REMINISCENCES. xci 



Professor Babington on the Sunday Opening of the 

 Botanic Garden, 1881 — 2. 



On the 5th of April, 1881, seven Syndics of the Botanic Garden 

 Syndicate reported to the Senate, enclosing two Memorials, one 

 (a) very numerously signed, representing " that it would be a great 

 iDOon to Members of the Senate if they could be permitted to visit 

 the Botanic Garden with their friends on Sunday afternoons during 

 the months of May, June, July, August, and September." (b) as 

 follows {Reporter, 26th April, 1881, pp. 496—498) : 



We, the undersigned Resident Members of the Senate, having learned that 

 a Memorial has been presented to the Vice-Chancellor in favour of 

 opening the Botanic Garden to Members of the Senate and their friends 

 on the afternoons of Sundays during the summer months, beg leave 

 hereby to express our objection to such opening of the Garden: 

 J, Baeton. G. Phillips. A. W. W. Steel. 



E. B. CowELL. C. K. Robinson. A. W. Stbeane. 

 J. T. Lang. H. E. Savage. H. Trottee. 



F. C. Maeshall. C. E. Seaele. B. F. Westcott. 

 H. C. G. MouLE. R. Sinker. 



On the 28th of April the Report was discussed in the Arts' 

 School {Reporter, 3rd May, pp. 519 — 521). The Vice-Chancellor 

 said that he had received a memorial signed by six out of the eight 

 men employed in the gardens. The memorial is as follows : 



Having learned from the public prints that an application is to be made to 



the Syndicate to open the Botanic Garden during some part of Sunday, 



we, the men employed in the Garden, beg most respectfully to represent 



that it would cause much additional work, and that we have always 



understood that Sunday is intended to be a day of rest from all but 



absolutely necessary work. We therefore venture to hope that we shall 



not be required to work on that day in opposition to conscientious 



opinions. We are quite ready to attend to the necessary duties of the 



Garden, but not to work on Sunday for the pleasure of others who 



desire to walk there on that day. 



Professor Babington had not signed the report. . . . He quite agreed with 



all that had been said against the report. He asserted that it would be 



impossible to do without additional attendance ; he need not say why, but he 



was convinced of it. There must be some one to see that the right persons 



and not the wrong were admitted to the Garden. For himself, he felt it would 



be absolutely wrong to give additional employment on Sunday for his own 



gratification. The number of persons for whom the proposed change would be 



useful was exceedingly small He objected entirely to anything which 



would interfere with the holiday which labouring men should have on Sunday. 



The following memorandum is printed from Professor Babington's 

 manuscript : 



" As it is my intention to oppose the Grace concerning the Botanic 

 Garden which is to be offered to the Senate on May 19, I venture 

 to place before the members of the University some of the reasons 

 which lead me to do so. 



