20 December 1847.-11 VICT.

A

BIL L

For the Relief of Her Majesty's Subjects professing the Jewish Religion.

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W

HEREAS by divers Acts now in force, the Oath, com- Preamble. monly called the Abjuration Oath, is or may be required

to be taken and subscribed by the Subjects of Her Majesty as a Qualification for sitting and voting in Parliament, and for the enjoyment of certain Franchises and Civil Rights:

this

And whereas Her Majesty's Subjects professing the Jewish Religion are unable conscientiously to take and subscribe the said Oath in the form by the said Acts prescribed; Be it therecore Enacted, by The QUEEN's most Excellent MAJESTY, by and with the Advice 10 and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in present Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, THAT whenever any of Her Majesty's Subjects professing the Jewish Religion may be required by the said Acts, or any of them, to take or subscribe the said Oath, they shall and may, instead thereof, take and 15 subscribe, in form and manner hereinafter mentioned, the Oath following, and shall not be required to take any other Oath; (that is to say)

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"I, A. B., do solemnly promise and swear, That I will be
faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen
VICTORIA, and will defend Her to the utmost of my power
against all conspiracies and attempts whatever which shall
be made against Her Person, Crown and Dignity; and
I will do my utmost endeavour to disclose and make known
to Her Majesty, Her heirs and successors, all treasons and

2. Name of the Sovereign for

the time being to be inserted

in the Oath.

3.

Oath to be

taken in like manner as

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traitorous conspiracies which may be formed against Her or
them; and I do faithfully promise to maintain, support and
defend, to the utmost of my power, the succession of the
Crown, which succession, by an Act, intituled, 'An Act
for the further Limitation of the Crown, and better securing
the Rights and Liberties of the Subject,' is and stands
limited to the Princess SOPHIA, Electress of Hanover, and
the heirs of her body, being Protestants, hereby utterly
renouncing and abjuring any obedience or allegiance to any
other person claiming or pretending a right to the Crown
of this Realm; and I do declare, that I do not believe that
any foreign prince, prelate, person, state or potentate hath
or ought to have any temporal or civil jurisdiction, power,
superiority or pre-eminence, directly or indirectly, within
this Realm: I do swear, that I will defend, to the utmost of
my power, the settlement of property within this Realm, as
established by the laws; and I do hereby disclaim, disavow,
and solemnly abjure any intention to subvert the present
Church Establishment as settled by law within this Realm;
and I do solemnly swear, that I will never exercise any 20
privilege to which I am or may become entitled, to disturb
or weaken the Protestant Religion or Protestant Govern-
ment in the United Kingdom; and I do solemnly, in the
presence of GOD, profess, testify and declare, that I do
make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain 25
and ordinary sense of the words of this Oath, without any
evasion, equivocation or mental reservation whatsoever.

"So help me GOD."

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And the taking the Oath last aforesaid shall be of the same force and
effect to all intents and purposes as the taking and subscribing the 30
first-mentioned Oath within the intent and meaning of the said Acts,
or any of them.

And be it Declared and Enacted, That whenever in the Oath herein appointed and set forth, the name of Her present Majesty is expressed or referred to, the name of the Sovereign of this Kingdom 35 for the time being shall be substituted from time to time, with proper words of reference thereto.

And be it Declared and Enacted, That whenever any of Her Majesty's Subjects professing the Jewish Religion shall present himself, Jews are now or be required to take the said Oath provided to be taken by them 40 as aforesaid, such Oath shall be administered to and taken by such person professing the Jewish Religion in like manner as Jews are

sworn.

admitted

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admitted to be sworn to give evidence in Her Majesty's Courts of Justice, and the same shall be deemed a sufficient and lawful taking of such Oath on all occasions whatsoever.

4.

are to be administered and recorded.

And be it Enacted, That the Oath hereinbefore appointed and set How Oaths forth shall be administered to Her Majesty's subjects professing the Jewish Religion in manner aforesaid, at the same time, and by the same officers, or other persons, as the Oath for which it is hereby substituted is or may be now by law administered; and that in all cases in which a certificate of the taking, making or subscribing of the first-mentioned 10 Oath of Abjuration is directed to be given, a like certificate of the taking or subscribing of the Oath hereby appointed and set forth instead thereof shall be given by the same officer or other person, and in the same manner as the certificate now required by law is directed to be given, and shall be of the like force and effect; and the officers 15 or other persons who are required by any Act now in force to ad

minister the first-mentioned Oath of Abjuration, and grant certificates thereof, shall be sworn duly to administer and grant certificates of the Oath hereby appointed and set forth instead thereof.

5.

Persons professing the Jewish Remake Declaration in cer

ligion to

tain cases.

9 Geo. 4, c. 17.

c. 52.

AND whereas by a certain Act passed in the ninth year of the 20 reign of King GEORGE the Fourth, intituled, "An Act for repealing so much of several Acts as imposes the Necessity of receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper as a Qualification for certain Offices and Employments," a certain Declaration is prescribed to be taken in the cases in the said Act mentioned: AND whereas by an Act passed 25 in the ninth year of the reign of Her Majesty, intituled, "An Act 8 & 9 Vict., for the Relief of Persons of the Jewish Religion elected to Municipal Offices," a certain other Declaration was permitted to be taken in certain cases by persons professing the Jewish Religion, instead of the Declaration required to be made and subscribed by the said Act of 30 King GEORGE the Fourth: AND whereas it is right to extend the benefit of the last-recited Act to all other cases in which the Declaration set forth in the said Act of the ninth year of the reign of King GEORGE the Fourth is by law required to be taken; BE it Enacted, That in all cases which are not within the provisions of the said 35 Act of the ninth year of the reign of Her Majesty, in which any other of Her Majesty's Subjects are required by law to make and subscribe the Declaration set forth in the said Act of the ninth year of the reign of King GEORGE the Fourth, Her Majesty's Subjects professing the Jewish Religion shall be required, instead thereof, to make and sub40 scribe the Declaration set forth in the said Act of the ninth year of the reign of Her Majesty, which Declaration shall, with respect to such person professing the Jewish Religion, be of the same force and effect as if he made and subscribed the said Declaration by the said Act of the ninth year of the reign of King GEORGE the Fourth, and shall be

6.

Act not to enable persons professing the Jewish Religion to

hold certain Offices.

7.

Act not to

enable persons to hold Offices in the Church, &c. otherwise than at present.

8.

Jews not to present to

Benefices in

made and subscribed at the same times and places respectively, and preserved of record in the same manner as the last-mentioned declaration is now by law required to be made, subscribed and preserved.

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Provided always, and be it Enacted, That nothing herein contained shall extend or be construed to extend to enable any person or persons professing the Jewish Religion to hold or exercise the office of Guardians and Justices of the United Kingdom, or of Regent of the United Kingdom, under whatever name, style or title such office may be constituted, or to enable any person to hold or enjoy the office of Lord High Chancellor, Lord Keeper or Lord Commissioner of the 10 Great Seal of Great Britain or Ireland, or the office of Lord Lieutenant, or Deputy or other Chief Governor or Governors of Ireland, or Her Majesty's High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

And be it Enacted, That nothing in this Act contained shall be 15 construed to enable any persons, otherwise than they are now by law enabled, to hold, enjoy or exercise any office, place or dignity of, in or belonging to the United Church of England and Ireland, or the Church of Scotland, or any place or office whatever of, in or belonging to any of the Ecclesiastical Courts of Judicature in 20 England and Ireland respectively, or any Court of Appeal from or review of the sentence of such Courts, or of, in or belonging to the Commissary Court of Edinburgh, or of, in or belonging to any Cathedral or Collegiate or Ecclesiastical Establishment or Foundation, or any office or place whatever of, in or belonging to any of the 25 Universities of the Realm, or any office or place whatever, and by whatever name the same may be called, of, in or belonging to any of the Colleges or Halls of the said Universities, or the Colleges of Eton, Westminster or Winchester, or any College or School within this Realm, or to repeal, abrogate or in any manner to interfere with 30 any local statute, ordinance or rule which is or shall be established by competent authority within any University, College, Hall or School, by which Jews shall be prevented from being admitted thereto, or from residing or taking degrees therein; and that nothing herein contained shall extend to enable any person, otherwise than as he is now 35 by law enabled, to exercise any right of presentation to any Ecclesiastical Benefice whatsoever, or to repeal, vary or alter in any manner the laws now in force in respect to the right of presentation to any Ecclesiastical Benefice whatever.

And be it Enacted, That where any right of presentation to any 40 Ecclesiastical Benefice shall belong to any office in the gift or right of office. appointment of Her Majesty, Her heirs or successors, and such office shall be held by a person professing the Jewish religion, the right of

presentation

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presentation shall devolve upon and be exercised by the Archbishop of Canterbury for the time being.

And be it Enacted, That it shall not be lawful for any person professing the Jewish Religion directly or indirectly to advise Her Majesty, Her heirs or successors, or any person or persons holding or exercising the Office of Guardians of the United Kingdom, or of Regent of the United Kingdom, under whatever name, style or title such office may be constituted, or the Lord Lieutenant or Lord Deputy, or other Chief Governor or Governors of Ireland, touching 10 or concerning the appointment to, or disposal of, any office or preferment in the United Church of England and Ireland, or in the Church of Scotland.

And be it Enacted, That this Act may be amended or repealed by Act may be any Act to be passed in this Session of Parliament.

amended during present Session.