LORD ABERDEEN ON THE AFFIRMATION BILL. [To THE EDITOR OF
THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Your notice of the Earl of Aberdeen's article on the Affirmation Bill in the Fort,zightly leaves the impression, which I am sure you could not have intended, that Lord Aberdeen is not quite decided upon this important question. No one has expressed himself more firmly than be has done that the pass- ing of this Bill is a simple act of justice, and his recommenda- tion that those should leave the House in whose minds Mr. Bradlaugh is uppermost in connection with this question, was simply intended to meet the difficulty of Members who supposed that the direct object of the Bill was to admit an Atheist. Now, however, when the Government have declared the Bill not to be retrospective, all difficulty is removed, and its opponents can no longer call it a Bradlaugh Relief Bill. I have read the article carefully, and certainly regard it as a strong plea for the Affirmation Bill.—I am, Sir, &c.,
CHRISTIAN D. GINSBURG.
[We had no intention of leaving the impression referred to, and were quite aware that Lord Aberdeen was counselling weaker brethren.—En. Spectatoy.]
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