Morning journal and courier., 1884-04-12
The Sunday Laws.


 Regarding Sunday Law Modification
 .-LegtsIatfte ActfOn-sunday Travel
 sunday Night Concerts:
 Yesterday forenoon at il o'clock meets ing was held at the lecture room of the Church of the Redeener in response to the following circular sent out by postal card:
 Dear sir-You ara requested to attend meeting to be heldin the lecture room of tine Church of tie Re deefier On Fridsy April IIti. at D m for the pnr- pose of consultation In regard to wise and eieient the Sunday rest and especially for the Appointment of committee like the New York sabbsth committee ae needed means os promoting the highest welfare oR the Soinmunity.
 THEODORE D. wooLsEY, E. s. GREELEY
 NOAH PORTER, LUcIEN ", SPERRY FRANCIS MAITLAND, OYRps -NoRTHRoP
 WILLIAM L. KINGSLEY, H. 5. PIeEIoW
 The meeting was attended by about fifty gentlemen of note and influence The at- tendance was larger than was anticipated. Professor Cyrns Northrop, of tais college, presided, and kev. S. W. Barnum was secre. tary. Professor Northrop stated the object of the meeting as expressed briefly in the call Rev. MT. Bsrnun was called upon and read paper which he had prepared in regard to events which had led to the calling of the meeting. The paper referred to the action of the Legislature of 1889 when it fepeaied the prohibition clause relating to Sunday travel; sRd to the portion of Governor Wal ler's inauguration message, January 4, 1883, in which he said regarding Sunday laws as follows:
 oar laws in relation ta ti8s tropeF observance of Sunday are so ihccpgrueus that feel compelled to urge their correction and amendment. They now prevent after sunset on Sunday the manufacturing establishment to be put in operation, the workshop and claim for debt to bs secured by attach ment; while they forbid attendance st a concert, quiet, orderly and instructive They permit bz late amendment travel en Sunday, but ifnpose Rpc son to traVei tsTgin tSs of these laws so that Sunday night the ssmb im= concert any other orderly instructive and 1noraI entertainment, that is now enjoyed during the hours by the manu tacturer, the merchant and
 the sheris' in their secular operations and that the law inhicting fine on the owner of the pealed. An amendment proposed will disturb neither the quiet worship of God the needfol rest of man on the day set spart for both
 The paper in reference to this quotation from the message said that the writer had been at pains to inquire and had learned that there are twenty five churches in New Haven where Sunday evening services are held with preaching and the worship was likely to be interfered with by Sunday evening amuse- ments under the head of concerts etc.
 Mir. Barnum further cited the movement by Germans of this city considerably over year ago to hold @ concert in aid of the suf. ferers by the floods in Germany, and to meeting held over year ago last January in Germania Hall for that object, when it was proposed to give concert in which several singing societies should assist. They had intended to give the concert in one of the opera houses. Previous to that also there was concert given at old Music Hall by jubilee singers from Norfolk, Va. The singers were arrested Feb. 4, 1883, and each of the four male singers paid costs of $1.35 each, and the proprietor of the hall, Mir. Peck, was fined by Judge Studiey $20 and costs, and Mr Peck ap- pealed to the Superior court. bill was presented by Mr. Troup when representative from New Haven for the repeal of the law against Sunday evening diyersicnB Then came the German movement in the LegisIa- ture against Sunday laws, when Lawyer Bollman appeared before the Judiciary com~ mittee. Then two petitions from MiddIetown were presented against the repeal These were signed respectively by ex-Lieutenant Governor Benjamin Douglas and one hun dred ard twenty-six other prominent citizens and by E- Culver and one hundred and th1rty-six other prominent citizens. Then there was strong petition signed by noted men ln New Haven against the repeal Mr. Barnum's paper recited other facts in the same connection. MT. Barnum also referred to the work of the Sabbath committee in New York, which committee has been in op- srstion for tw nty-ive years. He quoted from the published report of the committee, from which an extract is es folloHs:
 While ths committee held most fully tha divine obligation and paramount importance of lhe religious observance of the Lords day 1t felt itself called to deal chiefly with the observance Of Sunday civil institution established and protected by custom and law It sought to discriminate carefully between the
 a3oath as felg1ous and as civil institution, and jealously to respect the just Limitations of the civil Wer in nnaintaining the observance of the restday hecognlzng the object of Sunday laws to be the protection of the sacred rights of rest and orsbin the committee aimed to secure the wise enforcement oI exlstlng !sWs the enactment of euch additional laws as might seem necessary to the end in view and the prevention of hostile legislation It sought by private remonstrGnce and influence to nretenf such occasions of Sunday dissertation as could he bettsr met in this way than by legal means It aimed to enIgbten the public mind as tD t1e vaie of inc n day rest by means of public meetings and addresses by the public both sSculsr and religious and by the saue carefully prepared docun1ents II zonuht to aid pastors and others interested in studyinr this question, and to encourage the formation of Similar associations aimed to keen the one issne istinct from every other question of reform, and dscline impracticabe measures It sought to accomplish ifs ends so far as possible throuGb fhe -on.r icera of the law, and to avoid giving edess prominence to its own agency In fine, it eRdeavored carry it's work oa such just and broad grounds to tho
 Ineee principles have governed the committee from the beginning t7 the present. time. The results or the work thus conducted have been al and more than all that could reasonably have been expected Only bre summary of the most important of these results can be hers given.
 In matters of Iegialation, the committee prepared and was largely Instrumental in securing the passage tive liquor Ia cted in tbis State. which en forced as it from 1866 to sT0 dininished arrests of ten to twenty per cent more arrests on eI1p dsys 1an other days to an average of forty par cent SIS en sundays than on week days; and which brought to the city from license fees annual rev snue of one million dollars in place of the teen or .wentg!tnousand s dollars year previously received after 1ts repeal under the Tweed regime, the com nittee in 1873. secured important aendnenfa t Iha
 w wRlSn @ have given to this law whatever other parts of the Stste this city The com
 iIsee and secured the enactment of the Sun lay theatre law of 860, to suppress the numerous ewclass Sunday th satres similar entertainnents shtch were becoming fruitful sources of vice and
 sorder a2d the processions law of 1873, to regulate md put under police control processions and psrsdes ,u week days and to abste the evil noisy psrades on sunday.
 The committee also proposed certain rnodih hcations If the Sunday statutes embodied in the new penal 'oos or which mention is made on subsequent page
 The committee has also carefully watched the course if Legislation, and has frequently and with success Sunday observance. ~
 most important part of the comnnitte ,s work has 1een to secure, far practicable the If existing laws. The action of the corantfes here las been for the most part unobtrusive, but vigi- ant Rno ehecttVe Threatened violations have been brought to the notice of the police authorities In ome instances it has been necessary to employ spe- 1ai counsel, but usually the committee has accom- ohsneo It's ends wholly through the proper officers of he law Occasionally it has been found expedent to Voke some special expression public sentiment as Or instance, when obstructions were thrown fn the way or tAe police in enforcing the Sunday theatre aW. Dy means of judicial injunctiops under cover Fhch Tn plain violation of law 1t attempted for sYeraI weeks to carry Sunday theatrical exhibi- better classes of citizens has ever been prompt nd decisive in sustaining the oficers of the law in impartial enforcement.
 In addition to the enforcement oR the speciaI laws ooYe referred to, the committee brought about the impression of the noisy crying of newapaperH on 'unday and has secured the suppression of other occasional dist urbanees of the peace and good order # the day. By private remonstrance with persons concerned therein, the committee has freQuently 'een abe to prevent public and unnecessary work n Sunday.
 In connection with the action of the committea noer the excise and Sunday theatre laws important decisions have been rendered by the courts suatsin- ng the constitutionality of these laws.
 Upon the conclusion of Mr Bsrnum's re- 'oTt motion was made for the appointment 1 if committee to nominate the Sabbath day committee. On report of this committee the ouoWlng Sabbath day committee was ap- pointed: IyTus Northrup, Francis Tayiand iirAm Camp, William L. Kingsley, suel F, OoWles, George W. Curtis, harles G. Deutch, Thos R. TroW bridge. jr lillian O Rob1nEons Joseph Porter. smes M. 3. Dwight, Emil Crissnd, saac N. Damn Edwin B. Greeley, heodors D. Woolssy, Rufus s. Pickett, lev. B. s. Lines, Rev. D. A. GoodselI, lev. o. B, Ford, Charles P. Armstrong
 eY. Harry P. NichOIs William T Rarfletk