The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-18 00:00:00

SUNDAY AMUSEMENTS.

A delegate meeting from the several trade socie-
ties of the metropolis was held last evening, at the
Whittington Club, to agitate for opening on Sun-
day afternoons the national museums, picture gal-
leries,:and other similar establishments paid for out
of the public taxes. There were about 60 delegates
present, and a considerable attendance of the mem-
bers of the various trades. Sir John Shelley, M.P.,
Sir Joshua Walmsley, Mr. J. Heywood (formerly
M.P. for Lancashire), Mr. H. J. Slack, and Mr.
Loder were amongst the audience. Letters sympa-
thising with the objects of the meeting were read
from Mr. W. A. Wilkinson, Mr. J. S. Mill, and
Professor Beesly.
Mr. WRIGHT (painter) was voted to the chair, and
in opening the business spoke of the unanimity
amongst the working classes, as represented by the
trade societies, in favour of opening the national
exhibitions on Sundays, observing that in reference
to his circular calling the meeting he had received
responses from 42 societies, represented on that
occasion by 56 delegates, and that although he
had not sent the circular to any society farther
east than London-bridge. He pointed out how few
were the opportunities "which the working classes
had of visiting and benefiting by the national col-
lections of art, science, and natural history—the
Sunday being their only leisure day, and on that
day all those collections were closed. The South
Kensington Museum was open on workday evenings,
after ordinary working hours, but that was too far
removed for those who worked hard all day to go to
after their work was over. The South Kensington
Museum, it was said, was intended for the recrea-
tion and instruction of the working classes, but in
the position in which it stood, far away at 'the
extreme west or fashionable end of the town, it was
for that purpose useless. He suggested that
Smithfield would be a more convenient site. The
superiority of foreign workmen in designing and
taste generally over English workmen was mainly
owing to the ready access they had to works of
art in their galleries and museums. The conse-
quence was that foreign houses were patronised in
preference to British houses for decorations of
most descriptions, and be instanced the case of the
Prince Consort's tomb, the bronzes for which
had been ordered from Barbodienne's, a Paris firm.
It was net the object of the trades to do anything
against religion or morality, or to offend popular
prejudices. He contended that the opening of the
institutions in question would promote morality,
and in no way interfere with the due observance of
the Sabbath.
Resolutions declaring the strong desire of the
trades for the opening of the museums on Sunday
afternoons, as a measure of right and justice and of
social :and art culture for the people, repudiating
the idea that the measure was sought for in a
spirit of antagonism to religion or the established
forms of religion, urging that the opening of the
National Gallery of Ireland warranted the hope
that a similar concession would be made to the
people of London, and appointing a deputation to
Lord Palmerston on the subject (it being explained
that his lordship had consented to receive it), were
ar.kMr.
Jones
e r
)., M
mecdbrl.aasnHkdeat(rprmayiankteerr)
(painter),
mmmorrv.. e
Newman
ea
wiactihmdi
anns p(
fo(ackraerbni
(cabinet
bi‘
/my,
(car-
penter), Mr. Edgar (boot makes), and other dele-
gates, and carried unenimously.

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has been sold at the auction-rooms, Ruo Dronot, Paris, for
226 f.

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