THE ATHENÆUM.

Evening Star, Issue 3423, 10 February 1874, Page 2

THE ATHENÆUM.

The following letter, addressed to the Vice-President of the Athenaeum, has been handed to us for publication : Dunedin, February 7, 1574, Dear Sir,—Having been unable lo attend the meeting to take into consideration the question of opening the Dunedin Athenajum on the Sabbath day, I hope it may not be deemed presumptuous iu me, as President of the Institution, as a life member, and as one of the original founder.', to address through you a few words to my fellow-members, expressive of my opinion upon the question at issue. Without attempting to discuss what may be termed the religious aspect of the question, and assuming that the majority ot the members arc desirous of the Atheuceum being open on Sunday—which I would fain hope they are not—l am persuaded that ou the ground of expediency alone, it will be a grand mistake to introduce auy innovations which will mn counter to the religious convictions—the prejudices if you will-of a large section of the community. Such a course, if persisted in, will inevitably tend to ciipple and curtail the usefulness of an Institution which was intended by its founders to be eminently cosmopolitan, and to embrace within its sphere people of all shades of opinion. I think there can be little doubt that if -tho proposed innovation is carried out, it will cause the withdrawal from the Institution of a considerable number of its present members. Any action which may lead to tlrs result is to my mind much to be depreciated, and will in fact involve a breach of faith not only with the founders of the Institution, but with the Province, which has from time to time largely contributed to its funds—contributions which, in the first instance, at least, I have no hesitation in saying would never have been made had one of the rules been that the Athenaeum would bo opeu on Sunday. With regard to the payment of LSOO the other day, I aln not aware as to what may be the views of the members of the Execu tiye Government or of the Provincial Council upon the subject now in question, but I am disposed to think that had the Superintendent of the Province an icipated any immediate action on the part of the Athenceum which would have led to the beneficial influence of the Institution being imperilled or largely curtailed, he would have been warranted in withholding the payment until the representatives of the people had had an opportunity of re-considering the vote. As stated before, 1 abstain from expressing any opinion upon the merits of the case as viewed m connection with the large and important question of Sabbath observance ; at the same time ! would venture to say that I regard the Divine institution of the Sabbath as one of tho most beneficent gifts of the Creator. It is not only one of the greatest privileges which humanity possesses m this world, but one of the chief bulwarks of civil ami religious liberty. In my opinion, therefore, all public action, however unimportant and harmless in itself, which goes in the direction of obliterating the day of rest or assimilating it to other days ought to be peculiarly guarded against, as the Jetting in of water which may end id the total submerion of the Sabbath into the working days of tho week. I look upon it that even on secular grounds it behoves every reflective mind to guard the institution of the Sabbath as the apple of the eye. I do trust that the members of the Athenaeum will treat this matter less from a theoretical than from a practical point of view, and that they will see their way to leaving well alone.—l remain, &c , J. M ACANDREW. D.S.—lt seems a thousand pities, just as the Athenm nn has got fairly out of debt, that the apple of discord should be dropped in its midst. —J. M.