19 MAY 1866, Page 3

Lord Chelmsford's Sunday Trading Bill, which began by making *too

many exceptions for the Sabbatarian party and putting in too many restrictions for the Anti-Sabbatarian party, passed through -the Committee of the Lords on Tuesday night,—when an amend- ment of Lord Houghton's removing all restrictions on the sale of 'periodicals and newspapers on Sunday was defeated ; an amend- ment of Lord Shaftesbury's limiting the Bill to towns with a pupil- qation of 10,000, and leaving all smaller places to the operation of the present law, was defeated ; and an amendment was carried which permitted the delivery of newspapers all day, and their sale at any time except during morning service from ten till one o'clock. But when the amendments were reported on Thursday Lord Redes- -dale carried another amendment, prohibiting the opening of any shops except those for the sale of medicines between ten and one -on Sunday, and leaving the old law,--oonfessedly ineffectual,— untouched for other parts of the day. The Bill thus altered was .abandoned by Lord Chelmsford, and will no doubt be defeated on the third reading, and if not, in the Lower House. Lord Houghton -amiably assured Lord Chelmsford that, in case his windows were broken by an angry mob in consequence of the success of his Bill, he was quite sure he would none the more regret his course,—a 'compliment which Lord Chelmsford appeared to regard rather in .the light of a dangerous hint. The Bill never had any chance -of passing. But it is better now than ever. If it absolutely repealed all the old Sabbatarian statutes, and then simply prohibited trading between 10 and 1 on Sunday, it would probably be the best provision we could make. There would be enough protection to those who feel the duty of keeping Sunday, and no oppression to any one else.