or professing the Popish Religion, or being reputed to be such, shall be, pur No. XCI. 31 Geo. III. c. 32. and no Person liable to Pro secution for not having complied therewith. XXII. And whereas by an Act passed in the seventh and eighth 7 and 8 Gul. 3. years of the reign of King William the Third, intituled, An Act requiring c. 4.; and 'the Practisers of Laws to take the Oaths and subscribe the Declaration 'therein mentioned; and an Act passed in the first year of the reign of his qualify Per Majesty King George the First, intituled, An Act for the further security 1 Geo. 1. st. 2. of his Majesty's Person and Government, and the succession of the Crown c. 13. recited; in the heirs of the late Princess Sophia, being Protestants; and for extin- and guishing the hopes of the pretended Prince of Wales, and his open and 'secret abettors, all Persons acting as a Counsellor at Law, Barrister, Attorney, Solicitor, Clerk, or Notary, by practising in any manner as such in any Court or Courts whatsoever, not having, before the time of 'such acting, taken the Oaths and Declaration in the said Acts respectively prescribed are made liable to the Penalties in the same Acts res'pectively mentioned:' Now, be it further enacted, That the Oaths and Declaration in and by the said last mentioned Acts respectively mentioned and the Oaths and appointed to be taken and subscribed by Persons acting as a Counsellor at Declaration Law, Barrister, Attorney, Solicitor, Clerk or Notary, as in the said Acts res- therein menpectively is mentioned, shall, from and after the said twenty-fourth day of tioned no longJune one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, be no longer put or er to be readministered to, or required to be taken by, any Person professing the quired, but the Oath hereby Roman Catholic Religion, as a qualification or requisite to enable him to appointed, to act in the capacities aforesaid, or any of them, but the Oath of Allegiance, Abjuration, and Declaration, hereinbefore appointed to be taken and subscribed, shall, from and after the said twenty-fourth day of June one Counsellors, thousand seven hundred and ninety-one, be administered, taken, and subscribed to and by Persons professing the Roman Catholick Religion, and acting or requiring to act in the capacities aforesaid, or any of them, in the stead and place of the said Oaths and Declaration, and every of them; and in order thereto the Oath of Allegiance, Abjuration, and Declaration, hereinbefore appointed to be taken and subscribed, may and shall be administered, taken and subscribed in the same Courts, and may and shall be registered in the same manner, as the Oaths and Declaration in the room of which it is hereby substituted, are by the Acts so prescribing the same Oaths and Declaration respectively as aforesaid appointed to be administered, taken, subscribed, and registered, and when so taken, subscribed, and registered, shall, for the purpose of enabling Persons professing the Roman Catholick Religion to act in the capacities aforesaid, or any of them, have the same effect and operation, to all intents, constructions, and purposes whatsoever, as the Oaths and Declaration in the room of which it is hereby substituted. sons to act as &c. Act not to ex-* XXIII. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That nothing in this Act contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to that part of tend to ScotGreat Britain called Scotland. land. [No. XCII.] 43 George III. c. 30.-An Act to entitle Roman Catholicks taking and subscribing the Declaration and Oath contained in the Act of the thirty-first year of the reign of his present Majesty, intituled, An Act to relieve, upon con No. XCII. 43 Geo. III. c. 30. c. 4. ditions and under restrictions, the Persons therein described from certain Penalties and Disabilities to which Papists, or Persons professing the Popish Religion, are by Law subject, to the Benefits given by an Act of the eighteenth year of the reign of his present Majesty, intituled, An Act for relieving his Majesty's Subjects professing the Popish Religion, from certain Penalties and Disabilities imposed on them by an Act made in the eleventh and twelfth years of the reign of King William the Third, intituled, An Act for the further preventing the growth of Popery.'-[7th April 1803.] Recital of Stat. WHEREAS by an Act made in the eleventh and twelfth years of the 11 & 12 Gul. 3. c reign of his Majesty King William the Third, intituled, An Act for further preventing the growth of Popery; Persons educated in the Popish Religion, or professing the same, under the circumstances therein mentioned, were disabled from inheriting or taking by descent, devise, or ' limitation, in possession, reversion, or remainder, any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, within the Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and Papists or Persons professing the Popish Religion were disabled from purchasing any manors, lands, profits out of lands, tenements, rents, terms, or hereditaments, within the Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed; ' and all estates, terms, and other interests or profits whatsoever, out of 'lands to be made, suffered, or done, to or for the use or behoof of any such Person or Persons, or upon any trust or confidence, mediately or immediately for the relief of any such Person or Persons, were made void, and other Penalties and Disabilities were thereby imposed on Persons professing the Popish Religion: And whereas by an Act of Parliament, 'made in the eighteenth year of the reign of his present Majesty, intituled, 'An Act for relieving his Majesty's Subjects professing the Popish Religion 'from certain Penalties and Disabilities imposed on them, by an Act made in the eleventh and twelfth years of the reign of King William the Third, intituled, An Act for the further preventing the Growth of Popery; the 'said recited parts of the said Act of the eleventh and twelfth years of the reign of King William the Third, were repealed in favour of all Persons who should take the Oath prescribed by the said Act of the eighteenth year of the reign of his present Majesty, in manner therein mentioned: And whereas by an Act of Parliament, made in the thirty-first year of the reign of his present Majesty, intituled, An Act to relieve, upon conditions and under restrictions, the Persons therein described from certain Penalties ' and Disabilities to which Papists or Persons professing the Popish Religion are by Law subject, it was enacted, that it should be lawful for Persons professing the Roman Catholick Religion, to take, make, and subscribe the 'Declaration and Oath therein expressed and contained at the times, and in 'the manner therein mentioned, and the Persons taking, making, and subscribing the same Declaration and Oath, were by the said Act relieved 'from several of the Penalties and Disabilities to which Papists or Persons professing the Popish Religion were then subject; but nothing contained in the said Act of the thirty-first year of the reign of his present Majesty, ' relieves the Persons taking, making, or subscribing the Declaration and Oath thereby prescribed, from the Penalties and Disabilities imposed by the 'said Act of the eleventh and twelfth years of the reign of his Majesty King 'William the Third, so that to be relieved therefrom, it is still necessary 'that Persons professing the Roman Catholick Religion should take and 'subscribe the Oath expressed and contained in the said Act of the 6 eighteenth year of the reign of his present Majesty, which some such Persons have by mistake neglected to do, and therefore still continue subject to the said Penalties and Disabilities:' May it therefore please tion and Oath, your Majesty that it may be enacted; and be it enacted by the King's 18 G. 3. c. 60. prescribing a certainOath to Catholicks requiring relief. 31 G. 3. c. 32. prescribing another Oath and a Declaration. The latter Oath and Declaration, alone, not at present suffi cient to relieve Catholicks. The Declara c. 30. 'most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords No. XCII. Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament as 45 Geo. III. 'sembled, and by the authority of the same, That from and after the passing of this present Act, the Declaration and Oath expressed and contained in the said Act of the thirty-first year of the reign of his present Majesty, shall, as to all Persons who have made, taken, and subscribed the same, or who at any time or times hereafter shall make, take, or subscribe the same, in the manner therein mentioned, give the same benefits and advantages, and be and operate to and for the same intents and purposes, as in and by the said Act, of the eighteenth year of his present Majesty, is enacted, expressed, and declared, of and concerning the Oath thereby prescribed. [No. XCIII.] 52 George III. c. 155.-An Act to repeal certain Acts, and amend other Acts relating to Religious Worship and Assemblies and Persons teaching or preaching therein.—[29th July 1812.] contained in shall give the Berchts and the latter Act, operate as the Oath under the 18 G. 3. c. 60. c. 155. WHEREAS it is expedient that certain Acts of Parliament, made in No. XCIII. the reign of his late Majesty King Charles the Second, relating to 'Non-Conformists and Conventicles, and refusing to take Oaths, should be 52 Geo. III. ‹ repealed, and that the Laws relating to certain Congregations and Assem'blies for religious Worship, and Persons teaching, preaching, or officiating 'therein, and resorting thereto, should be amended;' 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 passing of this Act, an Act of Parliament made in the Session of Parliament held in the thirteenth and fourteenth years of his late Majesty 13 & 14. Car. King Charles the Second, intituled An Act for preventing the Mischiefs and 2. c. 1. Dangers that may arise by certain Persons called Quakers, and others refusing to take lawful Oaths; and another Act of Parliament, made in the seven- 17 Car. 2. c. 2. teenth year of the reign of his late Majesty King Charles the Second, iatituled, An Act for restraining Non-Conformists from inhabiting in Corporations; and another Act of Parliament made in the twenty-second year of the reign 22 Car. 2. c. 1. of the late King Charles the Second, intituled, An Act to prevent and sup- repealed. press seditious Conventicles, shall be and the same are hereby repealed. II. And be it further enacted, That, from and after the passing of this Places of ReliAct, no Congregation or Assembly for religious worship of Protestants (at gious Worship which there shall be present more than twenty Persons besides the imme- certified and diate family and servants of the Person in whose house or upon whose registered. premises such Meeting, Congregation, or Assembly shall be had) shall be permitted or allowed, unless or until the place of such Meeting, if the same shall not have been duly certified and registered under any former Act or Acts of Parliament relating to registering places of religious worship, shall have been or shall be certified to the Bishop of the Diocese, or to the Archdeacon of the Archdeaconry, or to the Justices of the Peace at the General or Quarter-Sessions of the Peace for the county, riding, division, city, town, or place in which such Meeting shall be held; and all places of Meeting which shall be so certified to the Bishops' or Archdeacons' Court, shall be returned by such Court once in each year to the Quarter-Sessions of the county, riding, division, city, town, or place; and all places of Meeting which shall be so certified to the Quarter-Sessions of the Peace, shall be also returned once in each year to the Bishop or Archdeacon; and all such places shall be registered in the said Bishops' or Archdeacons' Court respectively, and recorded at the said General or Quarter-Sessions; the Registrar or Clerk of the Peace whereof respectively is hereby required to register and record the same; and the Bishop or Registrar or Clerk of the Peace to whom any such place of Meeting shall be certified under this Act shall give a Certificate thereof to such Person or Persons as Certificate. 52 Geo. III. c. 155. [Part V. No. XCIII. shall request or demand the same, for which there shall be no greater Fee nor Reward taken than two shillings and sixpence; and every Person who shall knowingly permit or suffer any such Congregation or Assembly as aforesaid to meet in any place occupied by him, until the same shall have been so certified as aforesaid, shall forfeit for every time any such Congregation or Assembly shall meet contrary to the Provisions of this Act, a sum not exceeding twenty pounds, nor less than twenty shillings, at the discretion of the Justices who shall convict for such offence, Fee. Teaching, &c. without con sent of Occu piers. Penalty. Preachers in and Persons resorting to Religious Assemblies, certified under Act, exempt from Penalties of 1 W. & M. sess. 1. c. 18. III. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That every Person who shall teach or preach in any Congregation or Assembly as aforesaid, in any place, without the consent of the Occupier thereof, shall forfeit for every such offence any sum not exceeding thirty pounds, nor less than forty shillings, at the discretion of the Justices who shall convict for such offence. IV. And be it further enacted, That from and after the passing of this Act, every Person who shall teach or preach at, or officiate in, or shall resort to any Congregation or Congregations, Assembly or Assemblies for religious worship of Protestants, whose place of meeting shall be duly certified according to the Provisions of this Act, or any other Act or Acts of Parliament relating to the certifying or registering of places of religious worship, shall be exempt from all such Pains or Penalties under any Act or Acts of Parliament relating to religious worship, as any Person who shall have taken the Oaths, and made the Declaration prescribed by or mentioned in an Act, made in the first year of the reign of King William and Queen Mary, intituled, An Act for exempting their Majesties' Protestant Subjects dissenting from the Church of England, from the Penalties of certain Laws, or any Act amending the said Act, is by law exempt, as fully and effectually as if all such Pains and Penalties, and the several Acts enforcing the same, were recited in this Act, and such exemptions as aforesaid were severally and separately enacted in relation thereto. Oaths, &c. V. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That every Person not taken by having taken the Oaths and subscribed the Declaration hereinafter specified, Preachers,&c. who shall preach or teach at any place of religious worship certified in when required pursuance of the directions of this Act, shall, when thereto required by any by Magistrate. one Justice of the Peace, by any writing under his hand or signed by him, take and make and subscribe, in the presence of such Justice of the Peace, the Oath and Declarations specified and contained in an Act, passed in the 19 G. 3. c 44. nineteenth year of the reign of his Majesty King George the Third, intituled, An Act for the further Relief of Protestant Dissenting Ministers and Schoolmasters; and no such Person who, upon being so required to take such Oaths and make such Declaration as aforesaid, shall refuse to attend the Justice requiring the same, or to take and make and subscribe such Oaths and Declaration as aforesaid, shall be thereafter permitted or allowed to teach or preach in any such Congregation or Assembly for religious worship, until he shall have taken such Oaths, and made such Declaration as aforesaid, on pain of forfeiting, for every time he shall so teach or preach, any sum not exceeding ten pounds nor less than ten shillings, at the discretion of the Justice convicting for such offence. Penalty. Not compelled to go more than five miles. Who may require Justice of Peace, &c. to administer Oaths, &c. under Act. VI. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That no Person shall be required by any Justice of the Peace to go to any greater distance than five miles from his own home, or from the place where he shall be residing at the time of such requisition, for the purpose of taking such Oaths as aforesaid. VII. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for any of his Majesty's Protestant Subjects to appear before any one Justice of the Peace, and to produce to such Justice of the Peace a printed or written copy of the said Oaths and Declaration, and to require such Justice to administer such Oaths and to tender such Declaration to be made, taken, and subscribed by such Person; and thereupon it shall be lawful for such Justice, and he is hereby authorized and required to administer such Oaths and to tender such Declaration to the Person requiring to take and make of c. 155. and subscribe the same; and such Person shall take and make and subscribe No. XCIII. such Oaths and Declaration in the presence of such Justice accordingly; 52 Geo. III. and such Justice shall attest the same to be sworn before him, and shall transmit or deliver the same to the Clerk of the Peace for the County, Riding, Division, City, Town, or place for which he shall act as such Justice of the Peace, before or at the next General or Quarter-Sessions the Peace for such County, Riding, Division, City, Town, or Place. VIII. And be it further enacted, That every Justice of the Peace before Justices to whom any Person shall make and take and subscribe such Oaths and Decla- give Certifiration as aforesaid, shall forthwith give to the Person having taken, made cate of Oath. and subscribed such Oaths and Declaration, a certificate thereof under the hand of such Justice, in the form following; that is to say, I A. B. one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the County, 'Riding, Division, City, or Town, or Place, as the case may be] of do hereby certify, That C. D. of, &c. [describing the Christian and Sur· name, and place of abode of the party] did this day appear before me, and ' did make and take and subscribe the several Oaths and Declaration spe'cified in an Act, made in the fifty-second year of the reign of King George the Third, intituled, [set forth the title of this Act.] Witness my ⚫ hand this ' eight hundred and day of one thousand Evidence. And for the making and signing of which certificate, where the said Oaths and Declaration are taken and made on the requisition of the party taking and making the same, such Justice shall be entitled to demand and have a Fee. fee of two shillings and sixpence, and no more: And such Certificate shall Certificate. be conclusive evidence that the party named therein has made and taken the Oaths and subscribed the Declaration in manner required by this Act. IX. And be it further enacted, That every Person who shall teach or Teachers takpreach in any such Congregation or Assembly, or Congregations or As- ing Oaths, &c. semblies as aforesaid, who shall employ himself solely in the duties of a exempt from Teacher or Preacher, and not follow or engage in any trade or business, Offices, and or other profession, occupation, or employment, for his livelihood, except from Militia. that of a schoolmaster, and who shall produce a certificate of some Justice of the Peace, of his having taken and made and subscribed the Oaths and Declaration aforesaid, shall be exempt from the Civil Services and Offices specified in the said recited Act passed in the first year of King William and Queen Mary, and from being ballotted to serve and from serving in the Militia or Local Militia of any County, Town, Parish or Place in any part of the United Kingdom. Sess. 1. c. 18. X. And be it further enacted, That every Person who shall produce any False Certififalse or untrue certificate or paper, as and for a true certificate of his cate. having made and taken the Oaths and subscribed the Declarations by this Act required for the purpose of claiming any exemption from civil or mili- XI. And be it further enacted, That no Meeting, Assembly, or Congre- Doors of Religation of Persons for religious worship, shall be had in any place with the gious Assemdoor locked, bolted, or barred, or otherwise fastened, so as to prevent any blies not boltPersons entering therein during the time of any such Meeting, Assembly, ed or barred. or Congregation; and the Person teaching or preaching at such Meeting, Assembly, or Congregation, shall forfeit for every time any such Meeting, Assembly, or Congregation shall be held with the door locked, bolted, barred, or otherwise fastened as aforesaid, any sum not exceeding twenty Penalty. |