The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-11 00:00:00

(From the Times of this day.)

The question of Sabbath observance is one commending it-
self so naturally to a right-thinking people that neither sur-
prise nor regret ought to be occasioned by the controversies
which this subject has provoked. In the case of the Sale of
Beer Act the chief point at issue was probably the diminution
of intemperance ; but even here a great deal turned inciden-
tally upon the way in which tho Sabbath should bo observed,
Of course, the strict theory on such a point is that Sunday
should be a day of rest to all—that is to say, that the work
of labour should everywhere cease, and that this interval of
repose should be devoted to the worship of that Being from
whom all blessings proceed. Neither would there be much
ground for not applying this theory to practice under such
conditions of daily life as admitted of a sufficient admixture
of recreation in relief of toil. In this country, however, and
especially in this metropolis, it happens that the seventh day
supplies the only period during the whole week at which a
large portion of the working population can obtain that
amount of fresh air, change, or relaxation which nature re-
quires. On this point we quote with great satisfaction the
words of Mr. Long, the magistrate of Marylebone, before the
Select Committee on the Sale of Beer Act. "An artisan,"
said he—

" Working six days within the confined atmosphere of
London is called on as a matter of duty, even throwing out
of consideration the pleasure he may derive from it, to seek
some relaxation of that kind in the country, and how ho can
do it better than by walking up to such a place as Hampstead
I do not know. It occurred to me that, no doubt, the Legis-
lature desire to encourage persons in performing their religi-
ous duties by attending divine worship. Under the Police
Act persons are not allowed to sell liquor before 1 o'clock.
That covers the period of morning service ; but then let us
look at what is the condition of the religious part of society
as to the residue of the day. There are afternoon services,
and there are evening services ; but I suppose they do not
expect that every man is to go to church three times a day ;
the very man who seeks for refreshment in the afternoon of
the day may have attended service in the morning, and may
mean to attend it again in the evening, and may spend the
rest of his time in rational recreation, in wandering about
and enjoying the beauties of nature • and, if he does that
with a grateful feeling to the Author Of Nature, my opinion
is that lie is spending his Sunday very wisely and very
properly."

-In this view we think there will be many disposed to coin-
cide, and our readers will recollect, perhaps, a certain inci-
dent which we mentioned o. few days ago. All places of healthful
resort are not within walking distance, like Hampstead, but
it was found that the Sunday excursionists from London when
carried by trains to a particular town, made use of their holy-
day by going to church there in such numbers that additional
sittings were very soon required, and the clergymen actually
made application to the railway company for assistance in
providing the extra accommodation which their own excur-
sion trains rendered necessary.
In the evidence, mofeover, to which we have made allusion
above it is alleged very decidedly that the opportunities r
them
change which railways now afford at a coat placing
and di-
within the reach of the many have proved generally .
rcelaestalyes,inastnraumiennptarlominotii•naa off
atrh the
betterw ork mgexisted. We have already
no such means of locomotion existed. ob-
servance of the Sabbath than prevailed in times when
upon the
theeh awnh' cotl ce
r,
Sir Richard Mayne to this
quoted the testimony o
e , o the
effect, and we now addf that
thatof the Honourable ormioenurawbhleo
observation,aiv then twhoe"r
sshatehpwh:arst
part of
oswfkht
the
`n
c they of
'B,sac:rPsyPo:cfsenn t
making
ianngd
them ho
sdo ant
Againct I canl t
ine
wNooir.ktoinng,
cl'a'sFserso,mdoyoyu.nil-i
their wives and children forth
cer,xebil'ers'syfemnew the facilities of locomotion their
naffitoyrdr such an
going forth is
,the
was asbteend'g—i:enltoou the people in a very favourable point of
vhisev,:r. 4, I do," was the reply," and I think we ought to
rats, every use
ethoefrtehfo, to h
enarewe can."
We not only that a
certain amount of open-air recreation, or change of scene, is
dile to the requirements of the working classes on Sunday,
yment of these very privileges does actually
a Substantially better observance of the
sobputtentroperated thatii
nttshes elefee.
°Ynget it is plain that Sunday cannot be made a
day of partial relaxationi if it is to be made a day of universal
overworkedr est;. f for
than,
r lax a t n , nth e sense attached to the word by an
implies such an amount of active enjoyment
asourpiaerstuisas,mnesthe work of other men in ministering to It. If
for instance, are to breathe the fresh air of the
country or the suburbs, they must be provided, when the
scene of resort is beyond mere walking distance, with means
of conveyance, and conveyances plying on a Sunday assume
that a certain number of men must be kept at work on a Sun.
day. To take a more special example—if a museum or other
place of innocent recreation is opened on a Sunday for the
admission of the public, it is clear that the attendants of the
establishment would be kept at work ; and yet such a thing
would, in the opinion of many enlightened and philanthropic
men, be eminently beneficial to the community.
It is at this stage of the controversy that Dr. Cumming and
his friends step in, and argue with considerable force that the
real fault of our system lies not so much in a too rigorous
observance of the Sabbath as in a too rigorous employment of
the other days in the week. They say that if legislation is
required it is rather for week days than Sundays, for that if
six days out of the seven are so utterly absorbed in the service
of Mammon it becomes almost impracticable to secure the se-
venth for the service of God. Life cannot be wholly divided
between labour and prayer. Some portion, at any rate, is
squired for rest, for recreation, and for the use of those en-
joyments which Providence has placed within reach. lot
these conditions be attended to in the distribution of the six
_
days, and we may then insist with greater reason on the due
appropriation of the seventh. No ono would deny the force
of this argument, nhich is supported by the rerosr
ksof Mr.
whether
Wakley before the committee, when he
was ed d
to both moral
excursion trains did not, in his opinion, tend
of it what.
and phyeical improvement. "1 hero no doubt