THE EXCESSIVE LUXURY OF THE AGE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 251, 21 October 1881, Page 1

THE EXCESSIVE LUXURY OF THE AGE.

(New York Sun.) English parsons of' --'almost.' ail: denominations have arrived at the conslutiott that the Britisher is in a bad j way gpiritaailyj aad, headed by ; the I Archbishop' of : Canterbury/ they, have ! ißsaed en" lnvitation^iprayer/' wjiiphl r.ifcJs Hoped , will bay effejetjva in ; aaoplior-i atiog ;tba {i laiwiessaess and goiieaaneasj ther excessive luxury 'J an& -telf^ta-i dulgetitje," 1 whicli i;Ae' clenbffi ;^ye di^-i aerni r>gip£!ar#bhgUbs TiaUiMtJapia ; oi| the Batista isles. Som& 0/ tbe Londiic | journals are excessively indignant at! ihsi clergymen for their aesrmptioti that! sin ilon/th&'ibcreftsa ittlGrreat-Britaio, i and bring forward-msay proofs to show! that the par 66m are tebdii ting under ai delation and do not- know their own ! basinese. One newipsper Daeeta ihei charge about the growth ;6f. la wjessD^ss! by etatiDg that "the implicatiopa^ems! btrdly warranted, if we consider tbe^ popoUtion of Great Brita s io ; kept in; order as it ie,,evea ialarga. centres, by .a few policemen. If the reverend coo-i venera had said the direct reverse, aodi congratulated the mass of the peppj^j on their prompt obedience to law and 1 their wonderful readiness (0 keep order | on important public occasions, wei should have endorsed the enlogysH The accaßatibo of thaain ofgodleaanaas i ia (p^nd jnote \ difficult •to P controvert, I and the journal in question follows the i old Bailey maxim: " When you have a i bed case abuse yobr opponeni'd at- 1 tcrney." Ift ac6ordingly '» goes, foe ''l iheparaone and attack? them tooth aad i nail on tbe ground thit how few there \ are of them who g^ve ihe'mieives^ np to | a religious \\(p. Iq Bbor^, thje .whole S line of argument is tQ the eif«ot that , the Archbishop* of Canterbury and the btber signaioriei $o r the "Inviiation r to Prayer " do;not onder.atand what they ; are lalking about; It is plajn enough, however, to .on unprejudiced foreigner \ tbat the indictment ot the clergy of the \ "exceasive luxury and aeli-ijnti^fgenae | of the age'' is boly too true. The increase of wealth in Great Britain during the last two centuries probab'yg aacounte for if, although it does not justify the increased expenditure of money for purposes of seDsual gratificitibp. In 1688 there were only IGO persoca wbose incomes, were en ore tb^u 25,000 dole, a year. ' In . 18|57 the number had increased to 7,500, Quiy between six and seven thousand persons could bocat of an income o( over 5,000 dels, and unider 25 > boOdoli. in ihe former year, but in iba latter more than forty thoueend p&i<i taxes on t>moun{B between those sums. Naturally ope would expect an increased amount: of luxury to be the outcome of this accumulati° Q °^ weeltb, but the fact 1 d,oes pot justify tble vulgar ' ostentaUou with which jncreaaed. wea|th is die- J played; Bowadaye. The gluttooy, which per\adea tbe homes of the ricb ; can' onjy he § a^od j»t |^bufr } |f{. it is r ; I -.... :. /'I . :- i" : \U '} ..:~*-\)Y:.-A\j i;r.3 .*:!i\Uj'

oomtDßnsurafio with that displayed on tha fashionable race courses or cricket gcouodva preitf accurate egliimte of the extent of this " sin "-^-.as the "loviters to Prayer " consider it— 3an be arrived at, Nothing can be more dv» guiling than the gorging and guzzlicg which are to be seen io any fisbiobable drag .at! the P rby or Oaks. As a caustic pan describes the scene, " jbe (lashed women, the wiae-fed men, the circle of~ seaaualily, the; e^travaganci and the excess, al! unblushiDgly ad» yettig^jj «g typical ,of a mfcnly form of ■English] anausemant." This porcinq ;gobtlibg ofrich food 13 not confiaed to the occupants of the drag. Any man . ffho is on ajbOiWipg ac^aaiatajjea with| the ov7Der,;or. with the females wfjo honour this org'ie with tceir preseDcej'is asked to jain"rath~e feast. As, of course, ttiere is iio robiri da the dra»] the new guest has to find a vacaat place wbete he can; to consume the viandsj add 1 liqaortf which f th<9 c'fferj him. Thie most poDy.^nienf pqaitionj .isgenerail?' ou .the^^rpund.hetweeo thei hind wheels of the coach, and it ii there ihatha manages to do. jtistic.e. to. .the remoipß'of the raiijed pies, lobster! , salads, and flit champagne which the qccupaata of the drag have left over. His plight may be iikeaad to that of Lazarus/ ,w&ilb feedioglon the cruGqbs whJQh jf^ll/rom the rn^n's table, ; bat without the prospect < of a warm oomsr io Abrshaoa 1 * boaoai to console: him afterwards; ;!