The cremation of the dead: considered from an aesthetic, sanitary, religious, historical, medico-legal, and economical standpoint — John Shaqi
The cremation of the dead: considered from an aesthetic, sanitary, religious, historical, medico-legal, and economical standpointErichsen, Hugo
Religion
The cremation of the dead: considered from an aesthetic, sanitary, religious, historical, medico-legal, and economical standpoint
Erichsen, Hugo
Cremation
Since that time the place has been maintained in perfect order, but has
not been used, owing to a doubt raised soon after the date referred to,
as to the legality of adopting the process in England. A deputation of
the cremation society waited upon the Home Secretary on the 20th of
March, 1879, with a view of representing to the government their own
wishes in respect to the crematory at Woking. The Home Secretary
admitted that the proposed practice was unaffected by existing law, but
he had been advised that inasmuch as the registration of deaths in her
Majesty’s country had always been associated with burial, he was
constrained to conclude that cremation must first be approved by
Parliament, and that if persisted in, he saw no other course open than
to legislate against it. He further advised the council to introduce a
short bill into the House of Lords, and not to rely upon the opinions of
Queen’s counsel which had been obtained by them affirming that it might
be practiced. Thus the so-called Cameron bill originated. It is strange
that England, so far advanced in political freedom, should yet be so
deficient in intellectual liberty. Among the English there are doubtless
as many unbiased investigators as among any other nation, but both the
representatives of the people and the government present the deplorable
picture of solicitous embarrassment, and maintain an obstinate
conservatism when any question involving religion or ecclesiastical
rites comes up before them; any act that is not seconded by the Church
of England is rejected through non-support; any abuse which the
Established Church desires to retain cannot be removed. That this holds
true is evinced by the repeated failure of the bill permitting a widower
to marry his sister-in-law, notwithstanding that even the royal family
desire to contract such a marriage. Finally the bill was accepted by the
House of Commons, but has been since stubbornly rejected by the House of
Lords.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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