§ MR. LOCKErose, pursuant to notice, to ask the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Labouchere), whether it was the intention of Her Majesty's Government to introduce, during the present Session, any measure for securing to the public, on Sundays, the limited use of those railways which were open for passenger trafffic during the week?
§ MR. LABOUCHEREsaid, the Government had no present intention of proposing a measure to compel railways to carry passengers on Sundays. At the same time, he desired not to preclude himself 564 against the right of bringing forward such a measure, if he should see cause for doing so. The Railway Commissioners had expressed their feelings very plainly upon the matter, by refusing to sanction by-laws for shutting up certain lines on Sundays—and he could not too strongly express his own individual opinion that it was perfectly possible to open railways on the Sabbath under such proper limitations as should avoid any unnecessary desecration of that day, and should be perfectly compatible at once with the convenience of the public, and the proper respect due to the Sabbath. He hoped that public opinion would be strong enough to induce those companies which had taken a different view of the subject to adopt the course which was more in accordance with custom in this country, he confessed he was most reluctant to introduce any thing like a compulsory measure upon a point involving the conscientious religious scruples of any considerable body of people, except in cases of extreme necessity; and he was happy to say that about half the railways in Scotland did at this time allow trains to run on the Sunday.