The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-03-29 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE HAIR-DRESSERS.

On Tuesday night there was a general meeting of hair-
dressers and barbers at the house of Mr. Charles Rowland,
the,John Bull Inn, in Lumber-street. The purport of the
meeting was to lay before the trade an .account of the pro-
ceedings of the committee, in connexion with their endeavours
to put an end to Sunday employment, as well as to lay before
the public a statement of the facts of the case as they at pre-
sent stand, so as to ensure the sympathy and support of the
public in carrying out their very desirable object. Mr. Wm.
Carter presided.
The CHAIRMAN opened the business of the meeting by
stating that its object was to lay before the trade a statement
of the proceedings which had taken place since the formation
of the society, and to make them acquainted with the progress
that had been made. It was a fact that they had met with
some hindrances in carrying out the desirable object in free-
ing themselves from Sunday toil. That there should be any
person, in an enlightened community such as that of Liver-
-141, who thought it right to attempt to retard so excellent a
design, was a circumstance that had given him much pain. It
was well known to them all that he had never done any work
on the Sunday for the seventeen years that he had been in
business, and he had never envied any man what .he could ob-
tain by following the barbering business on Sunday. His
reason for joining the society was, that he believed it would
be for the advantage of the trade generally to have a stop put
to the carrying on of their business on the sabbath day ; and
he was of opinion, from the courteous manner in which they
had been treated by the Watch Committee, the Mayor of
Liverpool, and the town-clerk, that, had they not been treated
with disrespect by the stipendiary magistrate, every hair-
dresser's shop in the town would by this time have been
closed. (Hear, hear.) He was sorry to say, from what he
had seen in the public papers, that encouragement had been
held out to the breakers of the sabbath by that gentleman.
(Cheers.) He had seen an account in one paper, stating that
an information had been laid by a police-officer against a cer-
tain individual, in whose shop be had found, on Sunday, three
persons, apparently waiting to be shaved. One of the men
was lathered, and the barber was about to commence shaving
him. Mr. Hall inquired from the officer whether the barber
was shaving the man. " No, sir," was the reply ; "he had
the razor in his hand, and the man was lathered." "Oh !"
exclaimed Mr. Hall, "he was contemplating a breach of the
law, but not actually breaking it ;" and the man was dis-
missed. Notwithstanding this, there had been an instance
in which one of the committee, who had been induced to go
out to serve a person who was stated to be unwell, had been
fined five shillings. He did not mean to say that the person
to whom he alluded was justified in having acted as he did;
but he (the chairman) mentioned the circumstance, in con-
nexion with the former, to show how different was the treat-
ment in the two cases. In the one, which was an open vio-
lation of the sabbath, the delinquent was dismissed ; and in
the other, which was not an open violation of the sabbath, he
was fined.

Mr. DOUBLEDAY, secretary, then read the proceedings of

the committee. He stated that a petition which had been-pre-
sented to the Watch Committe by their oppoments had ap-
pended to it 127 signatures, purporting to be the names of
hairdressers and barbers in the town. The petition, however,
has been got up in the most scandalous Manner : the names of
persons who were not barbers had been put down, the name of
one individual who had been dead seventeen years was found in
it, and every disgraceful expedient had been resorted to for the
pat-pose of increasing the number of signatures. These facts
had been proved to the satisfaction of the Watch Committee,
and the petition had consequently been returned. The next
,proceedings had reference to Mr. Hall. Until within about a
month ago, the police had been in the habit of laying the com-
mittee's informations against the violators of the law, when M r
Hall interfered, and prevented the police from laying any more.
The committee, in consequence, had already been put to an
expense of £1 Bs. and they were told that they would in future
have to pay 3s. 6d. for each information. The Watch Commit-
tee were applied to, but they stated that they could do nothing
in the case. They (the hairdressers' committee) then saw no
hope of succeeding in carrying out their object; but, unwilling
to abandon a good cause, they determined to apply to the mayor,
who received them very kindly, and told them to wait upon
him upon the following Thursday. In the meantime, he would
consult the town-clerk, and see what could be done. On the
Thursday, they again waited upon the mayor; and the town-
clerk went to the Watch Committee and had an interview
with them, the result of which was that the committee agreed
that the informations should still contiue to be laid by the
Watch Committee, and the attendant expenses be defrayed out
of the borough fund. The secretary further stated that
several of the trade had already done so much, and their
general poverty was so well-known, that the committee could
not justly call upon them to make any further sacrifices.
Mr. WILLIAM BRUM FIT moved the first resolution, which,
with•the others, will be found in. our advertistng columns.
As his address contained a complete view of the case in its
whole bearings, we shall confine our report to the more im-
portant parts of that address. He commenced by showing
that the observance of the Sabbath was not only a duty im-
posed upon man by the law of the land, but by the command-
ment of the most high God; and that the day of rest was
necessary to him both as a physical, and moral, and account-
able being. All magistrates, too, were bound by oath to see
the law properly administered in this respect. He pointed
out the ill effects which resulted to the members of the trade,
by being closely confined in ill ventilated apartments for
so many hours in the day, and thought that those pernicious
effects might in some degree be obviated, if a little more time
were allowed for exercise in the open air. He then went on to
observe—l believe exercise is not less necessary than food for
the preservation of health. The love of exercise shows itself
very early in man. So strong is this principle, that a healthy
youth cannot be restrained from 'exercise even by the fear
of punishment. Our love of motion is surely a strong proof of
its utility. Nature implants no disposition in vain; and if no
better use 'were made of the Sabbath-than to promote or
procure health by walking in the fields or lanes, where the
mind of man would naturally turn to discuss and admire the
objects that surrounded him, and would be lifted from nature
up to nature's God, it would form a splendid contrast to
the confined walls of a shaving shop, where nothing
scarcely is to be heard but the most awful infidelity, and the
most soul-thrilling wickedness. (Hear, hear.) And although
I would not be understood to advocate the spending of the
Sabbath in this way, yet part of it might be so spent usefully,
since it is so necessary for health, and no other time can be ob-
tained for it; and, to say the least, it would be much better so
spent than spent in worldly toil, surrounded by wickedness
the most disgraceful. Surely it is not too much to ask for one
day out of seven, which is demanded not only by the laws of
God, but by the laws of our country—a blessing which the West
India slave enjoyed—nay, which was not denied even to the
beasts of burden. But lam sorry to say we have not only

met with a determined opposition from a very small minority,'
of our trade, but from some other persons who raise objec-
tions the most absurd, who contend that, for mere conve-
nience to themselves, we should be kept shaving the greater
part of the day of rest, to do for them that which might as
well have been done the night before. Others say many a
working man don't get his wages in time on Saturday night.
Why, then, do we not open the markets on Sunday morning,
and the grocers' and bakers' shops ?? Others contend it is a
loss to hair-dressers to suspend their business on Sundays.
So it is to joiners, bricksetters, and blacksmiths, and the
like ; and if we suffer this argument, we may as well open
factories, foundries, smithies, and all the rest, and so upsat
religion entirely. But our great Creator certainly never in-
tended that our life should be one continued scene of drudge-
ry, much less that the Sabbath should be a day of greater
toil than any other ; thus rendering it, instead of a blessing,
a curse. We are all the children of one common parent; and
we have all an equal right to those blessings which it has
pleased him to bestow upon us. With respect to apprentices
the case is a very hard one. They are obliged to be at their
post first in the morning and last in the evening ; they are
confined 14 hours every day, and on Saturday 17 at the least.
The Sabbath comes, but not to him ; he has no day of rest ;
his toil is greater on that day than on any other, he must re-
main from 6 in the morning till 5 in the afternoon, and though
his employment is not laborious, yet it is jading and tire-
some, and, together with the confinement, will most assured-
ly tire more than laborious employment out of 'doors.
That man or boy's constitution must be more than ordina-
rily strong, if, after a week's hard work,lie be fit for anything
but his bed when he is released on the Sunday afternoon.
And then the consideration that his brothers and companions,
whom Providence has placed at other trades, with whom he
has been used to associate in his boyhood, whom he has been
used to accompany to his Sunday School, or place of wor-
ship; still enjoy their Sabbath—he forgets not this ; his soul
yearns after these lost enjoyments ; his mind cannot fail to
be distressed, and the morals which he may have laid up from
the instruction of his parents or Sunday School teachers is

soon blasted by the cursing and swearing, the debaucheries
and wickedness, whieh always attend a Sunday morning's
business. A shaving shop on the Sunday is an awful semi-
nary for youth, and cannot fail to furnish to society many
vicious characters. Why, then, should such a state of things
be permitted ? Every true philanthropist, every man who
loves his neighbour as himself, should join heart and soul to
assist in so glorious a cause as the suppression of Sunday
labour. Nothing can show true greatness of mind more than
a desire to assist 'one another. But, before I conclude, I
would just-observe that we have to regret the want of a co-
operation, and of vigorous, determined, and unflinching sup-
port from our stipendiary magistrate. (Hear, hear.) There
seems a sort of lukewarmness about his proceedings, rather
than a determination to put the law effectively into force ;
and we have not, in my opinion, had that encouragement
which we might fairly expect from a God-fearing magistrate.
This has not escaped the penetration of our opponents, many
of whom impudently boast of the forbearance of our magis-
trate, and, whilst they openly violate the law, laugh at the
insignificance of the penalty, and the difficulty of obtaining
convictions. In whit I am about to say, I wish to be dis-
tinctly understood that 1 by no means impute improper mo-
tives to the magistrate, but whilst I acknowledge the purity
of his intentions, I may be permitted, I hope, to question
the solidity of his judgment. Numbers of cases have been
dismissed where the evidence has been, in my humble
opinion, sufficient to warrant .conviction. For instance,
a person was brought up, and the policeman stated he
found the shop open for business as usual, he went in,
found. a man sitting with the cloth on, ready for the com-
mencement of the operation, with the operator standing
. . . .

beside him mixing the soap. The policeman was told he was'
too soon ; the barber was not committing an illegal act ; he
was only going to do so ; and the case was dismissed. Now,
1 think Mr. Hall was wrong ; the act having commenced
eithei from the putting on of the cloth or mixing the soap,
these being part of the act itself. The evidence which Mr.
Hall requires before he will convict, is more, in my opinion,
than is by law required ; for if we bring evidence of a person
having his shop open on Sundays as on other days, with a
notice in the window stating that business will be done on
Sundays as usual, and if we bring further proof of men going
in with beards on and the same men coming out without
beards, I should think this quite sufficient evidence to con-
vict. Many persons have been executed on circumstantial
evidence, andyet these are not considered enough to convict
a man in a fine of ss. Not only must the witness prove that
he has seen the man in the very act of shaving, but he must
prove also that the man so offending was getting his living
by it at the time. Surely Mr. Hall might be satisfied of that
fact, he having himself convicted the same man before of the
same offence. Still, however, many cases have broken down
on this account ; others have broken down because the par-
ties were summoned as barbers, and the witness proved they
were hair cutting at the time. Mr. Hall decided that hair
cutting was not part of a barber's employment, although
every body but himself knows that it is : and there was one
instance of a man being summoned as a. barber who stated
that he was not a barber, but a hair-dresser, when the case
was dismissed. The next time he was summoned as a hair-
dresser, when he loudly exclaimed, " 0, I am not a hair-
dresser ; I am a barber." It has been alleged that the act is
silent with respect to costs, and the power of inflicting them
is discretionary with the magistrate. This, I believe, is cor-
rect ; but why always charge the full costs (3s. fed.) to our
committee, (whether conviction takes place or not,) who are
not offenders, and always let off the real offenders free ? I
think the costs ought to be added where the parties have
been frequently convicted, and who so openly set the law at
defiance as to place placards in the windows to that effect.
If this were done, and reasonable evidence taken, we should
soon put an end to this sort of Sabbath breaking ; but if the
old system is to be pursued, the law is rendered of none
effect, because the offenders keep their doors locked, and
prevent the public from getting that sort of evidence which
Mr. Hall requires. Mr. Hall has been pleased to show his
sympathy and pity for the offenders by sending round the
begging box to pay their fines ; but I think it would have
been more becoming had lie pitied the poor men and their
families who, paying a just regard to the laws, are suffering
a heavy weekly loss in consequence of others keeping their
shops open, and do all in his power to stop such a grievous
injustice ; for they are not the poor who open their shops,
but directly the reverse, although in some instances the poor
have been compelled to open in consequence of others open-
ing in their neighbourhood. Mr. Hall has also been pleased
significantly to call the law an old law ; but it is no worse

for that, and was never considered obsolete on account of its
antiquity, but is a law which is most rigidly enforced in most
poprlous towns, and which ought to be enforced in all towns.
It may be an old law, and so is Magna Charta and the Habeas
Corpus act ; but that is no reason why they should be sus-
pended. But the law under consideration is not so old as
Mr. Hall imagines ; for I find that by her Majesty's procla-
mation, which is yearly read to all magistrates and justices
of the peace, they are especially commanded to see that that
section of the act cf Charles 11. which relates to the observ-
ance of the Sabbath is strictly put in force. But be this as
it may, I cannot see that Mr. Hall has anything to do with
the age or quality of any law, his duty being, as the paid
servant of the public, to administer the laws as he finds them
enacted by the legislature. Let us not, however, be weary
of well doing ; let us us go on vigorously, and I doubt not
we shall accomplish.the desired end.
Mr. JONES seconded the resolution, which was unanimously
carried.
Mr. WILSON moved the second resolution, and in the course
of a very animated address, remarked that an impre,ssion
had gone abroad, and was industriously circulated, that they
were a rich class of trade, living in opulent neighbourhoods,
and combined for the purpose of persecuting their poor bre-
thren, with a view to their own gain. Now, nothing could
be farther from the truth than this statement; it was glar-
ingly, barefacedly false. The speaker entered into an enu-
meration of the persons who carry on their business on Sun-
days, and showed that the reverse of the general opinion was
the truth.
Mr. GRINSTEAD seconded the resolution, which was adopted
without a dissentient voice.
Mr. C. S. ROWLAND proposed the third resolution. He
observed that so much had been previously said, and well
said, that little remained for him to do but simply read the
resolution. He expressed his concurrence with the principal
portion of what had fallen from Messrs. Brumfitt and Wil-
son, and hoped that they should have the assistance of the
press in carrying out their just, their humane, and, he might
add,. their religious object. The press had done much towards
enabling the drapers' assistants to obtain a curtailment of
their hours of labour ; but how much higher and better—how
much more deserving of support, was the cause of the hair-
dressers, who sought, not a mere cessation from or curtailing
of the hours of toil, but the enforcement of the law of the
land and the observance of one of the highest commands of
God. He was exceedingly sorry that some persons connected
with the trade had put forth the false report that they were
the oppressors of the poor. He felt satisfied that the per-
sons who had moved in this business would be the first to
step out in support of the poor. He concluded with expres-
sions of thankfullness for the liberal encouragement they had
received from the clergymen they had referred to in the re-
solution, as well as from others not named, and for the kind
treatment they had received from the mayor, the town-clerk,
and the watch- committtee.
Mr. JOHN• CARTER secondedthe resolution, and expressed
his belief that when Mr. Hall was acquainted with the facts
of the case, he would feel himself called upon to pursue a
different line of conduct to that which he had hitherto
pursued.
A vote of thanks was passed to the chairman, and the
meeting terminated at half-past eleven.