ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSIONERS MEASURE, 1926. (Hansard, 15 July 1926)

THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

My Lords, I beg to move to resolve, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners Measure, 1926, be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent. I am sorry to bring your Lordships for a moment or two only from the poetic and interesting down to the prosaic and, I am afraid, quite uninteresting proposal which I have to make. This Measure is entirely uncontroversial and refers simply to the internal work and finance of the Ecclesiastical Commission. They are empowered by the Measure to increase the augmentation of salaries of Archdeacons from £200 to £300, to pay certain funds towards the maintenance of certain Bishoprics, and they are allowed to pay the costs, in certain cases of litigation incurred by a Bishop on moral matters, in which it would be very unfair that he should bear all the costs of proceedings instituted in the public interest.

They are further empowered to subsidise certain of the ancient buildings of England occupied by Bishops, the upkeep of which it is impossible for Bishops, as things now stand, to bear entirely at their own cost. It is perhaps indelicate to refer to it, but the most important of these is Lambeth Palace. It is impossible for these vast buildings to be maintained by the Bishops, as they are at present, without serious risk of their falling into decay. These are practically the provisions of this little Measure, which is supported by the Ecclesiastical Committee, who ask your Lordships to consent to it. A Resolution has already been passed by the House of Commons, and I ask your Lordships to resolve in the terms that I have mentioned. Of course, I could give a great many more facts if required, but I think it is quite undesirable I should do so now. I beg to move.