The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-17 00:00:00

PUBLIC DISCUSSION ON THE SUNDAY

Q UESTION.

A public discussion between the National Sunday
League and the Rev. Robert Maguire, incumbent
of Clorkrnwell, on the vexed Sabbath question,
hiving been announced by advertisement to take
place yesterday evening at Exeter Hall, long be-
fore the hour appointed for commencing the dis-
cussion, namely, 8 o'clock, all the approaches to
the large hall were choked up with a dense crowd
eager for admission, and by half-past 7 every part
of the room was filled. The meeting was the result
of a challenge given by Mr. Maguire, at a meeting
held a short time since in Clerken well, and ac-
cepted by Mr. Langley, vice-president of the Sun-
day League. Strictly speaking, the contest was
between the two gentlemen named, though each
was of course regarded for the occasion as the
champion of his party. Two propositions were
agreed upon as the basis of the discussion, one
for last night and the other for this evening ;
the affirmative resting on the shoulders of Mr.
Langley, and the negative on those of Mr. Ma-
guire. The first proposition, that which formed
the subject of last night's discussion, was, " That
the opening of the public museums, galleries,
libraries, and gardens, after Divine service on
Sunday mornings, would be in accordance with
the principles of the Christian religion." In order
to secure impartiality there were two chairmen,
Mr. Robert Baxter on behalf of the Maguire
party, and the Rev. Baden Powell on behalf of
the Sunday League. The opposite parties were
also pretty equally represented on the platform.
Two speeches of half an hour's duration were deli-
vered by each of the disputants.
Mr. LANGLEY, in opening the discussion, con-
tended that the Sabbath now observed by Chris-
tians does not rest on the authority of Christ or his
apostles, and referred to Christ's declaration that
" man is not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath
for man," and others of a similar character, in op-
position to the stringent views of his opponents.
He also maintained that the authority of Genesis
was by no means clear as to the original institu-
tion of the Sabbath ; •that the Jewish Sabbath was
purely local and national ; and that there was no
proof of the general observance of the Christian
Sabbath earlier than the second century ; and, in
speaking of the comparative lawfulness of various
acts on Sunday, challenged his opponent to show
what moral difference there was between a person
boiling a kettle in his own house on Sunday and
his being employed to boil water on a railway, in
order that hundreds of persons might enjoy the
fresh air of the country.
In replying to these views, Mr. MAGUIRE taunted
his antagonist with not having adhered to his pro-
position, or attempted to show that the opening of
museums, gardens, &c., on Sunday was "in ac-
cordance with the principles of the Christian reli-
gion." He also demanded what right the League
had to assume any limitation to the hours of divine
service, or confine by implication the observance of
Sunday to the morning, and pointed out that if
Mr. Langley's view were correct, there was no au-
thority whatever for Sunday observance, inasmuch
as it rested neither on the Book of Genesis nor on
the 4th Commandment, which was said to be of
strictly local obligation, nor upon the authority of
Christ and his apost'es. _
_ _ _ _

After Mr. Maguire had concluded,
Mr. LANGLEY again spoke, and claimed Luther,
Calvin, Melancthon, Archbishop Whately, and
other authorities as supporting his view, the sup-
port of the Archbishop being manifested by the
fact that he is a director of the Zoological-gardens

of Dublin, which are open on Sunda-y. fle also
alluded to Christ's declaration that it is " lawful to
do good o❑ the Sab',ath day," and argued that this
was a justification of the opening of national places
of resort, which have a tendency to enlighten the
minds and elevate the tastes of the working
classes.

Mr. MAGUIRE, in reply, cited Paley on the ques-
tion of the legality or nou-legality of different thir,gs,
to the effort that the Sabbath being established and
beneficial in its influence, it was the duty of all to
abstain from acts which tended to destroy it as an
institution. As regarded the origin of the Sabbath,
he remarked with much emphasis that the Sabbath is a
fact, and that its ex!stence was traceable to the earliest
periods of the Christian era in corroboration of which
he cited a passage from a letter of Pliny to the
Emperor Trajan ; and admitted the desirableness
of improving the moral and physical condition of
the poor, maintained that he and those who agreed
with him had done and were do:ng more to promote
that object than those who were opposed to them
on the Sunday question.

-It having been previously agreed that both gen-
tlemen should speak only twice, occupying half an
hour each time, both these specu'atious were care-
fully adhered to, and the meeting, which com-
menced at eight o'clock, torminited about ten.
The proceedings ware characterised by fairness and
good temper on both sides.
The discussion this evening will have special ze-
ference to the moral and social aspects of the ques-
tion.

NARROW ESCAPE OF AN AMERICAN LASE STEAMER.—
The Chicago Journal gives the following narrative of the
dangerous storm which overtook the steamer Cleveland
on Lake Michigan :—" The steamer left Green Bay on
Tuesday, at 10 a.m., with 15 passengersand a full freight.
On her waydown she touched at different points, and
took on in all about 60 passengers. Everything went on
smoothly until about 11 o'clock on Wednesday night,
when the blow struck her. She was at time a short dis-
tance above Milwaukie. The wind and snow raged with
fearful violence, and every wave, as it washed into the
noble craft, seemed bent on destroying her. Her fires
were put out, and it tbeu seemed that destruction was
inevitable. Captain Flood, undaunted, however, set
about to hale her out, and passengers and crew, with
ono dastard exception, took hold, and worked four hours
and a half. At the expiration of this time the fires were
rekindled, and steam once more got up, but the fires
wcre soon put out again. The passengers again went to
work with a will and baled until 9 or 10 o'clock, when
steam was once more got up. They headed for shorn,
and kept on bailing in the midst of this terrible storm.
About 3 p.m. they espied, much to their gratification
and delight, a chimney, which proved to be in Chicago.
At ball-past 6 o'clock the steamer reached her docks.
Once or twico during the gale all hopes of ever reaching
shore were given np,and a list ..f the passengers on board
was prepared by the captain to throw overboard. Hap-
pily so terrible a calamity was averted. In the midst of
the unflinching courage displayed on every hand shines
still brighter the courage of a woman who was one of
the passengers, the brighter, as it stands in con`rait
with the sheer cowardica of a craven.souled man who
was aboard. The man was a Frenchman, and not an
Englishman, as we stated yesterday. He absolutely
refused to work, when a woman, which should have
brought a burning blush of shame upon his cheeks if he
was possessed of any manhood, stepped forward and
volunteered to take his place. That woman's name was
Miss E. Wishard, of Milwaukie. The passengers, how
ever, would not allow her to work. Her noble beha-
viour upon this occasion won for her the admiration
and esteem of every one on hoard, while the conduct of
the Frenchman provoked just the opposite, and we
should not have blamed the crew had they looked upon
her as a second Jonah aboard their noble craft.—Neto
York Tinto.