lace.
{13}

The Churchwardens being thus duly elected, and having made the legal
declaration at the visitation, continue in office until their successors
are elected, and have in their turn made the said declaration.

What, then, are their duties?

The Local Government Act, 1894, has in many ways affected them.

Churchwardens in rural parishes are no longer _ex-officio_ Overseers of
the Poor. {14} An additional number of Overseers may be appointed to
replace the Churchwardens, and reference in any Act to the Churchwardens
and Overseers, shall, as respects any rural parish (except so far as
those references relate to the affairs of the Church), be construed as
references to the Overseers, and the legal interest in all property
vested either in the Overseer of a rural parish (other than a property
connected with the affairs of the Church, or held for an Ecclesiastical
Charity), shall, if there is a Parish Council, vest in that Council.--V.
2, (_a_), (_b_), (_c_).

The Poor Relief Act, 1819, _i.e._, 59 Geo. III, cap. 12, enabled
Churchwardens and Overseers of a parish to acquire lands, &c., and they
were made a Corporation for that special purpose alone, and for the
specific purposes mentioned in the Act. Such lands, as regards rural
parishes having a Parish Council, now come under the management of the
Parish Council.

The Churchwardens of every rural parish are now only concerned as
Churchwardens with the affairs of the Church. What changes then, it will
be asked, are made with regard to Vestries?

Speaking generally as to rural parishes, the powers, duties, and
liabilities of the Vestry except (i) so far as relates to the affairs of
the Church or to Ecclesiastical Charities, or (ii) any power, duty, or
liability, transferred by this Act from the Vestry to any other authority
are transferred to the Parish Council.--6, a, 1, 2.

One word with regard to the expression, Ecclesiastical Charities. These
words include a charity, the endowment whereof is held for some one or
more of the following purposes:--

(_a_.) Any spiritual purpose which is a legal purpose, or,

(_b_.) For the benefit of any spiritual person, or ecclesiastical person
as such, or

(_c_.) For use, if a building, as a church, chapel, mission room, Sunday
School, or otherwise by any particular church or denomination, or

(_d_.) For the maintenance, repair, or improvement of any such building
as aforesaid, or for the maintenance of Divin