The Express.
London, England, 1866-11-12 00:00:00

THE SUNDAY BANDS IN THE PARKS.

On Saturday, a deputation of working men,
headed by the Rev. Newman Hall, Dr. Hugh Allen, Dr.
Spence and Mr. Murphy, attended before Lord John Man-
ners, the First Commissioner of her Majesty's Office of
Works, on behalf of the Lord's Day Rest Society, to pro-
test against the continuance of Sunday bands in the parks
during the summer season.
Mr. GIRDLESTONE, one of the deputation, who, in the
course of his speech, described himself as connected with
the law, first addressed his lordship. He said those who
worked six days needed a day of rest, and this day of rest
they would not be able to maintain unless the Sunday was
secured to them by religion. Sunday ham's, as allowed in
the parks, were altogether opposed to the prin.
ciples of true religion, and drove respectable people
from their enjoyment of the parks. Preachers had
been excluded from the parks,and why, be would sak,were
Sunday bands permitted?—if one was illegal surely the
other was. He called his lordship's attention to the fact
that the bands were supported by the illegal sale of pro-
grammes, and he urged upon his lordship nut to permit an
illegal act to be done under his immediate sanction. lie
denied that the bands kept the people sober, for, he said,
the public-houses, after the bands ceased playing, were
found filled from floor to ceiling, and as a Sunday-school
teacher, he could assure his lordship that the children
were tempted from school to go and listen to the bands.
lie concluded by urging his lordship not to sanction them.
Mr. HILL, the secretary of the society, read a list of
reasons which the society urged against the continuance
of the bands. These were, in short, that the only way to
preserve the Sunday as a day of rest for all men was to
uphold the Divine command, " Remember the Sabbath
day to keep it holy ;" that all attempts to secularise the
day was setting at naught the Divine command,
as taught in 10,000 churches every Sunday ; that the bands
injured Sabbath and ragged schools, and drew young per-
sons from their religious dirties; that from the bands
hundreds flocked to the public-houses and tea-gardens in
the parks; that they encouraged Sunday labour by the
Belling of programmes and letting of chairs.
Dr. HUGH ALLEN argued that it was no part of the go-
vernment to take any hand in providing amusement for
the people, and he could not see why public money should
he spent in support of these bands by erecting platforms
for them.
The Rev. NEWNAN Han held that the Sunday bands in
the parks constituted the " thin end of the wedge "
towards opening museums and public exhibitions on Sun-
day, to which the majority of the working classes were
opposed. He further said that the country supported
20,000 churches, and public money was spent in counter-
acting the principles taught in those churches.
Several other persons having spoken,
Lord JOHN MANNEUS briefly replied. He said his deci-
sion should be impartial, and without reference to party.
He had received a deputation from the other side a short
titne since, and he had to consider the question in many
lights—so he could not give an answer then. The question
was surrounded with difficulties, for the present deputa-
tion asked him to change a system which had existed for
years. As to the objection to preachers, he reminded the
deputation that if preachers were allowed, infidel lecturers
would also have to be admitted. With respect to any
illegal sale of programmes, the society could take steps
itself to prevent this.
Mr. GIGDLESTONE thanked his lordship, and said the
society might take the steps his lordship placed before
them, and they might also move for an injunction again•t
the band/ altogether ; but he did not think it was their
duty.

A STRANGE DONATION.—Amongst the MAU' ad-
vertisements of Thursday lust appeared the following :
" Archbishop Manning acknowledges with his thanks the
letter and enclosure of N. I. L., received safely on
November sth." The transaction to which the above
announcement dimly refers is a rather extraordinary one.
On Monday, the sth, a day on which the Gunpowder Plot
is called to mind by sundry grotesque exhibitions in the
public streets, Archbishop Manning received the letter
alluded to, the enclosure being a cheque on a leading bank
for the sum of 500/. The sender gave no name, but signed
himself " Guy Faux, a protestant," and marked his dona-
tion " for the use of Polo Pius IX." Archbishop Manning
looked upon the letter in the light of a jest, and was about
throwing letter and cheque on the fire, when his secretary
suggested that they might be able to trace the author of
the supposed hoax, inasmuch as the cheque was numbered
and lettered by the bankers. Archbishop Manning agreed
to this, and on the cheque being presented at the Lank,
the manager said lie hau instnictiona to pay the amount,
and that the gift was that of a protestant gentleman, who
was anxious that his name should not be made known.
The archbishop transmitted the money in due course to
Rome, and thanked the donor by public advertisement.
THE QUEEN's UNIVERSITY IN IRELAND. —Mr.
J. A. Lawson, late Attorney-General, and Mr.
E Sullivan,
late Solicitor-General for Ireland, have given an opinion on
queries submitted to them 17 the Queen's Lniversity
Senate, whether the acceptance of the suplemental
charter of 1806 by the Senate only was a validp act ; and
whether degrees granted under the authority of that
charter have all the force intended by it. They have
I jointly replied that the Senate of the Queen's University
had power to accept the supplemental charter, and that
their acceptance of it constitutes a valid act, such as no
court of law or equity can legally set aside. They further
think that degrees conferred under the autholity of the
supplemental charter will have all the force contemplated
by that document.
THE Diocraz or ROCHESTER. —A conference of
the clergy and laity of the diocese of Rochester—one of a
series organised by the bishop—was held on Friday at
Halstead. The following resolution was adopted :—"Hav-
ing regard to the spiritual wants of the population, this
conference thinks it desirable that lay agencies sh uld be
more extensively employed, especially with regard to the
organisation of lay readers and co-operators, with a view to
bring all lay agency
n under the direct sanction of the
bishop of the diocese."
WEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE ELECTION.— DCRSLEY,
SATERDAT.—The High Sheriff of Gloucestersliiie, Sir
John Maxwell Steele-Graves Bart., having received the
writ for the election of a knight of the shire for the western
divisor "in the place of Mr. John Holt, who path accepted
the office of her Majesty's Attorney-General," has to-day
leaved his notice that he will hold a special county court
here for that purpose on Thursday, next, the 15th instant.
There is no prospect of any opposition.
The number of new members returned to the
House of Commons this year has now been increased to 34.

A deputation waited by appointment on Satur-
day, the 10th ins t., on the Bight Hon. Sir Stafford North.
cote, Bart., ILP., Prudent of the Board of Trade, and
the Vies President, to invite the action of the government,
in pennante of the recommendation of the committee d
the House of Commons of the lad session, that amend-
ments should be introduced into the Metropolis Gas
Act of 1860. The following gentlemen attended:—Mr.
Torres 111Tollagb, M.P., Mr. Donald, Mr. Kneenstub,
Mr. Staunton, Mr. Merriman, Mr. Canyn Ching, Mr. Brad-
shaw, Mr. James Beal, Mr. Dyer, Mr. Dresser Rogers, Mr.
Sam. Hughes, Mr. Hoyden, Mr. B. IL Wyatt, parliamentary
agent. The committee to whom it was referred in the lest
session to consider the City Gas Bill, and also to inquire into
the operations and results of the Metropolis Gas Act, 1860,
reported that they found the illuminating power greater
and the quality of the gas better in Manchester, lddis-
burgh, Birmingham, Plymouth, and other towns, than in
London ; that the purification is imperfect in London ;
that the effect of the act was to raise the market value of
the Mares, and to increase the dividends of the companies,
so that all now pay 10 per cent., and many have in addi-
tion paid large sums in the form of back dividends, end
have laid by reserve funds. The committee also reported
in favour of a higher illuminating power and a reduction
in price; that a chemical board should be appointed, at the
cost of the gas companies, to regulate the analysis of purity
and illuminating power, with adequate powers ; that the
testing place should be provided at the cost of the com-
pany ; that proper Meting officers should be appointed for
each district, testing continuously, and registering every
test ; that a chief analyst should be appointed to direct
the operations of the testing officers ; that the limitation
of the power of making up former deficient divi-
dends should be reduced from six years to three years.
They reported in favour of the districting system sanc-
tioned by the sot of 1860, and in favour of the consolida-
tion olcompanies, or of the disposal of their interests to
the bodies representing the ratepayers. They recommended
a more summary mode of recovering penalities against gas
companies, and that the act should be amended to carry
out the report.
Sir STAFFORD NORTHCOTE promised to consider the
question, to obtain further information, and to give an
early answer, as the urgency of the question had been so
strongly pressed.
The deputation thanked the right hon. gentleman for
the great attention he had given to the question, and
hoped they might anticipate a favourable reply.