ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSIONERS FOR ENGLAND. A corporate body established by act of Parliament constituting an important administrative agency for the Established Church of England, The commissioners are about fifty in number, and include all the bishops of the Estab lished Church in England and \Vales, the deans of Canterbury. Saint Paul's, and Westminster and five Cabinet Ministers, in addition to twelve lay members, appointed partly by the Crown and partly by the „\rchhishop of Canterbury. They are required to lay before the Crown in council such plans as appear to them best adapted for carry ing out the objects of their appointment. acts subsequent to their organization, they now have authority to divide or unite existing par ishes and to create additional jurisdictions. known as districts. At the time of their ap pointment, in order that they might he provided with funds to carry out their plans. the seven best-endowed sues of the Established Church were laid under a contribution which amounted to an annual sum of £'32.S00. In addition to the in
come thus provided. several eanonries in VartoltR cathedrals and other ecclesiastical preferments were suppressed, and the entire emoluments were vested in the commissioners.
The commissioners expend their funds on church buildings, on the augmentation of poor livings, and on the endowment of new ehurches in new cures. called districts: and in so doing, though the fund they handle is a common one. they are bound to consider the needs of the places whence the income is derived. In the augmentation of poor livings the commissioners often contribute a certain sum on condition that the persons in terested raise an equal sum. The average income of the English beneficed clergy at the present time is U49 per benefice, and the funds for the augmentation of the benefices would amount to about £3 each if they were equally distributed. Consult Whitehead, Church Lace (London. IS:if?).