Captain CRAIGasked the Prime Minister whether he will postpone the Report stage and Third Reading of the Accession Declaration Bill till the Autumn Session, in order to afford Members an opportunity of consulting their constituents on the Bill?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am afraid I cannot take the course suggested by the hon. Member.
§ Mr. MacNEILLasked the Prime Minister whether, in any of the offices to which Catholics are not eligible but whose holders have, under the provisions of the Statute of 1867, been relieved from making the declaration of disbelief in the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church contained in the formula now known as the Accession Declaration, a previous declaration of religious conviction is now required; if so, what is the declaration and from the holders of what offices is it required; whether, since the passing of the Act of 1867, he has any reason to believe that any of the offices reserved for non-Catholics, and, if so, which of them, have been held by Catholics; and what is the necessity, having regard to the many safeguards for the securing of the succession of Protestants to the Throne and its tenure by the Protestants, of imposing on the Sovereign the necessity of making a declaration of faith?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo previous declaration of religious conviction is 2104 required by law in the case of persons holding offices for which Roman Catholics are not eligible, and I have no reason to believe that any of those offices have been held by persons who are Roman Catholics. The necessity for the making of a Declaration of Faith by the Sovereign will be the subject of Debate later in the day.
§ Mr. MacNEILLIs the Sovereign the only person subject to the obligation of making this Declaration at the present time?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo; I think the Lord Chancellor of England and the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland have to make it.
§ Mr. MacNEILLNo, no.
§ Mr. WILLIAM REDMONDIs it not the fact that the obligation to make this Declaration on the part of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and the Lord Chancellor was abolished by the Act of 1863?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI believe that is so.
§ Mr. MacNEILLasked the Prime Minister whether his attention had been directed to the fact that the Accession Declaration was not made by His late Majesty King Edward VII. on the first day of the meeting of the first Parliament after his coming to the Throne, but on the 14th February, 1901, in a Parliament which had been convened by the late Queen Victoria, and had held its first Session in her reign and which had met in the interval between the death of Queen Victoria on the 22nd January, 1901, and the making of the Declaration by the King on 14th February; and whether, seeing that His late Majesty King Edward VII. did not make the Declaration in the manner prescribed by the Statute, and that the Declaration made by him on 14th February, 1901, is a nullity, the Government will take any, and, if so, what, steps to remedy the breach of the law and the effects, if any, on subsequent legislation of this omission?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Accession Declaration was made by King Edward VII. at the correct time and in the correct manner according to law. The questions asked by the hon. Member do not therefore arise.
§ Mr. WILLIAM REDMONDasked the Prime Minister if his attention had been called to the fact that the Australian Commonwealth House of Representatives 2105 has unanimously passed an Address to the King in favour of the Government's Bill for the alteration of the King's Accession Declaration; and whether a copy of the Address will be circulated to Members as a Parliamentary Paper at an early date?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI observe from Press telegrams that such an Address was unanimously agreed to by the Commonwealth House of Representatives, but the text of the Address has not yet been received.
§ Mr. WILLIAM REDMONDHas the right hon. Gentleman the text of the Commonwealth Parliament's Address?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThey expressly approve the Bill.
§ Mr. WILLIAM REDMONDWhen the right hon. Gentleman receives the text will he take steps to circulate it, together with the proceedings of the Canadian Parliament on the same subject?