The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-16 00:00:00

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THE NATIONAL suNDAy.4 (-'7II6,7SPAE-
,
A 2neeting of the members of th ri, )
t--,.4
day League was held yesterday . .4; i - o
- 4 Martin's-hall.' The object of_ th ,-S4 mss, as' set' ,-;_.,, .
forth in the adsertiseinent conveni e.,,/±i,,,,,t4i11g -', /,.:7
is "to obtain the opening of the p 1- ' --- ,1„
, .-c,s, '
libraries, and gardens on Sunday, in *Jon rid S
in the towns of 'England, Ireland, andltTotlaiid, for the instruction, recreation, wodinnocent amuse-
ment of the working elas2eF." Sic Joshua Wall:ris-
ky, M.P., Presidint of the League'rocctliied the
chair, and about 800 persons, many of whom were
ladies, were present. i here were also present dele-
gates from Nottingham, Northampton, Edinburgk-
the Potteries, and Eastbourne:
The CHAIRMAN,' in opening the proceedings,
stated that numerous misrepresentations had been •
made from time to time with regard to the objects
and intentions of the society. To sustain the
right of private judgment and perfect religious
equality was, however, the only end and aim of the
Sunday League. So far from wishing to weaken
the cause of religion and morality they were most
anxious to strengthen and preserve it, and they
were also desirous that all their actions should be
tested by that Word to which all denominations of
Christians referred. They maintained that inno-
cent recreation on the Sunday was not only corE•
patible but was in accordance with Scripture, and
they courted any discuseion which, was calculated
to elicit' he truth. At the same time they eschewed
all interference with the religious cpinions of
others. For his own part, he believed that inno-,
cent recreation on the Sunday afternoon was not
only calculated to sustain and strengthen, but also
to foster and advance those social efforts without
which there would be very little true piety. ' Of
all men the working than was most interested in
maintaining the integrity of the Sabbath,.for it was
to him a day of joy, consolation, and comforrt, He
regarded it as the great .bulwark against incessant .
toil, and all that he claimed was that it should be
as free to the poor as to the rich. He simply sought
juStiee and charity, and while desiring to do his
own work in his own way ho refused to be coerced
into the opinions of others. In tis (Sir J. Wahrv.-
Icy's) opinion, the only effectual mode of improv-
ing and advancing the interests of the. working
claSses was by sympathy, by kindness,'and by the
forbe of good example ; but coercion had, and ever
would fail in attaining those objects. They might
close the Parks and shut'up the public institutions,
but by so doing they would open the public-houses
and keep the people in ignorance. They might
surround the working man with pains and penal-
tie's, but such a course, instead of making him
wiser, better, and happier, would only introduce
.and sanction an organised hypocrisy. The Sunday
League held that it was the duty of the wealthier
classes, in the plenitude of their enjoyments and
comforts, not to forget that innocent recreation on
the Sunday was absolutely essential to the man
who for six days out of the seven was confined in
a factory or workshop. They also believed that
th‘ best method of providing this recreation was to
obtain the opening of the various museums, gar-
dens, and public institutions throughout the king-
dom on the Sunday.
Mr. W. LOADER, proposed the first resolution:—
" That in the opinion of this meeting the opening of
the public museums, galleries, and libraries on Sundays
-would improve the social habits and morale, and increase
the happiness of the working classes."
lib referred, to the doctrine of the Sabbatarians,
that Sunday ought to be set apart as a day of
Divine worship, but. called attention to-the fact
that there was a numerous class who could not be
in uced to enter a place of worship at all. The
m mbers of the Sunday League were of opinion
that this large class ought to be properly cared for
a prevented from frequenting public-houses.
T o best means of accomplishing that object was to
o n the British Museum, National Gallery, and
1.
o er places of innocent amusement on the Sunday,
a upon that ground the Sunday League claimed
the support of the public. -
Mr. Cox (of Edinburgh) seconded the resolution.
Mr. SINDON then proposed an amendment to the
effect that, the meeting thankfully accepting the
late decision of the House of Commons on the sub-
je t of opening places of public amusement on Sun-
d , pledged itself to promote the more ftequent
o fling of those places at times on week days', when
fir se who had to work for their bread could fully
a-
I
it themselves of the benefit those places afford.
T e speaker, amid considerable uproar and confu-
si n, briefly stated the reasons which induced him
to`olpose the views of the Sunday League, and to
,
advocate, instead of the present movement, an agi-
tation for a half-holiday on Saturday.
Mr. GIRDLESTONE having seconded the amend-
ment
) •

IVILIELNsoN, M.P., addresried the meeting
ilisupport of the original motion. He said he be-
lieved that the Sabbatarians had. never put forward
the slightest shadow of an argument against the
opening of the British Museum and other sources
0"

rational amusement on Sunday. The members
1 f the Sunday League professed to be Christians
n Protestants, and they claimed the right of pri-
e judgment in all religious and political matters.
'l e Sabbatarians, on the other hand, were desirous
)f )reventing the working-man from using the Sab-
a 11 as lie liked, by closing against him certain
)1 ces which ho thought it tight to visit. All that
h Sunday League claimed was the right of hav:ng
thtse public institutions left open to all who chose
to tvisit them, and they were ready to take all the
coe'quenceS upon' themselves if they went wrong.
lie-Curintmalt then put the original motion and
tilt: amendment, when the former was carried by a
vqy large majority, only 20 hands being held up
Ign
d•
in avour of the amendment.
Ir. R. MOORE (Chairman of the Sunday Bands
:I mittee) next moved—
'That this Meeting is of opinion that the music in
1 parks of .the metropolis and in other towns of the
Ii dom on Sundays has been productive of great moral
r o "
T

.4e speaker gave a short account of the proceed•
nos of the Sunday Bands Committee, and stated
10
;h t in every town in-which bands had been estab-
is ,ed their establishment had been found produc-
i of great good.
he resolution having been seconded by Mr.
P RFECT was agreed to, and the proceedings were
brught to a close by a vote of thanks to the chair-
man.
I