The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-12-04
Stanley Baldwin
Has ChallengedKi1,g
,continued from Page II

@ Continued
ton"
1.-THE king requires no consent
from another authority to make his
marriage legal" Baldwin said, "but
the lady he marries necessarily be-
comes queen"
Regarding a special law TO change
that, Baldwin added:
Dominions Not With King
"Any legislation would require
the consent Of the dominions and I
am satisfied from inquiries I have
made that this assent would not be
forthcoming"
The premier gave no indication
Of what the king plans to do.
Baldwin's statement was brief and
when he had finished, the house
adjourned at 1855 p. m, leaving the
.rnomentous issue still undecided.
Commons can be called In special
session tomorrow; otherwise, the
final showdown will wait until
Monday.
New Pages IN HlStOfy
Today's sessio nof the house of
commons will occupy important
pages when history is written.
The house was packed to capacity.
Members Of the house Of lords sat
in the peers gallery.
Baldwin was cheered loudly when
he entered as demonstration OF
confidence in his course.
Clement r. Attlee, labor leader,
arose and said:
II should like to ask the prime
minister whether he has anything
to add to the answer he gave to
the questions which I put at the
beginning Of business today"
House Listened Closely
The house listened with strained
attention.
Baldwin began:
I'm view of widely circulated Sug-
gestions as to certain possibilities In
the event Of the kings marriage, ]
think 1t would be advisable for me
to make q statement"
He then went on to say that any
one whom the king marries must Of
necessity become queen. Legisla-
ton could be passed which could
change the law and make NOR
ganatic marriage possible, he added,
but "the government Is not prepared
to introduce such legislation" the
house cheered.
Eve n If 1t did, he said further, he
has been informed by the dominions
that they would not stand for 1t.
Won't Stand for Her
Neither, he made 1t plain, would
the government stand for Mrs.
Simpsons becoming queen - he
mentioned here the revered Queen
Alexandra and the much-loved
present queen mother, Maryland
her children being In direct line Of
succession to the throne.
When Baldwin finished, Attlee
suggested that the matter Is too
grave for any debate at present.
"At this stage" he said. II think
1t would, even If time allowed, be
undesirable to make any comment
or discuss the prime minister's
statement (cries Of Hear. hear")
It Is one to which we shall have to
give our very gravest consideration"
Text Of Statement
London, Dec. 4(UPo-Text Of
the eagerly-awaited statement Of
Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin in
the house of commons today on the
King Edward-Mrs. Simpson situa-
ton, follows:
I'm view Of widely circulated sug-
gestions as to certain possibilities
In event Of the kings marriage l
think 1t would be advisable for me
to make statement.
Suggestions have appeared In
certain organs Of the press yester-
day and again today that II the
king decided TO marry his wife would
not need to become queen. Those
ideas are without any legislative
foundation.
There Is no such thing as what
is called q morganatic marriage
known TO our law. The royal mar
riages act Of 1772 has no applica-
ton toward the sovereign himself.
It's only effect Is that q marriage
Of any other member Of the royal
family Is null and void unless the
sovereign's consent, declared under
the great seal. Is FIRST obtained. This
act. therefore, has nothing to do
with the present case.
Question About Queen
1.-THE king himself requires no
consent from any other authority
TO make his marriage legal, but rs
I have said, the lady he marries, BY
the fact Of her marriage 10 the king.
necessarily becomes queen.
"6he herself. therefore, would en-
Joy all the status, rights and privi-
leges. which both BY positive law and
custom, attach 10 that position and
s~---------------~-------4 s---------------~.---~
the American armed forces. Of
ficiala OF both the war and navy de-
partments are consulted BY the
state department before export H.
ccnees are granted on any military
aiFpIanes. +