THE CONSECRATION OF CHURCHYARDS' BILL. [To THE EDITOR OF THE
" SPECTATOR."]
Six,—While I admit that a great deal of fun may be got out of Lord Redesdale's Bill for consecrating churchyard ground without actual consecration, I suggest that there is one point of view from which the Bill may be regarded as a serious matter.
The purpose of the Bill, on the face of it, is to diminish the expense of enlarging churchyards ; but the real design of its author is, I venture to think, to discourage the formation of parochial cemeteries under the Burial Acts. Those Acts have worked admirably, but unfortunately the adoption of them is not compulsory. Hence, in country parishes, when more burial space is needed, there is commonly a party which strenuously insists on the desirableness of enlarging the old churchyard rather than the provision of a cemetery, the plea always urged being the economy of the former and the expensiveness of the latter process. And this Bill of Lord Redesdale's will strengthen the hands of the Churchyard party, because it will save the expense of consecra- tion ; and, in doing that, it will tend to perpetuate the injustice of compelling all the ratepayers of a parish to pay for a public burial place, while only the ministers of one religious body will have the right to officiate at the interment of the dead within the consecrated enclosure.
There is, however, a method by which the enlargement of churchyards may be facilitated; while Nonconformist rights and feelings are also respected. Let the principle of Lord Redesdale's Bill be conceded, but let it also be provided that, whenever ground is added to an existing churchyard, a portion of it shall remain unconsecrated.
This would place the Dissenters of small parishes in a position analogous to that occupied by their brethren in towns were ceme- teries exist under the Burial Acts. The desired saving of expense would be effected, and there would be no recurrence of those painful scenes now too often witnessed, when the parochial clergy- man refuses, and legally refuses, to perform a religious service over the remains of the dead, while the ministers of other denominations are forbidden to supply his lack of service.—Your obedient servant, J. C. W.
Previous page
