The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard

A GREAT NEWSPAPER. FOR many weeks the Daily Chronicle, in some senses undoubtedly the greatest of the London newspapers, has fought the cause of the Progressives in the County Council conflict with all its vast resources of literary ability, artistic skill, and pecuniary strength, and the Progressives have been routed-they have been smitten hip and thigh, and the Moderates are victorious and jubilant. A reactionary policy in the municipal life of London seems to be inevitable, and the Daily Chronicle, notwithstanding its daily return to the stupendous conflict with fresh forces and the grandest spirit of chivalry, is by the victorious reactionaries, and with some show of reason, that its championship has irretrievably damned the cause it was intended to serve and promote, and that the Progressives would not have been so utterly defeated all along the line if the Chronicle had not espoused their cause We are anxious to admit to the fullest possible extent the completeness of the defeat. The Daily Chronicle pleaded for the return of a strong Progressive majority, in order that the good work which was in hand might be continued and supplemented. The plea has been rejected with an em- phasis which leaves nothing to be desired, and all the labour, skill, expenditure, and enthusiasm, the Moderates are saying with much shooting out of the lip, have been utterly thrown away So much for the defeat. Now let us look at the grandness of the battle, and at some of its great lessons and consequences, and we think that even the Moderates will admit that the Daily Chronicle has not been defeated, but has rendered an enduriug service, in the first instance to the five millions of people within the Metropolitan area, and. in the second instance, to the champions of clean civil life throughout the civilized world. We do not know how to express our gratitude to the Daily Chronicle for its courage in turning away from the barren doings of camps and courts in order to assert that the nameless denizens of the crowded slums are worthy of supremest human effort. In last Friday's Chronicle » portrait appeared of Mr JOHN BURNS, who has reached the London County Council by a greatly reduced number of votes. The publication of that portrait marks an epoch in the history of the white-faced masses. The worst forms of slum life cannot survive now that the people's saviours are recognised, and we say this in the face of defeat. We have often said that society is like a huge ladder reared to dizzy heights, but with its heavy base deeply embedded in the blood aud brains of the people. We feel that the Daily Chronicle has done something to lift this ladder out of the blood and mud and filth of ages. Defeat Why, the attempt itself is a victory that cannot fail to resound through the civilized world. The picture in last Friday's Chronicle, The Secret of the u- .L- C1n.n" Death Rate: A IN ursery in tolle 01Ulua, was a dreadful indictment of the past history of the poor, just as a Sub- tropical Garden" was a promise of what shall be when the battle of the Chronicle has been fought and won in ways that are no more realized now than the battle of these days was anticipated and realized by EZEKIEL when he published his first and last newspaper, pourtrayed on a tile, for the instruction of the thoughtless inhabitants of Jerusalem some twenty-five centuries ago. The spirit which the Chronicle took into this -conflict was full of saving, revivifying power, and as WALT WHITMAN says That is nothing that is quelled by one or Two failures, or any number of failures, Or by the indifference or ingratitude of the People, or by any unfaithfulness. But we do not believe that there has been either ingratitude or indifference on the part of the people. The people have been decoyed from their true interests. That is all. All the powers of reaction have been roused, and it is well that they should, have been roused, and that they should have been forced to exercise their power; but the men who aroused the powers of re- action are not going to mistake the nature of the temporary check. Victory will grow out of this apparent defeat. This apparent defeat is victory. Let us see what has been won. Just as EZEKIEL, by the devise of. a picture on a tile, was enabled to speak to all Jerusalem, so the Chronicle has been able by its splendid devotion of money and art and genius to speak to all London. This is the real unification of London, and must precede all other unifications. We know how the car of progress seems to be rolled hopelessly back at a time of defeat, but the Chronicle has spoken in clear tones to all London, and must not be surprised or cast down that those interested in jobbery and fraud and vice have for the moment suc- ceeded in rallying to their side the timid, the half-hearted, and the feeble. The unification of London Government, which the Chronicle seeks, is an infinitely U-ss thing than thf unification which the paper has achieved. The great peril of London was that no voice could reach its serried masses, and make them go this'Nv,"y or that. Our contem- porary has made London tight a municipal C) i battle, and that is a wonderful and saving achievement, let the momentary victory roll as it may to this side or that. It is a tre- mendous gain that a voice exists to-day an will exist to-morrow and will not die with the people, but will be as permanent as London, and that this voice can speak in uones which can be heard and understood practica y in every home in the greatest city in the world. It is well that there should te two sides. The County Council has been in existence six years, but rea ?D1Cj^ Life was brought into existence m London dur- ing the past few weeks by our contemporary, and onward growth will be measured from the great starting place of last Saturday, which is hastily and erroneously called the time of the Chronicle's defeat. The Daily Chronicle has brought the principle of local self-government home to the whole people, and has taught a lesson to their nominal guides and leaders which they will not forget. An aim in the municipal life of London has been made visible, and we think the Chronicle is big enough and strong enough and large-hearted enough to keep this aim in view until what has been labelled defeat is recognised as victory. The Moderates have not escaped the Chronicle's influence, and the success of this great paper-we now mean its commercial success-will teach other London newspapers that it is not in the long run a losing policy to fight with doggedness for the masses of the people. The Moderates cannot fall back. They must march with the millions. There are many ways of progress, and one of them leads through defeats like that of last Saturday. We have no doubt there will be many to account for the victory of the Moderates. Their victory is nothing but an indication that not only are the foes of progress aroused, but the timid friends of the people and the people themselves are somewhat afraid. Some day we hope to see the great newspapers of Europe raising their voices on behalf of international peace. We wonder if the Daily Chronicle will take the lead in making the crime of war impossible. We have watched with intense interest and sympathy the glorious battle of the Chronicle, and we decline to consider last Saturday's results as anything but a temporary check. Cannot one of the Chronicle's artists give London a cartoon showing the Progressive forces rallying to the next conflict. A great fight like that in which th3 Chronicle has been engaged is in itself so glorious that it matters little which side gains a temporary victory.

POLITICS IN CARDIGAN- SHIRE. ANOTHER week's experience has made it still clearer that the hasty and irregular proceedings which culminated in the meeting of Liberals at Lampeter on February 21st was a mistake in tactics as well as contrary to principle. The game of Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES has been played for him by his opponents, and in order to make his success more certain Mr LLEWELYN WILLIAMS has written a letter which is so unwise and so far from what a letter from the future can- didate for Cardiganshire should be that we thought it was 0 a practical joke, but we now understand that the strange production is genuine. In an article last week we said that Mr JOHN EVANS, who acted as the secretary of the County Liberal Asso- ciation when there was no Association in existence, had written letters to the polling districts in favour of Mr LLEWELYN WILLIAMS. He says that he did not write the letters. Technically he did not write the letters, but he did what was intended to prevent Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES obtaining three week's advantage over Mr LLEWELYN WILLIAMS. In our opinion, Mr JOHN EVANS virtually chose Mr LLEWELYN WILLIAMS to be the candidate for Cardigan- shire, and the meeting at Lampeter shows how great the advantage was which had been given to him. We are determined that the course pursued in this instance shall be understood now while there is time to rectify the errors in procedure. We do not care whether Mr LLEWELYN WILLIAMS, Mr WYNFORD PHILIPPS, or some other Radical is elected, as long as Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES is not elected. We are not prepared to defeat even Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES by any tricks, or subterfuges, or sharp practice, and if our present protest assists his candida- ture the responsibility must rest upon Mr JOHN EVANS, who has taken upon himself to do officially what he had no official position or justification for doing, and upon those leading Liberals who have sanctioned the irregular proceedings at Lampeter, and who think that their good intentions are more worthy than other people's right action. There is nothing new in the tactics of those who, having acted irregularly, are now getting up a great show of indignation against this paper, and warning it that if it does not accept the rule of the wirepullers it will suffer. We believe in the right of the electors to be taken into confidence, and although a few individuals may for a time succeed in forcing their views of what is good upon the electorate, in the long run trust in the people pays. What is it we assert, and what is it we ask for? We assert (1) That for some time past there has been no County Liberal Association in Cardigan- shire. (2) That months ago the late SECRETARY declined to call a meeting of Liberals together with a view of re- organizing the county Liberals. (3) That when he received Mr BOWEN ROWLANDS s letter of resignation he acted as if the Association were in existence, and as if he were still secretary. (4) That he MW Mr LLEWELYN WILLIAMS, and at once began to promote his candidature, &0 as to prevent Mr VAUGHAN DAVIES having a three weeks' start. (5) That the Lampeter meeting was a meeting of Liberals, but was not a meeting of the members of the County Liberal Association; that an Association was not formed; that the election of a President of a non-existing Association was absurd; and that the whole proceedings from first to last were irregular. All we ask is that the leadir-.g Liberals shall proceed regularly, and shall treat the electorate as having vested in them the right to choose their own representative. Mr JOHN EVANS, with curious forgetfulness, has said that technically there is no County Association in existence because a meeting that should have been held, say, in December last, was not held until February. We are not ctiMrlera for punctilious aud slavish ob- servance of rules. In order to show the Liberals of Cardiganshire that it is not a mere empty form we are pleading for, we ask them to go back with us, not a week or two bat u¡ore than eleven months, to April 1894. On the 6th of April, 1894,' we published a leading article, headed "Poiidcs in Cardiganshire," and the firyt two sentences in it are There is no Liberal political organization in Cardiganshire. The only survival of past Liberal Drganization is a good round debt, which the leading Liberals of the county magnanimously allow one or two past officials to bear." The following extract from the lame article will show how long the irregular course pursued at Lampeter on the 21st instant has been going on: Not long ago (that is, « prior to April, 1894) what prcfessed to be a meeting of delegates was keld, and some resolutions were passed, but the dele- gates were self-appointed, and reallyconsisted of the Liberal members of the "ardigan- shire County Council We think it matters far less who siti in the House of Commons as the menber for Cardiganshire, than huw he gen there. What we mean is that it is quite possible for a candidate to do more ham in a constituency by the means he adoptf to get himself elected than he will ever be able to do good as a member of the louse of Commons Ifnothing is done until the dissolution of Parliament is announced to secure combinec action, then everybody must do what is right in his own eyes, and the leading' Liberals must take the consequences whaterer they are." Nothing was done, althougt more than one appeal was made privacy and publicly. On December 28th, 18)4, we published an article headed If Pffliament were Dissolved." In the first senfmce we then said: What would happen ii Cardi- ganshire if Parliament were suddtfily dis- solved in the early part of next jsar is a question that Liberals who have worked hard and suffered much for their pinciples and their party have a right to as them- selves." Again we stated that 44 Here is, unfoitunately, no county Liberal rganiza- tion in existence, and it wckld be interesting to know what becomes of the correspondence between the Merrper and his constituency, if there is any. If the next election is io jegult in a Liberal victory the battle will have to be won by the party unofficeied, un- I 44 organized, and unruled The 44 process of decay which has resulted in 44 the present decomposed conditior of things 44 has been going on fer several years. As long as the county organizatioi remained even nominally in existence, and while there was any sort of Liberal Association at Aberystwyth, we obsorved a discreet silence, but now that there is io pretence of doing the Liberal work it j only fair to the rank and file of the Iberal party in Cardiganshire that they sbuld know what may be expected when a dissolution comes, as it may come any dy after the re-assembling of Parliament," W now know where the correspondence of th Member went to, and we also know wha was done when Mr BOWEN ROWLANDS anounced his intention to retire. We have dte all that we could do to avoid the conasion and irregularity which have happened. We hope there will be no more attempts to prove that the Liberal county associate was in existence at the close of last year. Mr JOHN EVANS refused to do anyhhg until the letter from Mr BOWEN ROUNDS was received, and then he did everytiig. This is just what the Liberals will no stand. This is just the complaint that tb rural Liberals make, namely, that Abeystwyth takes everything upon itself. By eferring to other articles we can pile jp the evidence we here give that for yeas there has been no county Liberal organizbion in existence. There is still time to doivhat is regular and wise-time to prevent cnfusion on the day of battle. That we skuld be blamed for our warnings and fà. our determination to see that the rank aid file is recognized is only part of a syster, that has gone on for many years. We have been acting on a carefully devised plan and we mean to adhere to it now tha the battle is imminent no less carefully ,han before Mr BOWEN ROWLANDS sent in his resignation. We still believe that it is 0 fa.r more consequence to a constituency ho- a member gets into the House of Commns than who the member is.

BARMOUTH AND ITS AFFAIRS. THE Barmouth Council has made co- siderable progress in the task of puttin the affairs of the town straight, bu there is still much to do. The work entailei upon the representatives of the ratepayer is great, and the temptatiop is enormous to seek an easy way out of the tangle. We trust, however, that the work so well begun will be thoroughly well done, once I for all. For many years there has been laxity, and the result is found in the con-I fusion which now exists. The object of the Council is to reduce the affairs of the town to perfect order, and notwithstanding all that may be said to the contrary, a good? deal of work has yet to be done before this is possible. The question is not nov who is to blame for the confusion. There is con- fusion, and confusion means absence of pros- perity, if not danger to the municipality. More than a cartload of papers to AP through and arrange is not a small task. Then there are the town's finances, whi<h are at present a heavier burden than bey need to be. To enable the town to ionsolidate its loans, its credit must be reestablished, and we have no doubt this will be donf. Happily the members of the Council work well together, and if now and thea there is manifested a little impatience lot the slow progress made, it must be renumbered that the position was exceedingly complicated when the present members of the Council were elected. There were arrars ot rates, heavy loans, an empty exchquer, uncom- pleted public v orks, and many other things to attend to. We think it mus; be conceded on every hand that the need fc action was as great as ever we said it was, aid the need is still great for patient perseverance. There is, in fact, so much to do that too much may be attempted at once. The arrears of rates must be got in, for instance, but in a case like Barmouth, where great laxity has prevailed for years, it will take a long time to persuade the householders that in future they must pay their rates xithin a reasonable time. We know quite will chat a plea will be set up that certain people must not be forced to pay their raes, but it must be remembered that ev^ry pnny of rates not paid by the person from %bona it is due will have to be paid by equay poor people from whom it is not due. Injustice, therefore, to the inhabitants of Brmouth who pay their rates promptly and rgularly, those who are in arrear must be cupelled to pay, but seeing there has been ltcity in the past there should not be undue severity whenever a disposition is manifested a meet the obligations due. As regards th< water- works, there is again need for much atience and skill. We have no doubt tiatever that Mr ROBERTS, the engineer, will assist the town out of its difficulties in regard to this important undertaking which should now be pushed on as quickly as possible. Barmouth must have an ample supply of water as quickly as possible, and whatever is likely to facilitate this end must be done. The landowners and other residents in the neighbourhood will be willing to co-operate with the Council in its efforts to do what is intended to promote the general prosperity. Mr GEORGE, the Council's present clerk and legal adviser, will get his department into order, and when an accountant has put the finances into. regular form, Barmouth will be able to make a fresh start on what will no doubt be an onward, upward course. Firm- ness will be required, and the MAYOR and Mr GEORGE must be supported in whatever courses are deemed to be necessary to complete the work of reformation so well begun. In order to continue to work to- gether there must be many little mutual concessions. There are many ways to the top of Cader Idris, and there are many ways to most goals, By the time the Council has been in existence a year it will, we think, have a good record of sound, useful work to show. Barmouth has grown in the past, and we believe will grow in the future. There will, of course, be breaks and lapses, but if the inhabitants of the town pull well together they will soon be able to look back on their present difficulties as mere tests which brought out and proved their fitness for self government. The Ratepayers' Association has done good work, and there is still good work to do. We hope some day to see co-operation among the watering places of this district to increase the general prosperity. Un- happily the people are not yet convinced that municipal cleanliness, architectural beauty, and scrupulous regard for the public health, are things that pay. We have to fight all up and down the coast to-day for cleanliness and beauty as strongly as we had to fight twenty-five years ago. We have shopkeepers in Aberystwyth and Bar- mouth who think that they are promoting the success of those towns when they sweep the filth from their shops into the street What is to be done with these people 1 Suppose the Ratepayers' Associa- tions of Barmouth and Aberystwyth discussed this subject.

LOCAL AND GENERAL NOTES. Mr GEORGE GREEN, who had been for many years a member of the Aberystwyth Town Council, and for some time an alderman, died on Sunday in the seventy-first year of his age. It is said that the system of electric lighting at Aberystwyth is soon to be taken over by the Cor- poration. The lighting has never yet been completed, and for some reason or other all the lamps put up are never alight at the same time. On the evening of St. David's Day a dinner was given at the Talbot Hotel, Aberystwyth. The pro- ceedings were of such a nature that some of them cannot well be described, and we have been com- pelled to abstain from reporting certain of the speeches in which persons were accused of offences against the law. One of those wonderful creatures "our own Lon- don correspondent" says that "when the Welsh Disestablishment Bill reaches the committee stage a motion will be made from the Radical benches referring the measure to a Welsh Grand Com- 14 mittee. The Government are not expected to accept the proposal." We should think no sane Welsh Member would make the proposal. • A good deal is being said and written just now about the afforestation of waste lands, and a patch ot five acres has been planted in Merionethshire. The reason why planting in this country has ceased is that home-grown timber docs not pay. Local railway companies charge far the carriage of the timber more than it is worth, and there is no reason beyond profit for growing timber. A tree grown in the wilds of Canada can be landed in Manchester for less money than a tree grown above Devil's Bridge could be landed there. It is surely not necessary to say more. • Sir JOHN BRIDGE has had before him some middle- class rowdies, charged with disgraceful conduct at an hotel. The MAGISTRATE said there were enormous numbers of young men who did not work, but lived on their fathers. The difficulty in punishing them was that if you fine them it comes out of the father's pockets; if you send them to prison "it comes out ot the mother's heart." In this district there are too many of these worth- less wretches. They look upon work as a disgrace, and spend their time in debauchery. There is only one consolation. They run quickly through both their means and their lives. The revenue of the Manchester Ship Canal was 49,578, an increase of 99,455 on the previous half- jar. It is said that the revenue will have to be me times as great as it is now in order to enable te canal to pay interest on its capital and to meet wrking expenses. Manchester is facing the gigantic tak it has before it with indomitable courage and Wt believe that Manchester will win. There will not be much more trouble in earning the additional inome and success will bring success. Some day it rna; strike Aberystwyth and other places that Maehester is a seaport and affords facilities which migt be of local advantage. Tre National Memorial for Arresting the Growth c. of European Armaments," which has been promoted by tie Atbitration Alliance of the Churches, will shorty be presented to Lord ROSEBERY by a deputation. How can armaments be arrested as long o every male member of the Royal Family is male i soldier and the bloody, ragged colours of regimeits are treated as sacred relics ? War ie gloiifiel, and even parsons say that the LORD is a mtkn of war There is scarcely a town in Wales that on id not sink its religion and abjure its morahty foi the sake of being a military centre. Wh did we b, at Dolgelley ? » At a meeting of the Executive Committe of the South Wales Liberal deration on Saturday Mr D. A. THOMAS, M.P., exposed himself freely and to the point in reference to tun way the scheme for the proposed new Welsh Liberat Federation has been forced oat by Mr BERIAH GWYNFE EVANS. Mr D. A. THOMAS said that he took exception to the 14 course adopted by Mr BERIAH EVANS in passing by the recognised organisation in SOt th Wales, and appealing directly to the various associations which constituted the Federation. In that respect, and alfogether, It seemed to him the matter ha4 «« been unduly pushed forward." There is far too much of this one-man sert of arrangement in Wales. Cardiganshire is just now having a candidate boomed upon it in the same way. For many months we have bepn urging upon the Liberals of Cardiganshire the wiacloai or reviving tiie JLiberai organisation. Nothing was done until Mr BOWEN ROWLANDS tent in his resignation anfl then immediate action was taken bf one or two individuals, who virtually selected a candidate, called together a meeting of Libe.ralsi pretended that it u as a meeting of the non- existing Liberal Association, elected a President of the non-existing Association, and now want to know I why anfbody should object to their action Why, indeed ? Football, with its full accompaniments of shouts and scuffles, is played in every street in Aberystwyth to the danger and misery of the ratepayers. Is there no possible relief ? » It is being rumoured in Cardiganshire by those who have another candidate to run, that Mr WYNFORD PHILIPPS did not act with the Radicals on the Church Discipline Bill. Mr WYNFORD PHILIPPS acted with Mr LLOYD GEORGE and other Welsh Radicals in reference to this measure, and by so doing gave offence to the more Conservative section of his Scotch constituents. People who take shares in companies will learn with interest that the shareholders of the Bank of South Australia, Limited, now being wound up, are liable by a recent decision of the Courts to be called on to pay f25 per share to the extent of their respective holdings, or about one million pounds. To lose the money invested, and to have to pay a million pounds in addition ought to teach speculative investors a strong lesson. ARTHUR BRAISON was charged last week at Stockton-on-Tees with brutal cruelty to his infant child. He flung the baby at its mother and broke its thigh, and so beat the child that its body was badly bruised and its eyes blackened. The baby was only eight months old. The prisoner was sentenced to two months' hard labour. Perhaps we ought to be glad that this brute got two months' imprisonment, but a flogging every morning would be a good thing for him. In an action brought against the representatives of the late Mr JOHN JAMES for a large sum of money, judgment has been given on all points in favour of the representatives of Mr JOHN JAMES with costs. Mr JAMES JAMES, solicitor, acted for the defendant and Messrs SMITH, OWEN, and DAVIES acted for the plaintiff. There are times when it is well to settle with your adversary when you are in the way with him. 4- Our Welsh Correspondent who writes in the Manchester Guardian is either very young or very ignorant of recent Welsh history. On Tuesday this writer said, writing of the late Lord ABERDARE In Lord ABERDARE the Welsh University colleges "had always a powerful friend, and there is no public man connected with the Principality who can fill the place so long occupied by his Lordship as the natural leader of the higher education movement in Wales." Lord ABERDARE was never a friend of the University College of Wales, as 44 our Welsh Correspondent" can easily ascertain. This sort of thing makes silence, even at this time, impossible. # Last week in the House of Commons Mr ARNOLD MORLEY said he should personally be disposed to establish preferential rates for parcels post in this country, but the time had not arrived for establish- ing a general reduction of tariff. The agreements with the railway companies did not expire for several years. What can you expect from a great official but officialism ? Mr ARNOLD MORLEY, the Postmaster General, is as inelastic as can be. He is probably not to blame. Who would believe that a halfpenny newspaper wrapper if put round a parcel does not count for a halfpenny ? This is a rule of the Post Office. There are hundreds of these rules, for which no reason can be assigned. It is announced that the Earl of WARWICK has accepted the honorary presidency of the Association of British Barley Growers, which is being formed by Mr C. W. GRAY, formerly M.P. for Maldon. His lordship writes that he will be glad to help the Association in any way he can, and expresses him- self as in full sympathy with its desire to secure the taxation of foreign barley used in brewing. This willingness to tax foreign barley is at the root of many of the farmer's difficulties. Landowners, instead of manfully grappling with the situation, are I continually hankering after protection. Does any sane man think that barley is the only grain that farmers would like to see protected, and is it likely that protection would stop at grain ? Protection is impossible. • We have during the past fortnight heard nothing in reference to the method of dividing the public money under the Merionethshire Intermediate Edu- cation scheme, by which the Girls' School was ignored. We understand that the course pursued will be carried before the proper authorities in London, as it is felt that a wrong principle has been intro- duced, and it is necessary at once to see that justice is done to the Girls' School. It is to be regretted, we think, that there should be any strife on this question, but the Committee have had plenty of time to pat themselves right. The Girls' School is as much a sohool under the scheme as any school in Merionethshire, and that fact must be recognised in every act that deals with all the schools. Nobody asks for an equal share of public money for the Girls' School with the other poorer schools, but the girls must not be left out. This is more than a local question, and more than a case of a few pounds. » • Last week, Sir JAMES KITSON, of Leeds, in the course of a speech said that 44 no doubt there was 44 agricultural depression, but there was depression also in the iron and steel industries. Since 1892 the exports and imports had decreased from 44 £ 21,760,000 to £ 18,731,000, and compared with ten years ago the decrease was 911,000,000 sterling. But those engaged in those trades did not, like the great agricultural interest, go to Parliament whining and asking them to pay their rates, or do this, that, or the other all they did was to ask for a fair field and no favour, and to give them an opportunity of developing the resources of the Colonies and the Indian Empire." Ah, but the man who makes iron or weaves cloth, or who manu- factures paper, does not look upon himself as the saviour of his country. The landowner thinks that he is the bulwark of the throne and the mainstay of the nation, and it is this conceit which makes him say and do silly things. • The Duke of WESTMINSTER has made another ap- peal for funds to prevent the Disestablishment of the Church of England in Wales. If the Duke of WESTMINSTER could succeed the result would be the destruction of the Church and the abolition of dukes and other hereditary legislators. Welsh Non- conformists are willing to abide by the decisions of the House of Commons, but if the Duke of WEST- MINSTER and his peers think that they are going to defy the will of the people of these nations they are mistaken. Our advice is to wait until the House of Commons has been defied, and then to accept the DUKE'S challenge. If force-riot, dis- order, arson, and spoliation are what his grace wants,, well, he must have them. There is nothing but the House of Commons between law and order and anarchy, and in a scramble, with law nowhere, it will not be the Duke of WESTMINSTER and his sort who will come best off. The defect of all local governing bodies is that I they curtail thvir own privileges, narrow down their- own powers, aud contract in every possible way the rights conferred upon them by Acts of Parliament. It is paid that one of the best results of the in- vestigations before the members of the Committ e of the Unemployed is th" clearing up of donb's as te the powers of the Local Authorities. whio re seen to be much more ex'eiuive than was oi-igiii tlly supposed. County Councils have bnen reu ered practically useless by th,j Act of Parliament iieiug narrowly interpreted. We do not think that it is of the least consequence who is elected to ser. e on County Councils. They have done nothing, aid are. in no danger cf 11ojn anything The provisions of the Act that would hi.v<i made County Councils cf use have l>e<>n iguored, aud the clerks of County Councils whi have done m ist to narrow down the powers hive been eeoour<g;d by having tteir salaries raised

MACHYNLLETH. •is f from the Cambrian News "ffice m0<ierat" number present. "F°n°W me'" There W a° krge r AIR.— A lair was held on Wednesday I Th?reCr °f ^ngUsh* ?ealers and farmers attended6 Jattle Tnri a f0r tbe better da8s of h<»ee» and cattle, and good prices were realized. LECTURE.-On Wednesday last Professor Owen Criccieth delivered a lecture at the Town Hall. The meeting had been called chiefly by circular and between SO .nd 90 attended. T T. ,J -r., occupied the chair. H SodSfh^ MfBE"Na-At the weekly meeting of this PenUr Wn? Maengwyn on Monday evening, Mr S'nr ff ^.B A gave a brief history of the Rev Dr Edwards and his works," and Mr Edward fauKnS'f.irM1'" °n- • Whether confession of faith is needful (a oes eisieu cyffes- ffydd). Mr R. Edwards, Cambrian House, gave a summary o the weekly events. The Rev W. S. Jones presided. t 11ATilL AcdDENT.—On Monday morning, owiog to a fall of rock, a man named Robert Ellis Jones, of Brynwg, near Machynlleth, was killed while foltewihc his employment at Llwyngwern Quarry. The body V Machynlleth, and an inquest was opened by Mr J. Rowlands. Evidence as to identifioa- tion was given by Mr James Lewis, after which the nnnn^n adjourned the inquest until Thursday after- The deceased U thG InsPector of Mines could attend. In nf T^ i-ir t waa about 40 years of age, was the Ellis Jones, wheelwright, Llanwrin, and leaves a widow and two children BALE OF LivE STOCK.-Messrs R. Gillart and Sons vJi lrw°°i Periodical sale at the Wynnstay hotel Yard on Wednesday (fair day) when a large number of horses, cattle, and sheep were disposed of. The auctioneers had offered a prize of jEl is. for the best mare or gelding for agricultural purposes, which was taken by Mr John Jones, Maesllefrith, Towyn. A similar prize for a cob, mare, or gelding was given to Mr William Williams, Pentre-bach, Llwyugwril. Mr t L Tymawr, Towyn, was awarded £ 1 Is. for the best pen of ten fat sheep. There were many entries in the above classes. Messrs T. Carruthers and Richard Jones, veterinary surgeon, T ,wyn, acted as judges. There was a good attendance of dealers, butchers, and others. ST. DAVID'S DAY.-On St. David's Day the members of the Women s Temperance Union were entertained with tea and cake at the English Chapel Schoolroom by Mrs Meredith. Penrhyn Dyfi. The tables had been decorated with plants and flowers which complied with the good things which their hostess had p ovided, presented a very inviting appearance. The following ladies presided at the various tables Mrs Meredith, Mrs Hugh Davies, Mrs Rowlands, Rock Villa Mrs Lloyd, Bank-place Mrs Williams, Post Office Mrs Williams, Bank Mrs J. B. Davies, Miss Meredith, Miss Catherine Pugh, and Miss Petra Jones. In the evening the members entertained each other with songs recitations, and short addresses. Tha junior members contributed a large portion of the items on the programme much to their credit. Mrs F-=ulkes Jones (the president) sent a telegram from London with good wishes to the members. Mrs Hugh Davies presided over the meeting. LOST. On Saturday evening, two students arrived in the town on their way to fill there Cyhoeddiad." One was due at Melinberhedyn, and the other at Dylife. Both appeared to be strangers to the locality. They made enquiries as to what road to take, aud for some miles their road ran in the same direction ao they went together. Everything appears to have gone on all right until they parted. The one going to Melin- berhedyn had to leave his friend to find his way to Dylife as best he could. The latter reached Caeeitha, where he was given directions as to the road he was to follow. After which he started. Early the next morn- ing (Sunday) the inhabitants of Esgairllyn received an unexpected visitor in the person ot our friend, who it appears lost his way and spent the night on the moon- tains, He was kindly attended to by Mrs Thomas, and after partaking of some refreshments he expressed his determination to keep his publication at Dylife, so a guide was found and our friend reached his destina- tion safely and preached a capital sermon, appearing none the worse after his long tramp, and having spent the night on the mountains. It is a source of wonder that he escaped the dangers which surrounded him on all hands, considering the mountains had a heavy coat of snow. COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTION.—Everything passed off quietly here on Saturday last. The polling took place at the Town Hall, Mr John Rowlands acting as pre- siding officer. Both candidates and their committee- men worked hard to get their snpporteis to record their votes and the polling was kept up until every possible voter had recorded his or her vote. rhe poll was the heaviest ever taken here, and reached 360. Counting commenced soon after 8.15, and the result was made known before 9 to some hundreds of people who were anxiously waiting outside the Hall. There were present at the counting on behalf of Mr Richard Rees: Messrs E. L1. Evans, D. D. Williams, D. E. Davies, W. M. Jones, H. Lewis, and John Pugh. On behalf of Lord Henry Vane Tempest, Messrs E. Gillart, R. Gillart, Joseph Evans, Thomas Lloyd, N. Ll. Jones, and John Lewis. Mr Rowlands was the returning officer, and the official counters were Messrs Pentir Williams and D. P. Jones, from Mr Rowlands' office. The result was made known from the btlcony, the figures being: Rees, 180; Vane Tempest, 176; majority, 4. Mr Rees, on leaving the Hall, was met by a num- ber of his supporters who carried him in triumph through the streets with cheers. After reaching his residence he thanked them for returning him to repre- sent them on the Council. Mr Rees's majority at the last election was two. PETTY SESSIONS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6TH.— Before Major J. J. Bonsall and Edward Davies, Esq. Maintenance. W m. Arthur, Pentrerhedyn-street, mason, was charged by Jane Arthur, Graigfach, Mach- ynlleth, with disobeying an order to mamtaia his wife and family. The case had b^en adjourned from last Sessions.—The Bench, in giving their decision, said that the furniture which was in the possession of the defendant should be sold in order to pay to *ards his wife's maintenance and he was also to clear the balance due from him to his wife before the next Sessions.—The defendant said he could not pay but after it had been well explained to him that he would have to go to prison in default, he agreed to the decision. Alleged Poaching for Salmon.-Thomas Themas, Dolsgellog, Cemmes, farmer, was charged by Frederick Wakefield, Cwmllini, Cemmes, water bailiff, with having a gaff in his possession for the purpose of taking salmon in the River Dovey on the 20th February.— The complainant said that about half-past t,%o. in the afternoon of the day in question he saw the defendant about two or three yards from the river-side of the Dovey on Dolsgellog land. He (the complainant) was about 200 or 300 yards distant. from the defendant, but on the same side of the river. The defendant was then on his own land. After following the defendant for some time he suddenly came upon him in the act of gaffing a fine salmon. When the complainant approached he threw the gaff away. Complainant then went up to him and said that he had cautioned him several times before about the practice, and the only reply he vouchsafed was that he (witness) had no right to take possession of the gaff. (The gaff was produced and was attached to a broken stick) Complainant stated that he had cut about two yards off the stick.— The Bench imposed a fine of JE1 including costs, the gaff to be forfeited to the complainant. The Bench, however, did not approve of the action of the Bailiff in cutting off part of, the stick.—The complainant, replying, said that those were the instructions he had received from Mr W. R.. Davies, solicitor, Dol-) gelley. ? Trawfer.-Wilson Pattison, Machynlleth, applied1 for the transfer of tne licence of the Ship Vaults from Mi Evan Humphreys, Newtown.—A letter was read from Mr Humphreys regretting his inability to be present, and wishing the Bench to know that he was quite agreeable to the transfer.—There being no objec- -• tion to the transfer the application was granted. Common Lodging-house.—The Chairman asked the Clerk if he had received any reply from the Machyn- lleth Urban Council relating to the matter of having a common lodging-house in the town ?—The Clerk re- plied that the letter had been laid before the Council, but nothing was done in the matter.—Mr 8. Davies Ye there is something done. It was left in abeyance. (Laughter.)

IViwtmq Appointments. MR VAUGHAN DAVIES'S FOX HOUNDS. WILL MEET .March 12th L!a lilar 10.30. THii XK'JADDPAWR FOXHOUNDS. WiLLMEET. :a; March 14th Bank House, Aberayon R eh ilay at 10-38.

f TON KOYAL HOTEL and Gogerddau L..4 Arm- Spnrtiug gentlem-n w.ll find every con- I t. Jit' abov.. Hotel. Two Billiard T.) hlcs, F O.^EJH. leiiia, Hun'.era and Lady's Pack. » o-l .tMirg aud Loose Boxes. LITHOGRAPHING of Every Description Executed at th "CAMBRIAN NEWS OFFICE. <