Mr. Humepresented a Petition from persons engaged in the retail trades of the metropolis, praying that the House would be pleased to pass a law to prevent the carrying on of those trades on a Sunday. He had felt it his duty to present the petition, but he could not concur in its prayer, for there had been already too much legislation on the subject.
Mr. Pagetagreed with the hon. Member, and should decidedly oppose any augmentation of the severity of the laws in this respect. The obvious remedy was, for masters to pay their labourers on some other day than Saturday, at an early hour on that day.
Mr. Wilkssaid, the existing penalties were imposed in the reign of Charles 2nd, and were perfectly inadequate to effect the proposed object. Only one penalty could be inflicted for one day, however frequent, the offence, and it was very difficult to obtain a conviction. The respectable inhabitants could prevent the practice; Islington was an example. There the parishioners had come to a resolution not to deal with parties who adopted the practice.
§ Mr. Hume moved, that the petition be printed, and said, in Scotland they had no penalties to compel the observance of the Sabbath, yet it was well observed.