The Illustrated Usk Observer and Raglan Herald

RAGLAN. GREAT PHILANTfIROPIQ. FETE. Monday, the 6th instant, was the appointed dav for the assembly at the Loyal Raglan" lodge-foom, at the Crown inn,of the Annual Moveable Committeeojtbe Philanthropic Order (Merthyr Unity), which occasion it had been deter, mined to celebrate by a demonstration and pic-nic, at that heid centre" of attraction for pleasurists- Raglan Castle Accordingly, excursion trains were engaged for the day by the Brotherhood, to run from Merthyr Ind several parts of the Walsh Hills," and large prepara i >ns were made by the lodges in the Usk and Raglaa district to give the officers, directors, and delegat 's of the Order and their other visiting Brothers a fitting reception. From the zeal of the promoters, and the warm manner in which their energies bad been seconded in many parts, a monster guthering and gala was anticipated; but, un. fortunately, the morning gave early indications that the course of the elements would he detrimental to the day's proceedings. About ten o'cluck, a.m., the worst fears were realised—hope and the sunshine lijid alikf vanished, and were succeeded by heavy clouds a torrents of rain, which, without intermission, continue throughout the oay-nearly every person engaged in tbtftwoceedings being literally •'fi^nphed to the skin." '5, ruM.VSTI v V About the hour las(-i>a nefl trie. etl4»ww^R^-LC)yal Rug a"" io ige, in large uutob.-r»,« WW, **M|- w.-rt-shortly «ft^rwHrdsj.»i!.e<i by tUe m-tfinersof the Loyal uwincarvau" anfl ot tb- "Pi iuce Consort'' lodges, after which they joined in procession, and proceeded to meet their brethren of the "Loyal Clvtha" lodje, whom they shortly tell in with, with the Civth i Brass Band at their head. All hacing a^aio returned t" the village, a-id some pre- liminaries hur ng been disposed of, the procession marched to the ioot-path raitway s a ion in capital order, to meet the excursion trams, at 12.40, by which the directors, delegates, aud the brotherhood from the Hills, Usk, and elsewiiere were to arrive. Here they waited for nearly an hour, enduring patiently the fury of .tile relentless storm, until at length the ''sp.cial" arrived, and was welcomed by the plaudits of the men of tue "Usk dUd Raglan" dist ii-t So ue 500 Ir 600 persons emerged from the rail- way eariiages, and the proCMaionvas immediat ly re- formed, un ler the superintendence of Pro. C.S. Hall, of the U<k <n.) Rajian district, P.P.G.M. David Llewellyn, and P.F.G.M. Isaac Griffiths, in the following order:— Banner of the Merthyr District. Philanthropic Fife Baud. Officers and member s of t he Usk and Raglan District. CI..tha BNSS Band. Officers of the Order, Directors, and Delegates, three-in-arm. Banner of the U,k and Raglan District. Aberdare Brass Baud. Members of the Order, two-iud-two# The personal regalia was as fll,llws:- Officers of the Order: Purple Sashts, with stripes, gold fringe, and appendages; Officers of i_,od.es: Red Sashes with ditto Members of the Order: Blue, with ditto. Having reached the Crown Inn, the members were formed in a circle, 'Iud Mie R-v. Arthur Montague Wya't, Vicar of R(glai), deli ered the following very able address:— An Address to the Directors, Delegates, and all Past and Present Officers of the Philanthropic Institution, Merthyr Unity. We, the MeinbtMs of the LTmii and K.glui District of this Order, desire to express the gieat pleasure and satisfaction afforded us in meeti ig our Brethren of the Merthyr Uuity, to-day. We warmly receive you, and heartily velcome you to Raglan, and are thankful for this opportunity of expressing our grateful sense of the noble efforts which hare been made by you to pro- mote the well-beinj of this Instituiion; your indefatigable exertions and disinterested services Reserve our unlimited thanks and praise; and we humbly but most sincerely tender them. Looking at the scenes of strife and discord that have been lately enacted on the continent of Europe, we turn with feelings of refreshing satisfaction to what we see around us to-day,-a friendly and peaceful gathering of thousands of England's working men, united in one society, the great object of which is to help those who, being willing in prosperity to help themselves, are unable in adversity to do so. We look forward with eager antici- pation to the time when wars shall cease, and peace shall be firmly established, and brethren of eve: y creed and every nation shall dwell together in unity; and We confidently beliete that one way of bringing about so desirable an end is to promote, by every means in our power, tile establishment of such philanthropic societies as the one of which we are proud to con- sider ourselves members-the Merthyr Unity. We regard with much satisfaction the present prosperity of this Society, and earnestly pray that ages yet unborn may feel the benefit of its operations, aud that the distribution of its alms to the fatherless, the widow, the sick, and the aged, may gladden many an aching bosom, and alleviate the cares and sorrows of many a desolate hearth. Again we, men of Usk and Raglan, welcome you, as with one heart and onevoice,to Raglan and its ancient and far-famed ruins. May this auspicious day be remembered hereafter as one which shall renect. credit on the promoters of this great gather- ing, presenting, as we trust it will, a spectacle of Christian unity and concord, unalloyed bYlijlv taint of strife or bitterness. May "Temperance, Soberness, and Chastity" be our motto to-day and for ever. May that golden' rule,Do unto others as you would be done by," be indelibly inscribed, not on our banners only, but on our memories. iMay the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in His knowledge and love, and the bleising of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be with us all, evermore. At the conclusion of the address the Bands responded with musical honours; then after a brief interval the pro- cession was again re-formed, the oijder being followed as set down in the programme, with o,me slight deviations, caused by the pelting of the rain. t It then moved on to the Castle, where the P.G.M. of ibe order and Director, James Beynon, gave a pithy and suitable response to the address presented by the "Usk and Raglan District," which w as succeeded by the bands playing Grod bless the Prince of Wales." The next item in the programme was a rather important one, viz: the supptyingot the wants of the inner man, for which the worthy host of the Crown Inn, Mr, Eley, had made an jjmple as well as very excellent provision, in the capacious tent of the Archery Club-to which justice was duly rendered by the brethren and others. Refreshments were also supplied, upon economical terms, by other cater ere, in different parts of the ruins. i The post-prandial proceedings consisted chiefly in a social meeting, and the presentation of a beautiful gold wsteh, with chain and appendages, to Brother James B-ynon, P.M. of the order. Upon the motion o' the Brother U.S. and Brother P.M. A. Rogers, of the Usk and Raglan district, the Rev. Dr. Pi-ici-, M.A., Ph., D., of At erdare, was voted to the chair, avid Ilw Rev. T. P. Jones, F.O.S., editor of the Philanthropic Magagine, to the vice- c'iair. The Chairman opened the meeting in a good speech, rich in humour and witticisms, and overflowing with philanthropic and patriotic sentiment, and especially striking for the broadness and catholicity of the views enunciated. The usual loyal and patriotic toasts and sen- timents were heartily given, and responded to with enthu- siasm. Then The Bishop of the Diocese and the Clergy of the Church of England, and 01 all other Denominations," were given by the Chairman, who passed a very high eulogium upon the good qualities of the Bishop, especially pointing out bis charity, liberality, and high attainments as a classical scholar-vipws which the audience endorsed with a warm response. Next followed the presentation, which was introduced by a fitting eulogium from the chair upon the merits of Brother Beynon, the recipient, and his great services to the Philanthropic Order. The Rev. T. A. Price, of Aberdare, then read the following address: — An Address from the G.M. and Board of Directors of the Merthyr Unity Philanthropic Institution to James Beynon, P. G. M. of the Order. Sir and Brother,-We, the undersigned, in the name of ihe above Institution, feel extreme pleasure in being able to show our appreciation of your unwearied exertions in connection with this Society by presenting you with this Address and Testi- monial as a token of our deep respect and profound acknow- ledgment of the invaluable, numerous, and disinterested serrices rendered bv you to this worthy Institution for the last ten years; and when we remember that you were the means of establishing the principles of true philanthropy in a neigh- bourhood where they were but little known, and that the result of your indefatigable labours are fully manifested, there being no less than Ten Lodges numbering 533 Members, added to the Order through your instrumentality, we think you justly deserve our highest appreciation and esteem. We would also mention with much pleasure your ability and faithful exertions in classifying our present General Laws, in designing our new Dispensation Plate, in revising and amending our Initiatory Chatges, and'in composing our Lodge and Dis- trict Guide Books. Moreover, we would reflect with much satisfaction upon the year 1860, in which the office of Grand Master of the Order was filled by you in such an able manner as to confer upon 30U the greatest credit. Further, we would refer to the satisfactory manner in which you have always acquitted yourself as an Auditor, and to the confidence which you have gained among the Brethren. We can assure you we are not unconscious of the motive which has characterised all your efforts in suggesting and editing our Magazine hitherto, and in extending the principles of our Institution,—that motive being the success of those principles and not self-praise. Accept this Gold Watch and Chain as a very small mark of our trrateful acknowledgment for the in- valuable aid you have rendered the Society. V. EDMUND RBB", G.M. PtTER CAKE, D.G.M. DAVID LLisWELLYN, C.S. JOSEPH RAY. GXORGE eBOSS. JAMES ROSBKS. HENRY THOMAS. EDMUND KVANS. JAMES HALL. -STEW** STAMUS DAVISS. YRANCIS NICHOLAS. TAJIKS BUGHT. 1 ImnoediatSfy after the reading of the above address, the following lines, of his own composition, were read by Mr. David Llewellyn (Dewi Glan Canaid):— David Llewellyn (Dewi Glan Canaid):- Englynion i Mr. James Beynon, Welsh Harp." Aber- dare, ar gyflwynad ido Dysteb o Oriawr a Chadwen Aur, gan y Cyfundeb Dyngarol. Y inae James Beynon yn benaf,-a gwir Dyngarwr i'r eithat'; Y Illite e'n un or mwyaf Ei fri o Deifi i Daf. Rhyw iawuder yw i'r undeb-Dyngat-ol Dyn geirwir yn atteb; Da estyn ido Dysteb, A wnaed 'nawr yn anad neb. Onawr Aur, rhudawr rodwyd-ar gadwen Aur gydiawl osodwyd Aur wdfy Car, medaf, ei cwyd Yn nwch, fel y chwenychwyd. I awn waith yn 'r hyn a wnaethom,-o wir barch, Er hud YIl awr rhynom; I Wr saif heb unrhvn siom Yn anwyl un o honom. Yr Onawr Aur a erys,-yn gyffes I'w goffa yn hyshys. Parch i'n Brawd fel bawd a feys Yn ddianghof a ddengys. Ei fawr lwyd f'o o wir les iawn,—iawn eto Yn atteb pob mynwes A chlod clir roder yn rhes I Beynon tra b'o hanes! Brother Joseph Kay, P.M. of the Order, afterwards rose to make the presentation. In doing so he addressed him- splf to the audience in the capacity of a co-worker in the Philanthropic Society with Bro her Beynon, and, with much force and power, enlarged upon the private and public of Mr. Beynon, and upon his great and dis- interested services to the noble institution to which they belonged. The Vice-chairman also spoke to the great zeal, abilities, and faithful devotion of Brother Beynon in promoting the success of the Order. The presentation ha, in,, then been duly made, Brother BeynoD, in a very neat and chaste speech, acknowledged the compliment which the members of the Order had so magnanimously paid to him for his s rvices, which, he said, he had no right tn, nor could he have anticipated; as he had simply endeavoured to perform his duty as a member and an officer of their institution. He had not done more than this. A nobler cause, he added, than Philanthropy no man could be engaged in, because their institution was founded upon the great principle embodied in the New Command- ment—"Love one another." He gratefully accepted their generous offering—by which be felt that his life was pledged to renewed and greater exertion, and more usefulness and devotion to their order; and he hoped that his humble services would always prove as satisfactory as, by their acknowledgment that day, he was proud to say, they had hitherto been. Brother Bevnon having concluded, a num- ber of toasts followed, and were enthusiastically received, amongst them being the following :-His Grace the Duke of Beaufort; Colonel Poulett Somerset, M.P. for the County; The Rev. A. M. Wyatt, Vicar of Raglan; John Cuxson, Esq., Warden of toe Castle; the Chairman, and Vice-chairman. The proceedings were also agreeably diversified by responses of musical honours and other per. formances, capitally rendered by the bands. Colonel Poul, tt. Somerset, M.P., accompanied by O. A. Wyatt, Esq., visited the ruins during the evening, and after expressing his entire approbation of what had taken place, gave his name as an annual subscriber of 95 to the Philanthropic Institution; and, further, on leading the Castle, be drove to the "Loyal Raglan" Lodge-house, and there meeting the lodge officers, expressed his wish to bpcome a member of the Order; in pursuance of which wish, we understand that arrangements will shortly be made for the initiation ceremony. The Committee who had the conduct of the and the members of the Institution present, all expressed themselves much indebted to Mr. Cuxson for his courtesy and kind attention throughout the day, and for a very handsome donation of 1;5, which be kindly presented to the Unity Mangement Fund. The special train started on the return journey about eight p.m. i after which the officers, delegates, and direc- tors constituting the A.M.C., and others, repaired to the Loyal Raglan Lodge-rooms, and commenced their sitting; when after going through the ceremony of initiating the Rev. Dr. Price, and the Rev. T. A. Pryce, the sitting was adjourned until the following day. On Tuesday the A.M.C. assembled at the appointed hour (9 a.m..) and continued sitting until nearly 4 p.m., the business being of a protracted and impor: ant character. We understand that amongst the business transacted was the election of Brother P.M. Peter Carr, Maesteg District, to the post of Grand Master of the Order; and that of Brother P.M. J. Parry, Brvuuiawr District, to the office of Deputy Grand Mast"r. Thp Rev. T. T. Jones. F.C.S., was appointed editor of the Philanthropic Magazine; and at the conclusion of be business of the day, the Coum ittee vuterl£ó worth of meat to be given away to thepitOr of Raglan the distribution b'ing le t in the hands of the vicar, and satisfactorily performed on the day following. Tile number '>f persons brought in by the various trains, on M ndav, could not have heen less than from 700 to 800, and there can be no doubt that, bad the weather been favourable, a much larger number would have attended. We should not omit to state that the entrance to the Crown Inn. as well as the interior of the lodge-room, was very tastefully decorated with evergreens and flowers,

LLANGIBBY. MABBIAGB FESTIVITIES. —The marriage of the Rev. Addaml Williams, rector of Llangibby, with his cousin, the daughter of the late much respected and vene- rated Mr. Williams, of Llangibby Castle, took place at the Parish Church, here, on Tuesday last, and every person in the locality to whom the bride and bride- groom were known seemed to rejoiceat the union. The bride had spent the whole of ber life among the people of her parish-she had not kept herself aioof from the poorest, but had taken a lively interest in their welfare, had soothed them in affliction, and with liberal band had assisted them in their need; and, by her amiable, agree- .Ihlt., and gentle manners, had won their unbounded esteem. The bridegroom who has also resided for some years in the parish, has proved himself to be of an equally kind and generous disposition, and by his praiseworthy conduct, as rector of the parish, has become much respected and be. loved. It is therefore not surprising that their parishioners and friends felt the greatest desire to testily their feelings on the occasion of the nuptials, by sparing no pains or exertion to make the day one of genera! rejoicing through- out the village. Nearly the whole night preceding the happy day was spent in forming flurai emblems, erecting arches and manufacturing banners with suitable mottoes, to greet the wedding party on its way to church, and at an early hour the village presented a most holiday appear- ance. At the entrance to the village opposite the Post- office, a banner supported by pillars of evergreens, "aa placeii across the road, on one side of which were the words, Long life and happiness," and on the other, "Peace and prosperity." Opposite the Fox and Hounds was a hand- some arch of flowers and evergreens, with floral wreaths, and a banner with the inscription God bless the nappy union," and on the reverse, "Long life and happiness. A third arch opposite the White Hart was protusely deco- rated with flowers, and bore the inscription, May you be happy." At the churchyard gate was a tastefully decorated arch of evergreen*, from which was suspended • well-executed design, with the capital letters illumi- nated-the inscription on entering ran thus—" W. W." (in scarlet and lavender), and the following verae:- Conduct us Lord by Thy just laws, E'er watchful is the foe; Therefore, 0 God! make plain the way Wheiein we ought to go. itnechurch was a monogram,*1 W. Wn" in scar lei and pui<^v and underneath— Lo the twain are join'd in one, May Isaac's God, Rebecca's friend, Their life of wedded bliss begun; May Isaac's God, Rebecca's fi-iend, Be their protector to the end. Over the porch was a shield, surmounted with ears of corn, and bearing the letters, W. W. in monogram' and the representation of a hand and heart, and under- neath the motto, May peace and plenty reign." On the left side was the inscription, God bless the bride- groom," and on the right Happiness to the bride. The inside of the church was most tastefully deco- rated, and over the Communion table were the Ie ters I.H.S in monogram, very bedutifully formed by box leaves, scarlet^eraniums, and ears of wheat. At halt-past eleven the wedding party arrived at the church in five carriages, and comprised the bride and her uncle, lIryd Nicholl, Esq., (who acted as father in church); the bridesmaids—Miss Ellen Piumtree (cousin of the bride), Miss Je*s'e Williams, of Monmouth (sister to the bridegroom), and tbetwo little daugh ers of William Atldams Williams, Esq.Mrs. W. Williams (sister-in law to the bride); Mr. and Mrs. Trevor Williams, of the Garth; Mr. and Mrs. Alfred A. Williams, of Pontypool; Mr. and Mrs, W. Williams, of Monmouth; Mr. John Addams Williams, ot Penarth; and Mrs. Thomas. Mr. HoptiJn Williams, of Penpark, the brother to the bride. groom, ac'ed a Lest.11 all, and the Rev. W. Thomas, of Alverdiscott, Devon, performed the service in a most impres-i e manner. T'tie bride was attire 1 in sil'er-grey 7noire antique diess, white maiit e. and white lace bonnet and teiti er; and tre tour bridesmaids were attired in white India muslin dresses, white lama cape*, and white tulle Oonnets trimmed with blue. Af er the ceremony the party returned to Fennarth House and partook of an e'e^ant bieakiast; alter which the bride and brioegroom td„k their departure for the North ..f England. Bel- ringing and firing we e kept up throughout the day, and in the e eninsr upwards of 200 children and about 100 adults were legale I with tea and cakes of various kinds, in a spacious m»rqiiee "t Penapark, A number of rustic sports we-e provided tor f I eir amusement. At the entrance to tole teut the word Welcome," was placed, in con- spicuous characters, and in the inside were suspended some lIalf-doze. banners, with appropriate mottoes. 1 he joyuus proceedings of the day were concluded by a grand display of fireworks. On the day preceding the nuptials a liberal supply of beef, tea, sugar, and bread had been distributed to all the cottagers in the parish, by the bridegroom.

BLAENAVON. SCHOOL TEE IT. —On Thursday, the 2nd instant, the Rev. J. Jones, incumbent, gave his annual treat to the teachers and scholars of the Church Sun ay School, when they were, to the number of about 300. regaled with excellent tea and cake in a field adjoining the parson- age, after which they proceeded to enjoy themselves in various games and amusements, of which the most popular seemed to be kiss in the ring." Among the visitors present were Mrs. Paton (Blaenavon). Mrs. Richards (Ahers*chan), and the Rev. — Morgan (Pontnewynydd), CHURCH PASTORAL AID SOCIXTY. Rev. J. Griffith, Vicar of Mynyddslwyn, preached two eloquent sermons in the parish church on Sunday, the I) b instant, on behalf of the above society. The attendance was good, and the collections at each service were liberally re- PCHAPKL ANNIVERSARY. —The anniversary services of the Wesley an Chapel were held on ISunday ise when appropriate sermons were preached by the Rev. H. Fish, M.A., and the Rev. A. Puddicombe. There was a crowded attendance, and the collections for the day amounted to about £15. STATK OF TKADE. —The works have been rather slow here of late, owing, we believe, to the slackness of the iron trade; end the operations of the company's forge and mills were in consequence entirely suspended a fortnight since but wo are glad to observe a more cheerins state of affairs has set in, as every department of the works seems now to be in full employment again.

CAERLEON. FOBESTEKS- AssiYBiWART. anniversarv dinner of the Court Caerleon Castle of the Ancient Order of foresters was held at the King's Head Inn. on Monday sennight. Itio dinner, provided by Host Waters, gave r e grt-u est satisiaeiiou to the members. Upon the remo.al ot the cloth, J. A. Morris, Esq., surgeon of the couit, presided, and a very pleasant evening was spent by the brethren. A report for the past year was presented to the members, from which we find that tue court has been established four years that the funds amount to £ 200, J aud that the members number 40. It was also stated that I several youDg men of tbe neighbourhood were to be made I members oil the uoxt court night.