§ MR. HOLTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he is aware that the recent remission of penalties in the Brighton Aquarium case has given rise in the minds of many persons to misapprehension; and, if he will state to the House the exceptional grounds upon which he advised the Crown to remit the penalty in that case, and also the general intentions of the Government as to the exercise of the powers contained in "The Remission of Penalties Act, 1875," in its bearing on the Sunday question?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS,in reply, said, that if the Brighton Aquarium Company had continued as they first opened there would have been no remission of penalties; but alterations had since been made which removed all objections, and now no persons were employed in the Aquarium on Sunday except those who were actually required for the care of the place. The Government had no intention of doing anything to encourage plans for turning Sunday into a day of labour for commercial gain, and he should certainly feel it his duty to discourage any practice which would have such an effect.