Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, in a very able reply, directed, however,
more against Disendowment than Disestablishment, pointed out that Mr. Asquith's Bill will take away from the Church tithes of which much the greater portion is willingly paid by large Welsh proprietors for Church purposes, and will devote them to secular purposes of which these proprietors do not approve, though those who (for the most part) do not pay them, do approve. In other words, the consciences of Welsh farmers who do not pay the tithes will be satisfied by wound- ing the consciences of the proprietors who do pay them. If the Government really intend to do justice they would apply, he said, the proceeds of Welsh disendowment to the concur. rent endowment of the Nonconformist sects as well as of the Welsh and Monmonthshire Church. The most effective of the other speeches were those of Lord Cranborne and Mr. Paul. Lord Cranborne showed clearly how very unfairly the clauses reconstituting the Church body would act without a previous religious census (for which no provision is made) to determine who are the laity of the Church to be disestablished.
Previous page
