ASHBURTON.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 232, 8 March 1875, Page 3

ASHBURTON.

A deputation of the Sunday League, consisting of Mr J. H. Twentyman (the president), Mr S. C. Farr (secretary), the Revs C. Fraser and A. F. Douglas, addressed a meeting here, held in the hall of the Public Library, on Friday evening. Mr A. Saunders was called to the chair. The Rev H. B. Burnett opened the meeting with prayer. The chairman introduced the business with a few appropriate remarks. He stated that he was early impressed with the importance of thib subject by both his father and his grandfather. His grandfather died about 100 years ago. He said when he was dying that between his place and Bath there were one and twenty mills, which, being driven by water, were all more or less worked on the Sabbath day, and not one of them prospered. His father had told him the same thing, and that of all who did so not one paid 20s in the pound. The Rev C. Fraser proposed the first resolution as follows:—" That this meeting desires to record its sense of the value and importance of the Sunday rest, and to express its sympathy with the Sunday Observance League in its efforts to preserve it." He asserted that the Sunday rest was necessary to man on religious, moral, social, and physical grounds. He would leave the religious grounds to the laymen. As to the moral necessities of man, it was surely necessary to devote some portion of time to their provision. It had been equally proved that the body required the rest of one day in seven. If tested for a twelvemonth it would be found that the man who worked for six days in the week would do more work than the man who labored seven. This was a proof of the position laid down by our Lord that the Sabbath was made for man as man, as a creature both with soul and body.

Mr Twentyman seconded the resolution. He said this was a most practical question, and one which concerned everybody. Those who toiled for seven days in the week, such as the cab drivers and omnibus men in London, had no more wages than those who labored for six. He could thus appeal to the pocket. Another principle involved was that of home. An Englishman's house was his castle. What kind of a home would they have if they had no Sabbath? Then what would become of religion without the Sabbath?

The next resolution, which was as follows : " That a branch of the league be formed at the Ashburton, and that this meeting pledges itself to give its hearty support," was proposed by Mr Cambridge in a few words. The Rev A. F. Douglas seconded the resolution. He said thev were fighting a battle in which the victory was sure. They were not a set of ecclesiastical tories, who were rebelling against the inevitable. The cause was God's. Christianity had already triumphed, and was still further triumphing in our day. There was a great advance in Sabbath observance over the state of things which existed in the days of our forefathers. He gave a few illustrations of this improvement. He urged those present to prize the Sabbath for themselves, and to transmit the privilege unimpaired to their children. They must also look at this time to their rights as citizens, and register so as to vote for men who will consider the true interests of the country. They ought also to remonstrate when the Sabbath was desecrated. In a democratic country like this many things might be prevented by timely and bold remonstrance. Recently at Akaroa he had read that a party of emigrants had been taken off a ship on Sunday morning, and were landed in Akaroa on Sunday afternoon. What were the new comers to think of the country of which this was their first experience. The Rev H. B. Burnett then moved that a branch of the league be formed at the Ashburton, and that the following be the committee:—Messrs Ward, Saunders, Legget, Cambridge, Stitt, and the resident clergyman. He supported his resolution by referring to the mode in which the Sabbath was observed in the district. One of the ends the local committee would accomplish would be the diffusing of information, and creating a healthy public opinion. Mr Farr seconded the resolution in a few suitable remarks.

Votes of thanks to the deputation and to the chairman concluded a most interesting meeting.