sunday under three heads-第4节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



at　any　public　meeting　or　assembly　…　penalties　for　letting

carriages；　and　penalties　for　hiring　them　…　penalties　for　travelling

in　steam…boats；　and　penalties　for　taking　passengers　…　penalties　on

vessels　commencing　their　voyage　on　Sunday　…　penalties　on　the　owners

of　cattle　who　suffer　them　to　be　driven　on　the　Lord's　day　…

penalties　on　constables　who　refuse　to　act；　and　penalties　for

resisting　them　when　they　do。　　In　addition　to　these　trifles；　the

constables　are　invested　with　arbitrary；　vexatious；　and　most

extensive　powers；　and　all　this　in　a　bill　which　sets　out　with　a

hypocritical　and　canting　declaration　that　'nothing　is　more

acceptable　to　God　than　the　TRUE　AND　SINCERE　worship　of　Him

according　to　His　holy　will；　and　that　it　is　the　bounden　duty　of

Parliament　to　promote　the　observance　of　the　Lord's　day；　by

protecting　every　class　of　society　against　being　required　to

sacrifice　their　comfort；　health；　religious　privileges；　and

conscience；　for　the　convenience；　enjoyment；　or　supposed　advantage

of　any　other　class　on　the　Lord's　day'！　　The　idea　of　making　a　man

truly　moral　through　the　ministry　of　constables；　and　sincerely

religious　under　the　influence　of　penalties；　is　worthy　of　the　mind

which　could　form　such　a　mass　of　monstrous　absurdity　as　this　bill　is

composed　of。



The　House　of　Commons　threw　the　measure　out　certainly；　and　by　so

doing　retrieved　the　disgrace　…　so　far　as　it　could　be　retrieved　…　of

placing　among　the　printed　papers　of　Parliament；　such　an　egregious

specimen　of　legislative　folly；　but　there　was　a　degree　of　delicacy

and　forbearance　about　the　debate　that　took　place；　which　I　cannot

help　thinking　as　unnecessary　and　uncalled　for；　as　it　is　unusual　in

Parliamentary　discussions。　　If　it　had　been　the　first　time　of　Sir

Andrew　Agnew's　attempting　to　palm　such　a　measure　upon　the　country；

we　might　well　understand；　and　duly　appreciate；　the　delicate　and

compassionate　feeling　due　to　the　supposed　weakness　and　imbecility

of　the　man；　which　prevented　his　proposition　being　exposed　in　its

true　colours；　and　induced　this　Hon。　Member　to　bear　testimony　to　his

excellent　motives；　and　that　Noble　Lord　to　regret　that　he　could　not

…　although　he　had　tried　to　do　so　…　adopt　any　portion　of　the　bill。

But　when　these　attempts　have　been　repeated；　again　and　again；　when

Sir　Andrew　Agnew　has　renewed　them　session　after　session；　and　when

it　has　become　palpably　evident　to　the　whole　House　that





His　impudence　of　proof　in　every　trial；

Kens　no　polite；　and　heeds　no　plain　denial　…





it　really　becomes　high　time　to　speak　of　him　and　his　legislation；　as

they　appear　to　deserve；　without　that　gloss　of　politeness；　which　is

all　very　well　in　an　ordinary　case；　but　rather　out　of　place　when　the

liberties　and　comforts　of　a　whole　people　are　at　stake。



In　the　first　place；　it　is　by　no　means　the　worst　characteristic　of

this　bill；　that　it　is　a　bill　of　blunders：　　it　is；　from　beginning　to

end；　a　piece　of　deliberate　cruelty；　and　crafty　injustice。　　If　the

rich　composed　the　whole　population　of　this　country；　not　a　single

comfort　of　one　single　man　would　be　affected　by　it。　　It　is　directed

exclusively；　and　without　the　exception　of　a　solitary　instance；

against　the　amusements　and　recreations　of　the　poor。　　This　was　the

bait　held　out　by　the　Hon。　Baronet　to　a　body　of　men；　who　cannot　be

supposed　to　have　any　very　strong　sympathies　in　common　with　the

poor；　because　they　cannot　understand　their　sufferings　or　their

struggles。　　This　is　the　bait；　which　will　in　time　prevail；　unless

public　attention　is　awakened；　and　public　feeling　exerted；　to

prevent　it。



Take　the　very　first　clause；　the　provision　that　no　man　shall　be

allowed　to　work　on　Sunday　…　'That　no　person；　upon　the　Lord's　day；

shall　do；　or　hire；　or　employ　any　person　to　do　any　manner　of　labour；

or　any　work　of　his　or　her　ordinary　calling。'　　What　class　of　persons

does　this　affect？　　The　rich　man？　　No。　　Menial　servants；　both　male

and　female；　are　specially　exempted　from　the　operation　of　the　bill。

'Menial　servants'　are　among　the　poor　people。　　The　bill　has　no

regard　for　them。　　The　Baronet's　dinner　must　be　cooked　on　Sunday；

the　Bishop's　horses　must　be　groomed；　and　the　Peer's　carriage　must

be　driven。　　So　the　menial　servants　are　put　utterly　beyond　the　pale

of　grace；　…　unless　indeed；　they　are　to　go　to　heaven　through　the

sanctity　of　their　masters；　and　possibly　they　might　think　even　that；

rather　an　uncertain　passport。



There　is　a　penalty　for　keeping　open；　houses　of　entertainment。　　Now；

suppose　the　bill　had　passed；　and　that　half…a…dozen　adventurous

licensed　victuallers；　relying　upon　the　excitement　of　public　feeling

on　the　subject；　and　the　consequent　difficulty　of　conviction　（this

is　by　no　means　an　improbable　supposition）；　had　determined　to　keep

their　houses　and　gardens　open；　through　the　whole　Sunday　afternoon；

in　defiance　of　the　law。　　Every　act　of　hiring　or　working；　every　act

of　buying　or　selling；　or　delivering；　or　causing　anything　to　be

bought　or　sold；　is　specifically　made　a　separate　offence　…　mark　the

effect。　　A　party；　a　man　and　his　wife　and　children；　enter　a　tea…

garden；　and　the　informer　stations　himself　in　the　next　box；　from

whence　he　can　see　and　hear　everything　that　passes。　　'Waiter！'　says

the　father。　　'Yes。　　Sir。'　　'Pint　of　the　best　ale！'　　'Yes；　Sir。'

Away　runs　the　waiter　to　the　bar；　and　gets　the　ale　from　the

landlord。　　Out　comes　the　informer's　note…book　…　penalty　on　the

father　for　hiring；　on　the　waiter　for　delivering；　and　on　the

landlord　for　selling；　on　the　Lord's　day。　　But　it　does　not　stop

here。　　The　waiter　delivers　the　ale；　and　darts　off；　little

suspecting　the　penalties　in　store　for　him。　　'Hollo；'　cries　the

father；　'waiter！'　　'Yes；　Sir。'　　'Just　get　this　little　boy　a

biscuit；　will　you？'　　'Yes；　Sir。'　　Off　runs　the　waiter　again；　and

down　goes　another　case　of　hiring；　another　case　of　delivering；　and

another　case　of　selling；　and　so　it　would　go　on　AD　INFINITUM；　the

sum　and　substance　of　the　matter　being；　that　every　time　a　man　or

woman　cried　'Waiter！'　on　Sunday；　he　or　she　would　be　fined　not　less

than　forty　shillings；　nor　more　than　a　hundred；　and　every　time　a

waiter　replied；　'Yes；　Sir；'　he　and　his　master　would　be　fined　in　the

same　amount：　　with　the　addition　of　a　new　sort　of　window　duty　on　the

landlord；　to　wit；　a　tax　of　twenty　shillings　an　hour　for　every　hour

beyond　the　first　one；　during　which　he　should　have　his　shutters　down

on　the　Sabbath。



With　one　exception；　there　are　perhaps　no　clauses　in　the　whole　bill；

so　strongly　illustrative　of　its　partial　operation；　and　the

intention　of　its　framer；　as　those　which　relate　to　travelling　on

Sunday。　　Penalties　of　ten；　twenty；　and　thirty　pounds；　are

mercilessly　imposed　upon　coach　proprietors　who　shall　run　their

coaches　on　the　Sabbath；　one；　two；　and　ten　pounds　upon　those　who

hire；　or　let　to　hire；　horses　and　carriages　upon　the　Lord's　day；　but

not　one　syllable　about　those　who　have　no　necessity　to　hire；　because

they　have　carriages　and　horses　of　their　own；　not　one　word　of　a

penalty　on　liveried　coachmen　and　footmen。　　The　whole　of　the　saintly

venom　is　directed　against　the　hired　cabriolet；　the　humble　fly；　or

the　rumbling　hackney…coach；　which　enables　a　man　of　the　poorer　class

to　escape　for　a　few　hours　from　the　smoke　and　dirt；　in　the　midst　of

which　he　has　been　confined　throughout　the　week：　　while　the

escutcheoned　carriage　and　the　dashing　cab；　may　whirl　their　wealthy

owners　to　Sunday　feasts　and　private　oratorios；　setting　constables；

informers；　and　penalties；　at　defiance。　　Again；　in　the　description

of　the　places　of　public　resort　which　it　is　rendered　criminal　to

attend　on　Sunday；　there　are　no　words　comprising　a　very　fashionable

promenade。　　Public　discussions；　public　debates；　public　lectures　and

speeches；　are　cautiously　guarded　against；　for　it　is　by　their　means

that　the　people　become　enlightened　enough　to　deride　the　last

efforts　of　bigotry　and　superstition。　　There　is　a　stringent

provision　for　punishing　the　poor　man　who　spends　an　hour　in　a　news…

room；　but　there　is　nothing　to　prevent　the　rich　one　from　lounging

away　the　day　in　the　Zoological　Gardens。



There　is；　in　four　words；　a　mock　proviso；　which　affects　to　forbid

travelling　'with　any　animal'　on　the　Lord's　day。　　This；　however；　is

revoked；　as　relates　to　the　rich　man；　by　a　subsequent　provision。　　We

have　then　a　penalty　of　not　less　than　fifty；　nor　more　than　one

hundred　pounds；　upon　any　person　participating　in　the　control；　or

having　the　command　of　any　vessel　which　shall　commence　her　voyage　on

the　Lord's　day；　should　the　wind　prove　favourable。　　The　next　time

this　bill　is　brought　forward　（which　will　no　doubt　be　at　an　early

period　of　the　next　session　of　Parliament）　perhaps　it　will　be　better

to　amend　this　clause　by　declaring；　that　from　and　after　the　passing

of　the　act；　it　shall　be　deemed　unlawful　for　the　wind　to　blow　at　all

upon　the　Sabbath。　　It　would　remove　a　great　deal　of　temptation　from

the　owners　and　captains　of　vessels。



The　reader　is　now　in　possession　of　the　principal　enacting　clauses

o