XIX. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall be deemed and taken to be a Public Act, and shall be judicially taken notice of as such by all Judges, Justices and others, without specially pleading the same.
Observations upon the Act of Parliament, (52d Geo. III. cap. 155.) passed 29th July, 1812, relating to Religious Worship, with some practical Directions.
SECTION II.
1. All religious Assemblies of Protestants, not exceeding Twenty Persons, besides the family of the person in whose premises such Assembly shall be held, are lawful without registering the place of Meeting, so that there will be no absolute necessity to register the houses where Prayer, and other Social Meetings are held. However, as it is attended with scarcely any inconvenience, it is recommended that all Places where, in probability, more than Twenty Persons may assemble for Religious Instruction, including Sunday Schools, be certified and registered.
2. It is not necessary to register any place, which has been registered previous to the passing of this Act.
3. It is not necessary to wait till the place is actually registered, but a Religious Assembly may lawfully be held after a certificate that the place is intended to be used for Religious Worship is lodged with the person or any one of the persons mentioned in the Section.
4. The following form of Certificate to be sent to the Bishop, or Archdeacon, or Justices of the General or Quarter Sessions, is recommended, to sign which only one person is necessary, that is to say,
“To the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of ________ (as the case may be) or the Reverend (A. B.) Archdeacon of ______ (as the case may be) and to his Registrar, or to the Justices of the Peace (of the County, Riding, Division, City, Town, or Place, as the case may be) and to the Clerk of the Peace thereof.”
“I, A. B. of (describing the christian and surname, and place of abode, and trade or profession of the party certifying) do hereby certify, that a certain Building, (Messuage, or Tenement, Barn, School, Meeting House, or part of a Messuage, Tenement, or other Building, as the case may be) situated in the Parish of ______ and County of ______ (as the case may be, and specifying also the number of the Messuage, &c. if numbered, and the Street, Lane, &c. wherein it is situate, and the name of the present or last Occupier or Owner) is intended forthwith to be used as a place of Religious Worship by an Assembly or Congregation of Protestants, and I do hereby require you to register and record the same according to the provisions of an Act passed in the 52d year of the Reign of His Majesty King George the Third, intituled An Act to repeal certain Acts, and amend other Acts, relating to Religious Worship, and Assemblies, and Persons teaching or preaching therein, and I hereby request a Certificate thereof. Witness my hand this __ day of ______ 181__