The annual report of the Irish Church Temporalities Commis- sion
has appeared, and contains what the Commissioners believe to be an accurate calculation of the probable surplus, after all charges are paid. They estimate that if accounts are closed in 1879. and the surplus revenue capitalised, Parliament will have at its disposal a sum of £6,000,000 sterling. If, however, the Govern- ment waits till 1893, the total amount disposable will exceed £10,000,000. The Commissioners evidently think that the matter will be settled in 1879, but that will depend very much on the use to which it is decided to apply the money. The hostile interests will fight very hard, when they know that every year's delay only increases the fund to be ultimately distributed. The Catholic, Church may hope, for example, that if only a delay of twenty years can be secured, opinion may be ripe for allowing a great portion of the accumulations to go to them, while a good many politicians will be of opinion that a reserve fund of that kind is no bad treasure for a State to possess against a day of national calamity.
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