The Express.
London, England, 1864-06-30 00:00:00

STRIKET MUSIC 'ILL.

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Mr. BASS having presented a petition from ISO barristers,
eolicitora, and clergymen id the sweleopolis is devour of this
bill, the house weld tale committee on it.
On inane I,
Mr. HANKEY wished to beer whether the bill wadi
abolish Punch. (Laeghter.)
Mr. BASS said, is common hehelieved Wet every member
of the house, he thought Pm* was a national Matthew.,
which by no amine ought to heiliaocausgell. (Laughter.)
Mc. ATOIII3rLL-HIfCIffiSSEN believed that es the
bill stood Pooch would be Melsded in its.operatiou.
ifs. BASS mid that if the hon. gentleman imieded •
@lanes in favour of Punch he should mot objets to it,
(hter.
MLaugr. BRl)SOOffithought that Punch eoght to be =erupted.
(Laughter.)
trilr. C. BENINNCK, in cage 2, lime t, proposed to insert
of
tar the word " househaler" the fallowing weeds, "on
account of the illness or on amorist ci the interruption
et the ordering occupations or pursuits of any inmate of such
house, or for other reasonable or sufficient cause."
Mr. AYIt2ON said it would be difficult to define what
was meant by an interruption of ordinary occupations or
pursuits. Was ordinary. occupation to mem the killing of
the:or teeettog of mean ? If the magistrates were to be
judges of what was meant by interruption to ordinary
accupettoss, they wadi have • very difficult duty to per
The bill by this amendment was made worm than it
was brims. Is gave an extension to the rights of property
which ought not to be permitted. The hue. member for
Derby had published • book containing the letters which
had bees sent to him on this subject from ladies and others.
Pooch was, it appeared, to be excluded from the bill; but
Punch, some thought, was nothing without the overture
that preseded the dramatic representations. (Laughter.)
He meld understand those who had seated them-
selves to write bitter and sarcadic articles object-
ing to 'sweet music." (Laughter.) It appeared there
were shout 100 persons in the metropolis who had snob
liensitive nerves or were so misenthropical as to wish to put
down the amusements and digital of between two and throe
(" Oh." and "Hear, hear.") It was the sensate
who were buried underground that principally en-
couraged street music. It was the face of the
meet girl at the window that the eye of
the street musician looked for. If gentlemen wished to
prevent street mum let them do so by regulating their own
bombs, and preventing their servants from giving their half-
ooe to the players. The London houses were so constructed
that any one who did not like music might retire to the
back of the house.
Kr. BASS—I have heard them before and behind.
(Laughter.)

Mr. AYRTON—Tb►t was an unfortunate house.
(Laughter.) The majority of London houses were not ex-
posed behiod and before. (Laughter.) No street music was
so great a DIIIIIIIOOO as the tolling of London carriages—(hear,
hear)—yet who proposed a law to prevent the use of car-
riages? although means were taken to prevent the effect of
the opine when any of the inmates were ill. If they pre-
vented music in the street it would be tramferred to the
public-hones', and an encouragement would be given to
think. (Hear.) This was a law against their own servants.
(Oh, oh.) That waa so, because they principally encouraged
the street musicians by giving them mossy. He thought
they ought to refrain from legislating on this subject, and
not interfere with the amusement of millions on marmot of
the nervous and sensitive feelings of a few imbeciles or in-
valids. He thought the words " near any home' too ex-
tensive and too indefinite, and he should therefore move to
leave out the word " near," and propose in its stead the
words "iu front of" any house. (Hear.)
Sir J. PAKINGTON quite concurred in the opinion that
Punch ought to continue privileged, wed that both the
street Punch and the literary Punch ought to be considered
as national institutions. (Hear.) He thought the amend-
meet of his hon. friend was hardly worth la:cause
it would make no material difference whether the ...r.le in
the clause were retained or whether the wont. of the
amendment were substituted. The questinu was N.,ether
the Is+ should be left as it was, or wbethrr every house-
holder should have the right of sending away *sleet music
which annoyed him. He thought the latter a moat mean-
able enactment. But for himself, he should be sorry to me
the German bands put down. (Laughter and cheers.)

Sir J. SHELLEY said thm exclusion at Pouch made the

whole bill ridiculous, for many persons thought Pooch
• greater sidelines than any street music. (Hear.)
The effect of the law would be to deprive • vast amount of
persons in the metropolis of an enjoyment which they bad
sow at a oomparatively small cut. They could not go to
the opera, and like the disurners of good music enjoy •
Pasta or a Mario, but still they enjoyed the music of the
streets, cod we bad no right to prohibit that eojoyment.
Why confiee this bill to the metropolis ? Why not apply
it to Brighton or to Derby' Why not prevent other
nuisance', such as the letting down of large beer barrels is
the public streets! Mr. Babbsge, whose authority was
quoted, wee equstly opposed to tip-cat and hoops. (" Hear,
hear, and laughter.) He would give ewers householder who
had reasocabln canes, the power of preventirtg street music,
but be would not give the power of preventing from mere
dislike or caprice. (Cheers.)
Sir G. GREY said the object of the bill sous really to
enable persons who Lad reasonable cause to prevent street
music. Tho existing law was differently interpreted by dif-
ferent magistrates. In the case of Mr. Babbage, it was held
by one magistrate that the being engaged in abstruse cal-
culations was reasonable MUM for removal, by another it
leas held that it was not. The bill, Imbibe amendment of
the hoe. gentleman, would remove that uocertaiety. He
thought the magistrates would very well judge as to what
was reasonable cause or not. Take the ass of • music
master giving lessons. It wu well knews that the lesson
was stopped by the performance of • bead in the street.
Take again the case of e man composinga speseh—(laughter)
—or writing an article. (Hear.) It was quite true that people
who lived so towns must put up with some annoyances, bat
that was no reason why they should not be protected
against such as were remediable, and for the abatesseat of
which reasonable came could be shown. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. BASS raid he quite admitted the principle that pro-
perty bad its duties as well se its rights ; but he denied the
right of any man to obstruct the public highway, and who
could deny that a band of musicians was such an obstruc-
tion! Au bon. geottenian told him that he lost a division
because his horse refused to pus through a band of German
musicians. (Laughter.) Some of the first men in the
kingdom—many of them whose live* were devoted
to the interests of the poor—were in favour of
the bill. (Hear, hear.) Could soy one ay that
Mr. C. Dickens, Mr. Tennyson, or Mr. Carlyle was op-
posed to the rights or privileges of the poor? (Hear, hear.)
He knew the case of • very rising musician who was obliged
to take his rest by day to escape his tormentors, and to com-
mence oompuieg at II o'clock at sight—(laughter)—who
there was • chance of 'seeping them. 'renoyeou hsd been
driven from Loodoe lay the street bead., and they all knew
that the late Mr. Thackerey Ind bees dnveo by thou hoods
from house to house. Not many days siooe he (Mr. Bass)
was tormented by a band, and he seut for his hair-dresser
(aughter)—and caked him whether he liked the street
music. He replied lie dial not, and that the bands were
regarded as a nuisauce all over his neighbourhood. He then
asked him konit was that they were so Demerara, and the
hair-dresser said, " It is all °wise lathe maids down stairs."
(Laughter.) Now he (34r. Bass) had • great affection for
the scullery maids—(renewed laughter)—but he slid not
think the nuisance ought to be perpetuated for their sake.
He hoped, therefore, the house would adopt the bill.
Sir J. Tit E.LA WNY regarded the measure as a piece of
peddling legislation. He did not deny that street mask
might be regarded as to some extent as evil, but there were
other evils which the working chimes might tars their at-
tentive to, and the abatement of which they might deemed,
and one of theme was the rolling of carriage, from balls be-
tween two and five o'clock tu the morning, by which people's
rest was much disturbed. (Oh.)
Mr. C. BENTINCK supported the bill. Primal facie, he
said, street music was illegal. It was not one of those
thing, to which the highway was dedicated, while the pass-
ing of carriages was. (Hoar, bear.) The cues were not,
therefore, at all analogous. The object of the bill was to
make the present low operative, and he hoped it would re-
ceive theism-tine of the house. (Hear, hen.)
Mr. fl A NKEY wasetroogly oppossd,to the bill, which, be
said, proposed to deal with a subject which the house could
not grapple with. Is was • Ural:parcel measure in favour of
the rich at thn expense of the lower classes, who were •
{housed to one in favour of street music.
Mr. CLAY said that the affect of the bill would be to
nod street music from the places where it was riot wanted
to the localities where it was, as the hon. geotlenian stated,
popular. If the lower classes were so strongly is favour of
street music, the bill weak! not deprive them of it.

ewes roueic, toe col wouiu or% cepnve Mein 01 It.
i i I The committee then divided
For Mr. gy rtoo's amendment B7
Against
The ameoilmetit was therefore negatived.
Mr. C. BENT( NCK then moved that io line 5, after the
) 14 ' word " shillings," should be inserted Um words. "or in the
• diet:reties of the magistrate before whom be shall be con-
victed, may be imprisimed for any time not more thaa three
P days."
Mr. BUFF oppneed the amendment.
Mr. gYItTON hoped that the discretion to Bus or lm-
' prison the organ-grinder would not be gives to the magi-
. . !
l
, Crates. (Rene, beer.)
. . al
) Mr. CHA WFORD inquired whether it wee proposed to
i make any provisioe for the monkey. (Ineghter.) An orgaa-
r
grinder usually had a monkey with him. Wm it proposed
I 1 to mod the animal to the workhouse dui* the organ-
grinder's iecesogration
Mr. C. BENTINCK —I think the roopkey might to be
maintained at the expellee of the metropolitan suotaban.
t Much laughter.)
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