sunday under three heads-第5章

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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

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　d