THE SUNDAY LAW IN SYDNEY.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 149, 27 June 1887, Page 4

THE SUNDAY LAW IN SYDNEY.

The action of Sir Henry Parkes in ordering the closing of Sydney theatres open for lectures and entertainments on Sundays has caused quite a hubbub in the capital of New South Wales. It seems that the Premier's attention was called by a deputation of clergymen to the infringement of the law, and he ,at once issued art order suspending the Kcenses of the different theatres. The. illegality complained of consisted in the deiivery of Freethoiight lectures, for although several secular concerts are held in Sydney every Sunday no class of the community seems to object to them. The battle between the Sydney Freethinkers and the religious coramu;nity has raged intermittently for many , ■yeare, and &a recently as last year a : petition with 9,289 signatures was pre- ( sented to the Assembly, praying toe , House to amend the law so that the j opening of "theatres on Sundays should < bo " ftbsolutejy prohibited," on the , ground that tiw.l'reethought meetings ( held Jα theia injured fcbe feelingf of <

tens of of the city mtaevSt%yoi : Assembly shrank SP^ TL allowed m satisfactory o ldEn g aiS r #% scutes; -the subject O f .Sunday*^. k whoir:6f-^ it, In Victoria, the fejft&fcl under which theatrical granted contains the opening of thosebu2° ■**» days conditional the Colonial andithasbeensnggSlM lar enactment would Uβ W.S* culty in New South •wSffi* evident.that some m0r7,l sive legislation'is realS 5% to regulate public buildings or State Las a clear and undi S pu2\J e tion to exercise'its-practS J 7"' against the culture ofSiK only in the theatres r^bPS M Sunday nights, but in all publi"l? a and at all times. And ISfe be satisfactorily defined*hftiS what is not, detrimental towmorals, there would %= no <diffi<3? legislating. The- Government ci" South-Wales works • ways on Sundays;:so -that ii'S scarcely take a logical stand in£? mg, under the Act of Charles II holding of meetings or enterteitti on Sundays onthe simple, gi- oun( } J money was charged for admission.' A the same time,■; it, is something should be noisy clique who gefup theoffensk Sunday meetings. -A. recent; , ffi «t held to protest^'aSanit ,^ closing of their lectures, closed wift groans for the, Parkes seems to . have;, act&i within his powers in closing the'lectuies in the way .he then the Government-/fiayefpt i themselves right with the public b granting permits for thexSfij concerts. .. .'-*->,/

,We have been ..specially reqneetedio direct attention to the meeting of-all m. sons in favour of the Bible-iti-Stye-siioolj movement, -which is to be held in;the lee ture hall of the V.M.C.A. t<p-nicrht (Monday) at half-past seven'o'clocE we%fc stand that important and interested fe mation relating to.the state of publfc feeling , throughout the colony will be laidteb the-meeting. The attendance of parents interested in- tio movement. . ... . . ■■„■■■ ." Another old identity the great majority in the person of Jlriles, Alison', senior, : of; • Devohp6f&;||Sii{. ceased gentleman had been , ailing.-fcriomd weeks previously, and' passed mjr?p& | fully at his residence yesterday moniinj, at the advanced age of 78.]|l8ciaa a native of' Scopd, and arrived in Nelson about,fifty; \ Soon afterwards he came toiijittfiiKl settled down here. He lived atlSipft j for thirty years and reared upala;"ge!elj-, He leaves a widow and three sons, bM whom is married andris.'weli-kHH For many years the dece£eed'|iollora% occupation of master ship andttWiis, in which he was very. successW; of the leading builders of thet&ly tmes. He was possessed of 'high' intellectual attainments, and took an active interest in politics and local mattersi uvth'e early dap, and being thoroughly of a kindly and genial disposition, he m much respected by all who kriewJUm.; funeral will take place to-morrow afteraooE. The Boyal Comic Saturday night again prciduffitt :''M Pirates of Penzance," which was splendialj put upon the stage. The audience.w manifestly highly deKghtedjfitlM fJ saw and heard, and quite aishoraji bouquets testified to'their appreciation, Mr Woodfield, who was aUttleshakvininsp when the play first camebefdre theauW was perfect on : Saturday;"anrftTOTW numerous encores. -Miss Elsa-May.itejM course, enthusiastically- welcomed* applauded, her. fine voice beinghe^W c beautiful son?," Poof .Wandering-OiiV« advantage. Mr Lemon, for hiskautW played flute obligatoto Mabers^* 1 " 1 Herr Patek, for his 'ceUo : .playinf,S«| a word of special praise. . The conductor \w W. H. Harrison) also deserves,pasanej* tice for the very careful manner in Wf'™ forces under his control ■ are"ckr«t«i To-night the :"Pirates" las.t time, and to-morrow takes itsplace ; that evening tang t»*performance of the' Corripanyj doubtless be well attended, is Coronation.Day,' sing the National Anthem at the close« the performance. Those holding licenses for .sale of J""'J wholesale and packet,, are namiL such licenses expire on." 30th; inst-, require to be renewed on prbeiore date. Defaulters iff this j*epec |J proceeded .against on : Jst r. After of. been revived, in .Auckland, w evening the Gity>.HaU^ioW| n . skatinfrink, and. was well enough_f» ised to convince the. struct "lie."' There. tendance, and the skaters enjoyea selves t<3 their hearts^ stand that the rink wffl-no? >JSffi'&b daUyfromlOtol^lJ^.^ the evenings from /.30- vniw- /■ { is very mcSrate,:andwmcoy^gg; bo the skates j;i Qf cojg^ dlt bring their own skates wd| be acw a slightly lower price. A 9B^ arid|entlemeriisinFOcessoffonna« . LlaxEinklo'sJubileeVall^ opened in crowded house on en(i) a great success", from. Iflrit y ev&y item being of tfcs place of »era^g w j[ai growing larger nightly, m 4« Jft fc that he has done hitherto V* can, V , him ; asucce SS ful' aiven on this occasion M,. aculari S e,butWs| a gS^ >U given to th° s " v t r firsSpearance^ 8 iM^^aylormad^W^^. c^racter ; The performance cpi^g tfhij creditabjv; '&if m - tinkle M iSfitfs bailir in W$

Capt. Edwin reports, 12.50 p.m : « Every '.indication weather exceptionally cold with bard south to west and north-west 'gales gad glass rise fast." & '' . Mr P. Doran lost so heavily over his recent Jubilee Minstrel speculation and its incidental pyrotechnic display that his friends have resolved upon tenderino- him a complimentary .benefit. It will probably this week. J The Chinese Government, having at length settled the question of the currency to their satisfaction, they have just con...ckdedan important* contract with Messrs Ualph Heaton and Sons, of the Birmingham • jjint, for the supply of the requisite : machinery to produce the new silver and .! bronze coinage for the Empire. This order !'; represents ninety coining presses and all ' the necessary appliances for fitting up a ■mint in China. The presses, which are i- noiseless and automatic, are capable of pro- ■ during 2,700,000 coins per day of ten hours. ' Of these coins 100,000 are to be, if required, ' silver dollars. The daily value of the ■ coinage that can be minted by these presses [ amounts to i.'20,G50 in English currency: ■ The enormous character of the undertakinoh may be inferred from the fact that tlie , Chinese population is upwards of four hun- ' dred millions, for whom the greater part of the whole coinage has to be struck. On Saturday evening the Auckland Total _, Abstinence Society held their usual weekly 'public meeting, when St. David's Band of Hope choir provided the musical portion of the programme. There was a fair attendance. Mr E. Tremain occupied the chair, and in a brief but humorous speech opened the meeting by introducing the choir, who rendered the following appropriate items : — r "A Brighter Day will Soon be Here," chorus; piano solo, Miss Young; " The *-:'gea is England's Glory," chorus ; "Flow on, Shining River," dnet; reading, "Betsy and 1 I," Mr Knight; " Hark, the Village Bells," ' chorus " Mother, theßestFriend," songand - chorus; "Hurrah for Sparkling Water,' , E chorus; "Justin the Dawn of Youth,"chorus; ■■"Dame Durdcn" (encored), quartette; \ The Rev. Mr Ward, though called on unexpectedly, gave an address on " The • -Domestic ■ Aspect of the Drink Question;" and graphically described one or two scenes ."that had come under his own observation.in . this colony illustrative of the ravages made ■by our drinking customs. The Chairman 'thanked the rev. gentleman for.hispre..sence and.assistance, and a vote of thanks ••was given-to the choir, the meeting closing "with the 'National Anthem. One lady and J* two gentlemen signed the pledge at the ..close of the meeting.

',', A correspondent (-'Visitor") writes :—'•' I • hope the popular Opera Company arc not ■[going to Omit doing as they have done else."where where there was lees need, viz., give ■ a benefit • in aid of' the local charities so ' much needed. They have done very well in .''Auckland, and the management should not ] . .omit to keep their memory sweeb in the re'■membrance of Aucklanders." : 2 The Ladies' Executive of Management-of •the Auckland Reformatory and Women's "Home desire to acknowledge with thanks "the gifts jfcpwards tKe Jubilee entertainment • held in Waite's Hall, Mount Eden, from ~ • the following:—The London Dairy Company, Messrs Ibbetson, Donald and Edenborough, W. R. Waddcl, Ellycfct, R. Seal, .*" R. Rew, C. Canning, King, 'Earle and Monti" ,- gomery, Mesdames Waddell (Karangahape ■ -Road), Brown, Hewitson, J. C. Smith, Ball, •and, F. G. Ewington. '.'. Major Dane,, on receiving-his fee for the lecture recently given, at the invitation of ' the YvM.C.A., very kindly placed the amount* in the hands of the treasurer to- •""■" wards the building fund. This act of generosity deserves to be widely known. i New. roasting machinery- for Te Aroha which arrived by 'Frisco boat is now on the r ■ wharf and .will, go straight to. Te Aroha.