SCOTCH ENDURANCE.
" 'Bechar is an ass crouching between two burdens."
TREY are a patient people the Scotch. It is not easy at this distance to determine whether it is the apathy of contempt or the acquies- cence of fear that makes them submit to the Paul Pry disposition of spiritual reformers ; but certainly that meddling class take liber- ties in Scotland that would not be tolerated in any other country. A paper has been transmitted to us from Edinburgh, purporting to be the "Report of the St. George's, St. Luke's, and Dean Parishes Auxiliary Sabbath Observance Society, for 1840." We learn from this document, that the Society consists of thirty members, who have organized themselves into three sub-committees, with a view to ferret out every instance of Sabbath-breaking in the above- mentioned parishes. Their inquisition has extended to the male- practices of bakers, green-grocers, publicans, druggists, reading- rooms, mills, cowfeeders, pawnbrokers. The bakers have been found guilty of employing their journeymen for the pace of half-an- hour every Sunday evening: to obviate the necessity of this awful profanity, the Society modestly propose that " families should get into the practice of taking no bread at all on Monday." This hint may be found worth the attention of the supporters of the Corn-laws ; as a voluntary abstinence from bread one day in every week by every inhabitant of Great Britain, might render an in- adequate supply of grain impossible even in the Worst harvests. A heavy complaint is made. against dhiggitit, because their shops are all "open on the Sabbath, except dufing church-hours, when the door is closed; hitt on rikging a bell soine one appears to dispense the Medicines required." We suppose it is deemed sinful in Scotland to be suddenly taken ill on Sunday: Cowfeeders, we learn; are guilty Of carrying milk to their customers twice a day on Sundays ; atitt, What it Worse, we are infetnted that this iS unneeeasaty, inastnuch ttk "there Might be a total discontinuance, by a little ariangeinent, without inconvenience to families " or loss to the dealers. We fear the comfort of the cows has been overlodked ; an omission which may bring our zealous enforcers of Sabbath obtervitnee into collision with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Haire the cows been Consulted how far it may consist with their comfort to be left tit:milked for a whole day Once a Week ? But perhaps milking may be Winked at, and the sour milk of Sunday disposed of on Monday with a slight reduction in price to the poor. The Society remark, that " much effort, perseverance, and prayer, are needed " to bring about their object. They seem, however, to place more reliance upon "effort" than prayer; for the active scrutiny which enabled them in two brief months to acquire so mue,h infor- mation respecting the private transactions of their neighbours must have left little 'tom for devotional exercises. Besides investigating the manner in which all "trades who administer to domestic sup- plies" are conducted, they have inquired into the amusements of the little children seen playing in the streets on Sunday evenings, and the doinestic arrangements of their parents. The wealthier classes seem to have been more chary of admitting them within doors, and it has therefore been necessary to establish a system of but-doors espionage. By this means they have learned, that "it is no uncommon thing for gentlemen to walk from the church to the reading-room " ; and that "the members of a club-house in Prince's Street are not unfrequently seen at the windows on the Sabbath reading the newspapers." Where they dare, the " inquisition of • thirty " seem inclined to carry matters with a high hand : in re- ference to a public garden they say, " The proprietor seems dis- posed to promote the objects of our Society, but the tenant is re- fractory."
Indeed the Scotch are a long-suffering people, who can tolerate such meddling, prying, pestilent proceedings. We abhor all vio- lence; we never liked the American process of tarring and feather- ing; but we must admit that desperate diseases require extreme -remedies.
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