sunday under three heads-第5节

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the　owners　and　captains　of　vessels。



The　reader　is　now　in　possession　of　the　principal　enacting　clauses

of　Sir　Andrew　Agnew's　bill；　with　the　exception　of　one；　for

preventing　the　killing　or　taking　of　'FISH；　OR　OTHER　WILD　ANIMALS；'

and　the　ordinary　provisions　which　are　inserted　for　form's　sake　in

all　acts　of　Parliament。　　I　now　beg　his　attention　to　the　clauses　of

exemption。



They　are　two　in　number。　　The　first　exempts　menial　servants　from　any

rest；　and　all　poor　men　from　any　recreation：　　outlaws　a　milkman

after　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　makes　eating…houses　lawful

for　only　two　hours　in　the　afternoon；　permits　a　medical　man　to　use

his　carriage　on　Sunday；　and　declares　that　a　clergyman　may　either

use　his　own；　or　hire　one。



The　second　is　artful；　cunning；　and　designing；　shielding　the　rich

man　from　the　possibility　of　being　entrapped；　and　affecting　at　the

same　time；　to　have　a　tender　and　scrupulous　regard；　for　the

interests　of　the　whole　community。　　It　declares；　'that　nothing　in

this　act　contained；　shall　extend　to　works　of　piety；　charity；　or

necessity。'



What　is　meant　by　the　word　'necessity'　in　this　clause？　　Simply　this

…　that　the　rich　man　shall　be　at　liberty　to　make　use　of　all　the

splendid　luxuries　he　has　collected　around　him；　on　any　day　in　the

week；　because　habit　and　custom　have　rendered　them　'necessary'　to

his　easy　existence；　but　that　the　poor　man　who　saves　his　money　to

provide　some　little　pleasure　for　himself　and　family　at　lengthened

intervals；　shall　not　be　permitted　to　enjoy　it。　　It　is　not

'necessary'　to　him：…　Heaven　knows；　he　very　often　goes　long　enough

without　it。　　This　is　the　plain　English　of　the　clause。　　The　carriage

and　pair　of　horses；　the　coachman；　the　footman；　the　helper；　and　the

groom；　are　'necessary'　on　Sundays；　as　on　other　days；　to　the　bishop

and　the　nobleman；　but　the　hackney…coach；　the　hired　gig；　or　the

taxed　cart；　cannot　possibly　be　'necessary'　to　the　working…man　on

Sunday；　for　he　has　it　not　at　other　times。　　The　sumptuous　dinner　and

the　rich　wines；　are　'necessaries'　to　a　great　man　in　his　own

mansion：　　but　the　pint　of　beer　and　the　plate　of　meat；　degrade　the

national　character　in　an　eating…house。



Such　is　the　bill　for　promoting　the　true　and　sincere　worship　of　God

according　to　his　Holy　Will；　and　for　protecting　every　class　of

society　against　being　required　to　sacrifice　their　health　and

comfort　on　the　Sabbath。　　Instances　in　which　its　operation　would　be

as　unjust　as　it　would　be　absurd；　might　be　multiplied　to　an　endless

amount；　but　it　is　sufficient　to　place　its　leading　provisions　before

the　reader。　　In　doing　so；　I　have　purposely　abstained　from　drawing

upon　the　imagination　for　possible　cases；　the　provisions　to　which　I

have　referred；　stand　in　so　many　words　upon　the　bill　as　printed　by

order　of　the　House　of　Commons；　and　they　can　neither　be　disowned；

nor　explained　away。



Let　us　suppose　such　a　bill　as　this；　to　have　actually　passed　both

branches　of　the　legislature；　to　have　received　the　royal　assent；　and

to　have　come　into　operation。　　Imagine　its　effect　in　a　great　city

like　London。



Sunday　comes；　and　brings　with　it　a　day　of　general　gloom　and

austerity。　　The　man　who　has　been　toiling　hard　all　the　week；　has

been　looking　towards　the　Sabbath；　not　as　to　a　day　of　rest　from

labour；　and　healthy　recreation；　but　as　one　of　grievous　tyranny　and

grinding　oppression。　　The　day　which　his　Maker　intended　as　a

blessing；　man　has　converted　into　a　curse。　　Instead　of　being　hailed

by　him　as　his　period　of　relaxation；　he　finds　it　remarkable　only　as

depriving　him　of　every　comfort　and　enjoyment。　　He　has　many　children

about　him；　all　sent　into　the　world　at　an　early　age；　to　struggle　for

a　livelihood；　one　is　kept　in　a　warehouse　all　day；　with　an　interval

of　rest　too　short　to　enable　him　to　reach　home；　another　walks　four

or　five　miles　to　his　employment　at　the　docks；　a　third　earns　a　few

shillings　weekly；　as　an　errand　boy；　or　office　messenger；　and　the

employment　of　the　man　himself；　detains　him　at　some　distance　from

his　home　from　morning　till　night。　　Sunday　is　the　only　day　on　which

they　could　all　meet　together；　and　enjoy　a　homely　meal　in　social

comfort；　and　now　they　sit　down　to　a　cold　and　cheerless　dinner：　　the

pious　guardians　of　the　man's　salvation　having；　in　their　regard　for

the　welfare　of　his　precious　soul；　shut　up　the　bakers'　shops。　　The

fire　blazes　high　in　the　kitchen　chimney　of　these　well…fed

hypocrites；　and　the　rich　steams　of　the　savoury　dinner　scent　the

air。　　What　care　they　to　be　told　that　this　class　of　men　have　neither

a　place　to　cook　in　…　nor　means　to　bear　the　expense；　if　they　had？



Look　into　your　churches　…　diminished　congregations；　and　scanty

attendance。　　People　have　grown　sullen　and　obstinate；　and　are

becoming　disgusted　with　the　faith　which　condemns　them　to　such　a　day

as　this；　once　in　every　seven。　　And　as　you　cannot　make　people

religious　by　Act　of　Parliament；　or　force　them　to　church　by

constables；　they　display　their　feeling　by　staying　away。



Turn　into　the　streets；　and　mark　the　rigid　gloom　that　reigns　over

everything　around。　　The　roads　are　empty；　the　fields　are　deserted；

the　houses　of　entertainment　are　closed。　　Groups　of　filthy　and

discontented…looking　men；　are　idling　about　at　the　street　corners；

or　sleeping　in　the　sun；　but　there　are　no　decently…dressed　people　of

the　poorer　class；　passing　to　and　fro。　　Where　should　they　walk　to？

It　would　take　them　an　hour；　at　least；　to　get　into　the　fields；　and

when　they　reached　them；　they　could　procure　neither　bite　nor　sup；

without　the　informer　and　the　penalty。　　Now　and　then；　a　carriage

rolls　smoothly　on；　or　a　well…mounted　horseman；　followed　by　a

liveried　attendant；　canters　by；　but　with　these　exceptions；　all　is

as　melancholy　and　quiet　as　if　a　pestilence　had　fallen　on　the　city。



Bend　your　steps　through　the　narrow　and　thickly…inhabited　streets；

and　observe　the　sallow　faces　of　the　men　and　women　who　are　lounging

at　the　doors；　or　lolling　from　the　windows。　　Regard　well　the

closeness　of　these　crowded　rooms；　and　the　noisome　exhalations　that

rise　from　the　drains　and　kennels；　and　then　laud　the　triumph　of

religion　and　morality；　which　condemns　people　to　drag　their　lives

out　in　such　stews　as　these；　and　makes　it　criminal　for　them　to　eat

or　drink　in　the　fresh　air；　or　under　the　clear　sky。　　Here　and　there；

from　some　half…opened　window；　the　loud　shout　of　drunken　revelry

strikes　upon　the　ear；　and　the　noise　of　oaths　and　quarrelling　…　the

effect　of　the　close　and　heated　atmosphere　…　is　heard　on　all　sides。

See　how　the　men　all　rush　to　join　the　crowd　that　are　making　their

way　down　the　street；　and　how　loud　the　execrations　of　the　mob　become

as　they　draw　nearer。　　They　have　assembled　round　a　little　knot　of

constables；　who　have　seized　the　stock…in…trade；　heinously　exposed

on　Sunday；　of　some　miserable　walking…stick　seller；　who　follows

clamouring　for　his　property。　　The　dispute　grows　warmer　and　fiercer；

until　at　last　some　of　the　more　furious　among　the　crowd；　rush

forward　to　restore　the　goods　to　their　owner。　　A　general　conflict

takes　place；　the　sticks　of　the　constables　are　exercised　in　all

directions；　fresh　assistance　is　procured；　and　half　a　dozen　of　the

assailants　are　conveyed　to　the　station…house；　struggling；　bleeding；

and　cursing。　　The　case　is　taken　to　the　police…office　on　the

following　morning；　and　after　a　frightful　amount　of　perjury　on　both

sides；　the　men　are　sent　to　prison　for　resisting　the　officers；　their

families　to　the　workhouse　to　keep　them　from　starving：　　and　there

they　both　remain　for　a　month　afterwards；　glorious　trophies　of　the

sanctified　enforcement　of　the　Christian　Sabbath。　　Add　to　such

scenes　as　these；　the　profligacy；　idleness；　drunkenness；　and　vice；

that　will　be　committed　to　an　extent　which　no　man　can　foresee；　on

Monday；　as　an　atonement　for　the　restraint　of　the　preceding　day；　and

you　have　a　very　faint　and　imperfect　picture　of　the　religious

effects　of　this　Sunday　legislation；　supposing　it　could　ever　be

forced　upon　the　people。



But　let　those　who　advocate　the　cause　of　fanaticism；　reflect　well

upon　the　probable　issue　of　their　endeavours。　　They　may　by

perseverance；　succeed　with　Parliament。　　Let　them　ponder　on　the

probability　of　succeeding　with　the　people。　　You　may　deny　the

concession　of　a　political　question　for　a　time；　and　a　nation　will

bear　it　patiently。　　Strike　home　to　the　comforts　of　every　man's

fireside　…　tamper　with　every　man's　freedom　and　liberty　…　and　one

month；　one　week；　may　rouse　a　feeling　abroad；　which　a　king　would

gladly　yield　his　crown　to　quell；　and　a　peer　would　resign　his

coronet　to　allay。



It　is　the　custom　to　affect　a　deference　for　the　motives　of　those　who

advocate　these　measures；　and　a　respect　for　the　feelings　by　which

they　are　actuated。　　They　do　not　deserve　it。　　If　they　legislate　in

ignorance；　they　are　criminal　and　dishonest；　if　they　do　so　with

their　eyes　open；　they　commit　wilful　injustice；　in　either　case；　they

bring　religion　into　contempt。　　But　they　do　NOT　legislate　in

ignorance。　　Public　pri