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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3693, 16 May 1883, Page 2

A " Sunday Society " has been formed in Melbourne for the purpose of securing for the people the use of tho public libraries and picture galleries on Sundays. In England, as our late cablegrams stated, the House of Lords threw out the Bill for opening Museums on Sundays, so that we in tho colonies arc evidently in advance of the tone of thought in tho old country. The Sunday Society at Melbourne had the result of its labors and agitation rewarded in the opening of the Art Gallery and Museum on Sunday, the Gth instant, when 5700 persons visited those institutions. The Hon. Mr Blackett, when presiding at a public meeting at Melbourne said he saw nothing in the movement inimical to the interests of morality or religion, and knew nothing in the opening of a library or an art galleiy on Sunday incompatible with the profoundesfc reverence of the day, and the most intense personal religion. The carnal superstition of Sabbathism—as Calvin pronounced it —is not at all in keeping with tho teachings of the founder of Christianity. The Rev. Charles Strong, at the same meeting, said there were two grounds on which the Public Library and Picture Gallery should be opened to tho public. The first was that the people who supported the institutions should have the use of them on Sunday. He had his library - at home, and objected to anyone interfering with it or dictating as to the books which he should read on the Sunday. The second ground was that while many persons felt desirous of spending the day at home with their families, many had no homo to remain at. Young men living in lodgings or at hotels had nowhere to go on the Sunday, and it was necessary to give them an opportunity of spending their time in the best possible way. He hoped they would go further than opening the library, because he did not see why oratorios might not be given at the Exhibition on Sunday evenings. He denied that the opening of libraries and picture galleries would have any tendency to destroy the spiritual character of the Sunday, and was sure that it did not make a man more spiritual to be idle on the first day of the week. These views are thoroughly in accord with tho spirit of tho times, and the day cannot be far distant when the House of Lords will no lougor dare to stand between the people and liberty of action on Sunday.