THE GLOBE. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1882. THOSE DREADFUL BELLS.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2447, 8 February 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1882. THOSE DREADFUL BELLS.

WE cannot help thinking that tho Ror. Mr. Lingard, speaking last night as tho President of the Cathedral Bell-ringers, stated the case as between the ringers and the public in a light which was not quite fair. It is true ho stated his conviction that if the ringers felt their manipulation of the bells to be a nuisance to the public, they should try and meet the latter in some way. But ho went beyond this, and inferentially made it appear that tho whole of tho complaints against tho undoubted nuisance which existed until very lately are so made in

interests of the Theatre. Now, we protest very strongly against such a statement as being misleading, as there is just sufficient truth in it to make it colorably correct, whilst on the other hand there is a very considerable amount of misrepresentation. The annoyance caused to the very large body of citizens who see no harm in listening to the works of some of our greatest men, both i dramatists and musicians, has , certainly j been mentioned pretty freely; but it is both absurd and misleading to say that the patrons of the Theatre alone are sufferers. The occupants of the offices around the Cathedral whose business compels them to work in the evening also experience the disagreeableness of the clangour of the bells. Therfore it is unfair to put the whole onus of objection to the nuisance on to the patrons of tho Theatre. The only remedy is to make the practices as brief as possible, and at periods when they will least interfere with the comfort of the public. Ono cannot help feeling amused at the remark made by one member—whose name the friendly scribe has shrouded in obscurity—as to the editors giving up the names of tho writers of the articles and letters which have appeared from time to time on the subject. Tor cool impudence or downright crass stupidity this is certainly without parallel. What this learned campanologist would have done with these presumptuous persons if he got hold of their names does not appear. Probably be would have them parade the Cathedral close in a white thaet, with a candle, doing penanco. Such statements as these and others made at tho meeting clearly show that these disturbers of the public peace fail entirely to comprehend tho true issue involved. That is stated in a very few words. It is simply whether the amusement or hobby of half a dozen or twenty men is to bo allowed to interfere with the comfort and convenience of a whole city. That is the gist of the matter. It is not, as somewhat speciously put by Mr. Lingard, that tho convenience of the Theatre is to be considered as paramount. The interference with the enjoyment of a largo section of tho public of what they considsr an innocent recreation, is one point in the case no doubt, but it does not, as we have shown, stand alone. Everyone, but the bell-ringers themselves, or some very ardent and enthusiastic admirer of the din called ringing, will •admit that a great deal of annoyance ia caused by the way in which the bells were rung till the Dean interfered. No one wishes to sup

press the boll ringing altogether, however much the feeling may prevail as to the unsuitableness of the site for the Cathedral. But the public have a right to demand that it shall be carried out with as little annoyance to them as possible, and this is what the ringers will have to do, even at some slight inconvenience to themselves, or they may find the law invoked to compel them. They will find no good result from insinuations that the complaints arise solely from the Theatre, nor foolish suggestions as to attempting tto terrorise public opinion by making applications to the conductors of the local journals which would be sure to be met by a flat refusal. Rather let them adopt the inevitable mentioned in Mr. Lingard’s address, and try and meet the public convenience. This we do not think will be effected by the proposed arrangement to ring from 7.30 p.m. to 10 p.m. one night a week. Indeed, any ringing after eight o’clock will bo annoying to the public as a whole, including that hete noir of the Rev. Mr. Lingard—the Iheatre.