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THE FOREST OF DIOAN MANSLAUGHTER…

DISASTER TO A GLASGOW VESSEL.

THE LONDON POSrILlEN.I

I STARVING STOWAWAYS.

| DEATH OF MR. D. PUGH, M.P.

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| DEATH OF MR. D. PUGH, M.P. We regret to announce the death of Mr. David Pugh, M.P. for East Carmarthenshire, which took place at his London residence on Saturday morning. About three months ago Mr. Pugh went to Lon- don for the Parliamentary session, but on several occasions he was noticed to be in failing health, a material change for the worse taking place last week, when the hon. member had to bo confined to his room. Dr. Dickins and Dr. Bennett attended Mr. Pugh, but on Friday night his condition became so critical that all hope of his recovery was abandoned, and he died, as stated, on Saturday morning, the medical gentlemen certifying the cause of death to be from natural decay. The iutelligence of hi8 death was received with cunsiderable surprise by the electorate of East Carmarthenshire, from the fact that his illness was not generally known- Even at LUndilo, which is only a little over a couple of miles distant from Mnnoravon, the seat of the deceased gentleman, it was not widely understood until Friday that he was really dan- gerously ill, und when the sad news was circulated on Saturday morning it caused much consternation. Mr. Pugh was deservedly popular with all classesi The handsome Jubilee clock he presented to Llan- dilo wilt ever remain as a conspicuous testimony to his unvarying charitableness, while during the long period of agricultural depression he made most substantial abatements in his rents, and tli- tenants all feel his deplorable severance from them. The remaius of the deceased, who was in' his 85th jear and was never married, will probably be buried in Llandilo Parish Churchyard by the side of his brother, tho Rev. John W-iliam Plight who was for uiauy years vicar of Llandilo, and who died in 1852. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. Mr. David Pugh, of Manoravon-or, uiore pro. perly speaking, Manorvabon— ft charming country residence in the midst of the beautiful scenery of the Vale of Towy, near the town of Lliindilo. Car- marthenshire, was born in 1806, and was, there- fore, 84 years of age at his death. In looking back for more than two centuries we find that he is con- nected with the Rov. Philip Pugh, a celebrated Independent (Welh) minister at Cilgwyn, Llwyn- piod, Abermeui ig, who was born in Hendref, Llttnpensl, in 1679. He was "a dignified giintle- man, possossed of considerable wealth and many lands and mansions," including Hendref (where he resided), Ffos yr O iyn, and Giaudwr. He married a rich lady, a daughter of "Coedunwr Fawr," near Lampeter, with whom he received in dowry .several fertile t'-ti-iiii,allof wliiciitkrosittiale ill thaI lit ighbourhood. It is oil record that a Philip l'uh was made a momber of a Puritan ci nptcgation in Llanbadurn Odwyn in 1655, and it is though that he was the father of the young divine. This minister had a eon, Ml" David Pugh, of Coedmawr, near .Lampeter, who in 1714 married Kaeh iel, the daughter of Mr. Rhys Lloyd, of the Alltyrodyn family, but who lived at Cilyblaidd, Pencarreg parish, and she and her sister Jane became 'he heiresses of the Alltyrodin E.-tate By this lady (R"eha")) Mr. David Pugh had three children, the elder of whom was Mr. David Pugh, of Coedmawr, who was appointed to the shrievalty of Carmarthenshire in 1747. A third son was Mr, John Pugh. The secoud son was Mr. Philip Pugh, who married and had a sun, Mr. David Heron Pugh, of Coedmawr and Manoravon. He became lieutenant-colonel of a Volunteer corps and died in 1820. By his wife, Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. William Bsynon, second son of Mr. John Beynou, Treweru, Pembrokeshire, whom lie married at Carmarthen in 1803, he had issue three children, tlii) elder of whom was ElizabeMi, who died when young. Tho third bon wits tliu Rev, John WIlli IIn Pugh, who was vicar of Llandilo, which incumbency he held ffom 1837 till bis death in 1852. The second son was the bubject of our notice. Mr. David Pugh's preliminary education was conducted at Rugby, where he showed a marvel- lous aptitude for the study of the classics, a very familiar knowledge with which he afietwards evinced, not only in private, but in public life. Owing to his exceptional progress at the public school Mr. Pugh was fitted at a comparatively e .rlv age for lUlliol College, Oxford, where liti took his B.A. degree, a great distinction 60 years ago. He had a great taste for Ic,al lore, and in 1837 he wa" called to the Bar at the Inner Temple. That his acquaintance with law was of no mean order was testified by the fact that at more than one ussiza judges have congratulated the grand juries with wnicli holias boeu assot-iitted on having among their mi inker a gentleman who would be able to give uieui such advice in fulfikiiiil, their onerous tasks as would ensure their arrivtiat safe conclusions. It call- not ba wondere-1, then, that when he commenced life as a country gentleman—and he was a very fine up. cimen ot the squire of the good old dsys- his serviaes should be in great, request both in CIII- uiarihenshire and Cardiganshire, of which count ie, he was II justice of the peace, being chuirman ot the C,eiiiiii-tliens[iii-e Quarter Sessions from 1843 to 1852, an deputy-lieutenant of Cardiganshire. It was thought that such a member of the community could surely bs made still more uselul to his countrymen, and so Mr. Pugh WHO induced, when an nppoituiiitv presented iisell, to occupy a seat at St. Stephen's. In the twen- tieth )'I;r or her Majesty's reign Air. David Arthur blunders Davie*, of l'entre, and Mr. David Jones, of l'autglas, betli Conservatives, wore returned to tho Hou-,e of Commons for u>« Parii inn nt commencing (in t lie 30th of April, 1857. Mr. Saunders Davies died (-It the 23rd of May ill that year, and on the 121 h of June follow- ing Mr. David Pugh wns elected in his place as a Liberal Conservative. He continued to holll the seat till 1863. On the 11th of November in thatyearthctheu r, Dlslaeli (afterwards the Earl of lieA,on-i field) being Prime Minister, Parliament was dissolved in order to give effect to the new Reform Act which had just been passed. Air. Pugh again offered to represent Carmarthenshire. A fierce political war was waged lor lallrd in that count >. The question of the Irish Church wois among rilr first topics to engage the new Parliament's attention. Ibis, Mr. 1.,Ih assured his supporteis, he would cousider III a generous spirit towards Ireland if returned, His attitude nstonish«d his Conseivative friends. In treating at that timo wilh 811\110 of the objects which he h id endeavoured to promote he said:- There are two parties in the country, so constituted forccnturies ilist it is diflieult to do justice 10 one with- out doing at least apparent injuatioe to 'he ot her. I tlii.ik it should be the aim of the Imperial Government, always upholding Pioiestautistn, under which ihii country has so long Nourished, to intervene in their differences with such equity IllId fairness as sliall make tins fit reality, its ill name, a United If true statesmanship irite policy c"u-isls in binding Ireland to tills country, by indissoluble bonds, no less should we endeavour to cement I lie union between 1\111(1.111(1 and this part of the couni ry with which we are more especially connected. Science has always done wonders iu that. wav. and our legnlation should emulate the beneficence of science. To educate the vouth of our native mud; to prepare theni ha- the resnousdiilities of enlarged eiitrancJiiseiinnt.; to smooth pllth to the universities, which now. to their honour, are openiug their portals to the whole coin- iiuin ty to foster agriculture and commerce, always inseparably united, and through them to extend the bonds of peace with foreign IIntiolls-Ihese art: ome 01 tin- objects which I have endeavoured to pt,oinote, and shall continue to do so." Front the time of Mr. Pu»h's earliest entrance into the House of Commons ho unceasingly sup- ported tin abolition of Church rates, kitowing-it,,4 lie stated in Parliament about the year 1858-that this was the only country in the world in which it was put to the voto in vestry whether the church should be repaired or not, and that such a custom "must lead to dissensions deeply toitil Ileplored." His views on this veiy subject —given in consequence of all agitation respecting the Llandilo Church clock, which he preset.ted to that town a few years uyo-were similarly enun- ciated. So sanguine was Mr. Pugh of his return lit, the election in question that, in addiessing a meeting of his constituents at Llandilo a few days before the metnoiable voting, he a,titt "I believe thaI oil Tuesday next, at the close of the poll, you will not Wve tu dig my grave. My grave willuot lie dug by you but, it by some niisclmiic" it Is dug, I am thoroughly convinced that from that grave I shall riseitgalll* I g-) to the I)oll i,ext Tuesday and poll the last man. I shall endeavour if I go back to Parliament, to support good principles and put b;id principles on one side and let them vanish like chnff before the wind or like vapour before ttiesuii." There were on this occasion four candidates in the field. Mr. Edward John Saitoris, of Warne- ford, Hampshire, who had property in Llan- jiennech, was returned in the Liberal interest at the head of tho poll, and Mr. John Jones, of Blaenos, a Conservative, was his colleague, thr former receiving 3,290 votes :and the latter 2,933. Mr. Henry Lavallin Ptixley, of Lletherlluesty, a Conservative, and Mr. David Pugh, classed as n Liberal-Conservative, were the defeated candi- dates, the respective votes accorded them being 2,828 and 1,345. Tho news of the defeat was accepted very good-huinouredly by Mr. Pugh. On the declaration of the state of the pnll he said:— I have nothing to regret, and If the last four months bad to come over again I should do Very much as 1 have done. I have refused to pledge myself, although I know that, if I had pledged myself against. Mr. Glad- stone's policy I could have had oil inysidet-lirt power. ful interest which in now ranged ngainst me. No word ot expostulation, however, shall come from me. I hope to see the people taken into the coiifl-leiice of the rulers, and to see also affairs administered in a liberal and progiessive spirit." In local circles intense excitement was mani- fested in this election, and Mr. Pugh WAS there- after regarded ns a follower ot Gladstone and Bright. The Parliament of 1868 saw its ter- mination on the 25th of January, 1874, Mr. Pugh having in the meantime lived a compaiatively quiet and retired lifo on his estates. Lie was an extensive landowner in both divisions of Carmar- thenshire, and famous as nn agriculturist and a breeder of S horthorns. So valuable were his stock that they fetched excep- tionally high prices at his annual sales at Manoravon, the buyers including wealthy dealers on the other side of the Atlantic. Mr. Pugh was a great supporter of the local shows got up exclusively for the benefit of fanners, and did much tn ameliorate the condition of his au £ ot,liers' i.etiniito iii times of depression, not only by his timely advice, but also by a helping hand. His homely speeches at the periodical gatherings of agricultural societies were greatly appreciated, being couchod in terms understandable by everyone of the large mixod au iences that used to congregate together on those occasions. During the Parliament that lasled from 1880 to 1885 Mr. Gladstone carried a Bill for the re-distri- bution of seats, when (i,triiiartlienFiltire-came to* be divided into eastern and western flioioiis. Mr. Puglt, who came forward to solicit the suffrages of the former portion, thrpw off tho mantle of waver- ing and declared himself as a Gladatonion Liberal, his opponent being the descendant of on old Liberal family, viz., Sir Marteine Owen Lloyd, Bllrl" of Bronwydd, who contested tlte seat for the Conservatives. The result was a fortgone conclusion. The polling commenced on tin 4th of December, 1885, and on the day following, at, Ltxndito, it. wtis nnnouueed that Mr. Ptigii ba-i beatcu liin adversary by 4,487 votes to 2,122. That Parliament only lived five months—».e„ from the 12th of January to the 26th of June, 1838. On the 8th of June in the same year Mr. Gladstone brought forward the second reading of the Irish Home Rule Bill. anU was defeated by a majority of 30, tho number of votes for the Government measure being 311, against 341. Parliament then dissolved, aD(1 an appeal was made to the nation. The 5th of August, 1886, saw a fresh Parliament, with the Marquess of Salisbury All ita Prime Minister. For the Eastern Division of Carmarthenshire Mr. Pugh w is returned unopposed on the 6ih of July, and he held the seat up to his death, but. he did not intend to seek re-election at the expiration of his term of office. His later speeches to his consti- tuents were of a rather singular character. An extract from that, which he delivered in May of 1886 before I lie council of the East Carmarthen- shire Liberal Association may be cited as an in. siance. Speaking of the progress of the country he said :— It Is R grand tbing to see signs of the progress of the country, and when we get, as we shall very shortly get, a little Improvement innur land laws, we shitll see that progress going on much faster. Iain going to give ail honest vote and second the Land Bill when it coine3 forward. It has been said that It will be necessary to buy out the Irish proprietors. I believe we shall be able to arrange thai, very well. The mouey that may become necessaiv has been estimated at 50, 100, and even at 130 millions, But t he common e/lse of the COlllltrv will settle that. There may be a little difference here and there, bllt the battle is ours, allll I am far from feeling that you will be dokig liarin to the Empire by granting Home Kale." When present at convivial meetings Mr. Pugb, who was one of tho first supporters of the Vulun- teer movement, generally had his name coupled with "The Auxiliary Forces," and, as Captain I'ugh, he was called upon to respond. He was identified with many good movements in Llandilo ani neighbourhood, and, indeed, with not n few in tho united couuiies, and had been atone time or another a member of all, or, at least, must, of the public bodies in fttid about Lllludilo FllWr. In the upper districts of Carmarthenshire particularly his name is a household word, and for long gene- rations to come will Mr. David Pugh, of Manor- avon, be spoken of with deep reverence and respect. PRUVIOU8 RbliOTIONS. 1385. Mr. D. Pugh (L.) 4,487 Sir M. O. Lloyd CO.) 2,1^2 Liberal majority 2,56b 1W6. Mr. D. Pugh (fi.) Unopposed. Popu ation 4i\6J5. Hlectorate 8,659.

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