Letters Patent - Commission for Royal Assent [1919-05-29]

Letters Patent - Commission for Royal Assent [1919-05-29]

Parliament

Legislation

Delegated Powers

Letters Patent of King George V empowering several peers to declare his Royal Assent to legislation in the presence of both Houses of Parliament.

King George V

Journals of the House of Lords, vol. CLI (London, 1919): 191-192.

1919-05-29

Jason Loch

GEORGE R.

GEORGE THE FIFTH, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith; To Our right trusty and right well-beloved the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and to Our trusty and well-beloved the knights, citizens, and burgesses of the House of Commons of this present Parliament assembled, greeting: Whereas in Our said Parliament divers and sundry Acts have been agreed and accorded on by you Our loving subjects the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this Our present Parliament assembled, and endorsed by you as hath been accustomed, the titles or short titles of which Acts are set forth in the Schedule hereto, and albeit the said Acts by you Our said subject, the Lords and Commons in this Our present Parliament assembled, are fully agreed and consented unto, yet nevertheless the same are not of force and effect in the law without Our Royal Assent given and put to the said Acts; And forasmuch as for divers causes and considerations We cannot conveniently at this time be present in Our Royal Person in the Higher House of Our said Parliament, being the accustomed place for giving Our Royal Assent to such Acts as have been agreed upon by you Our said subjects, the Lords and Commons, We have therefore caused these Our Letters Patent to be made, and have signed the same, and by the same do give and put Our Royal Assent to the said Acts, and to all articles, clauses, and provisions therein contained, and have fully agreed and assented to the said Acts; Willing that the said Acts, and every article, clause, section, and provision therein contained, from henceforth shall be of the same strength, force and effect as if We had been personally present in the said present in the said Higher House, and had openly and publicly in the presence of you all, assented to the same: And we do, by these presents declare and notify the same Our Royal Assent, as well to you the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons aforesaid, as to all others whom it may concern; Commanding also by these presents Our well-beloved and faithful Counsellor Frederick Lord Birkenhead, Our Chancellor of that part of Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Great Britain, to seal these Our Letters Patent with Our Great Seal of Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland : and also commanding Our most dear and entirely beloved Uncle and most faithful Counsellor Arthur William Patrick Albert Duke of Connaught and Strathearn; the Most Reverend Father in God and Our faithful Counsellor Randall Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of All England and Metropolitan; Our well-beloved and faithful Counsellor Frederick Lord Birkenhead, Chancellor of that part of Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called Great Britain; the Most Reverend Father in God and Our faithful Counsellor Cosmo Gordon Archbishop of York, Primate of England and Metropolitan; and Our most dear Cousins and Counsellors, George Nathaniel Earl Curzon of Kedleston, President of Our Council; Victor Christian William Duke of Devonshire; Charles Richard John Duke of Marlborough, William John Arthur Charles James Duke of Portland, Charles Marquess of Huntly, Henry Charles Keith Marquess of Landsdowne, James Edward Hubert Marquess of Salisbury, George Henry Hugh Marquess of Cholmondeley, Gavin Marquess of Breadalbane, Lawrence Marquess of Zetland, Robert Offley Ashburton, Marquess of Crewe, John Campbell, Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, Louis Alexander Marquess of Milford Haven, Edwyn Francis Earl of Chesterfield, Master of Our Horse; Edward George Villiers Earl of Derby, George William Earl of Coventry, David Alexander Edward Earl of Crawford, Algernon Hawkins Thomond Earl of Kintore, Archibald Philip Earl of Rosebery, William Heneage Earl of Dartmouth, William Frederick Earl Waldegrave, Charles Robert Earl Spencer, Bernard Arthur William Patrick Hastings Earl of Granard, Osbert Cecil Earl of Sefton, Hamilton John Agmondesham Earl of Desart, Richard Walter John Earl of Donoughmore, Adelbert Wellington Brownlow Earl Brownlow, William Earl of Beauchamp, John George Earl of Durham, Henry John Earl of Ducie, Charles Alfred Worsley Earl of Yarborough, William Waldegrave Earl of Selborne, Hardinge Stanley Earl of Halsbury, Robert George Earl of Plymouth, Arthur William de Brito Earl of Livermore, Robert Threshie Earl Loreburn, Rufus Daniel Earl of Reading, Horace Brand Viscount Farquar, Steward of Our Household; William Viscount Sandhurst, Chamberlain of Our Household; William St. John Fremantle Viscount Midleton, Alfred Viscount Milner, John Viscount Morley of Blackburn, Herbert John Viscount Gladstone, Richard Burdon Viscount Haldane, Francis Viscount Knollys, Wentworth Canning Blackett Viscount Allendale, Aretas Viscount Chilston, James Viscount Bryce, Sydney Charles Viscount Buxton, John Denton Pinkstone Viscount French of Ypres, John Charles Viscount Mersey, Henry Viscount Chaplin, Edward Viscount Grey of Fallodon, Weetman Dickinson Viscount Cowdray, Lewis Viscount Harcourt, Hudson Ewbanke Viscount Devonport, Ivor Churchill viscount Wimborne, John Wynford Viscount St. Davids, Francis Leveson Viscount Bertie of Thame, George Viscount Cave, Robert Bannatyne Viscount Finlay, the Right Reverend Father in God and Our faithful Counsellor Arthur Foley, Lord Bishop of London; Our well-beloved and faithful Counsellors Alexander Hugh Lord Balfour of Burleigh, Donald Jamesd Lord Reay, Thomas Lord Ribblesdale, Edward Lyulph Lord Sheffield, John William Lord Rayleigh, Thomas Lord Denman, Charles Douglas Richard Lord Sudeley, Frederic John Napier Lord Chelmsford; Hallam Lord Tennyson, John Lord Revelstoke, Thomas Wodehouse Lord Newton, Herbert Coulstoun Lord Burghelere, David Robert Lord Rathmore, Edward Lord Heneage, Nathaniel Lord Lindley, Ughtred James Lord Shuttleworth, Andrew Graham Lord Dunedin, John Lord Atkinson, William Hood Lord Waleran, Edmond George Petty Lord Fitzmaurice, Edward Arthur Lord Colebrooke, George John Lord Eversley, William James Lord Pirrie, Anthony Patrick Lord MacDonnell, George Lord Marchamley, John Lord Pentland, Thomas Lord Shaw, John Poynder Lord Islington, Richard Knight Lord Southwark, Charles Lord Hardinge of Penshurst, Charles Benjamin Bright Lord Aberconway, Arthur John Lord Stamfordham, Alfred Lord Emmott, Edward Lord Strachie, Alexander William Charles Oliphant Lord Murray of Elibank, John Fletcher Lord Moulton, John Andrew Lord Sumner, Alexander Lord Stratchclyde, Charles Alfred Lord Parmoor, Harold Lord Rothermere, Herbert Hardy Lord Cozens Hardy, Henry Burton Lord Wrenbury, Stanley Owen Lord Buckmaster, Savile Brinton Lord Somerleyton, Arthur Lord Carnock, Charles Beilby Lord Stuart of Wortley, William Maxwell Lord Beaverbrook, Joseph Albert Lord Gainford, Amelius Richard Mark Lord Lambourne, Francis John Stephens Lord Southborough, Edward Patrick Lord Morris, Frederick Lord Cawley, William Douglas Lord Weir, Ignatius John Lord Shandon, Walter George Frank Lord Phillimore, William Lord Sterndale, William Hayes Lord Downham, Rowland Edmund Lord Ernle, Andrew Lord Inverforth, Satyendra Prasanna Lord Sinha, or any three or more of them, to declare and notify this Our Royal Assent in Our absence in the said Higher House, in the presence of you the said Lords and Commons of Our Parliament there to be assembled for that purpose; and the Clerk of Our Parliaments to endorse the said Acts with such terms and words, in Our name, as is requisite for the same; and also to enrol these Our Letters Patent, and the said Acts, in manner accustomed; and these Our Letters Patent shall be to every of them a sufficient warrant in that behalf: And finally, We do declare and will, that after this Our Royal Assent given and passed by these presents, and declared and notified as is aforesaid, then and immediately the said Acts shall be taken, accepted, and admitted good, sufficient, and perfect Acts of Parliament and Laws, to all intents, constructions, and purposes, and to be put in due execution accordingly, the continuance or dissolution of this Our Parliament, or any other use, custom, thing or things, to the contrary thereof notwithstanding.

In witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made patent.

Witness Ourself at Westminster, the twenty-ninth day of May, in the tenth year of Our Reign.

By the King himself, signed with His own Hand.

SCHUSTER.

SCHEDULE.

Public Health (Medical Treatment of Children) (Ireland) Act, 1919.

Education (Scotland) (Superannuation) Act, 1919.

Wages (Temporary Regulations) Extension Act, 1919.

South Shields Gas Act, 1919.

H. Evans & Co. Limited Act, 1919.

Saint George’s Church Oxford Act, 1919.

Belfast Harbour Act, 1919.

Dover Harbour Act, 1919.

Blyth Harbour Act, 1919.

Bristol Corporation Act, 1919.

Dublin Port and Docks Act, 1919.

Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Act, 1919.

Newport Harbour Act, 1919.

Sign Manual

This text is taken from the Lords Journals and so it may not reflect the formatting of the original.

This is much longer than a modern Commission. That is largely the result of the vast number of peers named in the document. Today, only the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Speaker, the Leader of the House, the Leader of the Opposition, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, and the Convenor of the Crossbench Peers are included in the Commission, but this document lists dozens and dozens of names. However, only the Lord Chancellor, Lord Denman, and Lord Sudeley actually presided over the Royal Assent ceremony.