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The Eucharistic Procession of 1908: The Dilemma of the Liberal Government

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

Carol A. Devlin
Carol A. Devlin
Affiliation:
visiting assistant professor of history at Marquette University, Milwaukee,Wisconsin.
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Extract

In September 1908 the British Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, offended Roman Catholics by cancelling the procession of the Blessed Sacrament, which was to have been the climax of the 1908 international Eucharistic Congress. This incident illustrates the persistence of religious extremism as a disruptive force in British politics and the muddled manner in which Asquith's government dealt with crises. As early as 1900 social and economic issues had become the dominant focus of British politics, and Great Britain had established a reputation for religious toleration. In spite of the growing trend toward secularism, militant Protestants continued to agitate against Catholicism by resurrecting archaic laws restricting Catholic rituals.

Type
Research Article
Information
Church History , Volume 63 , Issue 3 , September 1994 , pp. 407 - 425
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Church History 1994

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References

I am very grateful to Steve Avella, John Devlin, Carla Hay, and Peter Marsh for their comments and support. I would aso like to thank Sir William Gladstone; Lord Bonham-Carter; Gregory, Rowcliffe and Milner; and the Westminster Diocese for permission to quote the collections for which they hold the copyrights.

1. Ripon to Asquith, 14 Sept. 1908 (all subsequent dates in notes refer to 1908 unless stated otherwise), 2 and 7 Oct., Asquith Papers (hereafter AP), Bodleian Library, XX, fols. 165–166; XI, fols. 198–200; and XI, fols. 203–204. See also Ripon to Bourne, 7 Oct.: Ripon Papers (hereafter RP), British Library Add MS 43545, fols. 132–133;Google ScholarWolf, Lucien, Life of the First Marquess of Ripon, 2 vols. (London, 1921), 2:298–300.Google Scholar

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9. Eventually 7 cardinals, 14 archbishops, 75 bishops, 21 abbots, 2,000 priests, and tens of thousands of lay Catholics attended the Congress. Delegates from 25 countries attended.Google Scholar

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16. For examples of letters to the editor expressing such views see The Times, 9, 10, and 12 Sept.; Daily News, 14 Sept.Google Scholar

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18. For examples see Birmingham Mail, 7 Sept.;Google ScholarMercury, Leeds, 8 Sept.;Google ScholarThe Evening News, 14 Sept.;Google ScholarGazette, Pall Mall, 14 Sept.;Google ScholarThe Star, 14Sept.Google Scholar

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21. The Catholic Times as cited in The Story of the Congress, p. 54.Google Scholar

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25. The Law Officers are the attorney general and the solicitor general.Google Scholar

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29. Ibid.

30. GP, 46096, fols. 196–294; 45993, fols. 184–187; AP, XX, fols. 177–180.Google Scholar

31. Troup to Gladstone, 24 Sept., GP, 45993, fols. 194–197 and AP, XX, fols. 184–187.Google Scholar

32. Ibid.

33. Ibid.

34. Ibid.

35. Troup to Gladstone, 14 Sept., GP, 45993, fols. 161–165 and 46096, fol. 226;Google Scholar24 Sept., GP, 45993, fols. 191–197;Google Scholarand 46096, fols. 191–192 and AP, XX, fols. 184–187.Google Scholar

36. Mr. Fowler's first name is unknown.Google Scholar

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39. Troup to Gladstone, 24 Sept., GP, 45993, fols. 194–197.Google ScholarSee also AP, XX, fols. 184–187.Google Scholar

40. GP 45993, fol. 200. The Protestant Alliance's resolution was dated 8 Feb.Google Scholar

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42. Gladstone, to Asquith, 25 Sept., GP, 45989, fols. 194–196 and AP, XX, fols. 192–193.Google Scholar

43. Troup to Gladstone, 19 Sept., GP, 45993, fols. 177–179 and 23 Sept., GP, 45993, fols. 184–187.Google ScholarSee also AP, XX, fols. 177–180.Google Scholar

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50. Troup, to Gladstone, , 8 Sept., GP, 45993, fols. 137–138.Google Scholar

51. Although the press mentioned the illegal nature of the procession earlier, it did not fully explain the controversy over the wearing of vestments and the carrying of the Host until the London Council of Fifty-one societies issued its protests. After that the newspapers debated the issue and the position the government should adopt. They also printed numerous letters to the editor from both sides of the controversy.Google Scholar

52. Troup, to Gladstone, , 9 Sept., GP, 45993, fols. 139–145 and 46096, fol. 209.Google Scholar

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57. Bourne, to Ripon, , 9 Sept., RP, 43545, fol. 116.Google ScholarFor later attempts by Bourne to pressure the government into publishing the correspondence see Bourne, to Asquith, , 11 Sept., AP, XX, fols. 139–140;Google ScholarTroup, to Gladstone, , 12 Sept., GP, 46096, fol. 217.Google Scholar

58. Ripon, to Bourne, , 10 Sept., RP, 43545, fols. 117–118.Google Scholar

59. Gladstone, to Bourne, , 10 Sept., GP, 46066, fols. 48–50 and AP, XX, fol. 199.Google Scholar

60. Troup, to Gladstone, , 10 Sept., GP, 45993, fols. 147–148.Google Scholar

61. GP, 46096, fols. 196–204.Google Scholar

62. Gladstone, to Asquith, , 10 Sept., AP, XX, fols. 120–121.Google Scholar

63. Gladstone, to Asquith, , 10 Sept., GP, 46096, fol. 210 and AP, XX, fols. 109–111;Google ScholarTroup, to Gladstone, , 11 Sept., GP, 46096, fol. 215. See also GP, 45993, fol. 150.Google Scholar

64. The discussion of the government's options is based on GP, 46096, fols. 194—195. See also, GP, 45993, fols. 208–213.Google Scholar

65. Bourne, to Ripon, , 11 Sept., RP, 43545, fols. 119–120;Google ScholarBourne, to Asquith, , 11 Sept., AP, XX, fols. 139–140;Google Scholarand Asquith, to Gladstone, , 11 Sept., GP, 46096, fol. 213.Google Scholar

66. Gladstone, to Asquith, , 11 Sept., GP, 46096, fol. 213 and AP, XX, fols. 127–129.Google Scholar

67. Asquith, to Gladstone, , 12 Sept., GP, 46096, fol. 217.Google Scholar

68. Bourne, to Asquith, , 12 Sept., AP, XX, fols. 149–150.Google Scholar

69. Troup, to Gladstone, , 12 Sept., GP, 46096, fols. 216 and 218; Gladstone to Asquith, 12 Sept., GP, 46096, fol. 216 and AP, XX, fols. 141–144.Google Scholar

70. Ripon, to Asquith, , 14 Sept., AP, XX, fols. 165–166;Google Scholar20 Sept., AP, XX, fols. 171–172;Google Scholar2 Oct., AP, XI, fols. 198–200;Google Scholar7 Oct., AP, XI, fols. 203–204.Google ScholarSee also Ripon, to Bourne, , 7 Oct., RP, 43545, fols. 132–133;Google ScholarWolf, pp. 298–300.Google Scholar

71. Ripon, to Asquith, , 14 Sept., AP, XX, fols. 163–164;Google ScholarDavidson, to Gladstone, , 16 Sept., GP, 45985, fols. 81–83.Google Scholar

72. Gladstone, to Asquith, , 21 Sept., GP, 45989, fol. 190 and AP, XX, fols. 173–174;Google Scholar24 Sept., GP, 45989, fol. 193 and AP, XX, fols. 190–191;Google Scholar25 Sept., GP, 45989, fols. 194–196;Google ScholarAP, XX, fols. 192–193.Google Scholar

73. Asquith, to Gladstone, , 23 Sept., GP, 45989, fols. 191–192Google Scholarand 29 Sept., GP, 45989, fol. 196.Google Scholar

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75. See The Times, 15, 16, 18, 19 and 22 Sept., and the Newcastle Daily Chronicle, 18 Sept.Google Scholar

76. The Times, 15 Sept.Google Scholar

77. Bourne, to Runciman, , 24 Sept., AP, XX, fols. 32–34 and WDA, Education File.Google Scholar

78. The Times, 18 Sept.Google Scholar

79. Newcastle Daily Chronicle, 21 Sept.Google Scholar

80. Newcastle Daily Chronicle, 21 and 22 Sept.;Google ScholarThe Times, 21 Sept.Google Scholar

81. Newcastle Daily Chronicle, 21 Sept.; Daily News, 21 and 22 Sept.;Google ScholarThe Times, 21 Sept. Almost 30,000 people voted in the 1908 by-election.Google Scholar

82. Traditionally, the presence of Socialist Edward Hartley as a third candidate is the accepted explanation. Hartley received 2,971 votes, more than enough to explain the Liberal defeat if all of his votes had gone to the Liberal candidate.Google ScholarSee Devlin, , pp. 183–189.Google Scholar

83. The Times, 26 Sept.Google Scholar

84. Bourne, to Ripon, , 18 Sept., RP, 43545, fols. 125–126.Google Scholar

85. Runciman, to Bourne, , 24 Oct., WDA, Education File.Google Scholar

86. Bourne, to Runciman, , 27 Oct., WDA, Education File.Google Scholar

87. Parl. Deb., 4th series, cxciv, 39, 317–318 and cxcvii, 134–138.Google Scholar