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^—July 5 . Petition from Unitarians . The Marquis of Lansdown rose to present a petition to their Lordships from a body of men with whom he did not agree , and with whose opinions their
Lordship . s , he knew , did not agree—a petition from the Unitarian Dissenters , praying for inquiry into the state of the law as it was applicable to them . He knew ( the Nohle Marquis said ) that it was not possible for their Lordships to enter then into the inquiry , but he must
say that he was surprised that any body of meiij against whom whatever errors might be imputed to their belief , no crime could be alleged , and who professed those religious opinions which held society together ; he was surprised that a body of men of this description , who were not charged with any crimes as bad
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subjects , should be deemed or suspect to be liable at common law to be treated as if they had committed , in professing a peculiar religious opinion , a detestable crime . He did not believe that Lord Mansfield could have been in error whea he declared that the law protected
nothing which that law deemed a crime The petitioners , whatever might have beeri their former opinions of security under the Toleration Act , could not conceal from their Lordships , that doubts had been entertained in high quarters , such as were described in the petition , whether the petitioners did not commit a
crime at common law by the opinions they held . They approached their Lord ships with a prayer , to which he was sure their Lordships were disposed to lend an indulgent ear ; a prayer that they might know what the law is under which they
stand . It was just , that as they had committed no crimes , they should be amenable to no laws . Their Lordships would see the propriety of having the law settled on this point , as all their public charities and institutions would fall to
the ground if the opinions they professed were to be regarded at common law as a detestable crime . The prayer of their petition interested all other Protestant Dissenters . He would take that opportunity of stating , that the time must come , and he hoped it was not far off , when these Dissenters must be relieved from a
gnevauce as to the celebration of marriage , and when the Church of England would have removed from it the necessity of discharging an equivocal and painful duty , and he looked forward to the
passing of that measure as the proper opportunity for recognizing the principle he had brought under their Lordships ' notice , and perhaps better than doing it by any direct proceeding . It was fit tiiat the obscure cloud should be removed
which now hung over the Dissenters , and that they should not be left in any doubt as to the state of the law on a point so important to them . The Noble Marquis concluded by moving that the petition should be read at length . [ For the Petition , see p . 380 . 1
On the petition being read , the Lord Chancellor agreed with the petitioners , and with the Noble Marquis , that the exact state of the law should be ascertained , though he did not say whether it should be by a new act or otherwise . If it were found that doubts did exist
with regard to the law , and a new act was necessary , he should be ready to give the petitioners the benefit of this act , and not make it to their prejudice . He was not then called on to enter on the question , but whenever he was , he should
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438 Intelligence . —Parliamentary : Petition from Unitarians .
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same footing as any other Dissenters , because , to other Dissenters , who did not , like the Unitarians , deny the doctrine of the Trinity , the marriage ceremony was no hardship , but it was to Unitariaus a very great one . He would
not attempt to impugn the legal argument of the Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack , but the present law , admitting it to be correctly stated by the Noble and Learned Lord , afforded , in his mind , a strong reason for passing the bill . The Church could not better promote her true
interests than by conforming herself to the increasing knowledge and genius of the age . Nothing could be more injurious to her than to place her in opposition to liberal ideas . The Church was able to rely on her own strength , and might , without fear , appeal to the augmented learning and assiduity of her clergv , to
the increased number of her churches , and to the two great Universities , which year after year sent forth distinguished champions lo uphold her rank and maintain her security . In conclusion , he supported the measure , because he believed that it would add to the dignity and character of the Church of England .
After a few words from the Marquis of Lansdown , in which his Lordship denied that the sect of Free-thinking Christians had had any part in bringing forward the present bill , the House divided . The numbers appeared—for the second
read-— ing-Content 32 Proxies 20 52 Not Content 31 Proxies 25 56 Majority against the Bill 4
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), July 2, 1825, page 438, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2538/page/54/
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