§ THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY moved to resolve, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this house do direct that the Episcopal. Pensions (Sodor and Man) Measure, 1930, be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent. The most rev. Primate said: My Lords, I think I need occupy the House for only a very few minutes, for I think you will agree that the Motion which I have to make is entirely non-controversial, unlike the one which I have temporarily removed from the 634 Notice Paper because it would give rise to discussion, and which I will not proceed with until after the Recess. I did not, however, find it necessary to withdraw this Motion, because it really is of a wholly non-controversial character. I will explain it briefly, as I am not anxious that these Measures should pass through merely as a matter of course, even if they are non-controversial.
§ In 1926 a Measure was passed providing pensions for the Bishops of the Church of England, which took the place of the old, and to my mind quite indefensible, existing law, by which, if a Bishop was obliged or permitted to retire and required a pension, he could only draw that pension from the revenues of the see. That inflicted what proved to be sometimes an almost intolerable burden upon his successor. Instead of that unsatisfactory plan, the Measure of 1926 provided a system of pensions for the Bishops from two sources—first, their own annual contribution, fixed in proportion to their incomes; and, secondly, from the common fund of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. But that Measure was not extended to the diocese of Sodor and Man, which, as your Lordships know, enjoys both ecclesiastically and civilly a position of comparative independence which it very jealously treasures. However, when it comes to be a matter of financial advantage, the preciousness of that independence is less obvious, and there was a great desire that in this and in other respects the Diocese of Sodor and Man should be brought within the compass of the benefits of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. That has been done in other respect, and it is now felt that it would be only right that the provision for pension for the Bishop of Sodor and Man should be brought into line with the pensions which are already, since 1926, provided by the contributions of the Bishops and by contribution from the common fund of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners.
§ The Bill is exceedingly short and is exceedingly simple. The first clause merely proposes to omit from the Measure of 1926 the words "except the Bishopric of Sodor and Man." The second clause explains that it is impossible in the case of Sodor and Man to make a definite proportion of the contribution to the income. 635 That must be done year by year, because the income of the Bishop of Sodor and Man is variable, depending as it does partly upon the revenues of the State and partly upon tithe. Therefore the amount of contribution which the Bishop in each year will have to make will be determined by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners with reference to the income for the year. The third clause merely repeats for the diocese of Sodor and Man hat is already provided in the case of the other Bishops of the Church of England in the Measure of 1926. The Ecclesiastical Committee has decided that it should pass it, but I am bound to say, with great respect to the Ecclesiastical Committee, that it makes an error in point of fact in the Report presented to your Lordships. The figure £2,000 should be £1,000. But, with that exception, the Report indicates the purposes of the Measure, and the desire of the Ecclesiastical Committee that it should pass. The Bishop, who like his brothers in England, has to submit to the change, is most willing that that change should be made, and I cannot imagine that your Lordships would find any possible objection to this Measure. I, therefore, beg to move the Motion which stands in my name.
§ Moved to resolve, That in accordance with the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, 1919, this House do direct that the Episcopal Pensions (Sodor and Man) Measure, 1930, be presented to His Majesty for the Royal Assent.—(The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.