"The Bishop of Sodor and Man." "the Manx Laws."

The word Sodor is an abbreviation of Sudoreys (South), which was a term used by the Norwegians to distinguish the Hebrides, or Southern Island off the coast of Scotland, from the Orkney or Northern Islands.

The bishopric of these Sudoreys was once associated with that of the Isle of Man, an Island which lies between England and Ireland, hence arose the double title of "Sodor and Man." The Hebrides or Sudoreys, are now included in the ecclesiastical system of Scotland, and the true Bishop of Sodor is the Scotch Bishop of the Isles. But the title "Bishop of Sodor and Man" is still retained by the Bishop of the Isle of Man, being akin to the old claim, only abandoned in 1801, whereby the Kings of England called themselves also Kings of France. This bishopric is said to have been founded by St. Patrick in 447. As it is now an independent bishopric, the Bishop of "Sodor and Man" has no seat in the House of Lords, not being counted as one of the English bishops. The history of the Isle of Man is interesting. The Manx language is still spoken, though English is generally understood. The present constitution and many of the laws, called the Manx laws, are the same as adopted in the sixth century. By the Manx laws they still imprison for debt even to the amount of one shilling. And strange to say the stealing of a hen is more severely punished than stealing an ox. There was some reason for this strange enactment. All the oxen on the island were not more than a dozen, and these could not be easily hidden or carried off, while poultry were numerous and could be easily disposed of or eaten up. The legislative body is styled the "Court of Tynwald." It consists of the Lieutenant Governor and Council, and the House of Keys (or Keepers). The "House of Keys" was formerly self-elective, but in 1866 an act was passed establishing an election by the people every seven years. The Isle of Man is thus to a certain degree independent of the English Parliament. But a bill must be acted upon by both branches of the legislative body and then transmitted to England for the Royal assent, and must be promulgated from Tynwald Hill in both the English and the Manx language before it can become a law.