§ THE EARL OF CROMERMy Lords, I have a Message from the King, signed by His own hand. His Majesty's Message is as follows:
"The uncertainty of human life, and a deep sense of My duty to My People render it incumbent upon Me to recommend to you to consider contingencies which may hereafter arise, and to make such provision as will, in any event, secure the exercise of the Royal Authority.
"It will be within your recollection that during My beloved Father's Reign it became necessary to make temporary provision to meet the difficulties which 2 arose in relation to the exercise of the Royal Authority at the time of his illness in the year nineteen hundred and twenty-eight and of his last illness in the month of January nineteen hundred and thirty-six.
"My Father had, after his illness in the year nineteen hundred and twenty-eight, given much thought to the inconvenience which resulted, or might result, from the absence of statutory provision for dealing with any incapacity which might overtake the Sovereign, with the accession of the Sovereign during infancy and with the absence of the Sovereign from the Realm; and it was his intention, if he had lived, as it was also the intention of My predecessor, to address a Message to you drawing attention to the matters to which I have referred.
"These circumstances lead Me to recommend that you should take into your consideration the making of permanent provision for the purpose of facilitating the uninterrupted exercise of the Royal Authority, not only during the minority of the Sovereign on his accession, but also for the reasons which I have given during any incapacity of the Sovereign and during the absence of the Sovereign from the Realm.
"I shall be prepared to concur with you in any measures which may appear to you to be necessary or expedient for securing the purposes to which I have alluded.
GEORGE, R.I."
§ The said Message to be taken into consideration to-morrow.