The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-15 00:00:00

TITHE COMMISSION.

The following is the Report of the Tithe Com-
missioners to her Majesty's Secretary of State
for the Home Department, presented to both Rouses
of Parliament by command of her Majesty

Tithe Ct mmission-uffice, Jury 3i, 1850.

Sir,—lt is our duty to report to you Coo progress of
the Commutation of Tithes in England and Wales to the
close of the year 1849.
We have received notices that voluntary proceedings
have commenced in 9,633 tithe districts; of these no-
tices one was received during the year 1849.
We have received 7,068 agreements, nod confirmed
6,776; of these six have been received and nine con-
firmed during the year 1849.
6,753 notices for making awards have been issued, of
s hic'n 134 were issued during the year 1849.
Wo have received 5,356 drafts w compulsory awards,
and confirmed 5,042; of these 203 have been received,
and 330 have been confirmed, during the year 1849.
We have received 11,104 apportionments, and con-
firmed 10,853; and of these 449 hive been received, and
498 confirmed during the year 1849.
In 11,818 tithe districts, as will bo seen from the
above statement, the rent charges to be hereafter paid
have been finally established by confirmed agreements or
confirmed awards.

We have in our possession agreements and drifts of
awards as yet unconfirmed, which will include 606 addi-
tional tithe districts, and make a total when completed,
of 12,424 districts in which the tithes will have been
commuted.

507 altered apportionments were made by the Tithe
Commissioners op to the 31st of December, 1849, of
which 377 were confirmed.

At that date exchanges of Web() land were effected in
298 places, and 41 such exchanges were in progress.
At the close of 1849 we had confirmed 10,927 distinct
mergers of tithes.
These operations have brought us within sight of the
close of our labours.

The Tithe Act will expire at the end of next session
of Parliament ; by that time we have reason to believe
that all the rent charges will be fixed, and that of the
apportionments only a fragmentary portio❑ will remain
unfinished, most of them for small sums, which the parties
will probably ultimately redeem. The prowess of these
redemptions, however, we find slow and difficult, partly
from the inertness of the parties, partly from the obsti-
nacy of a few persons who refuse to redeem their own
small rent-charge, and continue to expose the re-
maining payers to the expense of maps and apppor-
tionments.

Patience and diligence will, probably, accomplish the
completion of most of these redemptons ; some modi-
fied compulsion may ultimately be necessary for the
remainder.
Obstinate litigation will, probably, prolong the com-
pletion of a few commutations till after the expiration
of the Commission. They will be very few.
When the purposes for which the Tithe Commission
was instituted are substantially completed, there will re-
main a certain amount of business connected with the
mass of commutations, which we feel it our duty to point
out, because it must be provided for.

Of this a part will exist permanently—a part will be
temporary.
The temporary will be the sales of tithe barns and
farm buildings rfndered useless by the commutation, the
defining and setting out glebes where their precise posi-
tion and boundaries are unknown.

The taxation of the bilk of valuers and agents, and
the giving legal authority and power to collect them.
But some powers will be wanted of a more permanent
nature.

These will relate-
1. To the custody and use of the apportionments and
maps; of deeds, correspondence, and minutes of evidence,
which together already amounr,:d to between 40,000 and
50,000 deeds and documents, counting as only one the
files of papers and correspondence which relate to each
separate tithe district.
In the case of transfers of property by death or sales,
these documents are already very constantly consulted
by attorneys and agents.
2. These permanent powers will relate to re-appor-
tionments on the division of estates.

3. To mergers when lands and rent charges now held
separately may come into the same hands..

4. To exchanges of rent charges for lands intended to
form glebes. _ _

5. To the creation of extraordinary charges for hops,
market-gardens, and orchards in new districts.
6. To the future redemption of small rent-charges.
We submit these facts to you, Sir, because, before
the close of the next session of the Legislature her Ma-
jesty's Government will probably think it advisable to
take into consideration the most efficient mode of pro-
viding in future for the public business here pointed out.
We have the honour to be, Sir, your very obedient
servants,

W. BLAMIRE.
T. WENTWORTH BULLER.
R. JONES.
To the Right lion. Sir G. Grey, Bart., M.P., &o.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
BRISTOL, AUG. 14.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market showed a better ap-
pearance to-day, and a larger amount of business was done.
Great Westerns closed at 5914 —Midland, 33%.
LIVERPOOL, AUG. 14.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—There was a fair business done to-
day, and prices were firm. The transactions were as fol-
low :—Lancashire and Yorkshire, Consolidated, 3 3A—Ditto,
Fifths, 9% dis.—London and North-Western, 1111,x—Ditto,
New:Quarters, 15-16 p.—Ditto, Fifths, OA p.—Ditto Quar-
ters (C), 1 1-16 p.—Midland, 333/ —Ditto, Halves 24 9-16
dis.—South-Eastern and Dover, 141 A. ,
MANCHESTER, AUG. 14.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The share market to-day was
pretty active, and prices have been well sustained. The
transactions were as follow :—East Lancashire, 81/B—London
and North-Western, 1111,—Ditto, New Quarters, 15-16 p.—
Ditto, Manchester and Birmingham, Quarters (C), 11, p.—
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, Preference, 7:5/4
North Staffordshire, 11 3-16 dis.—South-Eastern and Dover,
Consolidated Stock (No. 3), 1414.
YORK, AUG. 13.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The transactions to-day were as
follow :—North British, Preference (guaranteed 6 per cent.
for five years, and 5 per cent, in perpetuity),43s
—York,
Newcastle, and Berwick, IVA—York and North Midland,
15%.

DREADFUL EXPLOSION OF GAS AT BIRREIMEAD.
—We regret to state that a serious accident to:1 place this
morning at the Conway Arms Hotel, Conway-street, Birken-
head. t appears that about seven o'clock Mr. Higgins,
who resides with Mrs. Hilton, the proprietor of the hotel,
went into a sitting-room up-stairs for the purpo,e of putting
some water into the slide of the chandelier, the gas being on
at the time, and whilst so doing a boy, who is employed on
the premises, went into the roum and struck a light with a
match, when a fearful explosion immediately took place, by
which Mr. Higgins was severely burred about his face,
hands, and other parts of his body. The damage done to
the furniture in the room was very gre it, the cushions being
burned off the chairs, the paintings scorched, and the orna-
ments generally rendered valueless. The window was blown
completely out. Mr. Higgins lies in a very precarious
state • the boy was very little injured.—Liverpool Courier of
Wednesday.