The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-11-06 00:00:00

THE SUNDAY CLOSING MOVEMENT.

Probably the most ctwestli sod un-Ezugligh conduct
ever exhibited in a pato& mrat log at B34port was that
lad by a few publicans ant others at toe Town Rail, on
Friday evening, the axesion o! • ineetins hell on ler the
suave a Of the Control Asaaciation fr egiegibig tie sole
of intaxic situ 1 quara on 'Loud ay. Toe hall wee criwrini
to once" the (root seen being occdpied by numerous
lain& who Sr. toremoit in the ranks of temperance in
this locality. All the standing room at the rear wee at uoet
exclogively occupied by publicscs and other enemies t 3
the cause, awl, as far as cool I be seen from the bud of
the hall, nearly all the pubicans of the borough were
there. At eight p.m. the deputy-)layor (Kr. Charles
J.P.), tok the chair and was supported by
E (went Wh uitweli. Ea , K da:lal, hon. Dec. to the G.A.,
Henry J. 0 'born, Fay. Briaiol (deputation), Revs, W.
J. Bain, W. J ,ornilald, J. D. 6,01., ant T. Fitt, Alder-
man J. Beech, Captain Martin, and Yr. Griffin.
Tin meeting opened with the invocation of Divine
blessing by the Rev. W. J. Bain (03rigregational
minister.) Doring the p rrrrr some at the roar of the
room remained with their hate on, others lansised and
talked kindly, sad Uwarde its oiloie cried " Amen" in an
unoilatateably profane manner. .

The Cueisitgle, who sp As Amid few Interruptions,
explained the cases for which they were mat together,
which, he believed. was • right and a just one, and they
were anxious to make their laws to aocordanoe with the
Word of Gad. He trusted a fair besr,ng would be given to
ths speakers. (Hear, hoer, and no, no.) It was a public
meatus{ of the inhabitents,_ and he
.hoped they would
tahrreiyvewt.the.odrathe cdaociperlttuiv,:otz..
poor
or nmsaenntoirtelhyis beet
a tnistake that ;
on the
sopportid ft becalms he believed it to he right. (Hear,
contrary, the cause WWI of tar winking men, and he
hear; no, no, and cries from the rear.) .
Mr. Warrerzu. rose to propose • reeolutton. . From the
fPl44.4lllplayirwC.ollndr
to of
be those
ir
feature
It f was
.evii,..ththdent. that
that the spankers should not be heard. Amid a horrible
din, and odes which would have grened a 030101011 Wu,
parlour or the lowest po:housi, Mr. Whit well moved the
toll .wing resolut on. which was audible only to the
reporters and a few in the front seats :—"That as Scotland
has for many years been enjoying great advantages from
the Sunday (Nosing of Futwichonsese, and as in Ireland,
Wass, and many of oar colonies similar legislation has
this meetingasarmeseth
on
been att ended with the best results,
Sil.'indd.eaypshoreugretld stiltr bistperhemaailtat.dal;,nytLzwicainliplinglant and
authorises to. Chairman to sign on its behalf petitions to
both Houses of Parliament, praying for its immediate
abolition." Mr. Whitocil toad, • speech, which was
literally drowned hy a 'babel ' from the rear off the hall.
John rioter, an innkeeper of Esse troet, boiler known
as "B igli .ffejor o the Brid port Vo,untsers," who bed
several times led tit., interruptiona, WWI OSI el t 3 order
from the 11 air sini I iris of '' shone." He, however,
ignored the appal from the Chair, and proceeded to shout
out to the annoyance of the speaker sad all orderly people
in the no au. The Chairman told him he had
better leave the room if he could not behave
himself, hut the It iv. W. .1. Ban ro a Irons the platform
and exclaimed" No :let him stay—, standing witness to
the folly of the opposition." Wear hoer, and applause.)
The soeeker added " I appeal to the "gentlemen ' at the
bottom of the room, that he should do sal he would he
done by. (Applause.) This semi I ,Ilowed by derisive
cries from the rear of "do •eay with preaching,' and
personal remarks addressed t, the gentlemen on the
platform. Mr. Whit well could be just heard alluding to
, the fact that 54 hours were ',reef Is I for 'he woricing.men
to earn t near money, whilst they had 108 to spend it in.
He next showed the great moth day amongst public ins
and the kind of coupon! frequenting pulgicia wee*.
Many publicans would only be too glad to get their rat on
I Sundays. • voice said " they can close if they like,"
when Mr. Whitwell remarking that the publichouees
were monopolised by the brewer., qa3tel an in-t mos
where a publican was threatened with notice to quit if he
closed *gain on Sunday. Ono trade only we. • monopoly
on the Sabbath. and that trade for spending
of hardeearned money in drink. Tee Sunday schools of our
country were evidence of the self-relying clatracter of our
holy religion, and on Sunday evenings 100,000 public.
houses were open in England where lilt!, good could he
dune or heart. Ninetwiths of the crime ia the ()wintry
wan caused by drink. Them meetings were testa of public
opinion, and there had been • total of 1.800,000 signatures
In favour of the cause. He held that it was wrong to
I carry on • trate ou ;Sun lay, which toads a father unfit
, company for his own children. He held that
If the working men wished ti have their hoer for their
Sunday's dinner it would he just as well procured on
Saturday night, anti kept well corked (" No such thing"
Irons the rear.) It wee sad that the men could not get
honest beer—it was such doctored stuff—then the Sabbath
should not be broken t 3 eell them dishonest beer. (A.p.
Disuse.) It had been said that the movement was of
"clam legislation." but this was not sh for there were
10,000 working MSS'S clubs open on Sunday, and only a
few hun trod gentlemen's clefs, and, of course, the trades.
man and manufacturer who spend their Sunday evenis
in the " Orst hotels" wont' be debarred as well WI Well-
JOB WWI (Cries of "Stuff," "Nonsense," and persons/
shone.) He referred to • recent meeting hold at Bow,
',wide, wit,ere out of 1100 venous, only three hands wire
shown against the question. (Applause.) In 500 towns
they had asked the opinion of the householders, and •
large majority were in tavour of closing. Taking the seven
largest towns of Scotland with • population of 1190,909
we had 1.503 ewes of Sunday drunkenniass ; no., in
Liverpool alone we had 1,711 so there were to. re
rases in Liverpool than in the pavan Scottish
towns put together ; ant in Manchester during
12 hours there had been 112 CIS 111, whilst in
g tinburish only 32. (Cries of Wales.) Mr Whitareil
°to., aaa that in cgedid and other to ono (Wales) men
ertshin4 to get the drink on Sunday crossed over the
water to &lean& and thus the or inkenness. The peopl i
of Wales were glad to hove the Bill. (Hear, hear, act
cries of dissent ) Here followed some uproarious cries, so
that the tones of the speaker were perfectly drowned for
a t mi.. 8 'vend ladies moved ISOM their seats saa if to bare the Hal. 112. whit..ii resritted that as Gina-
-1 tenths of this audience wished to hare a "fair meeting e
that such a majority should be interrupted hy a few
pat il gene and other,. (Apples...) Itenewlax hh theme
amid even louder exclamations than before, the speaker
laid they wanted to get • Psditioll obrAwd next year by
finr7 WPM above 16 140111 of sige, sad that elsolege