. There may be some risk otherwise that things could be done by Measures which could not be done by Act of Parliament. When I say "could not be done," I mean could not be done without certain steps being taken which at present are not taken with regard to Measures. I only wish to mention this to the House. Perhaps I may find it necessary at some future time to bring the matter before the House with more particularity.
On Question, Motion agreed to.
House adjourned at twenty-five minutes past four o'clock.