p. 16 | A NEW SUNDAY BILL by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jan 31, 1906

A NEW SUNDAY BILL.

By Editor

WE are indebted to Pastor W. A. Colcord, of Washington, for a copy of the following Sunday Bill. It will be considered later on its merits. The number of the bill is H. R. 10,510.

In the House of Representatives.

January 5, 1906.

Mr. Allen, of Maine, introduced the following bill; which was referred to the committee on the District of Columbia, and ordered to be printed.

A BILL

To further protect the first day of the week as a day of rest in the District of Columbia.

Whereas there has recently been an increase, not only of traffic, but also of hard labor on Sunday in the national capital, including the public filling and driving of dirt carts, to the great offense of Christian and humane citizens; and—

Whereas the President has been appealed to by philanthropic societies of the city to suppress this Sunday toil ordered by contractors for government work, and others, and has regrettably said that there is no law that would enable him to do so; and—

Whereas the following bill has been twice approved in previous Congresses by the commissioners of the District of Columbia: Therefore—

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it shall not be lawful for any person to keep open any place of business or maintain a stand for the sale of any article or articles of profit during Sunday, excepting vendors of books and newspapers, and apothecaries for the dispensing of medicines, and undertakers for the purpose of providing for the dead, or others for the purpose of charity or necessity; nor shall any public playing of football or baseball or any other kind of playing, sports, pastimes, or diversions disturbing the peace and quiet of the day, be practised by any person or persons within the District of Columbia on Sunday; nor shall any building operations or work upon railroad construction be lawful upon said day; and for any violation of this Act the person offending shall for each offense be liable to a fine of not less than five dollars nor more than fifty dollars, and in the case of corporations there shall be a like fine for every person employed in violation of this Act laid upon the corporation offending.

Sec. 2. That it shall be a sufficient defense to a prosecution for labor on the first day of the week that the defendant uniformly keeps another day of the week as a day of rest, and that the labor complained of was done in such a manner as not to interrupt or disturb other persons in observing the first day of the week as a day of rest. This Act shall not be construed to prevent the sale of refreshments other than malt or spirituous liquors, or to prevent the sale of malt and spirituous liquors as now provided by the law, or tobacco, cigars, railroad and steamboat tickets, or the collection and delivery of baggage.