SUNDAY AMUSEMENTS OF THE RICH.

Waikato Times, Volume 2641, Issue 2641, 15 June 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

SUNDAY AMUSEMENTS OF THE RICH.

On March 7th the question r>f tho Sunday arriuM'tiientK of tho rich was discussed at London Diocesan Conference, assembled under tho presidency of the Bishop of London, at Kind's College. Tho debate arose on the proposition of Canon Capol Cure, "That tho laxity.of the observance of the Sunday amongst the higher Classen have an injurious influence on the religion of the community." The rev. gentleman included in his indictment, the fact that they read' in tho newspapers of Sunday smoking concert?, jugglery entertainments,, parades of drills aud four-in-hands, dinner parties, dances, and picnics up tlio river, which showed, he argued, that a great many of tho rich used the Sunday simply as a day of amusement. Then there was " Show Sunday " in tho studios, and other gatherings, which were, frequented by men and women well known in social, political, and artistic circles as well as by others who were devoted to pleasure. Altogether there ivnmi different tone in the general feeling- as regarded the Sabbath in the upper class than used to be the case. Books were allowed to be read on Sunday which were not permitted when ho was young , . The continuance of this state of tilings was seriously demoralising to the working , classes, besides interfering , with their day of rest. Canon Nisbct, seconding,, mentioned that in one of the clubs it, was debated whether the billiard table should be used or not on the Sunday, and one member stated that in the country homes which he visited billiards were played on tho Sabbath, He (tho speaker) hud been in the presence of clergymen who looked upon the observance of the Sabbath as a very open question, and it had been discussed in a so-called church meeting not long ago whether Friday or some other day should not be substituted for it. This showed what laxity of feeling , had been growing , up. The place which tho commandment occupied in the Decalogue Hnl nlwnys struck him as one of the groat arguments in favour of observance. It was a positive commandment in the midst of tbo others which set forth the immutability of truth, justice, and piety, and it was one of those irrevocable precepts which were binding not only upon one nation, but upon all mankind. They ought to guard in every possible way against tho least infringement upon this holy day. In the course, of discussion Mr T. Rutt, expressing the views of a layman, said the practical point was, How were they to remedy the evil which they all airreed existed? How were they to deal with those people who did not recognise the spiritual character of tho Sunday? The question was, What is Sunday ? The great point in favour of its observance whs its divino authority, and he maintained that the principle of tho Sabbath was instituted in Paradise. The Rev. J. J. Nash declared that Sunday receptions, dinner parties, and jrames were now in many families tha rule rather than tho exception. Ten years ago newspapers and light literature were frequently removed on tho Saturday evening, but they were now allowed to remain for use of guests. It would be instructive to go to Paddington station on Sunday evening in the height of the season, and see the hundreds of carriages waiting the return of men and women who had been upending , Sunday at Maidenhead in puntintr on tho Thames or else picnicking , on its banks. Numbers of the aristocracy travelled on .Sundays, and the effect on the members of the household, from his personal observation, was most demoralising. Ho suggested that a letter should be drawn np by a committee to be appointed by tho conference., and that this letter, signed by the various incumbents, should bo sent once a month during the season to those members of the upper classes who were known to mark the day of rest by devoting it almost entirely to secular pleasure. Lord Beauehamp was of opinion that the evil complained of was a passing , phase duo to tho fermentation of thought wbinh had taken place. At the beginning of this century Sunday parties were not tho exception, but the rule, and it was tho s;tme with Sunday travelling. The Bishop of London at that time made a successful letter to bring tho upper classes to a greater of what wus iliio to thfl observance of the Sabbath; i and, therefore, they might hope that, if a letter was framed by the conference, or a pastoral letter was issued by the. bishop, a good ileal might bo done to check the evil which prevaile.l; but they would not strengthen their cause by making use of arguments which would not bear rigid examination. Prebendary Forest lamented the fact that, numbers of people had given up coming to church a second time on Sunday, and many who used to come did not do so at all. He threw out a suggestion for the employment of churches for the singing of sacred music between tho services as a means of counter-acting the evil, The President thought it was possible that the suggestions made by Mr Nash might have some little effect ; but it must not be forgotton that last year the whole Upper House of Convocation unanimously addressed an appeal to the upper classes particularly on this point. He did not think that it had been without effect, and the only question in his mind was whether any letter from himself alone would be quite in place immediately after the letter from the whole of the Episcopate. Letters of the kind had not tho effect of an Act of Parliiment; they did not bring about a complete change in customs and practices, and no one would desire that they should do so. However, they often had a slow, imperceptible effect, which told, on the public at large little by little. He felt that the religious life of this country was very much more bound up in the observance of the Lord's Day, and it was not possible to dispense with it; but ho agreed with Lord Beauchatnp that, looking back fifty years, they found that the upper classes were much more careless of the observance of Sunday than they were now, and although there was no lawn tennis, lie was afraid there was a good deal of card playing of a mischievous kind. There was reason to hope that the present evil was but a passing phase, and thoso who felt strongly on the question should uso tbeir influence towards diminishing any mischief that might otherwise come. The resolution was carried, and it was further agreed to request the bishop of tho diocese to address a pastoral letter to tho clergy and laity on the matter.