The fabrics of the parish churches and of the vicarages
are to be handed over to the representative Church body which is to be created by the statute ; but the cathedrals, Bishop's palaces, and deaneries are to vest in the Commis- sioners. They are, however, to allow the Bishops and Deans to reside in their present houses. The cathedrals are to be available for " divine worship " on the request of the represen- tative body. It is not apparent what is the exact meaning of this phrase. All endowments bestowed on the Church by private benefactors since 1703, are to be secured to the repre- sentative body. The annual revenues belonging to the Church in Wales and Monmouthshire affected by the Bill are :-
Tithe Rent-charge and Glebe ... ... £233,000• Estates of Bishops and Chapters ... 45,660 Total ... £278,660 The Welsh curates are not to be regarded, as were the Irish. curates, as enjoying vested interests, and are to receive no- compensation. The private patrons of livings are to receive compensation to an amount not greater than one year's value of the living. We have dealt elsewhere with the Bill, and will only say here that it is a bad Bill, even from the point of view of the Liberationist. It fritters away a valuable national asset on ridiculous objects. Mr. Disraeli is said to have- objected to the residuum of the Irish Church funds going- " to the other idiots." We are not sure that a twopenny museum is not worse than an asylum.
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