The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-29 00:00:00

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with the public. I
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.
/ki:;k . - f'-74
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make this appeal with riy-,,,inArre-boll' '74 At,' Vex;
fidence because you have, I regret to ohs vOrejeK la,-;:i4irgly''!;;;;*
colour to the misrepresentation-I
complain 110`41.1141 loi because lam assured that in consequence, on fandare n.
next, lam to experience a compulsory cold bat irTh that.* 0
Serpentine. No one has less deeire than I have to en-
gage in a quarrel with the working classes of this coun-
try, or to be the means of imposing any restraint•upou
them which the honest-majority of them deem to be
unnecessary. I suppose 'it will be told me—Row, *
then, can you go on with your bill atter the demon-
stration in Hyde-park last Sunday ? My answer ie, . : '
that the meeting was convened ay a placard most
assiduously circulated all over London in conspicuous' type, in which the following description was given of the e,
Sunday Trading Bill :—" To put down newspapers:
shaving, smoking, eating, , and drinking, and All kinds
of food and recreation for body and mind at present en- •
joyed by poor people." Now, the provisions of the bill -
do not interfere in any way with any publichouse,, beer.
house, coffeehouse, eatinghouse, pastrycook, bakers'
shops, steamboats, omnibus, or railway, nor with the
sale of any of those small luxuries in the shape of gin-
ger-beer, fruit, &c., which are usuallysold in baskets and
barrows by the poorer classes. It forbids the sale, in ordi-
nary shops, of articles of raw food after 9 o'clock in the
morning, and the 14th clause is especially aimed at that
practice, as faras it exists, so graphically described in your
article Of Tuesday—the sending forth trains otjourneyrnen •
fishmongers, poulterers, and butchers to mil aster to the •
luxuries of the wealthy. Newspapers and periodicals
are not to be sold after 10 o'clock. It is believed that
those who may by accident not he able on any given Sun-
y thoouprrocaTeansvaha
do`
dthaayt
and periodical readers of the working
tthey want of these articles before
the-7 are taken in, and
inhere, in fact, the newspaper '
resort to the coffeehouses where
class usually go to
peruse them. Barbers are not to shave their customers
after 10. I can scarcely write the sentence without
smiling, but it is their ovvn•proposition, and almost all
the letters that I have received upon that subject—of
those who object to that hour—assure me that to close
at a later pout they would willingly submit. The ap-
peals of those of this class, who never get a day of rest,
are most itrgen.t.. I: vave.. sreetice some time ago of a -'- . '
cliiiiirl i:V 'allow the tobacconists to keep oen -shop, ' •
during the hours that the public-houses c-houses a open, ,
inns-
much as they ara both dealers in the same article.
Generally speaking, the sale of all other articles is for-
bid len.

Now, this being the true character of this' bill,
the principle being to secure a holiday on the Sun-
day to the „greatest possible: number consistent with
the interests of the community at large, am I really
to take the-meeting in Hyde Park, fiathei•ed together
by the placard I have described, as the opinion of,,those.
assembled in regard to it? It is manifestly impossible.
My belief is, that a soreness has arisen in consequence
of the Beer 13111 of last session, which has beep .visited in
this manner upon the Sunday Trading Bill. I ain'told
that I ought to shut up the clubs ; but, if my bill in no
way interferes with any of the houses where the poorer
classes resort for food and refreshment, what justice
would there be in that ? I am told that I ought to pre-
vent the wealthy from riding or driving on a Sunday ;
but; -if my bill in no way interferes .with any public
veyance, be it halfpenny, penny, or sixpenny,k hat justice
would there be in that ? And, as to this being an.ari,-
tocratic measure, I can most solemnly declare that I was
induced to undertake it solely at the request of trades-
people, and that it is only with then that I am now in
communication With regard to it. Ido not know whe-
ther the speech of Mr. Villiers, made !ast night in the
House of Commons on the Beer Bill, has been accurately
reported ; but,, if it has been, I beg those who cry out
against that measure, as an attempt on the part of the
aristocracy to coerce and oppress,the poor, to peruse it,
aid they will then see how that measure was abaolutely
forced upon the House of Commons by the working
classes themselves. With regard to that bill, a com-
mittee has been now appointed to inquire into its work-
ing, and I hope the result of their labcurs will be to
place the sale of intoxicating liquors upon a more satis-
factory footing. The difficulty which I experience is to
ascertain the real opinion of those by whose opinion I
desire to be guided upon this question, namely, those
who are principally affected by it. The letters which
I receive would induce me to believe that, of the C 114.,
tomers, the more educated portian strongly appiove
it ; the shopkeepers seem to be divided, If I turn to
the petitions, I find 70,000 petitioners in favour, of
whoa'. 40.000 are stated to be directly-concerned. in
Sunday trading, and 27,000 against it. If ' look
again to the House of Commons, I observe that only two
of the metropolitan members have opposed the bill, one
of whom has candidly declared that his constituents are
divided in respect to it. If I look to the New England
States of North America, to give the an --indication of
what might be expected under universal suffrage, I there
find laws against Sunday trading so stringent that no
one here would dare to propose them ; and when I see
such extravagant misrepresentation had recourse to in
order to excite the people against it, I can only conclude
that it is the resu t of some sinister motive, the purpose
of which would not be answered if the truth were spoken
in regard to it. "As to the threat of personal injury., I
can assure you, sir, I have no amtition whatsoever for
the honours of martyrdom; and, although I trust I
shad be enabled not to shrink from doing my duty
in a difficulty, my earnest desire is to earn the
right of living peaceably with my neighours by
followi:sg the rule of doing to others as I would be
done by. But, in truth, I am in no apprehension of such
a catastrophe. lam in constant communication with all
classes of my constituents, among whom I have lived for
many years, and scarcely a week passes during the ses-
sion that I do not attend some public meeting in some
part of the metropolis. Most of them know something
of my public life ; some know something of my private
life; and, however grossly the bill of which I have now
charge may be misrepresented, I do not believe one of
them would lift up his hand against ine.—l remain, sir,
your obedient servant,
Park-street, Juno 28.

R. GROSVENOR.

CONVOCATION OF THE CLEROY.

O

Both houses of Convocation assembled yesterday
morning for the despatch of business.
UPPER HOUSE.

The Archbishop of Canterbury took the chair.
The Bishop of LONDON read a report recommending
an Address to her Majesty, praying her to sanction the
sitting of Convocation as an "acting" body, and to re-
move those restrictions which made it now a merely de-
liberative institution.

The Bishop of LONDON moved, and the Bishop of
OXFORD seconded, the adoption of tbd retort.
The Bishop of St. ABAPH objected, on the ground that
public feeling, as well as the feeling of the Church, was
against a revival of the acting powers of convocation.
now
presented Archbishop of CANTERBURY said the report now
presented was in direct opposition to that agreed upon
last July.

Tire Bishop of OXFORD admitted, that that was the
case, but said that the circumstances which had since
transpired warranted the change. Last July the Soli-
citor-General was of opinion that Convocation would
have to go to Parliament for such powers as it sought ;
but he had now altered his opinions, and, in conjunc-
tion with Dr. R. Phillimore, had stated that the sane.
tion of her Majesty was quite sufficient for the purpose.
If Convocation sent up an address for licence to act,
and it was refused, it would be an unconstitutional
jee, and entirely without precedent.
The Archbishop of CANTERBURY expressed his decided
ot#Ositiop to the motion, as dangerous to the Church
and the' cbuntry. He understood that the question was
,not to be revived, and he was sorry the topic had beta
:Qtroclueed.

The Motion for the adoption of the report was then
put and carried.
Their lordships then agreed to the following address
to the Queen

" We, your Majesty's faithful subjects, the archbishop,
bishops, and clergy of the province of Canterbury, as-
sembled in Convocation, humbly represent to your Ma-
jesty that committees of Convocation have sat, and after
careful consideration have reported to Convocation on
various subjects deeply concerning the spiritual welfare of
this realm, viz.—on the measures needful for enforcing dis-
cipline amongst the clergy, the extension of the Church,
the modification of her services, and the reform of the repro-
sentati on of the clergy in the provincial synod of Canterbury.
We are convinced that the full consideration of these sub-
jects is of great moment to the well-being of our Church. But
in order that our deliberations on these, or such other mat-
ters as your Majesty shall see fit to submit for our con-
sideration, may be so conducted as to give to the Church
the fullest satisfaction that in them the mind of the
clergy will be fairly expressed, we humbly submit to your
Majesty that the representation of the clergy in the Lower
House of Convocation ought to be amended. On consult•
ing very high legal authorities, we are informed that such
an amendment may lawfully be carried into effect if your
Majesty shall ho pleased to grant us your Royal licence,
to consider, with a view to agreeing on any such amend-
ments, and shall afterwards approve of the same, when
submitted to your Royal consideration.
"We venture, therefore, humbly to pray your Majesty
to grant us your Royal licence to consider of a constitution
hereupon ; and in order that these deliberations may in-
clude the clergy of the northern province, we further pray
your'Majeety to grant a similar licence to the Convocation
of the Province of York, and to sanction our communi-
cating with that body, with a view to uniting, under your
Majesty's approval, our deliberations hereon."

,
The Prolocutor was then summoned, and the address
referred to him for the consideration of the Lower House.
Their lordships then adjourned until to-day.