The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-05-12 00:00:00

THE SUNDAY CLOSING BILL.

Mr. Stevenson, M.P., and Alderman Sir W.
M'Arthur, M.P., has had an interview in the
Premier's private room at the House of Commons
with Mr. Gladstone, to whom they presented a me-
morial, signed by 120 members of Parliament, praying
that facilities might be afforded this session for the
second reading uf the English Sunday Closing Bill.

Mr, Gladstone, in reply, explained the difficulty
which he felt, under existing circumstances in Parlia-
ment, and amid the extreme preasure of public busi-
ness, to promise any special arrangements for the
important measure in question, but added that he had
no doubt its supporters—although disappointed on a
recent Wednesday—would continue to endeavour in
the usual ways to secure a favourable place for their
Bill on the order book of the House of Commons,

On Monday night Lord Granville received at the
Foreign Office a deputation of working men and w ark-
ing women, who asked him to support Lord Dnnraven's
motion for the Sunday opening of the public museums
and the National Gallery. Mr. Burt, M.P., intro-
duced the deputation.
Lord Granville, in his reply to the deputation, said
it was as an individual peer that they had addressed
him, not as a member of the Government. This was
a question upon which the Government gave no
opinion. They knew that he had always expressed
himself in favour of the proposal they advocated; but
he held that it was one of those social questions which
should be regulated by the public opinion of the
places where it would operate. , In this case, there was
a lifference of opinion expressed as to the preponder-
ance of views one way and the other of the working
classes. Mr. Broadhurst, a representative of the work-
ing classes whom everybody respected, had made a
striking speech and had presented petitions in opposi-
tion to the opening of the museums and art galleries
on the Sunday. Mr. Burt, who was also a deeply
respected, representative of the working classes, took
the other side. Hence, it was difficult to judge of
opinions on the question, but it appeared pretty plainly
that the people of some places who had the privileges
of open museums and art galleries on the Sunday did
not move in the matter, while other places did not
wish for them. After a few more words from Earl
Granville, the deputation thanked his lordship and
retired.

In a leader noticing Lord Dunraven's motion in the
House of Lords, The Times remarks :

It is a great pity that a question of this kind cannot
be let alone until there is some urgent demand for a
change in the law. A great many criticisms may no
doubt be made upon the way in which Sunday is re-
garded and employed; but they only itritate people,
without the smallest useful result. Sunday as we know
it was not made by legislation, and cannot be altered by
legislation, except when it comes in to give shape to a
social change already effected. Our way of regarding
Sunday is one of the practical compromises which
it needs the collective wisdom of a nation to devise.
It does not logically grow out of any religious con-
ception, or any educational theory ; and is therefore
not a thing to be tinkered by religious purists on
the one hand or amateur reformers on the other. If
It is to change, it will change by laws of its
own • and when the change is declared it will
be time enough to think of legislation. We have
no disposition to insist upon the thin-end•of•the•wedge
theory when it can be shown that A wedge is required,
but in this case the need has certainly not been made
out. The opening of museums might have an im-
mense educational influence or none at all. It migh
prelude the destruction of the weekly holiday or it
might make holidays se pleasant as to lead people to take
more of them. Anybody may maintain either side of
the argument he pleases, because nobody really knows.
What is clear is that the British people, as a whole,
are very well content with things as they are. There
Is room for a great variety of tastes to be gratified, and
there is room for a good deal of grumbling, which is
perhaps quite as valuable. But there is no sign of any
public opinion in favour of legislative interference,
and no indication that museumc and galleries are de-
sired by any fraction of the public that can be held to
deserve special attention. Our own belief is that
working men, like other men, enjoy Sunday as a
day of rest. They see their children and their friends,
they stroll idly about, or they smoke an idle pipe at
home. Mere idleness is a great luxury to tired bodies,
a much greater one than some philanthropists prob.
ably have any idea of. The sort of working men who
enjoys his day of rest in a restful way will not give it
up to undergo the boredom of sight.seeing ; and the
other sort, who haunt public-houses and otherwise
misuses the Sunday, will not trouble themselves with
the wonders of a museum.