CHURCH GOVERNMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 December 1919, Page 6

CHURCH GOVERNMENT.

DEBATE ON ENABLING BILL. London, Nov. 7. In the House of Commons, the Enabling Bill to give the English Church gTeater freedom in the management of its internal affairs was read a second time by 304 votes to 16. The Bill establishes an ecclesiastical committee drawn from the J'rivy Council, to consider such measures passed by the Church Assembly as require Parliamentary sanction. The committee's report will then be presented to Parliament, but no measure will take effect unless both Houses present addresses to the King. Sir Edward Beauehamp, Coalition-Cib-eral, in moving the second reading, pointed out that many evils in the internal life of the ehurch needed removal, and this could best be effected by giving the Church wider powers to deal with questions of internal welfare. Mr. T. T. Broad, Coalition-Unionist, moved the rejection of the Bill, contending that if the Church desired freedom a better way was disestablishment. Major Harry Barnes, Coalition-Liberal, in seconding the rejection, described the proposals as purely Bolshevik. Lord Robert Cecil, Unionist, emphasised that no right or privilege was taken from anybody. Sir Donald Maclean, Leader of the InI dependent Liberals, opposed the suggested method of electing church assemblies. It was a question for Parliament to decide. Mr. Bonar Law said that disestablishment could not come for years; therefore the question was whether the Bill would help to make the Church a more useful weapon in fighting evil.