The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-20 00:00:00

'AND,FI I.N THE PARKS.

'TING IN ST. PANCRAS.

-Last evening a public meeting of the inhabitants of
St. Paneras was .held iu the Vestry Hall, King's-road,
Camden-town, for the purpose of eliciting the opinion of
the public upon the recent stoppage of the bands in
Kensington-gardens and the parks, by order of the Go-
vernment.
W. D. COOPER, Etq., baying been voted to the chair,
called upon Mr. KENNY, the honorary secretary, to read
the various correspondence from gentlemen who were
prevented attending the meeting. Jacob Bell, Mr. G.
Cruikshank, and Mr. Charles Dickens were among the
correspondents. The folio a-ing letter from the latter
gentleman was read amidst loud applause
Ta,vistock House, Monday, May 19.
" Mr. T. Ross, Mr. J. Kenny.
"Gentlemen,—l Lave received a letter signed by you.
(which I assume to be written mainly on behalf of what
are called working men and their families) inviting me
to attend a meeting ;n our parish Vestry Hall this even-
ing-, on the stoppage of the Sunday bands in the parks.
" I thoroughly agree with you that those bands have
afforded an innocent and healthful enjoyment on the Sun-
day afternoon to which the people have a right. But I
think it essential that the working people should of
themselves, and by themselves, assert that right. They
have been informed on the high authority of their first
Minister (lately rather in want of House of Commons
votes, I am told) that they are almost indifferent to it.
The correction of that mistake—if cfficial omniscience
can be mistaken—lies with themselves.
"In case it should be considered by the meeting
(which I prefer for this reason not to attend) expedient
to unite with other metropolitan parishes in forming a
fund for the payment of such expenses as may be ia-
curred in peaceably and numerously representing to the
governing powers the harmless recreation they have
taken away is very much wanted, I beg you to put
down my name as a subscriber of ten pounds, and I am
your faithful servant,

" CHARLES DICKENS."
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, remarked
that the question which they had met to consider was
one of the must importarc, to the well-being of the peo-
ple. An attempt was being made to dictate to the two-
and-a-quarter millions of the inhabitants of London by
the puritanical observers of the Sabbath on the other
side of the 'Tweed. It was, therefore, incumbent on the
people to stand up for their rights, and peaceably but
strenuously to assert them. [Sir B. Hall was here an-
nounced, and was received with loud and reiterated ap-
plause and waving of hats ] He (the chairman) sin-
cerely trusted that the Sabbath would never be observed
in London as it was in Giasgow. It was with regret
and surprise that he saw my Lord Palmerston was the
man to put the chain round the neck of their excellent
member Sir B. Hall, who in this matter had so truth-
fully represented the feelings and wishes of the people.
But if the people were true to themselves they might
defy the S2otch Sabbatarians—indeed, Scotland itself,
if it came across the Tweed, to interfere with their rights.
Wm. TAPPING, Esq., moved the first resolution :
"That the performance of music in the public parks
on the Sunday afternoon is erainentlycalculited to pro-
mote the health, happiness, and morality of the people ;
and this meeting hereby expresses its regret and indig-
nation at the sudden withdrawal of so useful and inno-
cent a means of popular enjoyment. (Applause.)
Mr. JOHN IVORY seconded the resolution, which was
put and carried almost unanimously, amidst reiterated
applause.
Sir B. HALL then addressed the meeting. Ho felt
anxious to address that vast assemblage on the import-
ant question before them. It was with regret that he
had to state that his noble friend Lord Ebrington had
been suddenly attacked with opthalmia, and he trusted
that his constitutents would be as considerate towards
his noble colleague as they had been to him (Sir B. Hall)
when similarly suffering from affliction. He had done all
he could, and not without success he felt, to ascertain the
wants of the people of the metropolis. He had formed
certain opinions, and to them he held fast. (Hear.) It
was with regret that the innocent recreation which
he had obtained for the people was no longer to be
within their reach. He was informed that the decision
which had been come to was in consequence of me-
morials addressed to the House of Commons, and peti-
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