Statement from King George V, signed ?George R. I.,? which he presented to be read at the House of Commons by Speaker James Lowther in November 1910. The message, penned in a secretarial hand, one page, 7.75 x 12.5, reads, in full: ?It having become necessary to make provision for the payment of Pensions under the Old Age Pensions Act 1908 as from the 6th January next to certain persons hitherto disqualified from receiving Pensions under that Act, H.M. recommends to His faithful Commons that provision be made accordingly for which purpose He has commanded that an estimate be laid before them.? Matted and framed with a color portrait and a clipped newspaper article headed ?Message from the King,? to an overall size of 29 x 20.75. In very good to fine condition, with creasing in the top and bottom margins (heavier at the top).
The newspaper clipping, which bears a date notation of November 18, 1910, describes the official reading of the king?s message, in part: ?The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Lloyd George) proceeded to the Bar of the House, and, having been ?noticed? by the Speaker, announced that he had ?A Message from the King signed by his own hand.? The right hon. gentleman walked up the floor of the House to the Table, where he gave the document to the Clerk, Sir Courtenay Ilbert, who, in turn, handed it to the Speaker. The Speaker read the Message, which was in the following terms:
It having become necessary to make provision for the payment of pensions under the Old Age Pensions Act, 1908, as from the 6th of January next, to certain persons otherwise disqualified from receiving pensions under that Act, his Majesty recommends his faithful Commons that provision should be made accordingly, for which purpose he has commanded that an estimate be laid before them. GEORGE.
The Message was received with cheers. On the motion of Mr. Hobhouse (Bristol, E., Min.) it was agreed that the House should on Monday resolve itself into Committee of Supply to consider his Majesty's gracious Message.?
The Old Age Pensions Act 1908 was a landmark piece of social welfare legislation passed by the UK Parliament that introduced, for the first time, a noncontributory state pension for those aged 70 and over. It came into force on January 1, 1909, and initially applied across the United Kingdom, including Ireland at the time. It established one of the foundations of the modern British welfare state and marked a significant step towards government taking responsibility for the elderly poor.
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