§ The Marquess of Lansdownerose to move the second reading of the Bill for the relief of Quakers, Moravians, and Separatists, which had been sent up from the other House of Parliament. He should perhaps, best consult their Lordships' convenience, after the discussion which had taken place, if he confined himself to a very few remarks. As far as he had been able to ascertain, he did not apprehend that there would be any objection offered to the principle of the measure by any of their Lordships; but if there should be any noble Lord who might consider it either not sufficiently comprehensive, or too much so, the most convenient stage for stating his objections to it would be in Committee. He would therefore merely state, that the object of this bill was to extend to the particular sects enumerated in it the benefits of the act of George 4th commonly called the act for the Repeal of the Test Acts. To the declaration prescribed by that act certain of those sects entertained conscientious scruples which excluded them from the benefits of it; or, to speak more properly, the community had, in consequence thereof, been deprived of the services of those individuals in particular municipal offices to which they might otherwise have been elected. Happy as he should be, and happy and desirous as he was sure their Lordships would feel, to extend to any respectable portion of her Majesty's subjects any such benefits they might seek to obtain, it was not upon that ground so much that he recommended this bill to their Lordships 'favourable consideration, as upon the ground of the benefits to be derived by the community at large, by enabling all capable persons to discharge civil duties, and more particularly that class of duties to which this bill related, namely, those of municipal offices. In the bill recently passed on that subject, the liability of all abuse was guarded against in the discharge of those municipal duties, and he certainly did not think they were of a nature so peculiar as that they should not be accessible to all classes of persons, who were qualified by virtue and morality to discharge them, if called upon. The chief ob- 1080 jection entertained by that large body of persons, commonly called Quakers and Moravians, and also by those called Separatists, was, that they considered the words of the declaration described by the act as being too much in the nature of an oath, and therefore creating in their minds conscientious scruples. The words of the declaration were, "I solemnly, sincerely, and in the presence of God, protest, testify, and declare upon the true faith of a Christian, that I will, &c." It was proposed by the bill to substitute another form of declaration, which would be free from the objection alluded to. It would contain an assurance in every respect as effective, but would exclude the obnoxious words.
§ Bill read a second time.