treasons and traitorous conspiracies which I shall know to be made against him or any of them; and I will be true and faithful to the succession of the crown, against the descendants of the said James, and against all other persons whatsoever, 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 electoress and duchess dowager of Hanover, and the heirs of her body, being protestants: and all these things I do plainly and sincerely acknowledge, promise, and declare, according to these express words by me spoken, and according to the plain and common sense and understanding of the same words, without any equivocation, mental evasion, or secret reservation whatsoever: and I do make this recognition, acknowledgment, renunciation, and promise heartily, willingly, and truly. 1 VICTORIA, CAP. 5.—An act for the relief of Quakers, Moravians, and separatists elected to municipal offices. Whereas in consequence of the conscientious scruples of persons of the persuasion of the people called Quakers, of Moravians, and separatists, the declaration 9 G. 4, c. 17. prescribed by an act of the ninth year 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 qualifi cation for certain offices and employments, on accepting office in municipal corporations, operates as a practical grievance, and to a certain extent as a disfranchisement of persons under the influence of those scruples, to the manifest detriment of themselves and their fellow subjects: and whereas no mischief or inconvenience is likely to arise from affording such relief in relation to these matters, as is hereinafter mentioned: be it therefore enacted by the queen's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament Instead of the assembled, and by the authority of the same, that instead of the required by declarations required to be subscribed in the recited act of the ninth 9 G. 4, c. 17, year of king George the fourth, and in an act of the fifth and sixth W. 4, c. 76, years of king William the fourth, intituled an act for the regulation the following of municipal corporations in England and Wales, respectively, every to be made. person of the persuasion of the people called Quakers, and every Moravian, and separatist, entertaining such conscientious scruples as aforesaid, be permitted to make the following declaration on accepting office in any municipal corporation as mayor, alderman, or councillor : declaration and 5 & 6 declaration Declaration. I A. B. being one the people called Quakers [or one of the persuasion of the people called Quakers, or of the united brethren called Moravians, or of the denomination called separatists, as the case may be], having conscientious scruples against subscribing the declaration contained in an act passed in the ninth year of the 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, do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm, that I will not exercise any power or authority or influence which I may possess by virtue of the office of to injure or weaken the protestant church as it is by law established in England, nor to disturb the said church, or the bishops and clergy of the said church, in the possession of any right or privileges to which such church or the said bishops and clergy may be by law entitled. ration to be of the same force as that in 9 G. 4,c. 17. II. And be it enacted, that such affirmation or declaration shall Such declabe of the same force and effect as if the person making it had made or subscribed the declarations aforesaid as contained in the said act of the ninth year of the reign of king George the fourth and the fifth and sixth years of king William the fourth respectively. 1 VICTORIA, CAP. 15.-An act for the further relief of Quakers, Moravians, and separatists.—Whereas by an act passed in this present session of parliament, intituled an act for the relief of Quakers, 1 Vict. c. 5. Moravians, and separatists elected to municipal offices, it is enacted that every person of the persuasion of the people called Quakers, and every Moravian and separatist, entertaining conscientious scruples against making and subscribing the declaration prescribed by the declaration the act 9 G. 4, c. 17, that contained in the act of be taken by act of the ninth year of the reign of his late majesty king George 9 G. 4, c. 17. 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, may, on accepting office in any municipal corporation as mayor, alderman, or councillor, instead of making such declaration, be permitted to make the declaration in the said act of this present session mentioned: and whereas the relief given by the said last mentioned act may safely be extended in manner hereinafter mentioned; be it therefore enacted by the queen's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that every person being of the persuasion of the people called Instead of the Quakers, or being a Moravian or separatist, and entertaining such required by conscientious scruples as aforesaid, who has been or shall be placed, elected, or chosen in or to the office of recorder, bailiff, town clerk, or common councilman, or any office of magistracy, or place, trust, the present or employment relating to the government of any city, corporation, session may borough, or cinque port within England and Wales, or the town of Quakers, Berwick-upon-Tweed, or who has been or shall be admitted into any Moravians, office or employment, or has accepted or shall accept from her ma- elected to jesty, her heirs or successors, any patent, grant, or commission, office in any may, instead of making and subscribing the declaration prescribed by the said act of the ninth year of the reign of his said late majesty king George the fourth, make and subscribe the declaration contained in the said act of this present session of parliament; and every such person so making and subscribing such last mentioned declaration shall have the same rights, powers, and authorities which he would have had if he had made and subscribed the declaration contained in the said act of the ninth year of the reign of his said late majesty king George the fourth: provided always, that every declaration to be made by virtue of this act shall be made and subscribed before the same person or persons, or court, and within the same time, and shall be preserved in the same manner, as by the said act of the ninth year of the reign of his said late majesty king George the fourth is directed as to the declaration therein mentioned. or separatists corporation. e. 34. 1 & 2 VICTORIA, CAP. 77.-An act for permitting affirmation to be made instead of an oath in certain cases.-Whereas by an act 7 & 8 W. 3, passed in the reign of king William the third, intituled an act that the solemnization, affirmation, and declaration of the people called Quakers shall be received instead of an oath in the usual form, reciting that divers dissenters, commonly called Quakers, refusing to take an oath in courts of justice and other places, are frequently imprisoned and their estates sequestered by process of contempt issuing out of such courts, to the ruin of themselves and families, it is enacted, that every Quaker on every occasion (except on criminal trials) where an oath is by law required shall be permitted to make solemn affirmation and declaration in lieu thereof: and whereas the same privilege has by subsequent acts of parliament been extended in all cases to the persons called Quakers and Moravians: and whereas it is expedient and fitting that the aforesaid privilege should be extended to such persons as have been Quakers and Moravians, but have ceased to belong to either of such religious denominations of christians, still continuing nevertheless to entertain conscientious objections to the taking of an oath: be it therefore enacted by the queen's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present Certain per- parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that it shall be lawful for any person who shall have been a Quaker or a Moravian to make solemn affirmation and declaration in lieu of taking an oath, as fully as it would be lawful for any such person to do if he still remained a member of either of such religious denominations of christians, which said affirmation or declaration shall be of the same force and effect as if he or she had taken an oath in the usual form; and if any such person making such solemn affirmation or declaration shall be convicted of having wilfully, falsely, and corruptly affirmed or declared any matter or thing which, if the same had been sworn in the usual form, would have amounted to wilful and corrupt perjury, every such offender shall be subject to the same pains, penalties, and forfeitures to which persons convicted of wilful and corrupt perjury are or shall be subject: provided always, that every such affirmation or declaration shall be in the words following; that is to say, sons may make affirmation in lieu of oath; if convicted of having falsely affirmed, to be punished as if guilty of perjury. Form of declaration. I A. B., having been one of the people called Quakers, [or one of the persuasion of the people called Quakers, or of the united brethren called Moravians, as the case may be], and entertaining conscientious objections to the taking of an oath, do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm. 4 & 5 VICTORIA, CAP. 37.-An act for the more easy recovery of arrears of compositions for tithes from persons of the persuasion of the people called Quakers in Ireland.-See Title—“TITHES, IRELAND." SPACE LEFT, FOR REFERENCE, IF NECESSARY, TO ACTS OF PARLIAMENT PASSED SUBSEQUENT TO A. D. 1845. RATES AND DUTIES.-See Title-" STAMP DUTIES." REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, DEATHS, AND 6 & 7 WILLIAM 3, CAP. 6, SEC. 24.-In an act, intituled an act, for granting to their majesties certain duties upon burials, &c.See Title "BURIALS," vol. i. p. 371. 7 & 8 WILLIAM 3, CAP. 35, SEC. 5.-An act for the enforcing the laws which restrain marriages without licence or banns, and for the better registering marriages, births and burials.-See Title-" MARRIAGES, ENGLAND," vol. iii. p. 272. 26 GEORGE 2, CAP. 33, SECS. 14-16.-An act for the better preventing of clandestine marriages.-See Title- MARRIAGES, ENGLAND," vol. iii. p. 277. 21 GEORGE 3, CAP. 53, SECS. 3 & 4.-An act to render valid certain marriages, solemnized in certain churches and public chapels in which banns had not usually been published before or at the time of passing an act, made in the twenty-sixth year of king George the second, intituled an act for the better preventing of clandestine marriages.— See Title "MARRIAGES, ENGLAND, vol. iii. p. 280. 23 GEORGE 3, CAP. 67.-An act for granting to his majesty a stamp duty on the registry of burials, marriages, births and christenings. -See Title-" STAMP DUTIES." 25 GEORGE 3, CAP. 75.-An act to extend the provisions of an act, made in the twenty-third year of his present majesty's reign, for granting to his majesty a stamp duty on the registry of burials, marriages, births, and christenings, to the registry of burials, births, and christenings of protestant dissenters from the church of England. -See Title- STAMP DUTIES." 66 34 GEORGE 3, CAP. 11.-An act for repealing the duties on the registry of burials, births, marriages, and christenings.-See Title"STAMP DUTIES." 44 GEORGE 3, CAP. 77, SECS. 3 & 4.-An act to render valid certain marriages solemnized in certain churches and public chapels in which banns had not usually been published before or at the time of passing an act made in the twenty-sixth year of the reign of his late majesty king George the second, intituled an act for the better preventing of clandestine marriages.-See Title-" MARRIAGES, ENGLAND," vol. iii. p. 281. 48 GEORGE 3, CAP. 127, SECS. 3 & 4.-An act to render valid certain marriages solemnized in certain churches and public chapels in which banns had not usually been published before or at the time of passing an act made in the twenty-sixth year of the reign of his late majesty king George the second, intituled an act for the better preventing of clandestine marriages.-See Title-" MARRIAGES, ENGLAND," vol. iii. VOL. IV. p. 282. K Officiating ministers to keep regis ters of public and private baptisms of marriages and of buri als. Parishes to 52 GEORGE 3, CAP. 146.-An act for the better regulating and preserving parish and other registers of births, baptisms, marriages and burials in England.-Whereas the amending the manner and form of keeping and of preserving registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, of his majesty's subjects in the several parishes and places in England, will greatly facilitate the proof of pedigrees of persons claiming to be entitled to real or personal estates, and be otherwise of great public benefit and advantage; be it therefore enacted by the king's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that, from and after the thirty-first day of December one thousand eight hundred and twelve, registers of public and private baptisms, marriages and burials, solemnized according to the rights of the united church of England and Ireland, within all parishes or chapelries in England, whether subject to the ordinary or peculiar, or other jurisdiction, shall be made and kept by the rector, vicar, curate or provide suit- officiating minister of every parish, (or of any chapelry where the ceremonies of baptism, marriage and burial have been usually and may according to law be performed) for the time being, in books of parchment, or of good and durable paper, to be provided by his majesty's printer as occasion may require, at the expense of the respective parishes or chapelries; whereon shall be printed, upon each side of every leaf, the heads of information herein required to be entered in the registers of baptisms, marriages and burials respectively, and every such entry shall be numbered progressively from the beginning to the end of each book, the first entry to be distinguished by number one; and every such entry shall be divided from the entry next following by a printed line, according to the forms contained in the schedules (A.) (B.) (C.) hereto annexed; and every page of every such book shall be numbered with progressive numbers, the first page being marked with the number 1 in the middle of the upper part of such page, and every subsequent page being marked in like manner with progressive numbers, from number 1 to the end of the book. able books for that pur розе. King's printer to a printed books adapt ed to forms prescribed. II. And, for better ensuring the regularity and uniformity of such transmit to register books, be it further enacted, that a printed copy of this act, each parish together with one book so prepared as aforesaid, and adapted to the copy of act, form of the register of baptisms prescribed in the schedule (A.) to and register this act annexed; and also one other book so prepared as aforesaid, and adapted to the form prescribed for the register of marriages in the schedule (B.) to this act annexed; and also one other book so prepared as aforesaid, and adapted to the form prescribed for the register of burials in the schedule (C.) to this act annexed, shall, as soon as conveniently may be after the passing of this act, be provided and transmitted by his majesty's printer to the officiating ministers of the several parishes and chapelries in England respectively, who are hereby required to use and apply the same in and to the purposes of this act; and such books respectively shall be proportioned to the population of the several parishes and chapelries, according to the last returns of such population made under the authority of parliament; and other books of like form and quality |