The Archbishop of Canterburysaid, he had several petitions to present to their Lordships on the important subject of the habitual violation of the Lord's Day by the people of this country. Their Lordships might, perhaps, think that, after the decision which the other House had come to last night upon this question, the petitions he had to present came rather late. He could not, however, persuade himself, that the Legislature would allow the Session to pass over without the adoption of some measure upon a subject in which the spiritual welfare of the people and the character of the country were so deeply involved. He was sorry, that indiscreet zeal on the part of well-meaning persons should have been the means of rendering abortive the attempts heretofore to legislate upon the subject. If it could be said, that in any matter the voice of the people was the voice of God, surely it was upon this question; and he thought the numerous petitions that had been sent up to Parliament from all parts of the country, and from all classes, ought not to be overlooked and treated with utter neglect. He, therefore, trusted, that the Session would not pass over without the production of some legislative measure to cheek he scandalous violations of the Sabbath 358 habitually practised, and particularly to the illicit traffic so generally carried on in defiance of the positive law of the land upon that day. He was most anxious to see secured to the poor man the advantages intended by the Almighty in the ordination of the Sabbath. These were rest from labour, and leisure to worship God, and meditate upon those things which concerned the eternal welfare of the human race. He hoped a Bill would yet be sent up from the other House, containing provisions for the attainment of these objects, free from all objection. In legislating upon this and all such subjects, it should be borne in mind that, to make a law such as it would be possible to carry into execution, it should not be charged with excessive penalties, or interfere too much with the personal liberty or domestic habits of the community. The most rev. Prelate presented a petition for the better observance of the Sabbath from Lambeth, signed by 2,347 persons, and from several other places.
§ Lord Wynfordreminded the House, that he had, early in the Session, given notice of his intention to bring in a Bill to check the habitual violation of the Lord's Day. He was then told, that there was such a Bill before the other House. Now, that that Bill had been disposed of, he did not immediately give notice of another, being desirous of consulting with the right Rev. Bench upon the subject. To the extent of preventing trading upon Sundays, and to that extent only, did he go along with the measure that had been introduced.