In the Lords the Royal Declaration Bill has passed its second reading, the Roman Catholics and the Ritualists together only mustering six opponents, as against 96 sup-jerters. There is no hope, however, that it will pass the Commons this session. The Bill substitutes for the old declaration against transubstantintion a new form recommended by the recently appointed committee of the Lords. The new form retains the declaration of disbelief in transubstantiation while discarding the offend sive epithets and the allusion to idolatry. But it does not satisfy the Roman Catholics and extreme High Churchmen, who "enounce the declaration as a religions test, and want to get rid of it altogether. As Lord Llandoff, once better known as Home Secretary Matthews, put it: " We object to our creed being singled out for Royal censure." The reply to this objection was, however, very clearly put by the Arch bishop of Canterbury. "The security we require," he said, "is wanted not on religious but on political grounds. This country is determined to govern itself, and will not have any interference from' outside. It is because Roman Catholics owe an allegiance to an outside Power that a declaration against their creed is necessary."
26th July.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.