§ 1. Mr. KINGasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the Rev. B. H. L. Oswell and the Rev. G. H. Harcourt, who have recently been appointed chaplains in the Navy, have since their ordination been curates of churches, Mr. Oswell for four years at St. Columba's, Haggerston, and Mr. Harcourt for seven years at All Saints, Notting Hill, which are head centres of the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament, a society for the restoration of the mass and the confessional in the Church of England, and in both of which churches the law as laid down by the King in Council is habitually defied; and whether he will take steps to secure that appointments to chaplaincies in the Navy shall in future be made in accordance with the Resolution of the House of Commons dated 11th April, 1899?
§ The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Mr. Churchill)All ordained Deacons and Priests of the Church of England are eligible for appointment as chaplains of the Royal Navy, and I have no reason for thinking that the appointments that have been made during my tenure of office at the Admiralty are not representative of the whole body of the Church.
§ Mr. KINGIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the Resolution of the House of Commons of 11th April, 1899, and is he 1667 aware that it was carried in this House during the period of office of the Conservative Government almost unanimously?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLYes, I am aware of it, but I have satisfied myself it has not been infringed.