EASTER SUNDAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20337, 20 February 1928, Page 10

EASTER SUNDAY

PERMANENT DATE DESIRED. DISCUSSION IN HOUSE OF COMMONS. (Pres* Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, February 17. In the House of Commons Captain R. C. Bourne, Conservative member for Oxford City, moved a private Bill to stabilise Easter Day on the Sunday following the second Saturday in April. He explained that the suggested date would meet the ecclesiastical wish to avoid the risk of the Feast of Annunciation clashing with Passion Sunday. Bill wonld not operate until the Government, through the League of Nations, had sought an agreement with the Western Powers. Educational authorities everywhere favoured a fixed Easter as advantageous to an arrangement of terms. Sir Henry Slesser moved a rejection. He said that there was no justification for the change of a religious festival which had existed 1600 years. Sir William Joynson-Hicks said that there was no intention that there should be two Easters —secular and ecclesiastical. The Primate had informed him that the church had no dogmatic reason against a fixed Easter, and had spoken in the House of Lords favouring a fixed Easter, secular and ecclesiastical, on education grounds, provided it was not attempted without the consent of the Roman Church. The Government would leave the Bill to a free vote, and take its passage as authorising negotiations to obtain the ecclesiastical authorities’ consent.

Sir Henry Slesser withdrew his amendment, and the Bill was read a second time. —A. and N.Z. Cable.

A LENGTHY PROCESS. LONDON, February 18. (Received Feb. 19, at 5.5 p.m.) Though the House of Commons read for the second tim© the Stabilisation of Easter Bill, lobbyists point out that even if it passes its remaining stages Easter may continue to wander about the calendar for many years. First, there must be international negotiations for an agreement between States, and similarly between th© churches, if a general agreement i s reached, a resolution of both Houses is needed to put the Bill into force. —A. and N.Z.'Cable,

SIB HENRY SLESSER’S VIEWS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, February 17.

Sir Henry Slesser (Labour), in moving the rejection of the Stabilisation Easter Bill, pointed out that the Roman Catholic Church could not come to a decision on the subject, because no change could be made by the (Ecumenical Council, which would not be held until next year. The Anglican and Greek churches were not prepared to act, except in agreement with the other churches. Mr Merriman (Conservative) said that the arrangement whereby Easter immediately followed the full moon afforded a better chance of good weather, and he cited statistics of rainfall to illustrate his point.

EXCLUSION OF THE DOMINIONS. LONDON, February 18/ (Received Feb. 19, at 5.5 p.m.) Clause 4 of Captain Bourne's Stabilisation of Easter Bill specifically excludes the dominions, which he says are competent to legislate for Their inclusion would not be ultra vires, out would be ultra rationem.—A. and N.Z. Cable.