The Express.
London, England, 1850-02-09 00:00:00

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These enactments are in the terms of the recommendations
of the Church Inquiry Commissioners, and do not affect the
menagement of or control over the episcopal estates, which
coutiuses to be exercised by the respective archbishops and
bishops.
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ins Omvenient demesnes) should be placed, but only for a
time, in some central body.
That such central body should consist of a committee of
bishops, selected by %beauties..., combined with and aided
by two or three persons conversant with the management of
real estates, to be appointed as pirliament should direct,
who together should form a board, to be called " The Board
of Episcopal Estates."
That, immediately after the pasting of an act for thin pur-
pose, the Board of Episcopal Estates should be responsible
for the oeyment of the sum decided on as the proper income
of each sae ; that the whole of the funds and property in their
bands should be made effectively subject to tb t liability ;
and that the surplus income should be transferrfd to the
Ecclesiastical Commiesioners for England, for church pur-
poses.
That the Board of Eliscopal Estates shoull be impers-
tively required, aa soot es circumstances would permit, to
assign to each bishop lands, tithe rent-charges, or o'her en-
dowments of a nature not likely to very materially in
amount, 'Bente or arising within or convenient to big dio-
cese, and sufficient to produce the annual net income which
he is intended to receive; and that the prop, rty so ar igccd
to each see should thereafter be enjoyed and managed by the
bishop himself:
Under these arrangements the legal estate in fee simple
will remain in the respective bishops until they shall have
been provided with separate estates or endowments, when
the surplus estates and revenues should be eh( gether trona-
furred to the Ecclesiastical Comraiseionera, for the purposes
of that conc.siion

That, upon the vacancy of any see, inquiries should be insti-
tuted into the thou actual annual velem ut the property belong-
ing to it, with a view to a re-adjus.tnent,U nereasary so sa to
preserve to the new bishop the income intended ftr such
vacant see, and not a greater or less ; bat in estimating such
annual value, any material change in the value of money
affecting the income of the see, shculd be ti.ken into con-
sideration before diminishing the property assigned to it;
anti

Thigh should be open to the retie commissioners,
if they shall think lit, to accept the offer of any bisho„: hay-
ing a vested interest in the existing endowments of his see,
to put himself in the position of bishops hereafter to be
appointed, and thus to secure to himself the advantage of a
fixed income.

Secondly, with respect to the corporate estates belonging
to the cathedral and collegiate churches in Ent/ and and
Wales, and the Incomes of the deans and canons thereof.
Tho management ot the corporate matte ot cathedral
and collegiate churches is not affected by the Chapter Acts,
but still remains under the absolute emtrol of the several
chapters, who are liable to the nayment to the ecclesiastical
omimistioneri for England, of tr.e proportion of the chapter
revenues belonging to the enspended cononrim ; and in the
cues of Durham, Saint Paul's, and Westminster, cf the
annual sums oleo with which these chapters are respectively
charged.
Subject to the application of the rew system of manage-
ment, we think the control over the estates should continue
vested in those bodies.

In order to ensure to future members of chapters fixed
instead of fluctuating annual incomes, we recommend that
the amounts of the incomes which the y are respectively to
receive should be defined ; and that with regard to future
members of chapters,so long as their estatzs realise sums
sufficient only for the psymmt of such incomes and the
average annual expenses of the chapter establishments (in-
cluding the maintenance of the services and the sustentation
of the fabrics, and the expenses of any school attached to the
cathedral or collegiate church), the control over their estates
should not be di-turned; but that if and so soon as such
estates, in any case, should be found to realise more than suf-
ficient for those purposes, a proportionate part of the
estates (equal in value to the amount of the surplus so ester-
taiiieo) should be transferred to the ecclesiastical commis-
sioners for England.
That, with respect to the amount to be provided far the
suiteneation of the fabrics, which should be ampl', anl in-
clude a sufficient sum far insurance against firo, the surplus
of each year beyond *hat may be found necessary to expend
should be accumulated by the respective chspters to meet
orture demands.
lhat the powers vested in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners
for England for enforcing the production of documents and
the attendance and examination of witnesses, ehoffid be ex-
tended to the purposes of any act to be passed ter carrying
nit the above principlis.
That the r use opportunities as are proposed to he given to
- bind of immediately see-- - Themselves fixed

existing bishops im,ediately securing to themselves ts-
ine-tmes, should be affordel to existing members of chapters.
Thirdly, with respect to the separate estates of the mem-
bers t, f cathedral and collegiate churches, being corpora-
tions sole.

We have included in this class all deans and canons hay-
ing separate estates, and all aon-residtntiary prebendaries,
dignitaries, and officers of cathedral and co legi ite cburchee,
whose estates will, under the provisions of the cathedral acts,
be vested in the ecclesiastical commissioners cn the next

avoidance of the several preferments.
The control over these estates, until such avoidance, 'e-
rasing with the respective dignitaries, and we do not think
it advisable to disturb that arrangement, except so far is
rewards the application of the new system of management
hereinbetere recommended.

Fourthly, with respect to the estates of the peretal minor
c3rporstions aggregate within the cathedral and call.-
gate churches, and the incomes of the members
thereof.
We think that a plan of proceeding similar to that which
we have hereinbetore recommended with regard to the
higher capitular bodies might bo made applicable to the
minor carporations.
Fifthly, with reap ,et to the estates belonging to the ecclesi-
astical eommissionen for England.

These consist of the umpteen estates and endowments
formerly held by deans and canons in certain chapters, the
endowments of non-reeidentiary prebends, dignitaries, and
offices, and the endowments of suppressed sinecure rectories.
which have become vested in the COMMillliOntill, either upon
the vacancies of such preferments, or, in certain cases, by
commutation of the interests of the holders thereof.
A portion also of the commissioners' property consists of
the estat:s formerly belonging to archdesconnes now other-
wise endowed by the board, and also estates which hare from
time to time been purchased by the board by way of invest-
ment.
The estates, on their vesting in the commissioners, hays
been for the mod part under lease either for lives or year',
but some have been found to be subject to arrangements
under special sets of parliament, or let at rack rent, and
others have come into their possession" in hand."
Under the provisions of the acts by which toe proceedings
of the commissioners are governed, the board possess abso-
lute rights and powers of ownership over their estates, and,
acting under the authority of those provisioas, and more
particularly the express provisions of the Church Endowment
Act, passed is 1843, the commissioners have mortgaged the
whole of the property vested and to be vested in them to the
governors of Queen Anne's Bounty for • sum of 600,0001.
Three per Cent. Reduced Bank Annuities.
Notwalutaneing this charge thus created, the commis-
sioners still retain the same powers snd rights of owner-
chip as theretofore, but, in order to render the security
given to the bounty board incapable of being materially
reduced by the alienation of the estates, the commissioners
are compelled to treat all purchase moneys u capital, and,
as soon as convenient, to reinvest them in land, if not applied
in replacing the stock borrowed.
In April, 1845, the commissioners agreed upon certain
g 1 resolutions for their own guidance in the manage-
ment of their estates, which resolutions were afterwards laid
before parliament, and published.
The commissioners have considered themeelves completely
bound by those resolutions, and, in accordance with the
terms therein set forth, they have in numerous instances
purchased outstanding leasehold interests, sod in come cases
sold reversions or made exchanges ; and 'several applications
and negotiations for sale, purchase, or exchange upon thou
terms are, we are informed, now pending.
The greater portion of the commissioners' estates is still
under lease ; the remainder is either let at rack-rent or re-
tained in hand, the louses haying expired er bees purchased
by the commissioners.
Under all the circumstances, we do not consider it advis-
able to apply any new system of management to the estates
already in possess:on, or let at rack rent; hut with regard to
all other estates vested or to be vested in the commissioners,
we recommend thst the knees under them should be entitled
to the same advantages as shall hereafter be offered to the
lessees of other church property.
We recommend that extensive powers of star, purchase,
and exchange over the property of the church should lei
noted in the centr.l board, subject to the restriction that all
purchase monies received on behalf of the church should be
treated as capital, and be ultimately reinvested in the put-
-1 chase of real property.
With a view to protecting the church from any improvident
or unnecessary alienation of its property, we think that no
sale of its interest in any portions of its estates should be
allowed, except with the sanction and approval of such
antral Board.
We think also, that provision should be made for em-
powering such board to cause to be determined all ques-
tions of boundary, and to set out and define the limits of
the lands where such limits are not sufficiently ascertained ;
and also to settle all claims for compensation fur waste or
damage committed ; and to determine, in cue of dispute,
whether the district in which the property is tutted. ($b
within the exception which would entitle the lessee to con-
tinue the present system as to two thirds of the finable
value •, and further that the declaration of such districts
should be one of the primary duties of the central board.
In recommending the foregoing system of assuagement,
we propose that all existing ewleseastical dignearies and
members of chapters should, during their several incumben-
t' in the amount of such
'misted as at present ; any definen
of the foregoing
renew
tines occasioned by the adoption
p.araorihdeniest
twehheiwchathaehyesw.ohaluld-
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propose's being made up to them out of funds to be
by loan for that purpose.
With that view, and in order to supply any other tem-
porary deficiency, we think that power should be obtained
for effecting loans frees time to time as they may be re-
at hand, we do not
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