There was a debate in the House of Commons on
Friday week on the old proposal to open the British Museum and other galleries of Science and Art to the public on Sunday ; but nothing new was said upon the subject. The First Lord of the Treasury, Mr. W. H. Smith, set his face steadily against the motion, and declared his belief that the working classes themselves regard it with dislike, inasmuch as it may open the way to general Sunday labour. That is perhaps true; but does not the running of the railways on Sunday open the way to general Sunday labour ? And do the working classes object to that ? Probably no policy would be more unpopular than the discontinuance of Sunday trains. The truth is, that the English people are by no means in love with consistency, and do not object to opening the way to Sunday labour when they are very much interested in making their one holiday pleasurable ; while they object strongly to it when the plea- sure held out to them is only of a rather sober description, like the visiting of museums and picture-galleries. The resolution to open the British Museum on Sundays was rejected by 166 votes against 39.
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