At the Winchester Diocesan Conference on Wednesday, Lord Selborne gave
some very good advice as to the attitude which the Church ought to take in relation to the Parish Councils Bill. Anything like bitterness or jealous hostility on ecclesiastical grounds would be most undesirable, and would increase, instead of lessening, the party feeling for those clauses which in any way threaten the Church. Still, Lord Selborne thought the transfer of eleemosynary funds from the Churchwardens to the Parish Council very question- able,—especially if they included, as the clause might possibly be interpreted to include, the offertories collected during the Communion Service. There seems, however, to be a general disposition in the Church to accept the Bill in a friendly spirit, and not criticise too sharply even the few clauses which touch on the privileges of Church and Churchwardens. But we must say we hope the clause transferring charitable funds to the Parish Council will not be left so vague as to open the question as to the custody and distribution of the offertory. The only effect of that would be to beggar the offertory, lest it should be applied to political purposes.
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