# Manx Primary Source Archive — Transcription

**Source image:** `20260219_143557-2.jpg`  
**Transcribed:** 2026-02-25 19:26  
**Method:** Automated (Claude Batch API — claude-opus-4-6)

---

25

arose from their occasional presence in Council.
By the revesting Act, the church-patronage be-
ing reserved to the Athol family, it is submitted
that so unheard-of a claim as that of a subject
to name members to his Sovereign's Council,
and to create legislators at his will, is most com-
pletely unreasonable.

From the period of the revestment to the year
1791, not a single instance for twenty-six years
occurs of these Ecclesiastics or any one of them
being summoned, or present in Council; nor
was any claim to this privilege made on their
behalf. In the latter year, it was brought for-
ward by the then Bishop, and one Vicar-Ge-
neral before the Commissioners, who pronoun-
ced no opinion.

Successively, all these persons have been ad-
mitted to Council. To one of these Ecclesias-
tical offices a Layman has been for the first
time recently appointed by the Bishop. A
novel officer named "Acting Attorney-General,"
in the absence of his principal, without the pos-
sibility of pretence to a claim by the ancient
constitution of the land, has also been intru-
ded. He is at present Agent to his Grace, in
his capacity of Lord of the Manor, and Secre-
tary to him as Governor. In short, the Keys
know not to-day who are, or who to-morrow
may be called, members of this pretended Coun-

D