On Monday the Accession Declaration Bill passed its second reading
in the House of Lords without a division. Speeches in its favour were made both by Lord Crewe and Lord Lansdowne, but perhaps the words which best expressed the feelings of the average man upon the question were those of the Archbishop of Canterbury. He gave an interesting account of the origin of the Declaration and of the con- troversies that had centred around it, and pointed out that the object of the words had not been religions but political. The new Declaration said what needed saying, said it effectively, said it in a way that everybody could understand, and said it in terms which could not offend the most sensitive Roman Catholic. " Such a intlution will be to the relief of the personal position of the gracious Sovereign of this Empire; it will be to the easing of the mind of reasonable con- troversialists on either side; and, I will add, it will be to the credit of Christian common-sense."
Previous page
