MR. J. COWENasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If 84 his attention has been directed to a book recently published, entitled "The Priest in Absolution;" if he is aware that the book is substantially the same as one for the circulation of which a lecturer against auricular confession was not long ago imprisoned; if he is aware that "The Eriest in Absolution" is printed with the sanction and for the use of the "Master, Vicars, and Brethren of the Society of the Holy Cross," of which there are 700 members, chiefly clergymen of the Church of England; and, if he is prepared to take steps to test the legality of the publication?
§ MR. FORSYTHasked Mr. Attorney General, Whether his attention has been directed to the distribution of a book called "The Priest in Absolution" by certain clergymen of the Church of England; and, whether he has considered the propriety of instituting a prosecution, following the example of the prosecution now pending against the publishers of a book called "the Fruits of Philosophy?"
THE ATTORNEY GENERALAt the request of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department I rise to answer the Question of the hon. Member for Newcastle, and if I may be permitted to do so, I will at the same time reply to the Question of which my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Marylebone has given Notice. My attention has been called by the Questions of the hon. Members, and by a discussion in "another place," to the work called The Priest in Absolution; but I have no special means of obtaining information on the subject, nor am I aware whether the alleged facts with reference to the work as to which my right hon. Friend has been interrogated by the hon. Member for Newcastle can be substantiated or not. With respect to the work called Fruits of Philosophy, mentioned by the hon. and learned Member for Marylebone, I beg to state that the Government have had nothing whatever to do with the prosecution which was instituted against the publishers of that book. As to the propriety of instituting a prosecution in the case of The Priest in Absolution, in my opinion it is no part of the duty of the Government to act as censors of the public morals, and to prosecute the publishers of every book which in their judgment is objectionable; and with 85 regard to the work in question, there is this reason why no proceedings should be taken—namely, that it has not, as I understand, been circulated among the laity, but only placed in the hands of certain clergymen. If the work were circulated among the people, in my opinion those who caused it to be so circulated ought to be, and would be liable to be, proceeded against for the publication of an obscene and disgusting book.