Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Friday 26 April 1878, page 5


SUNDAY OPENING OF THE MUSEUM AND ,

FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

A native meeting was held last night at the Temperance Hall, Pitt street to uphold the resolutions recently passed by the Legislative Assembly, in regard to the opening of the above institutions on San 1 Lys The hall was crowded, and among those on the platform were the Hon B JW . V ils r, Messrs Hurley, M h V , Wind ver, M L A , M E hone, M L A , O Ceranor, M.L.A., Waller COODT, Ivrofit, Spnng, Hodgson, Irv rag,' Coleman, Rose, Riley,

and Ttrovvi

Mr Envi Ann EenNs, having been called upon to preside, said the meeting had been called tot«tlieibv a few working men, who thought they should I have taken a more pie i in nt part in the quest on some lines c They now considered it their duty to help those g n letter in the legislative Assembly who were working on hird m Ihorbehilf in refusal to thoopemngof public institutions on Sun as he said many men were unable to visit the Museum and bred I library on any other day no possible harm could arise from their being thrown open any more than there was

from the opening of the Botanic Gardens which was such a a be to the people Why should impediments be thrown in the way of those working men who took advantage of every opportunity to improve themselves The library was not intended for the rich but for those who could not afford to form libraries of their own. It was stated in a

letter to the Herald that men worked only eight hours a day, that assertion was not true, for he knew that many were employed ten and twelve over seventeen hours daily It was only a comparative few who worked for such short hours Another letter stated that these who had only eight hours' work could go to the Museum any time, while those who had more should enforce some arrangement on their employers, which would enable them to go occasionally He (the speaker) would always give his services and time to promote such an object as the opening of the Free

Library and Museum on Sunday

Mr HobAN, in rising to move the first resolution, said he felt he should be wanting in public duty if he had not attended the meeting that night. There was scarcely an individual who had not read either with pleasure or pain, the debates and resolutions of the Legislative Assembly

He for one, considered the bill one of the greatest blessings that had been given to working men It was a wellknow. a fact that England was one of the most religious countries in the world, and yet even there dog fights took place on Sundays, and in Ireland many pastimes were indulged in, but the Sabbath did not suffer from the latter Whatever tended to the improvement of the mm!, socially or morally, on that day was no desecration, the Sabbath was enhanced by it. A man who resorts to the Library on that day would be a law-abiding citizen, because no bad man would ever go there to impress of his mind He thought they had nothing to fear from alarmists those present were only anxious to take advantage of the generosity which the country had shown by giving them these institutions What was the good of money being voted for books and officials if the place was always empty There were

hundreds of books which were never taken down from the ' b h es- to be read It would be far more creditable for all

to meet in the Museum and L brary, and shake hands, than I to grasp each other's throats on Hv do Park, as they had done recently The o latter people were those who tried to close these institutions He hoped and trusted that all would be found in their places whenever this question was brought forward, and that they would meet and meet till they enforced their opinions Mr M Flhono was one of those honest and idriess gentlemen who had voted for their just rights, ml those present must stand boldly forward to uphold what had been done for them They met that night in hundreds, but the world hereafter meet in thousands if necessary to strengthen the li rds of Mr Hurley and Mr M Elhone I am- speaker concluded by moving the first resolution " fl at in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable that the Free Public Library and Museum has opened on Sun-

day Mr

WUTEII Cooran 65 d ho seconded the resolution. with great pi asure, and he attended the meeting that night 1 cause lie entirely syrup thised with the object they Lal in v i" v He did not think it was ever intended that one day out of the sea should be set apart for lamentation 1 he> Sabbitinnns were wrong in their ideas as to reverend.

He went, wrong in saying that one day should be the Lo d s e day He (the sp aker) thought all the seven days were He is csabbitinans were numerous but all right

thinkin men would boil them in contempt They exercised religion on one day only but their other religions the worship of mammon, occupied six days the whole time they were bid logicians for they defied the laws they uphill

Sued by was not the day ordered by the Scriptures for street observ in of they commanded Saturday to be observed But the of people had substituted a day of their own Asa merely human institution he believed in one day in seven being set apart for recreation, and, as it did not trespasser any Divine law every man in the community should insist on their educational institutions being thrown open to the public on Sunday s Those who tried to uph did what they thought religion were actually degrading it of true religious belief bound men together, but he would not degrade religion by any sectarian non-

sense

Alderman O CONN on, in supporting the resolution, said that it was not his intention to make a speech, inasmuch as he was anxious to get back to his place to give his resistance to a motion by Mr Greenwood to omit from the Estimate s the sum proposed to defray the expense of opening the Public Library and the Museum on Sunday It was with no little pride that he was in a position to say that he was the first individual to move in this direction, by a motion in the Municipal Council to take steps for the opening of these institutions, soon after which it was taken up and successfully carried through the Parliament by his hon friend, Mr Hurley He considered it was an act of the h ghest justice to the working classes, to afford them the opportunity of improving their minds, and making their better qualified for an intent gent and honest exercise of the highest duty and privilege of the franchise He put it to them was it possible for a working man who tolled eight or ten or more hours a day, to improve the r m nds unless it be by such a measure as that of throwing open the of institutions (Cries of "Westland counter cries of ' No ") But if he could, no man could better spend biB Sunday hours in reading the works of the good and the great of all time. He assured the meeting that he (Alderman O'Connor) and his friends, Mr Hurley and Mr M Elhone, would stand on the door of the House until the time for voting shall have passd. rather than allow the rescission of the resolution for the opening of

these institutions

Mr HURLEY (H) also supported the resolution He had attended, he said, not for the purpose of addressing the meeting but as an act of courtesy to the gentlemen who had invited him He introduced the motion for opening; the L library on Sunday, not specially for the benefit or in the interest of the work ng classes of Sydney, but for the universal benefit of working men in general He had no doubt that the resolutions would have yet greater support both in the House and in the country the people of intelligence and progress and of the highest moral standard everywhere hail it with joy It had been said that, in a. much as no petition had been presented for the opening of those institutions the Parliament had no right to have meddled with them. If the Parliament waited for petitions before moving in any matter, not much good would be done but be would tell I then that a great deal of mischief had been done through or by means of petitions-one if which was now before the House referred to the Tramway Bill, now being carried through Parliament there was no difficulty in anauditing Parliament with petitions on deny s îbjeetwhatever He attended at the Protestant Hall meeting as a citizen, and to protest against the pro- seems, But he was gaged and a allowed to be heard (' Toll ration") Some of those gentlemen imposed upon their servants more than his resolution did or. the employees of the institution It h id been stated that he was set on by a number of freethinkers He denied being influenced by any society whatever, but acted on his own opinion of what w 09 right He none d that the Rev Mr Boyce at this meeting said that he (Mr Hurley) was a rebel and a traitor to Christianity

(Laughter) He was no rebel he would be the last to oppose the Bible in any way Dr McGibbon had also employd tomo st- rigaud unjustifiable language towards him but he supposed for peace sake he must put up with it. There was nothing better to bring against the e Sabbites fans than the books he held in his hand One was the Articles of the Blue Laws, Connecticut, to which Captain Onslow had alluded, and in which there were some curious

re frictions again t walking about and shaving on Sun day, and for preventing a woman from i ki sing her child and other things of this 1 and they know that the Prcibvto

Trans and Scotchmen generally were most strict me I even preventing, until lately, using any instruments of music in churches He also quoted from Dr Hessey 's lecture in Oxford as to the objection made by the Scotch minister to by coking oven on a Sunday Some of those ministers at the Protestant Hall did not, however, object to working their horses-. to draw them to church In Scotland also the ministers objected to all music in house on Sundays, or even to taking an) walks (interruption from a man in the lower end of the hall) The essay went on to slow that the time strictness of the Scotch Sabbath drove the lower classes to the whisky shops, as proved by the evidence of the keeper He was fully decided in favour of clo mg the public-houses on Sunday, but before supporting that mean o he wished to see you nothing better provided for them A great deal was said about introducing the lb. u end of the wedge, but if the wedge was good let it be driven home The arguments of his clerical friends went to show that you might as well shut out the light of heaven is prov our people from enter-ing these institutions if opened on Sunday but they would do good intellectually as well as physically He cited various new pipes. which had supported this movement, and, backed up by the Press he was not afraid of any attacks which might be made against him by men with minds as narrow as the razors they shaved their chins with (laughter) It would be known that opposition would be made to the vote of £500 on the Supplementary Estimates for opening the Museum With all to meet for Mr Davies, who brought on this resolution, he had not the courage to face it and come to a vote, for he and his friends would have been beaten by three to one The Government were prepared to

carry out his or g nal resolution, notw ithBfandine, the over -tions of half-a-dozen deluded ministers They said that they were taken by surprise, but six weeks before the Lclto had drawn attention to the notice of motion They said also that he intended to present himself as a candidate to the Sydney working men but he had no intention to leave his own constituency, and the statement was a libel on him. All that he wished and all that he had done in respect

to this matter was liberal. honest, and straightforward

Mr. KREFFT said that practically the Museum had been open on Sundays for some years to anyone who knocked and chose to make application for admission. He had constantly admitted them. As to gaslight injuring the specimens it was a mistake, for gas light does not do so it is the sunlight which does the injury. In the British Museum the most valuable specimens were kept from the sunlight. The truth was, that the Museum was not built

for its present purposes.

Mr. CAUKUUN was one of those who had had the coinage to

oppose Mr. Davies's motion. He wished it distinctly

understood that he had no wish to deprive the working men , of his Sunday. He wished to see them educated to enjoy it properly, and with all respect to some of these clerical gentlemen more good could be obtained from studying nature than from their sermons. He noticed that it was attempted to bring in the question of the

working men were. He never know that the working men had these leaf buds before for their names never appeared

in connection with any movement for the good of the working classes. (Laughter.) The question should be duly weighed, and without rancour or ill-feeling. It was said that opening those places on Sunday would employ labour and deprive the working man of his day of rest. There would be to some extent an employment of labour, but it was an abuse to speak of the work done as real labour. Talk of labour, he recently saw the carriage of a distinguished ecclesiastic with the coachman on the box waiting for his master outside the church door, as if the poor man had not a soul to be saved. (Laughter.) This question stood upon the broad ground of the greatest good to the greatest number, giving the least possible work to those who must work. Ironically the most of the people had not time to visit these institutions on the week days. They would not be opened on those times on Sundays that would interfere with public worship, for there was no intention. to wound true religious convictions.

He noticed that a small Sydney paper had said of him that he deprecated the Scotch Sabbath. He did not say so, but he would say now that he did deprecate it. In Scotland they made a burthen of the day, so that people looked forward with pleasure to the Monday. We had no desire to interfere with religion as such, but what we did protest against was the idea of the Sabbath being turned into a guise, and robbed of all that would make it a blessing. We were told we were going to have a Continental Sabbath. No fear of anything of the kind. There was sufficient guarantee for this in the good sense of the people. These gentlemen also told us that the people have not petitioned for the opening of museums. Perhaps his auditors did not know now these petitions were got up. Women and children signed themthe collectors were paid 33 much per 1000 names. The men who were getting up this agitation were not such men of influence as they supposed. He congratulated the meeting that these institutions were now opened, and he trusted they would continue so and give the public their advantages. (Loud cheers.)

Mr. WINDEYER said that the vote in the Assembly as to rescinding the resolution relating to the Museum was then on, so that his remarks would be necessarily brief. He was glad to see this large meeting which supported those members of Parliament who had voted for opening the Public Library and Museum on Sunday. He believed that if the people were polled there would be a very large majority in favour of opening these institutions. ("Hear," " No, and uproar.) The more this matter was examined historically the more the religious argument failed. The greatest men had always held the view he had put forward. He believed that he had sufficiently refuted the religious aspect given by the opponents" of this movement, for his last letter on the subject remained un-answered!, so he supposed it had been abandoned. They had now treated it from a social point of view by the simple process of starting arguments which had never been used, and knocking them down. As to taking away the working man's Sunday, it was nonsense. They were perfectly able to take care of that themselves. Hcsuvv with satisfaction this large assemblage to support the course taken by members of the Legislature who" had proposed to make these institutions available to them on the only day when the working classes could have time to get access to them. (Cheers.)

The resolution was then put and carried by a show of hands, only six being held up against it.

The Hon. J. B. WILSON moved,-" That the thanks of this meeting be accorded to Mr. Hurley and those members of Parliament who supported him in passing the resolution for opening the Free Public Library and the Museum on Sundays, and regrets exceedingly that certain members of the Assembly should take action to have the resolution

rescinded."

The motion was seconded by Mr. HODGSON and on being put was carried six. hands being held up in opposition.

A vote of thanks was, on the motion of Mr. DIXON, seconded by Mr. Brown, passed by acclamation to the chairman and duly acknowledge, and the proceedings terminated

with cheers for the Queen.

THE NEW GUINEA EXPEDITIONARY . tears from the Courier of the 17th instant that the w Guinea expeditionary schooner Colonist on the evening of the 11th instant took the ground after dropping anchor for the night, at an island about nineteen miles south of Cooktown, but a kedge being got out aft and the passengers having landed with their swags, she was floated off at 4 a.m. on Saturday, without further infury than the loss of the kedge. The cook, shipped in Sydney, was disabled by burning, the result of a kerosene accident, and perhaps, by the excessive indulgence in fire-water, so that the passengers had to rough it on Saturday, but breakfast was supplied to them at one of the hotels, after their arrival, on Sunday morning, and at the ship's expense by order of the agents, who immediately procured a Chinese cook and assistant, and had them shipped for the remainder of the voyage. Some of the passengers proceeded on Monday morning to lodge a complaint before the Sub-Collector of Customs, with reference to the quality of the beef supplied on the voyage, some of which was alleged to be unfit for use. A cask of the beef was, we understand opened, in the presence of Mr. Fahey, who proceeded to examine into the cause of the complaint,

but the cask opened for inspection appeared, to be sound and good. The agent, however, to provide against all, for further dissatisfaction on

the same score, immediately procured a supply of j fresh meat. On interviewing some of the passengers yesterday, we were informed that there never were any grave grounds for dissatisfaction on account of the food, and that at present they are as well supplied and served, as they could wish to be. Ten additional passengers have up to the present been booked in Cooktown. The rumours current in tower of an early " rush" somewhere north, is no doubt keeping many back, who would otherwise join the expedition. Stalls for nine horses have been erected between decks, immediately under the after hatch. Twelve horses will, we understand be taken, if three of the number can be stowed on deck. Each of the men from Sydney is armed with a rifle and revolver, and there

are besides several fowling pieces amongst the party. They are well provided with " trade " in the shape of tobacco, turkey red cloth, beads, etc, and all express a determination to treat the New Guinea natives fairly; by paying for everything they may require, and otherwise respecting their rights, so as to keep up friendly relations with them. The Argus of the same date states that amongst the party are two English gentlemen, Messrs. Neville and those, who are travelling for the pleasure of adventure, and are splendidly equipped. They have joined two practical miners, steady, worthy fellows named Armstrong-', who come from the Wallsend coal mines, New South Wales. The elder of the two was one of the early diggers on the Palmer. This party, we understand, take four horses themselves. The other passengers take every necessary for six months, and will, if there is gold in New Guinea, give a good account of themselves.

A NEW FIET/U-GCN.-Tho new 12-pounder fieldgun, which may be regarded as the product of two years' experiments at the hands of the most skilful British artillerists, has recently been completed at the Royal Gun Factories, and is looked at as the most perfeCt field-gun in existence. At present it is proposed to make only fifty on the same pattern, and then only after the sample gun is finally approved, but no doubt exists that it will hereafter become the service arm of the whole artillery force. The most remarkable feature in its outward form is its length, for it is nearly nine feet long, whereas the 9-pounder of 8 cwt. measures but six feet. The 12-pounder, however, weighs only "a cwt., for every ounce of superfluous metal has been judiciously shaved off, and save that the contour of the breech end is a little too rigid," the gun' is from a professional point of view the beau ideal of a field piece. The bore, like that of the 9-pounder, is 3-inch' calibre, enlarged at the chamber end to 3-15 inches, and the rent is fixed rather forward to ignite the cartridge 7 inches from the bottom of the bore. Sights of the most delicate and yet serviceable" kind have been provided for it, the most approved being the French and the " Orthoptic" systems the principle of the latter being a small hole' in a disc, and the former a small dot held bywires in the centre of a ring. An improvement of the trunnions is also introduced in this gun, consists" of a collar on each arm to brace up the carriage, and save it from some of the damaging effects which it suffers from the shock of discharge. The gun is gifted in ten grooves, the rifling, like every other detail having been the result of long investigation.

THE ENTERTAINMENTS Last night, Mrs. ' ScottSiddons in response to requests from country visitors

to to via, gave a number of dramatic recitations at the Academy of Art, Elizabeth-street At the theatres I and other places of entertainment, the programmes

customary.

gone through as I