Mr. Hobhousepresented a Petition, signed by 7,000 or 8,000 Journeyman Bakers employed in London, Southwark, Westminster, and in different other places within ten miles of the Metropolis, praying that the House would adopt some measure to prevent the necessity of their pursuing their worldly avocations on the Lord's Day.
§ Sir T. Baringobserved, that this Petition, coming as it did from a large body of Christians, who felt themselves called on to pray for relief from a Christian legis- 1074 lature, deserved serious attention. The custom of breaking and profaning the Sabbath was a greatly-increasing evil, and when individuals came to the House and called on the Legislature to enable them to keep that day holy, he thought that their Petition should be complied with. While he was touching on this subject, he could not avoid adverting to the admonitory letter which had recently been sent forth by a right rev. Prelate, (the Bishop of London) and which, did that right rev. personage infinite credit. Whatever odium might be attempted to be cast on that right rev. Prelate, or whatever taunts might be levelled at him by certain individuals, on account of his having written that letter, still he was of opinion that the thanks of every real friend to religion in the community was due to the right rev. Prelate for his exertions on this occasion. He remembered some years ago that a similar petition was presented from another class of persons—he meant the fishmongers—who complained that they were also obliged to work on the Sabbath. That petition, he was sorry to say, was treated with ridicule; but he trusted that the Petition now presented would be received in a different manner.
Mr. Alderman Thompsonsupported the prayer of the petition; and hoped that the hon. member for Westminster would move for a committee to inquire into the subject.
§ Mr. Humesaid,he entertained a different opinion. No inquiry nor consideration was necessary, nor could the House afford any remedy to the alleged evil. To legislate on it would be most useless, and he hoped the House would be better employed than in making the attempt. The master bakers had the remedy in their own hands. They might, if they pleased, shut up their shops on Sunday.
Mr. Alderman Woodpresented a similar petition from seven or eight hundred Master-bakers of London and the parts adjacent, praying for the repeal of the existing law, by which they were compelled to bake dinners within certain hours on a Sunday, and were thus prevented from attending divine service.
§ Sir T. Baring, in like manner, gave his support to this petition, and observed, that if we excluded Jews (he did not mean to say we were wise in so doing) because they did not, like ourselves, bear the name of Christians, we ought to show by our con- 1075 duct that we had more than an empty title to that name.
Mr. Slaneywished to ask the hon. Members who were pressing these petitions on the House, whether the measure they proposed, of absolutely preventing Bakers from baking dinners on a Sunday, would not be more injurious to those who were, by the present custom, enabled to send their humble provisions to be baked on Sundays, than it could be beneficial to the Bakers? Not only would these poor people be put to much inconvenience, but they would, by being obliged to stay at home to cook their own dinners, be prevented from going to church, as they were now accustomed to do. So that, even the measure now proposed was meant in favour of religion, it was one of the most short-sighted measures that could have been imagined. It reminded him of an attempt, made in a similar spirit, to prevent the barbers from shaving on a Sunday morning, by which, if successful, the advantage of hundreds would have been sacrificed for the ease of one.
§ Petitions laid on the Table.