A FIXED EASTER

Evening Star, Issue 19894, 16 June 1928, Page 6

A FIXED EASTER

Bill BEF&RE COMMONS THIRD READING PASSED (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright

RUGBY, June 15. (Received Juno IC, at noon.)

The House of Commons to-day passed without a division the third reading or the Bill fixing tho date of Easter, this date to be tho Sunday following tho second Saturday in April. The Bill was promoted by Captain Bourne, Conservative member for Oxford.

Lord Hugh Cecil (Con.) moved an amendment providing that before the Order-in-Council was made under the Bill the Secretary of State should certify to the King that he had ascertained that the proposed appointment of a fixed date for Easter was generally acceptable throughout Christendom, and was approved fay the Convocations of Canterbury and York and the National Assembly of the Church of England. Sir Vivian Henderson (Under Secretary for the Horae Office) objected to this amendment on the ground that it would give power of veto to bodies with whom the Secretary of State would have to negotiate. Another member, Major Birchall, opposed the amendment for the reason that it would bo beyond the power even of the versatile Home Secretary to ascertain if the proposal would be acceptable to Christian people throughout Christendom.

The amendment was withdrawn, and another and more practicable amendment was submitted' by Sir Henry Slesser (Lab.) to the effect that before making an order ffxing Easter regard should be given to any opinion “ officially expressed” by the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, and other Christian bodies. This amendment was adopted.