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Miller v Salomons

State Trials Cited authorities 28 Cited in 2 Precedent Map Related
Vincent
JurisdictionEngland & Wales
Judgment Date11 May 1853
Date11 May 1853
CourtState Trial Proceedings
13 Edw. 1. st. 4. Circumspecte Agatis
25 Hen. 8. c. 22. Succession to the Crown
26 Hen. 8. c. 2. Succession to the Crown
28 Hen. 8. c. 7. Crown
35 Hen. 8. c. 1. Crown
1 Eliz. c. 1. Act of Supremacy
5 Eliz. c. 1. Supremacy of the Crown
3 Jas. 1. c. 4. Popish Recusants
7 Jas. 1. c. 6. Oath of Allegiance
13 Cha. 2. st. 2. c. 1. Corporation Act
14 Cha. 2. c. 1. Quakers
25 Cha. 2. c. 2. Popish Recusants
30 Cha. 2. st. 2. c. 1. Papists
1 Will. & M. c. 1. Parliament, Oaths
1 Will. & M. c. 8. Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy
1 Will. & M. c.18. The Toleration Act, 1689
7 & 8 Will. 3. c. 34. Quakers
13 & 14 Will. 3. c. 6. Security of the Succession
1 Ann. c. 16. Security of the Succession
6 Ann. c. 11. art. 22.- Act of Union with Scotland
6 Ann. c. 41. The Succession to the Crown Act, 1707
6 Ann. c. 66. Security of the Sovereign
8 Ann. c. 15. Security of the Sovereign
1 Geo. 1. st. 2. c. 6. Quakers
1 Geo. 1. st. 2. c. 13. Security of the Sovereign
9 Geo. 1. c. 24. Papists
10 Geo. 1. c. 4. Papists
13 Geo. 2. c. 7. Naturalization
22 Geo. 2. c. 46. Quakers
6 Geo. 3. c. 7. Act of Indemnity
6 Geo. 3. c. 53. Treason
9 Geo. 4. c. 17. Repeal of Test and Corporation Acts
9 Geo. 4. c. 32. Criminal Law : Evidence
10 Geo. 4. c. 7. Roman Catholic Relief Act, 1829
3 & 4 Will. 4. c. 49. The Quakers and Moravians Act, 1833
1 & 2 Vict. c. 105. The Oaths Act, 1838
MILLERagainstSALOMONS. PROCEEDINGSINTHECOURTOFEXCHEQUERBEFOREPOLLOCK,C.B.,PARKE,ALDERSON,ANDMARTIN,B.B.,ONMOTIONFORJUDGMENTAFTERSPECIALVERDICT,JANUARY26THAND28TH,APRIL19TH,1852. (Reportedin7Ex.475,21L.J.N.S.161,16JUR.375.) JUDGMENTOFTHECOURTOFEXCHEQUERCHAMBERONWRITOFERRORBEFORELORDCAMPBELLL.C.J.,WIGHTMAN,CRESSWELL,WILLIAMS ANDCROMPTON,JJ.,MAY11TH,1853.(Reportedin8Ex.778.) Actionofdebttorecoverpenaltiesunder1Geo.I,st.2,c.13,forsittingandvotinginParliamentwithouttakingtheoathsthereinprescribedasalteredby6Geo.3.c.53.ItwasfoundbyspecialverdictthatthedefendantprofessedtheJewishreligion,andthat,havingbeenreturnedtotheCommonsHouseofParliamentfortheBoroughofGreenwich,hehadtakenthestatutoryoathofabjurationbykissingtheOldTestamentinthemannerbindingonhisconscience,buthadomittedtheconcludingwordsoftheoath,"uponthetruefaithofaChristian,"andthathehadofferedtosubscribetheoathwiththesameomission,andhadafterwardssatandvoted. HeldbytheCourtoftheExchequerChamber,affirmingthejudgmentoftheCourtbelow Oathofabjuration Omissionofessentialwords(1) Thatthewords"uponthetruefaithofaChristian,"wereanessentialpartofthestatutoryoathofabjurationandnotmerelydirectoryastotheformoftakingtheoath,andthatthedefendantbyomittingthemhadfailedtotaketheoathpursuanttothestatutes(diss.Maims,B.,intheCourtbelow). Thatthestatutesrequiredsuchoathtobetakeninrespectofthereigningsovereignforthe timebeing,althoughtheformsofoaththereinsetoutreferredonlytoKingGeorge.(2) ThatpersonsoftheJewishreligionwerenotexemptedfromtakingthisoathinfull,eitherbyvirtueoftheparticularexemptioncontainedin10Geo.1.c.4,orbyvirtueoftheprovisionin1&2Vict.c.105,(3)thatoathsadministeredincourtsandelsewherewiththeformsandceremonieswhichthepersontakingtheoathdeclarestobebindingonhisconscience,shallbeasbindingasiftakenwiththeformsandceremoniesmostcommonlyadopted. (1)SeeLancasterandCarlisleRailwayCompanyv.Heaton,8E.&B.952;Clarkev.Bradlaugh,7Q.B.D.38,8App.Ca.385;Attorney-Generalv.Bradlaugh,14Q.B.D.667.ThevariousstatutorychangesintheParliamentaryoathsubsequenttothecaseofMillerv.SalmonsincludingtholebywhichJewishdisabilitieswereremoved,aredescribedinanotebelow,p.190., (2)SeenowthePromissoryOathsAct,1808,31&32Vict.c.72.s.10. (3)SeenowtheOathsAct,1888,51&52Vict.c.48. INTRODUCTION. ThiscasearoseoutoftheeffortsmadetosecuretheadmissionofJewstositinParliament,(a)andraisedthequestion (a)ForthehistoryofthecontroversyonthisquestionseeMay,"ConstitutionalHistory,"vol.3,pp.178-187;Walpole,"HistoryofEngland,"vol.3,p.77;vol.4,p.343;thearticle"Jews"inthe"EncyclopaediaBritannica;"Lecky,"HistoryofEnglandinthe18thCentury,"vol.p.327,ed.1892;Macaulay,"EssayontheCivilDisabilitiesoftheJews;"Macaulaysspeechof1833onthesamesubject,CollectedWorks,vol.8,p.100.Alistofthesue-whetherunder1Geo.1.,st.2.c.13.a.17,membersoftheHouseofCotnenonswere cessiveBillsforreliefoftheJewsisgiveninLordLucansspeechofMay31,1858,Haus.vol.150,p.1139.TheearliestoftheseBillswassupportedbyMacaulayinhismaidenspeech,Trevelyan,"LifeofMacaulay,"vol.1,p.159.Mr.Disraeliconsistentlysupportedthem.AstothestatusoftheJewsinmediaevalEngland,seePollockandMaitland,HistoryofEnglishLaw,vol.1,pp.451-8,andauthoritiestherecited,alsoPublicationsoftheAnglo-JewishllistolicalSocietyForahistoryoftheoathofallegiance,seeSirF.lollocksEssayonthattubjectinhis"EssaysinJurisprudenceandEthics." 113] MilleragainstSalomons,1852. [114 requiredtotaketheoathofabjuration"uponthetruefaithofaChristian"beforesittingandvotinginParliament. TheincidentswhichledtothecasebeingbroughtbeforetheCourtwereasfollows: In1848BaronLioneldeRothschild,whoprofessedtheJewishreligion,wasreturnedasoneofthemembersfortheCityofLondon,andsatfortwosessionsbelowthebar,andwithoutvoting,intheexpectationthataReliefActwouldbepassed;buttheBillsintroducedforthatpurposewererejectedintheHouseofLords,thoughsupportedbytheGovernment.In1849,havingvacatedhisseatbyacceptingtheChilternHundreds,BaronRothschildwasagainreturnedbytheCity,andonJuly26th,1850,presentedhimselftotaketheoaths,atthesametimedesiringtobeswornontheOldTestament.(a)TheHouse,afterdebate,resolved,onJuly29th,thatheshouldbecalledtothetableandaskedwhyhedemandedtobesworninthatform.InreplytothequestionputfromtheChair,BaronRothschildanswered"Becausethatistheformofoathmostbindingonmyconscience."Itwasthenresolved,afterdebate,thattheclerkshouldbedirectedtoswearhimoutheOldTestament.Onthefollowingday,July30th,heagainpresentedhimselftobesworn,and,holdinginhishandacopyoftheOldTestament,repeatedthewordsoftheoathsaftertheclerkuntilthewords"uponthetreefaithofaChristian"attheendoftheoathofabjurationwerereached,whenhesaid"Iomitthesewordsasnotbindingonmyconscience."Hethenconcludedwiththewords,"sohelpme,God."Hewasorderedtowithdraw,and,afterdebateandtherejectionofamotiontodeclaretheseatvacant,itwasresolvedon.August6th- "1.ThattheBaronLioneldeRothschildisnotentitledtovoteinthisHouseortositinthisHouseduringanydebateuntilheshalltaketheoathofabjurationintheformappointedbylaw." "2.ThatthisHousewill,attheearliestopportunityinthenextsessionofParliament,takeintoitsseriousconsiderationtheformoftheoathofabjurationwithaviewtorelieveHerMajestyssubjectsprofessingtheJewishreligion." InthefollowingsessionofParliamentaBillwasbroughtinbyLordJohnRussellforthispurpose,andpassedtheHouseofCommons,butwasrejectedonthesecondreadingintheHouseofLords,July17th,1851.(b) ImmediatelyafterwardsthequestionwasagainraisedintheHouseofCommonsbyMr.DavidSalomons,whohadbeenreturnedfortheboroughofGreenwich, (a)Coin.Journ.,1850,vol.105,p.569,584,590,591;Ann.Reg.1850,Hist.183. (b)Aun.Reg.1851,Hist.162.andwhohadalreadybeenconcernedinthemovementfortheremovalofJewishdisabilities.In1835Mr.SalomonswaselectedsheriffofLondonforthefollowingyear,andtoenablehimtofilltheofficetheAttorney-General,SirJohnCampbellcarriedwithoutopposition(a)anAct,5&6Will.4.c.28.(b),providingfortheomissionofthewords"onthetruefaithofaChristian"iutheoathofabjurationadministeredtosheriffsintownswhichwerecounties.LordLyndhurstin1845carriedasimilarmeasure,8&9Viet.c.52.,(b)withregardtomunicipalofficersgenerally.SubsequentlyMr.SalomonswaselectedanaldermanoftheCityofLondonin1847,andLordMayorfortheear1855-56,beingthefirstJewtofillthoseoffices.. OnJuly18th,1851,thedayaftertherejectionoftheBillbytheHouseofLords,Mr.SalomonspresentedhimselfintheHouseofCommonstobesworn.(c)Athisdesire,theoathwasadministeredtohintontheOldTestament,asinBaronRothschildscase;andhelikewiserefusedtorepeatthewords"uponthetruefaithofaChristian,"passingontothenextwords"sohelpme,God."Hethenstatedthathehadtakentheoathintheformandwiththeceremoniesbindingonhisconscienceinaccordancewith1&2Vict.c.108.,andclaimedtosubscribetheoathofabjuration.Beingorderedtowithdraw,hetookhisseatinthebodyoftheHouseontherightoftheSpeakerschair,uponwhichtheSpeakerinformedhimthatnothavingtakentheoathofabjurationintheformprescribedbytheActofParliamentandintheforminwhichtheHousehaduponaformeroccasionexpresseditsopinionthattheoathoughttobetaken,hecouldnotbeallowedtoremainintheHouse;whereuponhewitbdrew.(d) OnJuly21st,Mr.Salmons,actingontheviewthathehaddulytakentheoaths,andwasthereforeentitledtositandvote,againenteredtheHouse,tookhisseatbelowthegangwayontheMinisterialside,anddidnotobeytheSpeakersordertcwithdraw.LordJohnRussell,theleaderoftheHouse,thereuponmovedthatMr.AldermanSalomondonowwithdraw.Mr.BernalOsbornemovedanamendmentdeclaringMr.Salontonsentitledtositandvote.Theadjournmenthavingbeenmovedandrejected,Mr.BernalOsbornesamendmentwasdefeatedby229votesagainst81.Theadjournmenthavingbeenagainmovedandrejected,LordJohnRussellsmotionwascarriedby231votesagainst81.Mr.Salomons (a)Times,Oct.1st,1S35. (b)Rep.34&35Vict.c.48. (c)Hans.,vol.118,p.979. (d)Corn.Journ.,1851,vol.106,p.372. 115] MilleragainstSalomons,1852. [116 votedinthedivisionsonthetwomotionsforadjournment,andonLordJohnRussell8motion,butabstainedfromvotingonMr.BernalOsbornesamendment.TheSpeakerthenrequestedthehonourablemembertoobeythedecisionoftheHouse,andonhisfailingtodoso,directedtheSerjeant-atArmstoremovehimbelowtheBar.TheSerjeant-at-ArmsplacedhishandonMr.SalomonsandconductedhimbelowtheBar. OnthefollowingdayLordJohnRussellmovedaresolution(a) "ThatMr.SalomonsisnotentitledtovoteinthisHouse,ortositinthisHouseduringanydebate,untilheshalltaketheoathofabjurationintheformappointedbylaw." Afteranadjourneddebate,inwhichMr.Bethell(afterwardsLordWestbury)expressedtheopinionthatMr.Salomonshadtakentheoathinsuchamannerastosatisfytherequirementsofthestatute,LordJohnRussellsresolutionwascarried,onJuly28th,by123votesto68.Thefollowingproceedingswerethentakentosettlethequestionoflaw.(h) INTHECOURTOFEXCHEQUER. BeforePOLLOCK,C.B.,PARKE,B.,ALDER- SON,B.,andMARTIN,B. January26and28,1852...

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