The Express.
London, England, 1860-05-15 00:00:00

HOUSES AND WINE LICENSES
BILL. _ _

The house then resuraeatieConsitleration of this bill In
columkthee.

On clause 24,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER proposed an
amendment, the object of which was to assimilate the hours
of opening and closing wine-houses to those which now re-
gulate the opening and closing of beer-houses.
Hr. SPOONER asked if the right lion. gentleman in-
tended by this clause to authorise the opening of refresh-
ment houses on Sundays, which were not allowed to remain
open at present. He thought the clause • most objection-
able one, and trusted that the right hen. gentleman would
seriously consider the effect it was likely to produce.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said there
was no intention to alter the present law, or to authorise
say house to open on Sunday which was not authorised to
be opened at present. The clause as it now stood would
impose all the restraints upon wine-houses which were now
applicable to licensed victuallers.
Mr. SPOONER wished to know whether these parties were
liable to penalties for following their calling on Sunday.
(Hear.) What exempted these pastry-cooks and others from
prosecutions ! He thought they were now liable for follow-
ing their calling on Sundays. Hut if the committee agreed
to the clause, they would give • legal right to all parties to
do that which they could not do at present.
Sir G. GREY said that practically the act of Charles 11.
was inoperative. The fact was • number of refreshment
house* and others were open on Sundays, but the parties
were not prosecuted for following their calling. There war
so doubt a law In exidence, but it was not, or only very
partMllrmimixed. (Hear hear.)
Xt. BAD='
mid ik seemed to him the committee should
auks a stead against that sort of legislation which would
had to a desecration of the Sabbath. It was of the utmost
possible importance, both to religion and to labour, that
they should not allow these new places of entertainment to
be open on Sundays. He might be permitted to observe
that at • meeting lately held in the borciegh of Leeds special
attention was drawn to the Wine Licenses Bill, and it was
shown that it would lead to the opening of a large
class of houses upon the Lord's-day. Now, what-
ever
might be the case in London, be believed that
in his own town and many others in the provinces,
psstrv.cooka and refreshment houses were nut open on that
day, and if the proposition of the right hon. geutleman the
Exche
quer was 'greed to the power of
competition would vim the to open their
houses. Having paid • sue,biltree= licenses they
would feel themselves compelled to open their doors on that
day. Hs was well aware that many persons who had peti-
tioned the house against tine bill had dons win consequence
of its tendency in an obvious and certain manner to the de-
secration of the Lord's-day. This was en anti-domestic as
well ran anti-religious clause. The legislature ought to do
that which should induce persons to remain at home rather
than to go abroad on Sundays. He begged now to move,
after the word week-day, the addition of the words, " Nor
on any Sunday."
Mr. B. MTCOURT hoped the right hon. gentleman the
Chancellor of the Exchequer would consent to alter the
clause in such a manner as that the oommittee might lave
the satisfaction of knowing that while they had acted is ac-
cordance with the right hon. gentleman's recommendation
in opening new places where persons might obtain refnah-
meat, they were not going to open • new class of refresh-
ment houses on Sundays. The next question was
this :—Was it the intention of the government to
open new places of entertainment on Sundays, es
i well as on week days, or not! He felt persuaded that
the public generally by law= majority would object to
this propoeition, and not consider tU bill
an adva ,n if it led to the result pointed out by the hon.
member for Leeds, that a new class of houses would be
opened on Sundays. Everybody knew that there were
numbers of houses open on Sundays which were fruitful in
all sorts of disorder. In the beer-houses in the country all
kinds of evils were concocted. He believed that a majority
of members were averse to a new class of places being
opened on Sundays, and therefore he hoped the tight hon.
gentleman would act ill accordance with their wishes, and
give them an opportunity of expressing thew upioions upon
this matter. . _

Yr. W. if ARTIN thought these houses might ressiotutbly
be closed on Sw L.ys, u there were plenty of places