The Press. THURSDAY, APRIL 25th. 1912. WELSH DISESTABLISHMENT.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14338, 25 April 1912, Page 6

The Press. THURSDAY, APRIL 25th. 1912. WELSH DISESTABLISHMENT.

The political conflict iv the United Kingdom deepens. Following close upon .tho .Home Rule Bill, the Welsh Disestablishment Bill has- been introduced. It may be said that n» a matter of party politics, one was a necessary complement to the other. There is a considerable section of the English Nonconformist supporters of the Ministry who are not altogether comfortable about Home Rule, especially as it affects their Protestant brethren iv Ulster. One leading Nonconformistleader recently suggested that it would bo the best solution of the difficulty for tho Irish Protestants to emigrate to England. Oa tho question of disestablishment, however, the Nonconformists are practically united, and the introduction of the Bill will undoubtedly have tho effect of hardening up this support in quarters where a disposition, to waver has been lately apparent.

Needless to cay, there is a strong body of; opinion among members of tho Established Church in England, ns well as in Wales, against the proposal to disestablish and disendow tho Church in

Wales. "Some who would not oppose disestablishment, believing that a J Church is freer and i>ettcr able to discharge its spiritual functions when it is not under any form of State control, object to disondowment as an art of j injustice, if not of spoliation. j

Presumably the new Bill will be j drawn upon tho lines of that introduced j in 11)0!/'. Under that measure every i

existing freehold interest is respected, j In other words, every bishop und dean, | every rector and vicar, i.s to continue ; to receive the income attached to bis |

office, so long as he remains in it. It. ; is .also proposed that the Church j should retain ail the fabric:-, all I the episcopal palaces and parsonage j houses and all endowments since I(>G2. ; Tho latter are not very large, only j amounting to about £19.000 :t year, j most of the endowments having been \

made at n time anterior to the date. mentioned. The total endowments of tho Welsh Church amount to £200,001), so that when the life interests have, been extinguished, tho loss of revenue inflicted on the Church will be very heavy. Opponents of the Bill say that it means everything is taken away from tho Church in the shape of annual revenue from endowments, except Is ."Id in the €. Mr MeKenn.i says that Uiero is .£OO,OOO paid by the English Church which the latter can continue to pay if it chooses to do so, but ho admits that under the Bill of 1009 £181,000 a year will be taken from the Welsh Church and given to national purposes of ,i secular character. Possibly the new Bill may be. a little more liberal in its financial provisions than the last.

As to thc justification of disondowment there are, of course, two sharply contrasted opinions. Ono side denounces it as robbery and confiscation. Tho other sido contend that tithes in Wales are a tax which was imposed by Parliament, and what Parliament has given to the Church iv. this way Parliament can take away. Opponents of the Bill quote from tho evidence given before the Royal Commission to show that the Established Church is the only progrcssivo religious body in Wales, i while tho Nonconformists have'to admit a. decline in numbers since 1005. On tlio other hand if we are to judge by tho representation iv Parliament, there i.s a strong hotly of public feeling in Wales in favour of disestablishment. When Mr Watkin Williamo in 1870 moved a resolution in favour of tho separation of Church and State in Wales, only six Welsh monibors voted with him. Cut of 31 Welsh members in tho House of Commons at tho present time, it i.s said that 31. will Toto in favour of tho Bill. Tho measure will, however, bo very steadily opposed by the Unionist Party, and its progress through tho House will bo followed by tho country with intense interest.