§ "Nothing in this Act contained, or in the altered form of Declaration, shall operate to absolve the Sovereign from the other obligations expressed or implied in the Bill of Rights, the Act of Settlement, the Act of Union (Scotland) and the Act of Union (England), and other statutes of the Realm for securing the religion, laws, and liberties of the people and the Protestant Succession to the Throne."
§ I desire to move the insertion of the new Clause, not that I think it is in itself of any particular value, but we are dealing on this occasion with the religious susceptibilities of a large number of people both of the extreme Protestant section on the one hand and the Roman Catholic on the other, and there is an impression abroad among a certain section of the people that in practically tearing up the old Declaration which was the basis of the Bill of Rights and which was imposed by the Act of Parliament upon the Sovereign acceding to the Throne, we are doing something which will seriously impair the provisions of these other Statutes. There are a number of other obligations imposed upon the Sovereign by these Acts of Parliament in addition to this Declaraation. These obligations are to make a number of promises which are solemnly put to the Sovereign, and they have to be audibly made. Then there is the Coronation Oath, and there are, as I have said, in these five Acts of Parliament a considerable number of obligations on the part of 2402 the Crown for the protection of the Protestant Succession to the Throne, and, in particular, the liberties and religion of the people. I want to make it clear by this new Clause that we put on record in the Act of Parliament which is going to be passed for the purpose of altering the Declaration, that none of these other obligations, which are most important, are in any way interfered with by the present Bill. After all we ought in the House of Commons to bear in mind the susceptibilities of the bulk of the people of the country. I shall be told that this new Clause is absolutely unnecessary and that safeguards were already provided. But even if that be so, I would invite the Prime Minister seriously to consider whether its incorporation in the Statute would not have the effect of ameliorating the blow which the passing of this Bill will inflict upon a large section of the community. If it would have such an effect, then I would ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is not necessary and desirable to incorporate the Clause. It is in that spirit and for that purpose that I put it before the Committee, though in the altered form suggested by the Chairman, namely by putting the word "other" before the word "obligations."
§ The PRIME MINISTERI hope the hon. Gentleman will not press this new Clause, not because I in any way differ from him in the view of its being desirable to maintain, and maintain clearly, all the affirmative provisions in regard to the Protestant Succession in the various Acts of Parliament which are referred to in the Clause. But I should very much deprecate, in the change we are making in the form of Declaration, that it should be suggested it would have any effect in the direction 2403 of impairing those obligations. The view I take is that the Declaration is entirely independent of the other provisions of the Acts. The affirmative provisions of the Bill require that the Sovereign to be a Protestant, and absolves his subjects from further allegiance if he becomes a Roman Catholic. The obligations in the various Acts are entirely unaffected by any change in the Declaration. I must deprecate the suggestion contained in the new Clause proposed by the hon. Gentleman that the Declaration might impair those obligations. I submit it is far better not to insert any additional security, because it ought not to be forgotten that beyond all question there is ample security in the statutory safeguards contained in the Acts of Parliament to which reference has been made. I hope the hon. Gentleman will not press his Clause to a Division.
§ Mr. WATSON RUTHERFORDIf it has done nothing else my proposing this Clause has had the effect of eliciting from the Prime Minister a statement which, I am quite sure, will do something, at all events, to remove the impression to which I have referred. In the circumstances, I respectfully ask leave to withdraw my Amendment.
Proposed Clause, by leave, withdrawn.