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"The right to hold both these fairs having been granted for the purpose of promoting the interests of trade, it is quite clear "that no prescriptive right can be set up to commit any nuisance "incompatible with the purposes for which they were established ; "if therefore the Corporation should be satisfied that the interests "of the public can be no otherwise protected than by confining "the fair to its original objects and purposes, they may undoubtedly do so, and this would in fact be equivalent to its "entire suppression.

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"Perhaps the Committee will not think it requisite in the first "instance to proceed to such extremities; the Corporation, however, by abridging the duration to two clear days, and by "refusing to let standings for show booths, &c., may materially "diminish the inconvenience at present created, and thus prepare "the way for its natural death, of the approach of which it has, I "understand, already exhibited certain marked symptoms.

"The Committee are probably aware that the licence for many "years granted by the Corporation for mountebanks, conjurors, " &c., to exercise their amusing vagabondism at the fair, extended "to fourteen days, during which period it was for several years "allowed to be held. In those times the fair was frequently pre"sented by grand juries as a nuisance, and the complaints of the "sober-minded citizens were loud and long-continued against the "riotings and debaucheries to which it gave rise. The depressed "state of the Corporation revenues at that time compelled them "however to supply their wants by tolerating the continuance of "those irregularities, and the Swordbearer and other city officers were partly paid out of emoluments derived from that discredit"able source.

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"In consequence of these complaints various orders were at "different times made by the Corporation for the purpose of "limiting and regulating the fair; and in the year 1735 in parti"cular, the Court of Aldermen resolved, 'That Bartholomew fair "shall not exceed Bartholomew eve, Bartholomew day, and the “next morrow, and shall be restricted to the sale of goods, wares, "and merchandizes, usually sold in fairs, and no acting shall be permitted therein.'

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"It is at all times difficult by law to put down the ancient cus"toms and practices of the multitude, hence we find that great "resistance was offered to the enforcement of these regulations. "In 1760, Mr. Birch, the Deputy City Marshal, lost his life in the "attempt, and the practices which those regulations were intended "to prevent have prevailed, more or less, to the present time.

"I feel it due to the working classes of the present day to say, "that a perusal of the histories of London at the period I have "adverted to, as well as "Malcolm's Anecdotes," "Sir Robert "Southwell's Letters to his Son," and other pamphlets and

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"ephemeral publications of those times, conclusively proves that "a vast progressive improvement has taken place in the exhibitions "of the fair, as well as in the conduct of the multitude that re"sorted to it. Gambling-houses of every class were formerly freely licensed, disgusting scenes of all descriptions were pub"licly exhibited, and the most profligate vices of every kind were openly practised, while the violence of Lady Holland's mob, as "it is termed, often broke out in frightful excesses, and spread "consternation and terror around.

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"It may be usefully observed here, that May Fair, formerly "held near Hyde Park, under the authority of a grant to the "Abbot of Westminster, and the Lady Fair, Southwark, held by a grant to the Corporation of London, (both of which had been "the scenes of practices as disgraceful as those that prevailed in Smithfield,) were suppressed without the aid of Parliament; and "when we consider the improved condition and conduct of the working classes in the Metropolis, and reflect upon the irrefragable proofs continually before us, that the humbler orders are "fast changing their habits, and substituting country excursions "by rail-roads and steam-boats, and other innocent recreations, "for vicious amusements of the description which prevailed in "Bartholomew fair, it is perhaps not too much to conclude that it "is unnecessary for the Corporation to apply to Parliament to "abate the nuisance; but that if they proceed to lay down and "enforce the observance of judicious regulations in the fair, and "to limit its duration and extent, it may be permitted to continue, "in the confident belief that many years will not elapse ere the "Corporation may omit to proclaim the fair, and thus suppress it altogether, without exciting any of those feelings of discontent "and disapprobation with which its compulsory abolition would "probably be now attended.

"I have the honour to be, Gentlemen,

"Your most obedient servant,
"CHARLES PEARSON.

"Guildhall, June 19, 1840."

We have no doubt we shall have to report, at an early period, that by the judicious regulations of the Markets' Committee, Bartholomew fair, with all its dreadful iniquities, have terminated.

THE OPENING OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM AND OTHER PLACES ON THE SABBATH.

In our Magazine for May last, we published a short article on Mr. Hume's proposed desecration of the Sabbath; and also petitioned the House of Commons not to sanction Mr. Hume's proposal. The following is a copy of the petition which was presented in May last, by Wm. Evans, Esq. :

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"To the Honourable the Commons of Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled.

"THE HUMBLE PETITION OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE LONDON CITY MISSION,

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"SHEWETH,―That your petitioners are the Committee of an "institution formed in London in the year 1835, and called the "London City Mission,' whose object is to prevent the increase "of crime, and to advance the moral and religious state of the Metropolitan population, by the domiciliary visitation of Mis❝sionaries, who visit the labouring classes from house, to make "known to them the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. "That your petitioners have heard with deep regret of a proposition "about to be submitted to your Honourable House, to open the "British Museum and other buildings to the public on the "Sabbath, after the hours of Divine service, thus offering a strong inducement to increase the desecration of the Sabbath; "and they humbly pray that should such a proposition be sub"mitted to your Honourable House, it may immediately meet "with that indignant rejection which it deserves from a Christian Legislature.

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"Your petitioners are truly grateful for the great benefits con"ferred upon the labouring classes by the wise measure, so "conservative of peace and good order, of closing the public"houses on the morning of the Sabbath, and they should deeply "regret were these benefits to be diminished or destroyed by the profanatian of the Sabbath, which would follow the opening of "places of public amusement on the Lord's-day.

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"And your petitioners will, as in duty bound, ever pray.
Signed, by order and in behalf of the Committee,
"THOS. B. HUDSON, Chairman.”

From various causes the motion was not brought forward until Tuesday evening, July 14th, when Mr. Hume moved, and Mr. Hamilton seconded the motion, for an address to the Crown, for the opening of the British Museum and of the National Galleries on Sundays after Divine service, during the hours allowed to places where beer and spirits are sold. The motion was supported by Mr. Warburton, Mr. Aglionby, and Mr. Muntz; and opposed by Sir Robert Inglis, Mr. Goulburn, and Lord John Russell, when the House divided; for the motion, forty-four; against it, eightytwo; majority against the motion, thirty-eight.

By this decision great evil has been prevented, and the officers of these institutions, as well as all who reside in their neighbourhood, have been spared the infliction of the most serious evils.

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July 11th, 1840

......

Total of Deaths in the Metropolis from January 1st to

For the four weeks ending July 11th, there have died in the— WEST DISTRICTS.-Kensington; St. George, HanoverSt. Martin-in-the-Fields; St.

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square; James

Westminster;

486

NORTH DISTRICTS.-St. Marylebone; St. Pancras ; Islington; Hackney

598

CENTRAL DISTRICTS.-St. Giles and St. George; Strand;
Holborn; Clerkenwell; St. Luke; East London; West
London; City of London

EAST DISTRICTS.-Shoreditch; Bethnal-green; White
Chapel; St. George-in-the-East; Stepney; Poplar ......
SOUTH DISTRICTS.-St. Saviour; St. Olave; Bermondsey;
St. George, Southwark; Newington; Lambeth; Cam-
berwell; Rotherhithe ; Greenwich

Of these, 1,740 were males, and 1,562 females.

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666

854

3,266

* All of these except seven are reported as '' VIOLENT DEATHS." The death of one is added in the total, which is not classified, not know.

ing the age.

Macintosh, Printer, 20, Great New-street, London.

CITY

THE LONDON

MISSION MAGAZINE.

SEPTEMBER, 1840.

CAMBERWELL FAIR.

THIS fair must share the fate of Fairlop and of Bartholomew fairs. It ought not to be held again. The Christians of the metropolis, and especially of Camberwell, Peckham, and Walworth, will be guilty of tolerating crimes against God, and offences against the morals of society, if they do not vigorously interpose and seek its suppression. Of what use are the efforts of the benevolent and Christian population among the poor of a neighbourhood, and among children and servants, if an annual moral pestilence be allowed to enter and commit its deadly ravages during three days and three nights?

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Last year the Committee of the London City Mission employed some of their missionaries at this fair, and distributed about 30,000 tracts. These tracts and labours of the Missionaries may have been productive of good, but it is only lessening some of the evil, instead of adopting means to prevent it altogether. The success that has attended the labours of the Committee, both at Fairlop and in the city, encourage them to make an effort in reference to Camberwell. Some of the scenes at the fair just ended were most disgusting. We have it on authority in which we place the fullest confidence, that four men, dressed and acting as "clowns" at "Frazier's show, sat down on the front of the outside stage, and three of them acted in the most obscene manner towards the fourth in the presence of a large number of spectators, and after this the most filthy conversation" was kept up with the view of exciting the laughter of the crowd. At Richardson's, Clarke's, and other theatres, the appearance, dress, and dancing of the actresses on the outer stage, were all intended to excite the worst passions, and such as no virtuous parent would wish his children to witness, and no virtuous master his servants to be familiar with. The whole neighbourhood was a scene of dissipation. Every public-house was thronged. All the principal booths were crowded. It was one of those opportunities for corrupting the youth of both sexes, which, we are happy to think, are becoming fewer every day.

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