THE ATHENÆUM.

Otago Witness, Issue 1159, 14 February 1874, Page 18

THE ATHENÆUM.

The following letter has been handed to us for publication :—: — Dunedin, 7th February, 1874. The Vice-President, Dunedin Athenaeum.

Dear Sir — Having been unable to attend the meeting to take into consideration the question of opening the Dunedin Athenaeum on the Sabbath Day, I hope it may not be deemed presumptuous in me, as President of the Institution, as a life member, and as one of the original founders, to address through you a few words to my fellowmembers, expressive of my opinion upon the question at issue, Without attempting to discuss what may be termed the religious aspect of the question, and assuming that the majority of the members are desirous of the Athenaeum being open on Sunday (which I would fain hope they are not), I am persuaded that on the ground of expediency alone it will be a grand mistake to introduce any innovations which will run counter to the religious convictions — the prejudices if you will — of a large section of the community. Such a course, if persisted in, will inevitably tend \o cripple and curtail the usefulness of an institution which was intended by its founders to be eminently cosmopolitan, and to embrace within its sphere people of all shades of opinion. I think there can be little doubt that if the proposed innovation is carried out it will cause the withdrawal from the institution of a considerable number of its present members.

Any action which may lead to this result is to my mind much to be deprecated, and will in fact involve a breach of faith not only with the founders of the Institution, but with the Province which has from time to time largely contributed to its funds — contributions which, in the first instance at least, I have no hesitation in saying would never have been made had one of the rules befn that the Athenaeum would be open on Sunday. With regard to the payment of £500 the other day, I am not aware as to what may be the views of the members of the Executive Government or of the Provincial Council upon the subject now in question ; but I am disposed to think that had the Si^erintendent of the Province anticipated any immediate action on the part of the Athe naeum, which would have led to the beneficial influence of the Institution being imperilled or lar^fly curtailed, he would have been warranted in withholding the payment until the representatives of the people had had an opportunity of reconsidering the vote. As stated before, I abstain from expressing any opinion upon the merits of the case as viewed in connection with the large and impi.rtant question of Sabbath observance ; at the same time I would venture to say that I regard the Divine institution of the Sabbath as one of the most beneficent gifts of the Creator. It is not only one of the greatest privileges which humanity possesses in this world, but one of the chief bulwarks of civil and religious liberty. In my opinion, therefore, all public action — however unimportant or harmless in itself — which poes in the direction of obliterating the day of rest, or assimilating it to other days, ought to be peculiarly guarded against, as the Ittting in of water which may end in the total submersion of the Sabbath into the working days of the week. I look upon it that even on secular grounds it behoves every reflective mind to guard the institution of the Sabbath as the apple of the eye. I do trust that the members of the Athenaeum will treat this matter less from a theoretical than from a practical point of view, and that they will see their way to leaving well alone. — 1 am, &c, (Signed) J. Macandrew. P.S. — It seems a thousand pities, just as the Athenaeum has got fairly out of debt, that the apple of discord should be dropped in its midst. J. M.