Another ecclesiastical debate arose on Wednesday as to the restrictions
on the obtaining of sites for Dissenting chapels and schools, which the bigotry of landowners often renders it very difficult to do. It was scarcely denied by anybody that as much of compulsory power should be given to Dissenters as is given to Church people for obtaining sites for churches. But Mr. Beres- ford Hope pointed out that in the case of churches these are very strictly limited. Churchmen desirous of building a church have to satisfy the bishop of the diocese that they could give a salary of £100 a year to their minister. This, with the expense of build- ing the church, is practically a great restriction on their power, and some similar restriction would be fair in the case of Dissen- ters. Mr. Horsman made a good and caustic speech in favour of strict equality for Dissenters in the matter, and in the end the Bill passed its second reading without a division, Mr. Bruce having intimated that he was not disposed to create compulsory power in the case of churches and chapels. Yet without compulsory
clauses of some kind the Bill will not meet the necessities of the case. It is all very well to enable limited owners to sell, but what is far more needful is to compel bigoted owners to sell. Compulsion,—no doubt carefully restricted,—is really needful.
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