§ Messengers from the House of Lords brought down a bill for exhibiting a bill in the session for the naturalization of Prince Albert of Saxe Gotha, which was read a first time.
§ On the motion of Lord J. Russell, that the bill be read a second time,
§ Sir R. Inglisrequested that the noble Lord would state how far the bill was in exact conformity with the Act of Settlement, more especially with respect to the necessity which it imposed that the consort of the Sovereign, whether male or female, should be a Protestant [cries of "oh, oh," and laughter from the ministerial benches] as by law established, and should receive the communion of the Lord's Supper according to the rites of the Church of England.
§ Lord J. Russellreplied that the bill he now proposed to read a second time did not at all affect or vary the Act of Settlement, and he could assure the right hon. Baronet, that he should be as unwilling as any hon. Member of that House to propose any change or alteration in that act. The bill provided only for the exhibition of a bill this session for the naturalization of Prince Albert, which secured to him certain rights as a British subject. He did not think that any objection could be taken to pursuing the same course in the case of Prince Albert as had been pursued in the case of Prince Leopold. He wished the bill to be now read a second time, and tomorrow he should propose to carry it through the rest of its stages.
§ Bill read a second time.