The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-24
POLITICS MUST
Be In ABEyANCf
Little Can Be Done Until Eng
lands King Is
Crowned.
FACES DIFFICULTIES
Royal Declaration Agains
Church OF Rome Is Causing
Worry.
FACES DIFFICULTIES
by WILLIAM II. STEAD.
speeial Cable TO The Times D!spateh.l

Especial Cable to The Ttrnes-Dlspanh,I
London, July 23.--London has had
reminder. in the shape of quaint
heraldic proclamation that the King
will be crowned next June. that
the new reign has not yet been fully
inaugurated Until June politics must
perforce be more or less In aoeya-nce
and TIE conferences on the consti-
tutional crisis be kept going through
the autumn to avoid holding gen
eral election before the KING Is
crowned
clearer relief the difficulty OF arend-
ing the royal declaration against the
doctrines of the Church of Rome.
The Bill of Rights confirmed by tho
Act of Settlement, by virtue OF which
the King sits on the throne, requires
tho sovereign to make this offensive
anti Romanist declaration on the first
day OF the meeting OF the first Par
| lament next after his coming 10 the
| crown or at his coronation. whichever
| comes first"
! II is notorious that the King dis
| likes this declaration. He is as sound
! a Protes tant as any of his subjects
| but he objects to this insult TO the
| faith of millions of his faithful lteses.
| The leaders of both parties agree tina.
| the declaration is Objectionable ana
/ ought to be altered. This government
| has introduced bill substituting Tor
| tho Insulting words of the old decia-
ration this simple declaration;
I II am a faithful member OF inc
/ Protestant Reformed Church by law
| established in England"
Enemies on Every Hand.
This seems simple enough but
host OF enemies has sprung up, Ths
Scotch object to the new declaration
as ruling out any member of the
Church by law established" IN scot
land.
4 The High Church Angiicans, who
perform mass and invoke the Virgin
Mary object fercely to the introduce
ton OF the word protestant
The Nonconformists. of whom there
are lis in the House OF Commons, OPP
pose the new declaration as ne"
test act excluding forever all Non
conformists from royal succession.
The ultra Protestants of Ulster and
elsewhere wiring their hands In GRIEF
: over the prospective loss OF the OPP
portunity OF insulting the coreii gion-
, lists of the Roman faith.
j Hence 1t is quite possible the gov
eminent may after all fall III amend
ing the declaration.
!, Under these circumstances what
: shall the King do as lawabidins
1 man? He must perforce comply with
| the condition laid down in the Act OF
, Settlement But, IL has been pointed
9 | out that while obeying the law he
. might take the opportunity OF imme
d!ately after complying with the con
/ | dittons prescribed By act of Parl.a.
]. ment of making a royal declaration
!. of his own but protesting against th'
g languag e which he had been requiref
9 10 use in his capacity as constitutions
King. and asserting in his own word
the revolt of his conscience as maj
and a Christian against the phrase
o!ogy which he had been compelled t
employ.
Mny MIKE Private Declaration.
There Is nothing in the Constttutio,
1 to prevent him easing his conscienc
VI bv such an independent declaration
II he took this line it would convinc
the people that In George Y. We hav
King to be reckoned with. Their
would no doubt be prodigion
l. mother in some circles. but the ma
,e ton as a whole would rejoice over
,e sovereign who dared to call his cor
Of / science his own
i. 1t has been pointed out that even
"a the King were able to declare the da
q. after his declaration that he ma
n. changed his mind and that so far frol
A. regarding the mass as idolatrous an
q superstitious' he regarded 1t as a
~ essential element of true Christia
~ faith, 1t would not in any way afre,
~ his sovereign position. He Will nj
-. go so far as that. but that he cou
- do SO with impunity may encoural
him to take SONS Independent acttc
- to remove the bad impression produce
~, by the use of the, old offensive decl
80 ration