The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-30 00:00:00

sassed through committee and was retorted with amend-

ments.

SALE OF LIQUORS ON SUNDAY BILL.

At five minutes past five Mr. RYLANDS rose to move
the second reading of this bill, and expressed his regret
that the Government had not taken up the subject. It
would have been well had the Government brought for-
ward their general licensing bill, but he did not think
fault could be found with them, as it seemed to be
admitted on all hands that they had already more
business to do than it was possible to get through. He
said he should doubtless be met by the objection that as
the bill did not affect the clubs, it was an act of oppression
against the poor, but all he could say was that the poor
did not think so themselves, as they had petitioned in
great numbers in favour of the bill; and, further, he
was justified in saying that public opinion was
in favour of the bill. The hon. member
then read the result of several canvasses that had
been made in several of the large towns in favour of the
Sunday closing of public houses, the result of which was
to shew that the feeling was strongly in favour of such a
a proceeding. If the bill was adopted, those most bene-
fited would be the working-class, and a great improvement
would, as a natural result, follow both in their moral and
mental condition, and the feeling was general
amongst that large class of her Majesty's subjects.
He then strongly urged upon the consideration of the
Government that in whatever they did next session with
respect to an amendment of the general licensing law, great
attention should be paid to the Sunday sale of liquor.
The hon. member then referred to the success that had
attended the passing of the bill of the hon. baronet the
member for West Essex, and concluded by asking the Hous
to give4ts sanction to the second reading of the bill. Mr.
Birley supported the bill. He was of opinion that as the
Act would put a stop in a great measure to Sunday drink-
ing, it was worthy the attention of all those who desired
to improve and elevate the condition of the working class.
In his opinion nothing could so tend to bring about that
much desired result as some more effectual
check than at present existed with respect
to the sale of liquors on Sunday.— Mr.
Alderman Lawrence, in moving the rejection of the
bill, said it was most absurd to attempt to put down
drunkenness by bills like the present. All former attempts
he contended, to restrict the sale of spirits and fermented
liquors on Sundays had in a great measure proved failures.
He thought that a bill the object of which was to close
public-houses on Sunday throughout England and Wales
was a proposal that the House of Commons ought not and
would not sanction. The hon. member, in a rather
rambling address abounding in common place remarks on
the drinking propensities of certain of her Majesty's
subjects. " talked" the bill out, as at a quarter to six the
debate ceased in accordance with the standing order.
The order for the committal of the Coroners' Bill was
discharged.
The Absconding Debtors' Bill was read a second time.
The Lodgers' Goods' Protection Bill was committed
pro forma.
The Lords' Amendments to the Felony Bill were
agreed to.
The Lords' Amendments to the Pier and Harbour
Orders Confirmation Bill were agreed to.

The Speaker then left the chair, as there was no mem-
ber present at ten minutes to six to move the adjournment
of the House.

SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
THE ABDICATION OF THE QUEEN OF SPAIN.
The Times considers that beyond the fact that another
nominal Queen is joined to the band, already
sufficiently numerous, of dispossessed Sovereigns, the
abdication of Isabella in favour of the Prince of the

Asturias possesses no importance. The Emperor of the
French may consent to amuse the gossips who sur-
round Isabella's Court in the Champs Elysees with sug-

gestions of assistance, but nothing but the free will of the
Spanish people can bring back the house of Bourbon to
the Spanish Throne, and there is no systsm as yet of any
movement towards such an end. Queen Isabella may for
a time keep here son's clairhs foremost, just as the poor

Princess who died the other day asserted the pretensions

of her son, the Duc de Bordeaux, but the progress 01
nations is unfriendly to the claims of exiled Monarchs,
_ . .

and their lives and deeds exact daily less and less interest;
until they are lost in entire obscurity.

THE LAND BILL IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS.

The Standard says that the questions which have arisen
during the debate have been, perhaps, not of minor im-
portance than those debated during the consideration of
the first three clauses of the biil, but they have been
questions to the discussion of which both sides could
come in a more conciliatory spirit, and most of them quer-
tions of degree and manner, in which union might be
without difficulty attained, or defeat sustained with good
humour. If the measure should work beneficially, and
realise any portion of the sanguine anticipations in which
the Ministers and their supporters indulge, it
will be due in a large part to the judicious altera-
tions on Monday and Tuesday evenings, most of them
against the obligate protests of Lord Granville and his
colleagues, but against their convictions. For, strange
to say, there was hardly one of these amendments which
they opposed but submitted to, the justice of which they
did not, whilst opposing, admit, their purpose seemingly
being to resist these amendments, with the view of
setting off their subsequent acceptance of them in the
House of Commons against their insistance in that assem-
bly, upon the original provisions of the bill, or, to speak
more correctly, upon the provisions of the bill when it left
the House of Commons. There is some ingenuity about
these tactics, and that is all that can be said for them, but
they will not succeed. The Peers will not be blinded by
such a petty attempt to throw dust in their eyes. They
will, of course, weigh very carefully what they determine
upon. and yield, if at all, where concession is necessary or
expedient, but they will certainly adhere to the principal
amendments they have made.