Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-05-28 00:00:00

'HE NORTHERN TIMES, SATURDAY, MAY 28, 1859

POPULAR RECREATIONS

THERE is no part of the community that is so
much entitled to recreation as the working.classes.
And yet, shame to say, there are none among us for
whom so little provision is made in this respect. To
recreate is .to relieve or recruit after toil—to amuse

or divert in weariness. Recreation is - tefreshment,
amusement, diversion. And who can possibly hav e
such claims to this, as those who labour severely ten
or twelve hours out of the tVventy-four It is the
remark of an eminent philosopher, that " diversions
are the most properly applied to cure and relieve
those who are oppressed by being too much employed.
Those that are idle have no need of them ; and yet
they, above all others, give themselves up to them.
To unbend our thoughts," he adds, " when they are
too much stretched by our cares, is not more natural
than it is necessary ; but to turn our whole life into
a holiday, is not only ridiculous, but destroyeth
pleasure instead of promoting it." And as with the
mind, so with the body, Manual labour, no less
than mental, has need of this relief. While, on the
one hand, the invigorating exercises of bodily labour
counteract most effectually the pernicious, debilitat-
ing tendencies of bodily pleasure ; on the other,
bodily labour without pleasure converts the body
into a mere machine; and brutalises the soul. We
see this fact illustrated'but too often in the brutalities
to which some of the most devoted of the sons of toil
are apt to be addicted. Take that hardworking
class of the labouring portion of the community, the
navvies. Their bodily labour is perhaps the severest
of any that has to be endured ; and it is only too
notorious, that whenever it happens, as so generally
it does, that the scene of their labours is one which
precludes the enjoyment of any rational recreation,
the soul becomes more brutalised among them than

among any other section of the labouring classes

BURTON, in his " Anatomy of Melancholy," argues
most convincingly, that " the mind and body must
be continually in exercise, and therefore dancing,
singing, masking, mumming, however severely they
may be censured by the CATOS of the age, are, if
opportunely and soberly used, extremely beneficial.
..ifelius est fodere quart saltare, says St. AUSTIN; and
TULLY insists, Nei zo saltat sobrius ; but these are
the observations of men to whom age and infirmities
had rendered all youthful passions unpleasant and
disagreeable. Let the world, I say," he adds,
"have their May-games, wakes, whitsunales ; their
dancing, and concerts ; their puppet-shows, hobby-
horses, tabors, bagpipes, balls, barley-breaks, and
whatever sports and recreations please them best,
provided they be followed with discretion." This is
the great point,—the use of such sports and
recreations, without the abuse of them. But then
we believe that one reason why they are now so apt
to be abused among the working classes is, that they
so seldom are able to use them,—that the bodies of
so many of them are become such mere machines,
and their souls thereby are so much brutalised, as to
have almost unfitted them for following, all at once,
any sports or recreations with discretion.

There are, of course, many precautions necessary,
in the people, and more especially the labouring
classes, having recourse to diversions and pleasures.
"Let not your recreations," says JEREMY TAYLOR,
" be lavish spenders of your time ; but choose such
as are healthful, recreative, and apt to refresh you :
but at no hand dwell upon them." And the same
sound moralist adduces a high, nay a saintly
authority for diversion and relaxation, when he
says,—" Necessity, and the example of St. JOHN,
who recreated himself with sporting with a tame
partridge, teach us that it is lawful to relax our bow,
but not suffer it to be unstrung." It is the sober and
temperate use of such expedients that makes them
beneficial to us all,—the letting them subserve alike
our physical and mental improvement, without
allowing ourselves to be in anywise their slaves or
their victims. One great art of life is to be tempe-
rate in all things,—remembering the ancient but
still seasonable maxim, that " moderation is the
silken string running through the pearl chain of all
virtues."

One is forcibly reminded of the necessity of pro-
viding means of recreation for the working classes,
when one sees the crowds of them who, during the.
present looLeveuings, spend their hours after work

in lounging about the streets where their dwellings
are situated, with pipes in their mouths, and often
gathering in groups to amuse themselves with what
an Apostle has called "filthiness, foolish talking,
_and jesting," which, he teaches us, " are not con-
venient." And sad experience shows that they are
not only " not convenient," but, on the contrary, are
most demoralising. Or, it may be, that many of
them spend their time at the pot-house--which is
worse still. And in either case, it very generally
arises from their want of some opportunity of
enjoying any rational yet popular recreation. We
hnow they may be told,

To walk abroad and recreate themselves

But even this they too often cannot do even were
there, which generally there is not, the inducement
to do so,—and for the best of all reasons ; that
within any easy distance there are nothing but
hard and dusty and cheerless roads where they can
walk abroad. Besides, this is not, after all, any
recreation to them; it is no diversion—no amuse-

ment. They want something to entertain them,—
and they deserve to have it, to act as a relief to their

labour, a solace to their care

There is a Society in London for providing means
of recreation for the working classes,—principally,
it is true, for the juvenile portion of them ; but, of
course, such an instrumentality is equally applicable,
in all respects, to the case of adults. " This

Society," it is remarked of it, we see, " is now in its

third year; it has gathered around it many patrons
and friends ; it has obtained the sanction of the
Legislature for its proceedings ; it has just held its
second anniversary; and we believe it is in a fair
way of permanently working out the good for which
it was founded. But it is still only in its infancy;
it has no large funds, or generous donations, or
ample subscriptions to fall back upon. The Society,
in:fact, is like its objects, not only young but poor.
That it shall not long continue so must be the care
of the benevolent British public. There is some-
thing really very pleasing and thoroughly English
in this association. At this season we should like
to see the proceeds of a game of cricket or two, or a
sturdy boat-race, applied to this institution. It
ought to cast itself on Young England for support,
and rely on it, while, no doubt, more matured
benevolence will not be wanting. In truth, there is

so much ingenuity, as well as gbodness, in' the
scheme, that we could not bear to see it otherwise
than flourishing. This Playground and General
Recreation Society is one of those types of modern
British benevolence whose exponents are to be found
in our new parks, our summer excursions, our baths
and washhouses, and our model lodging-houses.
There is something of human kindness and a family
consideration and feeling about all of them. This is
the Conservative socialism of England, differing
in tote from the revolutionary ; it is therefore we
feel bound to plead the cause of the new progress
so frequently ; and foremost in the van we certainly
place this society for providing playgrounds and
recreation for the wandering children of our great
cities." Thus wrote of it, a few days since, one of
our London contemporaries ; and we were struck,
when reading it, with the idea of such a Society for
Liverpool—one that would seek to promote, and to
provide for, the general recreation of the working
classes here, and thereby, we feel quite sure, do
them, and the community at large, a most essential
service, as regards the, moral and physical improve-
ment of so numerous and important a section of the
body politic. We throw out the hint. Let us hope
it may be taken and acted upon. It is a cause, we
may depend upon it, of real philanthropy and
patriotism.

A CABINET COUNCIL was held yesterday afternoon,

LETTERS for the Colony of Victoria may be registered on
and after June lst.

THE Gibraltar Chronicle says the Mediterranean fleet is
to be augmented to thirty-five screw-ships of the line.

THE AUSTRALIAN MAIL CONTRACT.—There are likely to
be four competive tenders for the Australian mail contract
vile Panama.

LETTERS FROM Romu state that the greatest enthuiasm
was produced among the people and French troops, by the
news of the triumph of the French troops at Montebello.

ADVICES FROM llinsEILLEs state that the steamers arriv-
ing at that port from Italy are crowded with passengers.
The English are leaving Tuscany, the Roman States, and
Naples._

THE FRENCH ENVOYS at the Courts of Bavaria, Han-
over, and Wurtemburg are at present in Paris,, having
been summoned to give verbal account of the difficulties of
their position in consequence of the war excitement in
Germany.

THE POSTAL COMMUNICATION with the lonian Islands,
via Trieste, having been interrupted by the war, the Govern-
ment have entered into a contract with the Peninsular and
Oriental Company for a fortnightly mail service between
Marseilles and Corfu.

MAIL NEWS.—The light portion of the Calcutta and
China mail will be delivered in London this (Saturday)
morning. The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Malta was due at Alexandria on Thursday, with dates from
Melbourne to the 17th April.

THE Shipping Gazette is of opinion that the local trade
is as ,free to make engagements and to execute them as
if war had not broken out, and quotes, in support of this
view, the official instructions sent by the Commissioners of
Customs to the outports at the time the neutrality prc-
clamation was issued.

RIFLE CORPS.—The morning papers published the new
circular respecting rifle corps. The Post remarks that if
the War Office thinks it went too far in issuing the circular
of the 12th of ➢iay, they have, by the document issued on
Thursday, only proved that they are unwilling to restore to
the people of this country their common law right, not only
to possess but to be trained, to the use of arms.

Independently of the eight divisions already designated
to form the army of observation under the command of
Marshal Pellissier, four additional divisions are in course
of organisation for the same object. Accounts from the
army of Italy state that the whole of the French troops
and military stores were expected an Saturday the 28th,
when the Emperor will probably make a general inspection
of his force.

MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.--TREASURY CIRCULAR,—
Members are most particularly requested to make their
arrangements so as to admit of their being sworn at the table
of the House of Commons not later than the 6th of June'
It. is fully expected that an amendment will be proposal
upon the address in answer to the Queen's Speech, on Tuesi
day, June 7th ; and it is of the utmost importance thaf
every vote should be available on that day.—Treasury,
May 23rd.