Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1914-06-07
URCH DISESTABLISH
MENT BILL is FIRST PASS
ED THE NEW WAY.
Was LONG. BITTER FIGHT
Only the Impotenacy of the Up
per House Allowed 1t to Be
come a Law.


rcaprd the first fruits of the parlia-
mcut act which they passed tO limit
the veto power of the House of Lords.
II Is 40 years since the non luulur-
mlsts ut Wales commenced the move
mcnt tu have the church dIscsl1h-
nshed as lar as then pliuclpdhtS Is
concerned and just 20 years since "a
Liberal government introduced lu the
House OF Commons the first hlll 10
carry out the wishes of these nom
contormIsts.
Llh, many Liberal measures since,
this first diseStablishmeut hlll passed
by the House of Commons by ma-
Jority of "A iu a house Of adI, was
thrown out by the House of Lords.
Not until II. II. Asquith, who, as home
secretary, introduced that first blll
became prime minister and undertook
the huge task of Curblng the power Of
the upper chamber was there any
hope of "A bill to dlscstdhllsh the
church becoming "A law So strongly
are the Lords on the side Of the cstah-
lished church in all matters OF the
kind. Now however, they have to
bow to the inevitable. Under the par
lament act the bin having passed
the house of Corm0us three times, be
comes law no matter what attitude The
house OF l.oIGS taxes.
1t has been a long hard fight for
those who desired the disestahlishment
of the church. In the first debate on
the bill introduced by Mr.. Asquith in
1895 the opposition was led by Mr
Balfour, who also spoke against the
present measure, and the then home
seCIetarT had to face all the then big
guns of the Conservative party. lie
had on his side, however, Joseph
Chamberlain, then a strong advocate
Of disestablishment, but now with all
his followers an opponent Of it, Mr.
Asquith's labor on that occasion as
that of many of his successors in after
years, was wasted. AS soon as the blll
reached the Lords II was thrown out
without any consideration. Now the
Lords are powerless, except to make
suggestions for amendments which
are not likely to receive much con-
sideration from the Welsh members
Of the House Of Commons their LIB
eral supporters, both non-COnformist
and churchmen, and above all the
Irish Iationalists, who voted regularly
for the bill, perhaps not so much be-
cause they like its principle as because
of desire to get il out of the way to
give a clear road for the home rule
bill.
While home rule has attracted more
attention, on account of the oppOsi-
ton of portion OF Ulster, the Welsh
urCh bill has created almost as much
feeling between the two political par
ties, and between the church of Eng
land and the Liberals. The Welsh
Liberals, and with one or two eXcep-
tions all members of the House OF
Commons from the principality are
Liberals, were busy early and late
urging the passage of the bill, and
supporting candidates ia constitu-
encies throughout the kingdom
pledged to vote for il. The bishops
and their supporters were just as
busy. In every by-election, organiza-
tions opposed to dsestablishment,
entered the constituency to fight cam
didates who favored the bill, and
Liberal churchmen were particularly
urged to go against their party on this
measure. All this has counted heavily
against the government and several
by-elections have been influenced by
it, Mr.. Asquith has, however, gone
steadily forward endeavoring to
carry out the pledges he gave the
Welshmen 20 years ago to disestab-
lish the church when it was in his
power to do so.
Now that the disestablishment bin
has been passed it is believed that all
the old animosities aroused by it Will
be buried. The government at any
rate has taken the first step toward
that happy conclusion by appointing
non-partisan commission to carry
out the provisions OF the bill. This
commission is composed of Sir Henry
Primrose a civil servant Of long dis
tinguished service, who Is member
of the Episcopal church of Scotland;
William Plender, a chartered ac-
countant, member of the church OF
England, and Sir Herbert Roberts, "A
Welsh non-cOnformist member of the
House of Commons.
The functions 10 the commission
will be judicial. administrative and
actuarial. They Will have to determine
the ALLEGATION of border parishes to
English or Welsh dioceses, decide what
it Welsh eccuesiastical property, which
on the passage of bill became vested in
them; and they viii have TO distribute
among the ultimate beneficiaries, the
church representative body, the
Welsh county councils, the University
OF Wales. and the burial authorities
Ii is estimated that the property OF
the church In Wales, which viii be
taken over hy the commissioners, Is
worth, including grants from the &C.
Clcsiastical commissioners aud queen
Auues bounty over Sl,300,O0O am
nually. outside this the church has
an income Of some 100000 which
will not be touched by the disenlow-
ment clauses of the act and besides
provision will be made for the clergy
go that they Will suffer no financial
loss. The bishops and clergy viii
continue to receive their present in
comes so long az they hold their off
ces. and they will also be left In the
enjoyment of their palaces and par
sOnages. The present incumbmcuts
will moreover retain possession Of the
globes and can at any time within five
years exchange their existing interests
in the emoluments Of office for an
annuity and thereupon retire. An
churches and church buildings in
Guiding residences Of the clergy plate
and furniture, all funds and endow-
ments especially allocated to the re-
pair, restoration, or improvement Of
churches or ecclesiastical residences,
all closed burial grounds and private
benefactiOns made since 1862 remain
vested in the church.
What the church loses are the
burial grounds and globes and tithe
rent charges, which go 10 the county
and borough councils, and which pro-
duce the greater part OF the amount
mentioned above, The money Will be