Submission from Patrick McGilligan to King George V (London)
(Copy)

(Signed) GEORGE R.I.

Mr. McGilligan, Minister for External Affairs in the Irish Free State, with his humble duty to the King, begs to submit to Your Majesty that Your Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State have given earnest consideration to certain matters affecting the existing constitutional status of the Irish Free State, namely, the channel to be used by them in tendering humble advice to Your Majesty in matters on which such advice falls to be tendered, and the Seal to be used on documents relating to the Irish Free State executed by Your Majesty on such advice upon which the Great Seal of the Realm or the Signet Seal of a Principal Secretary of State has heretofore been used.

These matters have already been the subject of discussions between Your Majesty's Governments in the United Kingdom and the Irish Free State and both Governments are agreed that certain changes in the existing arrangements and practice would not be inappropriate, having regard to the constitutional relationships now existing between Your Majesty and Your Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State.

As a result of their earnest consideration of the matters referred to, Your Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State have been enabled to formulate proposals which they now humbly submit for Your Majesty's gracious approval:

1. They submit that you may be graciously pleased that communication between Your Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State and Your Majesty be made to you direct by the Minister for External Affairs of the Irish Free State (or, should occasion require, by some other of Your Majesty's Ministers in the Irish Free State), or through the High Commissioner in London.

2. They further submit that there be struck in the Irish Free State a Great Seal to take the place of the Great Seal of the Realm on documents relating to the Irish Free State executed by Your Majesty on the advice of Your Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State; and, in addition, that there be struck in the Irish Free State a Signet Seal to be used by the Minister for External Affairs on Royal Sign Manual documents relating to the Irish Free State issued by Your Majesty other than those on which the Great Seal of the Realm has heretofore been used. The Seals would be in the custody and control of Your Majesty's Government in the Irish Free State and the Minister for External Affairs respectively and would be released respectively upon the advice of that Government or that Minister. It is proposed that the Great Seal and the Signet Seal to be created be similar in design containing on the obverse the same design (namely, Your Majesty enthroned) and circumscription as those now contained upon the Great Seal of the Realm and upon the reverse an Irish Harp with the circumscription 'Saorstát Éireann'. The Great Seal would be of the same size as the Great Seal of the Realm and the Signet Seal of the same size as the Signet Seal of one of Your Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State in Great Britain.

All of which is submitted by Your Majesty's humble, obedient Servant.