The Express.
London, England, 1867-01-30 00:00:00

[STAMPED, 9d. ADDITIONAL] •

TES SUNDAY QUESTION.

Yesterday afternoon ievisferenoo, (*Una together
by the council of the National Sunday League, was opened
at St. Martin's-hall, " to consider the amen& of differ-
ence of those who advocate end idiom who oppose the
opening of the national- museums and educational institu-
tions on Sunday." Among .the Gergymen, and gentlemen
who had been invited to attend were-.-Lord Bleary, Right
Hon. J. Napier, the Bishops of 'London Carlisle, and
Ripon. Archdesooes Dantean sand. Grant, Hon. and
Rev. Baptist Noel, Revs.• Dr. Vaughan, J. M. Bellew,
Newman Hall, W. C. Dowding, Jidda Burns, W. Lamle*
Charles Voyeey, ac. ; Mr. T. flushes, M.P., Mr. IL Han-
bury, bLP., Mr. S. Morley, representatives of the London
trade societies, of the National Sunday Lingua, do., but
only a few of these were present.
The chair 'was taken by Mr. H. J. SLACK, who in a few
introductory observations vindicated those who were in
favour of opening our national institutions on a Sunday
from the suggestion that they were less earnestly religious
than those who avowed'esbbetarian doctrines ; and recom-
mended that all who took•part in the discussion should
abstain from any expressions which might excite the pi.s-
liOnol or hurt the feelings of others.
The Rev. JAB= BURSA carefully abst=from any
reference to the theological argument, • Sunday
as essentially a day of rest and rejoicing, and contended
that no one had a right, in order that he might enjoy the
Lord's-day himself, to.impose labour upon others so as to
prevent their enjoyment of it. • He did not see how the
opening of the national institutions on a Sunday could be
reconciled with this principle.
Mr. J. B. LAMOLZY contended that it was as justifiable
to employ public as private • servants on a Sunday ;
and that it was necessary to the complete usefulness of u.
national institutions that they should be opened on that
day.
Mr. S. Mosul; who had attended merely to listen, and
who on rising to speak only yielded to a day nanerally ex-
premed desire on the part of the matting, said that he
was opposed to any attempt to enforce by law the observ-
ance of the Sabbath ; lait at the some time he was
so convinced of the
tliortance of that day that
he was opposed to any I • tire declaration that that day
was no different from any O hei. At present some trailers
in the City compelled their young men to take stock on
&malty ,• and he feared that the success of the view, en-
tertained by the members of the Sunday League would
lead to the general extension of Sundaylabour. He believed
that all the advantage that could be obtaiged from opr
' national museums might •be secured by their being freely
opened on week day evenings.
Mr. R. M. MORRILL slid that the National Sunday
League was not opposed to the a•ag opening of the
national institutions, but maintained , that that opening
would not meet the wants of corking then.
Mr. WINNE (plasterer) contended that it was a violation
of sound principles of civil and religious liberty that men
should be prevented from tinting the national institutions
on a Sunday. The prohibition involved something of reli-
gious persecution.
The Rev. NEWMAN HALL. who had just entered the
room, referred briefly to. the Sunday evening services in
St. Martin's-hall, and said that, without expressing any
opinion as to the character of those services, he would be
the last man in the world to appeal to force or law to pre-
vent them. It ways net within the IMK6IIOII of government
to compel the religions observance of a sabb•th ; bet the
government was entitled to do all that it could to secure
for the people a weekly day of rest, and in his opinion
such a day of rest would be imperilled by the opening of
the national institutions on Sunday.
Mr. WRIOHT, chairman of the Trades Delegates Aaw
elation, said that many tailors worked on Sunday, in order
that they might have a holiday on hionclay. It the
national museums were opeii many of those men would
abstain from work on Sunday that they might visit them.
If the doh were allowed tb visit the Zoological-gardens on
a Sunday the poor ought to be allowed to go to the British
Museum and National Gallery.
The Rev. J. BURMA, before lea , reminded the meet
iiig that on the continent, where Museums and galleries
were open on Sunday, there was a good deal of compulsory
labour on that day.
Mr. G. N. MURPHY, while opposing the op ringof
national collections on Sunday, vindicated the tiiends of
Sunday observanoe from the- charge that they were indif-
ferent to the moral and intellectual improvement of the
working classes, or were opposed to the spending of the
Sabbath in a happy and joyous manner. There was not
any great desire on the part of the working men to visit
these places.
Mr. hiiirxru said that those who were called rabbets-
rians had de more right to exclude him or others from
museums and picture galleries than would a free thought
government, if net a thing existed, have to shut up the
churches and chapels on a Sunday.
Thanks were voted to Mr. Slack for acting as chairman,
and the further proceedings of the conference were ad-
journed to this day, at 2 o'clock.