The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-15 00:00:00

Gallery on Sunday, the advantage to be derived there-
from would not counterbalance, in his opinion, the re-
sults that would otherwise follow from it. He might be
in error, but he would be more likely to be convinced of
his error, by being allowed further consideration upon the
point, than by the urging of an address to her Majesty, to
use her authority for the purpose of enforcing principles
of this description. He would therefore recommend to
the Hon. Gentleman opposite not to persist in his
motion, which would excite considerable opposition from
those who, like himself (the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer) were opposed to those exhibitions on Sunday.
Those who had heard the Hon. Member's speech, would
be of opinion that the course he (the Chancellor of the
Exchequer) had adverted to, was likely to be the best
means of accomplishing its object. There was at the
present moment an inclination to open not only public
but private exhibitions, which if the Hon. Member had
attempted to effect ten or twelve years before, he never
would have effected. Everything would be done that
could be by those who had the guard of the different
establishments alluded to, to meet the wishes of the
Honourable Member. As to the British Museum
being thrown open on more days than at present, he was
afraid that would be attended with great difficulty ; and
the same might be said with respect to the other institu-
tions to which the Hon. Gentleman had adverted. With
respect to cathedrals in the metropolis, considerable re-
ductions had taken place in the prices of admission, and
he was happy to say these reductions had been attended
with the best effects. There was a natural disposition
on the part of mankind to resist any assumed authority;
and he thought if the House were to agree to the address,
and the Crown were to act in conformity with the wishes
expressed therein, such a course would frustrate rather than
forward the object which the Hon. Gentleman had in view.
He could assure the Hon. Gentleman that he (tke Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer), in common with the other ad-
visers of. the Crown, was exceedingly anxious to extend
the means of innocent enjoyment to the lowest orders of
the people. Having already obtained a general expression
of assent from the House to the principles of his pro-
position, he trusted the Hon. Gentleman would with-
draw his motion, and by so doing, he would best for-
ward the object he had in view.
Sir ROBERT INGLIS was anxious to express his
sentiments, because he could not agree with his Right
Hon. Friend, that the House had assented to the general
principles laid down by the Hon. Gentleman. His
Right Hon. Friend had only given a qualified assent to
the principles, and he (Sir, Robert Inglis) could only
give an assent much more qualified than that
given by his Right Honourable Friend.—(Hear.)
The great object of the Hon. Member was to give all
classes in London the same facility in amusement as the
people possessed in Paris. He wished to give the people
of London that facility in entering the British Museum
and the National Gallery, that the people enjoyed in Paris
in entering the Louvre. He (Sir R. Inglis) believed that
no surer mode of desecrating the Sabbat's could be
adopted, than that of opening those places, which were
called places of innocent recreation, on the Lord's day.
It was not always the case that a high taste for the fine
arts and public virtue were necessarily co-existent. The
period when the fine arts most flourished in ancient
Athens and Rome, and when taste was at its highest
pitch, was the time when the morals of the people were
most corrupted, and when the greatest abominations
were practised.— (Oh, oh.)
" Grwcia capta ferum victorum cepit, et artes
Intulit a'resti Latio ;"
and a flood of corruption followed. If the Hon. Mem-
ber's motion was pressed to a division he should vote
against it, as he was decidedly opposed to opening public
institutions on the Lord's day.
Mr. G. KNIGHT regretted that the Hon. Member for
Oxford attempted to throw cold water on this subject.—
(Hear, hear.) He regretted that he should, at this time,
exhibit such feelings against the fine arts. While the
Hon. Gentleman was speaking, he (Mr. Knight) thought
he was listening to some holy monk—(Laughter)—who
was endeavouring to turn the country back to barbarism
and ignorance, which had always been the parent of
crime.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member for Montrose
having appealed to him as a member of the Committee,
he was ready to say that lie would go with him to the
full extent in all his views. It was a mistake
to suppose that the fine arts had not an influence on the
people. They went hand in hand with comm( rce, and
flourished in the most prosperous times of the Italian
republics. They could not flourish unless the public at
large took an interest in them.—(Hear, hear.) Nothing
was more calculated to elevate a people than the con-
templation of those sculptural resemblances of the great
men which a country produced. The arts and morality
had an influence on each other, and he hoped the House
woald coincide with him in that opinion.—(Hear, hear.)
It was much more agreeable to be engaged in a debate
like the present than in one of politics, when they hurt
each other with the arrows of sharp words.—(Hear.)
But in allowing to the people access to the repositories
of science and art, they should not allow such a privilege
to interfere with Divine worship. But to the working
classes, who had no other day than Sunday to visit
those places with their wives and families, he should be
indisposed to refuse admittance. Ho repeated that
he entirely approved of the proposition then before
the House.
Mr. WYSE was happy to find that the House was all
but unanimous on the present occasion. The only excep-
tion in favour of the motion seemed to be the Hon. Ba-
ronet the Member for the University of Oxford.
Sir R. PEEL hoped the Hon. Member would not press
this subject to a division, as there were strong objections
to the motion. He thought referring the Crown to a Se-
rommittPe was not consistent with that respect due
to the Crown. -It might be that the Dean and Chapter
of Westminster might deny the right of the Crown, and
then the consequenCe would be to involve the Crown in a
dispute with that body. He thought great advantage
would be derived from giving the working classes facili-
ties to the exhibitions of art and the goodness and beauty
of creation.—(Hear, hear.) He agreed with the Hon.
Baronet, that to offer these things as a substitute for
religion was most unsatisfactory, but what he com-
plained of was that when persons were anxious
to refine the people they were told that it was offered
only as a substitute fur religion.—(Hear.. It was no
such thing, but then he would admit that it was a sub-
stitute for drunkenness and vice.—(Hear, hear.) The
whole time of the people, it was not natural to sup-
pose, could be absorbed in religion. He felt convinced
that the greatest advantage would be derived from re-
fining the taste of the people, because it enlisted the
great body of the people to the . institutions of the
country.—(Hear, hear.) It was true that the honours
of the State were generally reserved for the higher
classes ; but of this he was sure, that if expenditure took
place for the instruction and amusement of the people it
was a certain guarantee for the security of the monarchy.
It showed the people that a portion of the expenditure of the
public money was for their interests, for their enjoyment, and
for their improvement ; and when they heard of the millions
raised by taxes and expended in the public service, if they
found that they derivedno ostensible advantage from such ex-
penditure, they would be more likely to become discontented
with the state of things under which they lived, than if a por-
tion of that expenditure was devoted to their recreation.
Therefore, there was a double object obtained as regarded the
humbler classes of society by throwing open these Institutions.
First, it tended to a general refinement of manners ; and,
secondly, it gave them a direct participation in the advantages
derived from the expenditure of the public money.—( Loud
cheers.) He did not agree with the Honourable Gentle.
man in thinking that any advantage would be derived
from opening such Institutions as the National Gallery on a
Sunday. He thought it would shock the religious feelings of
the people, and justly shock those feelings ; he himself had a
great ohjection to opening such Institutions on a Sunday ;
besides, surely, the officers of those Institutions, who laboured
hard for six days a week during eleven months in the year,
were entitled to have the Sunday to themselves. It had been
said that they might be closed during the hours of divine ser-
vice, and open the rest of the Sunday ; but it would be almost
impossible to ascertain what the hours of divine service were.
It might be said that supernumerary attendants might be em-
ployed on the Sunday, and the regular officers might be absent;
but the supernumeraries would never have the confidence of
the superior officers of the establishment. He trusted the
Hon. Gentleman would withdraw his motion. He thought
thatthe reading the discussion which had taken place, and more
especially the reading the evidence taken before the Com-
mittee, would have the effect of doing away with the jealousy
which existed in the minds of some of the cathedral
authorities against the admission of the poorer classes
on the ground of the damage they might do.—( Hear,
hear.) Now, he (Sir Robert Peel) did not believe that
the poorer classes were inclined to do such damage. —( Cheers.)
The vulgar rich were more likely to do damage than the humble
artificer—( Loud cheers)—and the evidence taken by the Com-
mittee proved that such was the case, and that persons belong-
ing to the poorer classes were uniformly. well behaved.—
(Loud cheers.) He felt bound to say that, in many instances,
the institutions in this country were thrown open in a more
liberal manner than the institutions on the Continent, in proof
of which, he would appeal to the evidence given by ?,Ir. Gray.
He thought they would better advance their ends by appeal-
ing to the reason of the parties instead of attempting to force
them by peremptory command on the part of the Executive.
Mr. MACKINNON hoped the Hon. Gentleman would be
indueed to attend to the recommendation of the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, and withdraw his motion.
Mr. CO WPER thought it would be well if the Government
were to make a small grant of money for the purpose of the
lower classes being allowed access to the different cathedrals; for
he felt convinced that the feeling actuating the Chapters in re •
fusing admission was one of pounds, shillings, and pence only.
He thought the buildings themselves showed that the intention
of the founders was to produce an effect upon the minds of
persons visiting them, and that the intention of the founders in
building naves and aisles in the different cathedrals was that
the people should have free access to the building, in order that
they might be impressed with that feeling of awe which ought
to possess persons visiting such a place. He felt sure that it
was never contemplated that the people should be made to pay
an entrance fee. He thought that there were not sufficient
places of amusement provided in this country for the poorer
classes.—( Hear, hear.) The most uneducated found pleasure
in visiting the works of art, and when they visited such places
they generally acted with the utmost decorum.—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. BERNAL said the poor, hard-working mechanics of
Spitalfields, and other parts of the metropolis, could find no
time on any other day but Sunday to visit any place of inno-
cent recreation. How was it possible for him to do se? He
(Mr. Bernal) would support a motion for opening those places
on a Sunday. Why was Hampton Court Palace open ? Why
did they refuse the same recreation to the hard-working man
in the town which they granted to the suburban resident ? He
thought they were tampering with religious subjects, in re-
fusing this motion en such a ground.
Mr. ESCOTT thought it was very possible that thejfeelings
of the people might be opposed to the idea of opening these
places on a Sunday ; and he thought if they did open them un-
der those circumstances, that they would be effecting a change
which the people themselves might not like. He (Mr. Escott)
was of opinion that it was the duty of the Government to pro-
vide healthful and innocent amusement and recreation for the
people, and it was with that belief that he must say he cordi-
ally concurred in the motion of the Hon. Gentleman opposite;
at the tame time he thought it would be well that the feelings
of the people should be more formed upon the matter before
passing this motion.
Mr. C. BULLER thought it was very necessary that health-
ful recreation should be afforded to the people. He must com-
plain of the manner in which the people were excluded from
the Parks. Let them look for a moment at St. James's Park.
Here was an order that no persons carrying bundles should be
allowed to go through that Park, and persons who were not
well-dressed were not on any account allowed to enter; or if
one did get in, he would not go far before be would meet one