Minutes of Evidence taken before the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, 23 May 1846

The draft minutes of evidence of select committee of Ecclesiastical Commissioners inquiring into the work of the Commissioners' Secretary and Solicitor in relation to petitions to Parliament concerning Private Parliamentary Bills. The inquiry was established by a meeting of the main board of Ecclesiastical Commissioners on 20 May to investigate the procedures used by their Secretary and Solicitor to 'watch and protect' the Commissioners' interests as affected by Private Bills being considered by Parliament (Ref. ECE/2/1/1/9, p. 153). The inquiry was a result of a complaint by Mr J. E. Denison, MP for Maldon against the Commissioners' Solicitor who had circulated a paper concerning the discussion in the committee stage of the Rye and Derwent Drainage Bill. The Speaker of the House of Commons ruled that this constituted a breach of the privileges of the House and which led to a short debate on this subject in the House of Commons on 21 May 1846 (Hansard House of Commons Debates, 21 May 1846, Vol. 86, cc 962-966). On 23 May the committee heard oral evidence from a number of witnesses including Charles Knight Murray, Secretary to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and Mr J Meadows White Solicitor to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. Their report concluded that Commissioners' officers had not exceeded their instructions. The report of the Select Committee is recorded in the minutes of the Committee and Reports series (Ref. ECE2/4/2 pp. 57-58) and was approved by the meeting of the main board on 27 May (Ref. ECE/2/1/1/9, p.163-166). The minutes of evidence give detailed information about the parliamentary procedures concerning the passage of Private Bills through Parliament and on how the Commissioners' officers endeavoured to monitor legislation and protect the Commissioners' interests through petitions against bills and negotiating with promoters for suitable amendments to their bills.