FIXED EASIER

Evening Star, Issue 19794, 18 February 1928, Page 9

FIXED EASIER

SECULAR AHD ECCLESIASTICAL STABILISATION BILL Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, J’ebruary 17. (Received February 18, at 10.45 a.m.) In tho House of Commons Captain R C. Bourne moved a private Bill to stabilise Easter Day on the Sundayfollowing the second Saturday in April.' He explained that the suggested date would meet the ecclesiastical wish to avoid the risk of the Feast of Annan-, ciation clashing with Passion Sunday; The Bill would not operate until the Government, through the League of Nations, had sought an agreement with the Western Powers. Educational authorities everywhere favored a died Easter as advantageous to an rrangoment 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 1,600 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 favoring 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 tho Bill to a free vote, and take its passage ns authorising negotiations to obtain the ecclesiastical authorities’ consent. Sir Henry Slesser withdrew his amendment, and the Bill was read a second time.