In the House of Commons on Wednesday Mr. Asquith introduced
the Government Bill for the disestablishment and disendowinent of the Church in Wales. In 1905 the com- municants in Nonconformist places of worship were s54,0a0, while the communicants of the Established Church numbered 193,000. Chapel accommodation was provided for 1,500,000 persons, while in the churches of the Establishment there was accommodation for not more than 458,000 people. The voluntary contributions of the Nonconformists for religious purposes in 1905 were three times as great as the contributions of Churchmen. The thirty-four representatives of Wales in the House were united in asking for clisondowment. Dis- establishment would take effect from January let, 1911. From that date no Welsh Bishop would sit in the House of Lords, and consequently the spiritual Peers would be reduced from twenty-six to twenty-two. For the purposes of disendownient three bodies would be created. In the first place, there would be the Welsh Commissioners, whose function would continue till December, 1915. Next, there would be the Council for Wales, consisting of members appointed by County Councils and boroughs. Thirdly there would be the Church Repre- sentative Body, which the disestablished Church would have power to create.
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