The Brecon County Times Neath Gazette and General Advertiser for the Counties of Brecon Carmarthen Radnor Monmouth Glamorgan Cardigan Montgomery Hereford

BIRTHS. DAVIES.—At the School House, Talybont, Aug. 21, the wife of Mr. D. R. Davies of a daughter. MARRIAGES. DIXOK—WHITTT.—At the Priory Church, Brecon, Aug. 19, by the Rev. Herbert Williams, vicar, John Bishop Dixon, Esq., solicitor, Neath, to Mrs. Harriett Anne Whitty, of Briton Ferry. LLOYD—JAXES.—At the Register Office, Crickhowell, Aug. 19 (by license), before Mr. Thomas Jones, registrar, and in the presence of Mr. T. Williams, superintendent registrar, Mr. John Lloyd, of the Foundry, to Miss Mary Ann James, both of Bryn- mawr. M'CAKTT—KNOWLES.—At the Roman Catholic Church, Dukestown, Aug. 19, by the Rev. John O'Sullivan, in the presence of Mr. T. Jones, registrar, Mr. Daniel M'Carthy to Miss Bridget Knowles, both of Brynmawr. DEATHS. PERKS.—At his residence, the Bulwark, Brecon, Aug. 19, of inflammation of the lungs, Mr. Thomas Chandler Perks, High Bailiff of the Breconshire County Courts, aged 42 years. POWELL.-At Llanfaes, Brecon, Aug. 23, Elizabeth Powell, widow, aged 89 years.

ABERGAVENNY. OPENING OF THE GIRLS' AND INFANTS' NATIONAL SCHOOLS. The inhabitants of Abergavenny cannot be accused of apathy in the matter of popular education those who know what the condition of the place was 20 or 25 years ago cannot but be agrpeably struck with the contrast between its prospects, in an educational point of view, then and now. Few means of imparting knowledge to the lower orders then existed, and the social state of the place earned for its inhabitants a stigma more appropriate than flattering. Thanks, how- ever, to the persevering efforts of the leading men of the place, encouraged and assisted by those for whom those efforts were put forth, things have undergone a change, and such educational facilities have been afforded as were only required to give an impulse to that general disposition to improvement which exists naturally amongst the inhabitants of the town, while, at the same time, the stigma before mentioned has been removed with the cause, and it may not be unrea- sonable to hope that the town, which is now in posses- sion of such educational privileges, will in time be characterized by a name as flattering as that formerly applied was degrading. Many, undoubtedly, were the difficulties to be surmounted in obtaining those privileges, but the energy of those who had taken the matter in hand was equal to the emergency, diffi- culties only tended to increase their ardour, and perseverance has been, as it invariably is, attended with the desired success. Under their forming liand the desert smiled, And Paradise was open'd in the wild." It was not until some time afier the attention of these gentlemen had been turned to the improvement of the male portion of the population that arrangements were made for providing suitable and similar measures for the education of the female portion. The neglect of private education has bpen too general throughout the countrv, and this fact must be a matter of regret when it is considered what an influence for ultimate good or evil, for ultimate success or failure, is exerted upon the minds of the rising generation by that portion of the community. The task of "teaching the young idea devolves upon the female parent-, and we are not far wrong when we say that in nine cases out of every ten the impressions formed under their care are never erased, but continue to exert their influence to a greater or less extent, and for better or worse," until the end of life. We have not space to descant upon this important question as we should wish, but we may say that the efforts that have lately been made in the cause of education at Abergavenny reflect the greatest credit on all concerned and we may again express the hope that Abergavenny will in this, as in all other matters calculated to improve the moral or mental welfare of her people, continue to deserve the character given of it by an old anti- quarian, who describes it as "a fine town, wealthy, and thriving, the very best in the shire." The girls' and infants' schools were formally opened on Thursday, the 15th instant. Divine service was held in the parish church at 4 p.m., when an excellent sermon was preached by the Rev. William Capel, from 1st Cor., xi. 2, "Moreover, it is re quired in stewards for a man to be found faithful." After the conclusion of Divine service a public tea-meetii.g was held in the new school-rooms, which were very tastefully and skilfully decorated with fes- toons of evergreens, interspprsed with choice bouquets of flowers. Handsome bouquets of flowers also graced the tables whereon the refreshments were laid. Pre- vious to the tea-meeting the inauguration service was performed in the recreation ground by the reverend Vicar, who, after reading appropriate sentences from the Psalm-, offered up prayer, asking for a continuation of that Divine Providence which had so far attended them in their undertaking. The company adjourned to the school rooms, and about 600 partook of the refreshing beverage, together wi h the usual accom- paniments. The tables were then cleared, and prepa. rations made for the proceedings, which we subjoin. The Rev. Bury Capel (vicar) opened the meeting with an address. In the first place he would, he said, on behalf of the building committee and himself, wish all present a hearty welcome. (Applause.) He was sure he spoke sincerely when he said he was pleased to see so many present, and he expressed the hope that the interest which had hitherto been exhibited on behalf of these schools would not cease now that they were about to be opened. (Hear, hear.) The work was now about to be brought to a termination, and he thought he should on such an occasion very briefly give them an idea of what they had done. Some people com- plained that they had beenla long time about it, and so, in one sense, they had, but if they knew what they had had to go through, he thought they would acknowledge that they had not been longer than was absolutely necessary. About the month of February, 1864, a public meeting was held in the Free Grammar School, in that town, but, owing to its being a very wet night, it was very thinly attended. Certain resolutions were passed, empowering a number of gentlemen, who were kind enough to do so, to act as a building committee. These gentlemen immediately proceeded to work, and the first thing they did was to endeavour to find a site. A sub-committee was appointed for that purpose, and after considerable difficulty and after looking at many sites in the town, the site was chosen on which they were asscmbled that evening He ought, perhaps, to have told the assembly that when he first came to Abergavenny as vicar one of the first things he did was to look at the schools. He found an excellent boys' school but when he came to the girls' school it struck him that he ought to attempt, with the help. of his parishioners, to build a new girls' and infants' school. The room in which the school was then held was totally unfit for the purpose, although it was the best that could be obtained at the time. One thing rather disheartened him in his endeavour to obtain schools in the town, and that was he was told by some that it would be almost impossible to build schools of any magnitude; that when the boys' schools were to be built such difficulty was found in getting the money together that had it not been for the large contribution of £ 900 from the Bedgworth Cnarity, the boys' schools would never have been built. His reply was, "It is not my intention to say I will build schools (or cause them to be built), but, with God's blessing I will try (applause), and if the parishioners of Abergavenny will not come forward as they ought, on their shoulders will the responsibility lie, and not on mine," Now they saw how they had succeeded, and how wonderfully the money had been collected, and he might make the announcement now —an announcement he was proud to make—that he thought (and he spoke advisedly) that, with the money that had been promised to them, they would be out of debt or nearly so. (Hear, hear.) "But to resume. The first thing the committee did was, after selecting a site, to appoint persons to go round and collect; and his good friend Dr. E. Y. Steele (hear, hear) came round with him. He was not paying Mr. Steele a compliment when he said that he thought it was owing to his kind way of asking those to whom they went for a subscription, the collection of the money was due, He (himself) went round as- a mere cypher, and he considered then, as he did now, that the main staple of the colleelion was due tomr. Steele's kindness. (Hear, hear.) When they (the committee) saw their way clear, they applied to Government, and then it was their difficulties commenced. Government bad many requirements of one kind or another, and thev sent plan after plan to them for their consideration. But he was forestalling his story. He must say that they had to choose their architect, and after examining the plans of several gentlemen who sent them in, they fixed upon Mr. Nevill. (Hear, hear.) His plans were sent to Government, and then they were sent back again, to be altered, and there they kept going back- wards and forwards for a period of nearly eighteen months (laughter), until at last they nearly began to get tired. There were certain conditions exacted in connection with the expense, and one of those was that they should not exceed a certain mark. When the tenders were sent in they thought they had selected one which would come within the desired limit, and they immediately (before they had obtained the sanction of Council) deliberately laid the foundation of their schools. What was their surprise to find that when they received their letters from Government their plan was rejected, and the work which they had in hand of laying the foundation stone was laid on one side. Now, he dared say some of them (especially the ladies) would say, What silly people those gentlemen were (laughter) to begin the schools before they were sure the Government would sanction their proceedings." He would explain to them why they did so. A gentleman in the town said to him, "I don't know whether you are aware that there is a communication from Government respecting public money. They lay their hands upon all money connected with chari- ties, and as the^Bedgworth charity will contribute £ 300 towards your schools, Government will pounce upon it, if you don't begin at once." Well, they were obliged to begin at once, and nobody asked any ques tions, so they took the stone up afterwards and laid it in another place. (Laughter.) One month after that he sent a demand or request for payment of the X300 and that sum was paid over to the bankers. Two days after that money was paid into their hands, an order came from Government that no money was to be paid and although they did look rather foolish over it, they bad got the £ 300. (Laughter and applause.) He considered this a pretty good specimen of the difficulties they had to go through. Government had refused their plans, and what were they to do? Well, they prepared more and sent them, but one day a plan came down from London with a bit of scribbling in the corner, which he took for a sort of sketch of what the schools ought to be. A note from Sir Thomas Phillips informed them what it was, and he told Mr. Nevill to draw his plans like it. He did so, and they were returned accepted. They could not help them- selves then. The tender for the building was given to Messrs. Jones and Son, and in a wonderfully short time these beautiful rooms were built, and brought almost in the state they saw them. Lastly, they had a second canvass. Mr. Christopher Davies, Mr. Lawrence Baker, Mr. Ashwin, and Mr. Steele, went round the town, and the result was that they would be able to balance their accounts satisfactorily to themselves. He would just mention further that they would spend from beginning to end £ 2,150. Out of that sum they had collected locally over £ 1,000. (Applause.) Then from the Bedgworth Charity they got ze300, while Government granted X404. The National Society and the Local Diocesan Board made the subscription to £ 600, and the balance was made up by persons interested in the parish, such as the Earl of Abergavenny. Between all they made up the sum of X2,150, and he must say it was a sum that did great credit to the town and parish of Abergavenny. He truly hoped it was an earnest of future collections (hear, hear) whenever they might be made. He could not say they had any idea in their minds at the present moment for which to call upon them for a subscription, although a hard working member of the committee had suggested one or two things which might be carried out, they must, however, allow a little breathing time. (Hear, hear.) He must, before he concluded, mention the names of those gentlemen to whom their thanks were due in this matter. He had already mentioned Dr. Steele, and added to his name, he must mention those of Mr. Christopher Davies (their treasurer), Mr. Manley Ashwin, and Mr. George Peake (their secretaries); he would also thank the working committee. The working part of the committee comprised about one-half of those appointed; the rest of the committee did them the honour of countenancing their proceedings, but somehow they never saw anything ot them. (Laughter.) He thought their thanks were due to the architect (hear, hear) for his perseverance, and also to Messrs. Jonei and Sun, the builders. (Hear, hear.) He was glad to see bo: h of those gentlemen present. It must be highly satisfactory to Messrs. Jones to know that every one who had seen these rooms had expressed unqualified approbation of the way in which they had been built. It was highly satisfactory to themselves (the committee). The other day Archdeacon Crawley, who knew how places ought to be built, walked over those rooms and exclaimed, What beautiful rooms you have here; what is the cost of them?" He mentioned the cost, and he said, "Well, let me tell you this: they are built in a first rate way, and you have an uncommonly good bargain." They were uncommonly cheap; so cheap, indeed, that Messrs. Jones and Son must get an uncommonly small profit out of them. Those "facings" they saw in the large window and the two smaller ones they intended to have of wood, because the committee of council insisted upon cutting down the estimates to such an extent that they could not afford to make them of stone. They, however, saw that they were of stone, and those stone facings were the gift of Messrs. Jones and Son. (Applause.) He thought it right to mention such a mark of liberality on their part. He must now come to the ladies. The arrangements for this even- ing's enjoyment devolved upon a committee of ladies. The gentlemen thought they had better retire from such a thing, as the ladies understood them better than they did. They had seen the result of their labours, and he hoped it gave them all satisfaction. (Applause). Miss Nevill understood the decorations, and he must mention her particularly (hear, hear), but all the ladies had given up their time and labour day after day in a very hard-working way, and they deserved their heartiest thanks. (Hear, hear.) Before he concluded the mention of those to whom thanks ought to be given, there were two whose names stood out, in his mind, pre-eminent. Those were Mr. and Mrs. Peake. (Applause.) It was to the untiring perse- verance of Mr. and Mrs. Peake that the girls and infants of that town and parish had had the benefit of such education they were able to give them at that poor place in Byfield-lane. He did not know how many years since the question was put before them of providing that place; but from that time to this they had been indefatigable in carrying out those schools; indeed they had done so up to some time after he came amongst them. They avoided no responsibility in performing these duties, and he thought such labours as theirs should be acknowledged. (Applause.) He felt great pleasure in adding his testimony to the value of the labours of Mr. and Mrs. Peake, on behalf of the children whom they were about to move into the new schools. He bad mentioned the name of Sir Thomas Phillips. He thought they must all feel that they had experienced a sad loss in losing Sir Thomas. He gave a donation of X30 to begin with, in connection with the schools, and a further donation of £ 15, with the promise that lie would contribute another £ 5 if they wanted more. He was their advocate in London, and from the National Society, unknown to him (the Vicar), he obtained for them an extra grant of X40, their first grant being 2120. They must all lament that it had pleased God to take Sir Thomas Phillips from them. He was a good friend to schools (applause); he was a good friend to that town (hear, hear); and although he trusted they should be able to carry on the good work, they could not but feel that they had sustained a great loss. His decease had left as it were a gap amongst them. Most liberal was he towards the boys' school-whenever there was a deficit in the funds he would take out his cheque-book and say, That settles the matter." It was seldom they found a man willing to do that. In conclusion the reverend speaker said that Mr. Peake had accepted the offices of treasurer and secretary to the schools, and would be most happy to receive any contributions with which he might be entrusted. They were all in the dark as regarded the sums they would require in the working of the schools, but for whatever they wanted they would have to apply to their parishioners, and he trusted that what- ever they did want (and they would try to be as economical as they could, consistently with the welfare of the children), they would have no difficulty in collecting. Mr. Capel then added a few sapient re- marks on the importance of a good home influence, and hoped the parents would try their best to strengthen the good the children obtained at school by a good example at home (applause). Glee Among the Barley." Solo—Mrs, Bevan The Banks of Allan Water." SOLO—Pianoforte .■ Miss Pritchard. Solo—Mis» Greenland. Angels, ever bright and fair." The Rev. Henry Peake then addressed the meeting. He expressed himself grateful for the handsome way in which the reverend Vicar had spoken of him. Sur- rounded as he (the speaker) was by so large a number of familiar faces, and assembled as they were on such an occasion, he could not feel otherwise than happy. The company had evinced such a sympathy and such a union of sentiment in taking up the matter before them, that it must make them experience a ieeliug akin to solemnity. He thought there never was a day in Abergavenny like this one. (Hear, hear.) He had had the pleasure of living in the neighbourhood for thirty. three years, and was in a position, therefore, to flatter the denizens of that lovely valley. He did not think there was another spot in the world where they would find altogether such charming scenery more salubrious air, or more enjoyment of health. That enjoyment would be very materially enhanced by the blessed Avork they bad undertaken. (Hear, hear.) However, they must thank God their lines were cast in such pleasant places. They must not forget that there was something more necessary for the happiness of life, and that was domestic comfort. The ladies, he dared say, would at once appreciate that brief remark. (Hear, hear.) It was that one thing which had influenced himself and his partner in taking that interest in, and in carrying on, without unwillingness, or without re- luctance for a single moment, as far as in their power lay, the work of education of the young. The one point he referred to was this, that the greater part of domestic comfort depended upon the female branch of the community. If they had not in their houses a number of well-trained servants, and if tfeeir poorer brethren had not likewise for the sharers of their labours, well-trained, well-principled, and well-dis- ciplined partners, would there be one day without sorrow and bitter disappointment? They were all, then, every one of them, deeply interested in this matter, and he hoped it had something to do with the delightful readiness in which they had assembled together in church and in that room, to join in their appreciation of the good work which had been carried on. That parish was highly favoured in many respects; they had the best boys' school in Wales-he heard some one say the other day that it was the best in the world (laughter). Now, he wanted them to have the best girls' and infants' schools in Wales, and they had very fair prospects of obtaining that point. He could testify that they had an excellent mistress for the girls to begin with; he had seen her work very well with the means and appliances she had had, and he did not doubt they would be able to lay their hands on an equally efficient mistress for the infants. Remember, the better their schools were the more help they would have from Government, and the better the children attended, and the better they were taught, the less they would have to draw upon their individual funds for any deficiency that might occur. I.et him remind them that whether their houses should be comfortable, whether they could get their servants to do their work on principle, depended, in a very great measure, on the Christian habits and influences instilled in those schools. The training of the mind, and the training of the habits would stand them in good stead in life, and he impressed upon parents the necessity of attend- ing to the important words of their Vicar, who said, take care you do not undo at home the good done at school." Mr. Peake added a few more remarks ia praise of the ladies who kindly assisted in preparing for this occasion, and concluded. Glee. Song—Mrs. Bevan .8cotch ballad. Tianoforte duet-The Misses Williams.Selection from "Don Giovanni." Dr. E. Y. Steele then addressed the assembly. After referring to the flattering terms in which their reverend Vicar had spoken of him, he said he had been deeply interested in the success bf those schools from the commencement, and therefore should feel he ought to be ashamed of himself if he could not stand up before them and answer the vicar's call on such an auspicious occasion, when they were all met to crown the (difice their labours had constructed, and to pray for God's blessing on the useful work which was to be carried on. (Hear, hear.) He would allude first to a subject which arose out of the detail of the arrangements for the day's proceedings. The committee had a meeting to arrange matters, and the question was asked, Whom shall we have to preach the sermon ?" The names of bishops and others were mentioned, but he raised his voice and said, "Mr. Vicar, if you want to draw a good congregation and gratify the parishioners of Abergavenny, ask your brother, and I am sure he will not only give an admir- able sermon, but will be listened to with very great pleasure, both by those who had the pleasure of hearing him before, as well as by strangers So, he was sure, it had turned out, and if they would allow him, he would propose that the thanks of the meeting be given to the Rev. William Capel for the admirable sermon he had preached that day. (Applause ) He would add that the oftener he came to Abergavenny the better. They did not want to turn his brother out of the pulpit, but they wanted him to come and help as often as he could. He would now turn more especially to the proceedings of the day, and truly he might say it was a memorable day in the history of their little town. For the many years, for the many centuries he might say, during which genc-ration after generation had lived and paised away, during which the voices of children had been heard sorrowing or' rejoicing in their streets, for the first time a suitable building had been provided, wherein to gather together the girls and younger children of the poorest classes,—waifs and straj s on the rocky shore of life; wherein to teach them, to afford them, to impart to them the blessings of education and not only that, but by the training of a careful discipline to make them useful and happy members of the community. (Applause.) When he spoke of this as the first building of the kind, he begged it to be understood he did not intend to ignore or undervalue that school which had been provided by the munificence of Miss Herbert. Admirable, how- ever, as its object was, and great as had been its success, its scope was too limited and its regulations too select for the admission of those 11 waifs and strays" he had alluded to, and for whom they had provided these buildings. They had heard from the addresses which had been given them of the difficulties which had to be surmounted in order to accomplish the results which were now, he might say with pride and satisfaction, presented to them by the building com- mittee. \Vhen in a^ long and toilsome journey they met with obstructions, some disheartening, many unexpected, a break-down here, a misdirection further on, amid clouds of dust and storms of rain, their fears and their hopes for the safe termination of their journey, nothing but the dauntless determination to persevere in the scheme prevented them from turning back on the road in despair but when the rugged hills had been surmounted, and the dangers and trials of the road left behind, when reaching at last the long- wished-for resting place, they turned round to contem- plate the lovely scene round them, then the remembrance of their trials added a zest to their pleasure, and shed a lustre over their success. (Applause.) So had it been wi h them, during the long and difficult course they had had to run, and that night they had all assembled to give with their kind hands the finishing touch to their labours which had occupied so many busy months. He hoped and trusted that having now told them on the part of the committee that they were happy to see them there, they would allow that they had carried out the work in a creditable manner. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) It might be that they, who through their generous assistance had been able to do this, might take for their little child more credit than was due they might seem to regard it as better in form and feature than it really was, and more handsome and shapely than in their opinioa it was entitled to be considered (hear, hear) but he must remind them that beauty after all was but skin deep, and that in all matters of this kind there were different opinioni. To gratify all would be a most difficult, if not a hopeless task. Moreover, as their excellent vicar had told them, they had imperious masters to deal with who held over them a pair of shears ready to trim off those fascinating ringlets which might have adorned the forehead of their little one however, he would, on the part of the building committee, assure them that the walls were of the best material and most substan- tially constructed, that the drainage and ventilation were of such a character as to secure for the children all those sanitary advantages which it was possible to afford them, and that was a matter of very great consequence and he hoped that the schools would, under the auspices of tht ir vicar, carry out all those objects which be had had I VIew. (Hear.) It might be that he had exceeded his task, and that it was time to resume his scat, but he felt that he had his duties to perform, some of a pleasant and others of a painful nature, before he had acquitted himself to his own satisfaction; and in the first place, although their vicar had so ably said what they all felt towards Mr. and Mrs. Peake, heasanold and valued friend did feel so deeplytheir worth that he could not allow the vicar to speak alone on the subject, but was bound himself to speak up for what they had done in that town. (Applause.) He must say this, that of all those with whose intimacy he was favoured he knew no more single-minded and more earnest Christians (hear, hear), and in alluding to their schools they must bear in mind that their pecu. niary resources were limited, and they could only provide such a room as they had, poor and unfit as it was. They would, therefore, agree with him that they ought to accord a vote of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Peake for all they had done. The new era in the management of the Girls' and Infants' National Schools originated with the Rev. Bury Capel, and all the honour and credit was due to him for this great improvement in the parish. (Applause.) On his first arrival there he (the speaker) had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with hiai; one of the first things he mentioned to him was his desire to erect such a building as that, and he did him the honour of con- sulting him as an old inhabitant of the town, who knew most of the people, as to what prospects there would be of finding support. Much pecuniary aid and encouragement in many ways would be required to carry out the scheme, and he told him boldly, from his long acquaintance with the town, he was satisfied that, in the liberality and generous disposition of the inhabitants, he would find all the help he would want. He lost no time in putting those promises

APPOINTMENTS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. MOKDAY .Brecon Borough Petty Sessions. TUBSDAT Sale by Mr. David Jones of a Freehold Cottage Residence, at the Red Lion Inn, Bredwardine, at 3 o'clock. "WRRDXK5DAY.Devynock Eisteddfodau. Brynmawr Petty Sessions. THURSDAY Neath Town Council Meeting, and letting of tolls, &c. Defynock Petty Sessions. SATUBDAT Letting of Latter grass, and sale of stock, by Mr. James Hall, at Sunny Bank Farm. Brecon Board of Guardians.

VALE OF CRICKHOWELL RAILWAY. SOME two centuries, or two centuries and a-half —authorities differ on the subject-have passed away since, in the extreme north of England, was first used a contrivance for simplifying the transit of coals from the mines to the places of shipment. It was simple enough, and consisted merely of a double parallel line of wooden beams or trams fixed to the ground, and furnished with flanges, to prevent the wheels of vehicles from slipping aside. It is proverbial that great results have their origin in small beginnings; and in this contrivance we have the nucleus of the modern railway, with all its wonderful machinery —the nest-egg which has produced so much golden fruit and such immense advantages. Before this result was attained, however, many improvements had to be effected, and the inertia and lethargy, as well as the determined and active opposition of many, had to be over- come. In process of time this was achieved, but it needed the genius of a Watt, the inventive faculty of a Trevethick, and the indomitable perseverance and pluck of a Stephenson, before it was shown that the contrivance might be applied to general traffic. The lesson was learnt, though slowly. And then came the mania for railways, and schemes, good, bad, and indif- ferent, were projected, money was spent in profusion, and, indeed, wasted, over circuitous lines, which were eventually superseded. The result of all this enterprise and speculation is that the country is now thoroughly intersected by railways without number, the ramifications of which puzzle the unsophisticated traveller in no small degree. It is impossible to estimate the effect which this change in the mode of convey- ance has caused in the feelings and habits of the people at large. It is certain, however, that they have been revolutionized to an extent far in excess of that which the celebrated Reform Act of '67 will bring about. Places, of some standing before, have risen considerably in status, others, which were unheard of, have come into notoriety; and yet others, which had no existence at all, have been called into being. Trade and com- merce have received a stimulus which could have been imparted to such a degree, in no other way; and means of communication opened to some of the loveliest spots that eyes could wish to gaze upon, and which are scattered in such profusion up and down the country, and espe- cially in the Principality. Amongst the places which hitherto have not been opened up in this way by railway is that of Crickhowell. The inhabitants of that town seem to have continued in the good old way,—son succeeding to father, and being satisfied to continue business in the way it had heretofore been conducted. There were a few enterprising spirits, however, who were not contented with this state of things, and who considered that the town was losing its position and getting" lower. and lower, and lower." The result of their exertions to save the town from the fate which appeared to be impending was that, in 1864, an Act was obtained to make a railway from Crickhowell to Abergavenny; and two years later another Act was obtained to complete the line to Talybont. Without particu- larising the causes which have led to the present position of the scheme, it is sufficient to know that the promoters have now one of two courses left for them to adopt—either the line must be made without delay, or it must be given up altogether, at all events for many years"to come. If the latter alternative were adopted, all the labour and expense of obtaining the necessary Acts would be rendered of no avail; and if at any future period there should be found men of sufficient enterprise again to revive the idea, all that has been done would have to be gone over again. This is a fact which must be borne in mind by all who are in the slightest degree inter- ested in the affair. The meeting held at Crick- howell last week had really to choose between the two courses mentioned. Of course an under- taking of this kind is not to be embarked in rashly, and the character of the district through which the proposed line is to run must be taken into consideration, as well as the country, east, west, north, and south of it. Upon these things depend the measure of prosperity that will attend the scheme. In reference to the prospect of the line eventually paying, we must confess that a t, very fair case in behalf of the project was put before the meeting by Mr. Cox Davies, the -secretary., I-p. his observations he necessarily edealt with t;Le wAOTe scheme, embracing the line kom Crickho,we» .to Abergavenny, and the ^tension to Talybont or Brtaoij, though the first-zaentiofied of these lines will be the to ,jrhich precedence j»j?obstruction will ;be given. He estimated the possible earnings of the line at S20 per mile, and after allowing S50 per cent. for working expenses, there would be a balance left equal to a dividend of 5 per cent. upon the capital employed. Looking at the neighbourhood in which the line will be, and its connections, it cannot be said that the estimated receipts is at all in excess. We cannot here go into the details, the consideration of which caused Mr. Davies to come to this conclusion; for these particulars we must refer our readers to his speech. Suffice it to say, however, that none questioned the amount as being a probable one. What with passenger traffic, therefore, and the ordinary goods traffic, besides that of coal and lime, the Yale of Crickhowell Railway would stand as good a chance as most lines of being a profitable undertaking. And what shall be said of the general convenience to the district ? Will this be nominal, and is it to be reckoned as nothing ? Surely not. From the landowner to the profes- sional man, and from the shopkeeper to the poorest labourer, all will receive benefit from the line. Probably the large landowners are in a better position than many others, and the means of conveyance which they have at hand can be made available for their purposes. Notwith- standing this, however, they will benefit con- siderably by the carrying out of the scheme, from the increased value the railway will give to their land. To men of business, also, the line will afford greater facilities for travelling and for the carriage of their goods, and they will be enabled to supply their customers with far greater despatch than at present, while trade generally will undoubtedly be increased. It has been complained that commercial travellers seldom visit Crickhowell, and content themselves with merely writing to ask if they can be favoured with orders. This is an obvious disadvantage, and a remedy for the evil will be found in the line it is proposed to make. Both directly and indirectly it will be of immense advantage to the towns of Abergavenny and Crickhowell, as well as to the district generally. This being so, what objection can there be to the proposal ? A good deal was said at the meeting about the beauty of the locality; and probably there are those who look with disfavour on a scheme which may in some small measure detract from the loveliness of the landscape. We are not inclined to yield to any in our love for the beautiful. We have no sympathy with those who can look unmoved on scenes of quiet beauty, or feel no thrill in gazing on nature in some of her wilder moods to whom a flower is but a flower, and the sound of the rippling brook has no music of its own. The most sesthetical, however, would find any or all of these unsubstantial food; and however much we may feel inclined to regret seeing man's rude handiwork interfering with what a mightier Artificer has wrought, yet the beautiful must sometimes, in this work-a-day world, give Vv.y to the useful. On this score, therefore, it is hoped no opposition will be offered; and the duty of landowners, and men of wealth and position, is clear. Responsible contractors, Messrs. George Bolton and Co., of Barnard Castle, near Durham, have undertaken to make the line from Aberga- venny to Crickhowell for S33,000, taking £ 10,250 in shares. They stipulate, however, that they shall be put in possession of the land, and that a local subscription shall be raised amounting to £ 10,000. This is the lowest sum that is neces- sary to float the concern and it is little enough if the landowners of the district only rose up to appreciate the importance of the proposed scheme, and their, duty in the matter. Archdeacon Davies, who is one of the largest landowners that would have to be dealt with, has consented to sell the requisite land, taking half its value in shares, and giving credit for the other half. His example in this respect is one which we shall hope to see followed by all in similar positions of comparative affluence. It is certainly a marvel that in the age in which we live, a town like Crick- howell should be so behind the times as to be entirely without railway accommodation. So long as this is the case it will continue to be a circum- stance which is much to be deplored," and indeed a shame" upon the enterprise, or want of enter- prise, of the inhabitants of the district. We can scarcely conceive, however, that such a blot will remain upon it much longer, and that what was formerly one of the briskest little towns in Breconshire, doing a good trade," should con- tinue to be one of the dullest." The gods help those who help themselves," and we trust that the inhabitants of Crickhowell and neigh- bourhood will set about helping themselves in a thoroughly earnest manner. In the words of the resolution, therefore, we call upon all friends and neighbours who have wealth, influence, or aid, to give their hearty assistance to the final effort now making to secure to the town the great advantage of railway communication."

THE FORTHCOMING REGATTA. We last week stated that in consequence of the regatta of last year having been so successful an affair, arrangements were in progress for getting up a similar one. The object the promoters have in view is a worthy one, and we therefore cordially wish them every success in their endeavours. We gather that the surplus funds from the regatta are to be devoted towards the purchase of a freehold building suitable for the literary institutions of the town, and for the establishment of a free reading room for working men. We are now enabled to give our readers a fuller explanation of the intentions of the promoters of this affair. They are no doubt aware that there are in Brecon at the present time, several reading rooms. We would not wish for one moment to decry the advan- tages that these institutions-and they are too well known to need particularising—afford to their mem- bers. They have supplied the wants of the inhabi- tants for some years past. It has, however, been felt by some gentlemen of influence in the town that one really good literary institution would be preferable to three or four of a mediocre quality, and that it would be a great advantage to the members of all these institutes, and to the town in general, if arrangements could be made for an amal- gamation. The amount yearly paid in rent would go a good way towards purchasing a suitable building, and the ordinary subscriptions, with perhaps a little extraneous assistance, would be sufficient to defray working expenses. We are given to understand that a building suitable in all respects for such an institu- tion will shortly be in the market, and it is felt that as such an opportunity may not occur again for a very long time, if ever, it will be desirable to make an effort to secure it. Such, in brief, are the objects which the leading members of the regatta committee have in view. Independently of this object, it is not often that "red-letter days" occur in the history of this town, and the proposal to afford a day's enjoyment to the inhabitants generally will therefore, we should think, meet with the hearty approval and co-operation of all. The event is fixed to take place on Wednesday, the 11th Sept., and we believe the large and influential committee, with his worship the Mayor at its head, will use their utmost exertions to make the affair as successful and enjoyable as it can possibly be. The programme is of a very attractive character. In addi- tion to the regatta, in which t6Oin prizes will be offered for competition, there will be a variety of out-door sports, and competitions for prizes of the value of £10, and a magnificent pyrotechnic display will conclude the proceedings. The railway companies will run special trains at low fares, boats will be conveyed free of charge, and every facility will be afforded to those living at a distance to enable them to be present at the fete. There will, therefore, no doubt, be a goodly gathering, and should the weather be favourable, a very enjoyable day may be expected.

BRECKNOCKSHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.—It will be seen from an advertisement in another column that the annual exhibition of stock in connection with this society is to take place on Thursday, the 26th Sept. All entries must be made (in writing) not later than Monday, the 9th. The ploughing match is to take place on Tuesday, the 24th Sept. THE FIEE ESCAPE.-This useful contrivance was out again on Monday evening last, when the brigade had a little more practice in their duties, and each acquitted himself creditably. They fixed the engine before the Town Hall and several other large buildings, and its appearance, as usual, created a good deal of excitement amongst the residents of the streets through which it passed. EXCURSION.—Another excursion was run to Brecon on the Neath and Brecon Railway, on Saturday last. The excursionists on this occasion were the workmen, with their wives and children, from the Vernon Tin Works, Briton Ferry, and the Ynispenllwch Tin Works, between Neath and Swansea. They started from the Glais station about 7 o'clock a.m., and arrived at Brecon between 9 and 10. On arriving in the town the band, which played some lively strains, headed the excursionists, who proceeded through the principal streets, and then dispersed in various directions. Though the weather was rather unpropitious, the company seemed thoroughly to enjoy their trip. They started from Brecon on their return a little before six o'clock, p.m., and got back safely.—At a meeting re- cently held of the committee for carrying out the late Odd-fellows' excursion to Swansea, the following re- solution was unanimously passed :—" Resolved, that the thanks of this meeting be presented to Mr. Morley, traffic manager of the Neath and Brecon Railway, for the courtesy, attention, and care, with which he man- aged the details of the excursion to Swansea, on Monday, Aug. 12, 1867.—Signed on behalf of the committee, HERBERT RICH, secretary." THE NEW NATIONAL SCHOOLS.—In our report of the proceedings in laying the foundation o:rthese schools last week, we briefly stated that they are to be erected in the early English style, by Mr. Rees Price, of this town, from designs by Mr. F. Kempson, of Hereford. We are now enabled to give our readers a few other particulars concerning the building. The schools will be of native stone, the royalty of which has been given by the Marquis Camden. The windows and dressings will also be of native stone. There will be a gable at the south west end, and another at the north east end. Each gable will have a moulded stone coping and ornamented tops, the one at the south-west end will be surmounted by a turret and bell. The roof of the building will be of Pembrokeshire tiles. The school-room will be 61 feet by 23 feet 6 inches, and lighted by five two-light Gothic headed stone windows, three of which, in the south, will be transome windows. The class-room will be 20 feet by IS feet, lighted by a three- light Gothic headed stone window, and fitted with a gallery. Both the school-room and class-room will have in it an ordinary fire-place, wi.rh stone fenders. The entrance to the building will be facing the road, and will lead into a lobby, the school-room being on the right, a lavatory on the left, and a play- ground at the back, about 20 feet by 24 feet. To the left of the lavatory will be the master's house, which will have a parlour, kitchen, and scullery on the ground floor, and three rooms over, besides the usual offices. "The house will of course be in the same style as the school, the entrance door having a gothic head, with dressings, quoins, &c. The total cost of the buildings is to be about £ 963, and the contractor has entered into an engagement to comph te them by July next. 11 11 BRECON RACES.—We have before us the programme of this now popular meeting, which is to take place on the 16th and 17th of Sept. next, and we congratu- late the racing public on the bill of fare put before them, as well as the trade of Brecon, to whom the gathering must be exceedingly beneficial. We know scarcely any one town of the importance which attaches to Brecon, and where so much money is added to the various stakes run. for, that has not its tradesmen's and innkeepers' plate, and if two or three influential gentlemen in the borough set their shoulders to the wheel, it would not be difficult to get up such a stake as that alluded to,— £ 25 added to a small sweep- stakes would be quite sufficient. Let us hope this hint maybe taken, and that next year the tradesmen's and innkeepers' plate may cut a prominent figure in the programme, which has already placed Brecon, with its beautiful and romantic scenery, as the Al meeting of the Principality. A little more exertion and a little more perseverance will establish it as quite the New- market of Wales. We hear from a source we cannot doubt that the approaching meeting promises to be the best we have ever seen here (good as that of last year was). We have reason to believe all the stew- ards will be present. We learn that the Duke of Beaufort, the Marquis of Hastings, the Earls of Cov- entry, Uxbridge, and Ingestre, are to be the guests of W. De Winton, Esq., at Maesllwch Castle. The Mansion House, too, will be filled by Lord Tredegar, his family and friends, who add so much on all occa- sions to our national sports; and it must not be for- gotten that it is to his lordship we are indebted for the beautiful course our races are run over, and for his influential support in every other particular connected with our meeting. EXCURSION TO LLANWRTYD.—On Thursday week, the loth inst., according to previous announcement, excursionists were booked to Llanwrtyd at single fares for the double journey by the train leaving Brecon at 10.15 a.m., and the stations up to Builth. Arrangements had been made by which people from Dowlais and Merthyr might also avail themselves of this trip, joining the Mid Wales train at Talyllyn. A pretty good number of our towns- folk, we are informed, went by the train, but folks from other districts did not come out so well, nor in such numbers as had been anticipated, which might be accounted for by the gloominess of the morning, which did not indicate a fine day. The train arrived at Llanwrtyd shortly after noon, and on the platform most of the visitors at, and residents of Llanwrtyd, welcomed the excursionists, who immediately pro- ceeded to the village. After having some refreshments, they wended their way towards the large field, where they had ascertained some amusements were to take place. The good people of Llanwrtyd had only the previous evening thought of getting up sports for the excursionists, and had made a collection for the pur- pose of defraying the expenses thereof. Arrived at the large field (at the entrance of which was an arch decorated with flowers), immediately adjoining Dolycoed House, the eye met a pleasant prospect in the beauty of the scenery around, and the groups of people in the field. The amusements commenced' about two o'clock. The first was a foot-race, and this was followed by pony-races, sack-racing, wheelbarrow- racing (blindfolded), cricketing, and quoits. Next in importance to the pony-racing, which was looked upon with almost exciting interest, was the climbing of a greasy pole, upon the top of which was a leg of mutton. Several attemps were made unsuccessfully, but it was at length removed from its exalted position by the united efforts of four or five men who climbed up on the top of each other. The sports lasted up till the hour for returning to the station, and everybody seemed highly delighted with'the day's proceedings. The return excursion train left Llanwrtyd punctually at 6.5 p.m., and on arrival at Llechrhyd junction a train, which had been specially detained nearly five hours by the Mid Wales Company, was in waiting to convey the passengers home. The train arrived in Brecon about 8 o'clock p.m., the excursionists seeming well pleased, and to have spent a very pleasant day.

BRECON POLICE INTELLIGENCE. BOROUGH PETTY SESSIONS, MONDAY, before the Mayor (J. DAVIES, Esq.), J. JOSEPH, and JAMES WILLIAMS, Esqrs. MILL GREEN.—His Worship, the Mayor, asked Super- intendent Lee if he had done anything to prevent the desecration of the Sabbath, by card-playing, on Mill Green on Sundays. Mr. Lee said he had put two men on duty there-P.C. Poyntz and P.C. Williams. P.C. Williams said he saw two or three fellows there, but they were lying down, and appeared to be asleep. He saw no one playing cards. He cautioned those he saw thf're not to frtquent the place on Sundays, and said if he found them playing cards he would take them into custody. DRUNKENNESS. Thomas Edwards, a navvy, was charged with being drunk on Saturday night. Prisoner said he had taken a drop too much," but said he was not riotous. P.C. Williams said he and P.C. Poyntz were passing the King William beerhouse, about a quarter past twelve o'clock on Saturday night, and on going into the house they found the prisoner there quite drunk and asleep. The landlady said he had come into the house drunk, and refused to go out when she requested him. He laid down and went to sleep there. They roused the prisoner, and finding that he was quite incapable of standing or walking, they took him to the police station,-P.C. Poyntz gave corro- borative evidence.—Mr. Superintendent Lee said he had kept the prisoner in the look-up till one o'clock on Sunday, when he was bailed out.—The prisoner was fined 6s., including costs, or, in default of payment, seven days' imprisonment. A DISGRACEFUL CHARICTFit.Evaiz Humphreys, a middle-aged man, was also charged with being drunk and riotous on Saturday. When before their Worships the defendant was evidently under the influence of drink. -P.C. Williams said that a little after one o'clock on Saturday morning he and P.C. Poyntz were returning from the police station, and on reaching the top of Ship-streetthey heard a disturbance in the direct tion of the Struet. They went up that way, and me. prisoner corning toward them; he was very drunk, and all cut about the face, and his coat and waistcoat t were off; the prisoner told them he had lost his watch; they took him into custody, and subsequently dis- covered that the prisoner had given his watch into the care of the landlady of a public-house, and they also found his coat and waistcoat, in the pockets of which there was Y,4 15s. 10d.; a good deal of blood was on the pavement near the bank, and the prisoner or some one else must have bled very much.—The Mayor expressed himself strongly as to the conduct of the prisoner in coming before the court under the influence of drink.—The prisoner was bound over to keep the peace for six months, himself in Y.20, and two sureties in £10 each, or six months' imprisonment in default of such bail being forthcoming. NON-PAYMENT OF POOR-RATES.—John Price, sum- moned for non-payment of poor rates, was excused.— Esau and John Bargest, father and son, were also summoned as above, but were excusrd on agreeing to pay the current rate and the previous one.—The Mayor remarked that it was a most outrageous thing that the rates were allowed to go unpaid so far as from 1863 to the present time, as was the case with Esau Hargfst, and then to call upon magistrates to issue warrants upon the defaulters. Was it possible that a poor man could pay three or four years' rate if he could not pay one?—Mr. Williams Could not the collector be summoned? It is surely his fault.—Mr. Williams, the overseer, said it was certainly the collector's neglect.—The Clerk The collector could be summoned for neglect of duty. But what should be done is, that a new rate should not be signed until the old one had been paid.—The Overseer said that could not be carried out.—Mr Williams thought that excusing some on their plea of inability to pay a large amount of arrears, would tend to be an inducement to others to leave their rates unpaid, saying, if they left them run on for a few years they would be excused, and would only have to pay one year's rate out of three or four.—The Mayor said that as long as hp should be on the Bench, if any person was brought before him for non-payment of rates, and unless the overseer showed him that the person was really unable to pay, he would surely make an order for payment. He thought many of them were as able to pay as many of those working-men in the parish of St. David's, who were paying regularly.—It was unanimously agreed by their Worships that in future the collector should be summoned for neglect of duty if the rates were not paid every year, or cause shown why they were not paid.