Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-09-28


PERs.-The law allowing barber shops to be
opened on Sunday morning until 10 O'Clock, and
permitting the crying Of newspapers on that day
until the samehour, having passed both Boards
of our City Councils, will, should the Mayor
sign 1t, become law history Of the bill will
be interesting to our readers,
The bill ''granting certain privileges was
originally introduced In the lower Board by Mr..
Wright and provides 'fhat from and after the
passage OF this act the owners OF barber shops
and hair dressing saloons are authorized to keep
their respective places Of business open on sun
day morning until ten o'clock also, that the cry
ing aloud Of newspapers until the same hour is
permitted, any law Of this Corporation to the
contrary Notwithstanding. -.
The bill was referred to the Committee on po-
lice and reported at the next meeting by Mr..
Joyce. II was postponed from time to time until
the 3lst Of July, when the bill was passed by the
following vote:
Hall, Joyce, Mead, Walker, White, Williams,
NArseMessrs. Ferguson, Hamilton, HerrelI,
Simms, Talbert, and Tynan-6.
The bill went to the Board Of Aldermen, but
was not acted on until last Monday evening,
when II was passed by the following vote;
YBAs-Messrs. Brown, Garfield, Gross, Lewis,
A. Lloyd, Noyes, Pepper, and the President, Cr.
NAYs-Messrs. Barr, Gulick, McCathran, Ma
gruder, owen, and Turton.
The bill was debated at length in each Board,
but the only written report on the subject was
made by Alderman J. Russell Barr, OF the Second
Ward being the minority report OF the Commit
tee on Police. As tits a concise statement OF the
reasons urged against the bill, will no doubt
be read with interest. The report is as follows
| have given the subject OF granting certain
privilege" some consideration, and am well
satisfied that the bill should not pass for several
reasons, a few Of which shall present as briefly
as possible.
First, because the BARRIERS themselves, inau-
enced, as we must believe by correct views oil
duty, petltioned the Councils for the passage Of
Al ht,l,t L. ugh m hn n
The BARRIERS need this day OF rest, and by exist
ing law possess It, without feeling that theil
neighbors are obtaining their customers, and
without being obliged to require their journey
men to work on that day against their inolina.
tons, or lose their situations. The newsboy y
allowed to cry his paper on the Sabbath, viii
soon lose all reverence for the day and Will know
no difference between the Sabbath aud any otheI
day. The person who wishes to buy paper OIL
Sunday morning can do so without disturbing
those who wish to quietly observe the Sabbath.
Second, because the Council has not the pOwe
to grant the privilege proposed. We do not our
selves posses the right to do ANY work on thu
Sabbath" and we cannot give to others tina
which we do not ourselves possess. The Sab
bath Is q divine institution. This bill proposes
to abrogate that law which was proclaimed from
Mount Sinai: Remember the Sabbath day L
keep It holy; six days shalt thou labor and d.
all thy work, but the seventh is the Sabbath o
the Lord thy God In II thou shalt do no work. :
Shall we dare 60 behind this commandment,
assume the power to set aside this divine com
mand. The same divine law command, ina
"thou shalt not kill - "thou shalt not COMM
adultery - "thou shalt not steal - "thou shal
not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Are we prepared to vote for the enactment OF
law granting permission to our citizens to kill, /
steal, to commit adultery, or to swear falsel!
against his neighlOrp We have the same powe
and right TO pass such bill and to enforce sue
an act, and we have to pass law authOrizn
persons to break the Sabbath day. Any lay
which is not in accordance with the divine Law
is void.
We claim to BIO Christian community, an
should found our laws upon the Divine Law W
stand here not only AZ the legal representative
of the people of this city, which is the seat Z
Government Of the United States, but of the Uni
ted States de JdctO; in the municipal goVernmeu
Of the city which belongs to the United States
All the citizens Of the United States have right
and immunities In this place, and they all sit /
Judgment on our acts.
Third. Because we owe duty to the youth
the city, In enacHng and preserving such statute
as Intelligence, morality aud Christianity de
maud. We enact laws to protect our citizen
from bodily dangers how much more importau
TO enact such laws will protect them froI
moral dangers, and to prevent, II possible, gu
youth from plunglng headong into the whirl
pool Of moral destruction, now SO wide open /