ME GLADSTONE'S DISESTABLISHMENT BILL.

Southland Times, Issue 1174, 11 June 1869, Page 3

ME GLADSTONE'S DISESTABLISHMENT BILL.

The following condensed description of the bill is from the ' Home News ' :— On the first of January, 1874 (the date may be altered), the Irish Church shall formally cease to exist. But the work shall begin with the passing of the bill now before Parliament. As soon as that bill shall be law, a new Commission shall take the place of the present Ecclesiastical Commission for Ireland. The new Commission is to last for ten years. No new vested interests shall be created. The Irish bishops shall at once lose their seats in the House of Lords, and the Crown gives up its prerogative of episcopal appointments, but on the prayer of the Church, may appoint bishops for spiritual purposes. Synodical action is to be revived in the Irish Church. The bishops, clergy, and laity, are invited to select something in the nature of a Governing Body, and this is to be recognised by the Crown, if the Government, as a jury, shall find that the body really represents the three classes above mentioned. On January 1, 1871, the English and Irish Churches sunder. Eroin that date the Ecclesiastical laws and Courts in Ireland are abolished. But those laws may, until the Church itself alters them, be binding as a voluntary compact. At this point of his speech, Mr Gladstone intimated that he had shown how what he called the Great Launch might be effected smoothly. He then proceeded to deal with vested interests. Ist. Incumbents. — Their title is to depend upon their performance of duty. While they do this, their income, deducting curates salary, is to be continued to them, or, if they please, they may commute it for an annuity, to be paid by the governing body. 2nd. Curates. — To be divided into two classes, permanent and transitory. The former to have the same rights as the incumbents. The latter to be treated in the same way as civil servants. 3rd. Tithe Commutation Charges. — They pass to the Commission, and are as far as possible to be merged, on very advantageous terms, to the holders, a part of the scheme on which Mr Gladstone laid great stress. 4th. Churches. — Some, about twelve, are regarded as national treasures, or remarkable as works of art. These are to be maintained by the commission out of the Church fund. All other churches are to be handed to the governing body, on its undertaking to maintain them for purposes of religion, or to pull them down, that near churches may be built where more wanted. Such as are refused are to be handed to the Commission to be pulled down, and the land and materials to be sold. sth. Glebe. — If the governing body buys the church, it may take the ground of the glebehouae, and the additional adjoining ten acres at a fair valuation. 6th. — Burial grounds are to go with the churches. So much for the church that was. "We now come to the disposal of ita property. Maynooth and the JRegiwm Donum are to be valued at 14 years' purchase. The income of the Church is valued at £700,000. Church lands are to be sold, the tenant having a right of pre-emption. The charges for the church will be about £8,500,000, and the surplus coming to the nation £7,500,000. Mr Gladstone will give this neither for religious purpurposes, for division among rival sects, for railways, nor public works (because this application would not be final) but in a way which will enable the people to have the benefit of the boon. And this he thinks will be best accomplished by handing over the sum to the Poor Law Commissioners, for Lunatic Asylums, chiefly, but also for other asylums, infirmities, reformatories, and industrial schools.