The London Welshman

WALE5 IN PARLIAMENT. The Central Education Committee appointed by the Conference at Bala on the 2nd instant for the purpose of making arrangements for the collection of funds and of taking all other necessary steps in connection with the educa- tion campaign in Wales will meet at the Raven Hotel, Shrewsbury, at 2 p.m., on Thursday, the 18th instant. In view of the importance of the questions to be there considered and decided Mr. Herbert Roberts, who acts as convener, strongly urges the attendance of all the members. The Committee will proceed to elect a president, treasurer, and permanent secretary. We go to press just when a meeting of the Welsh Liberal members is being held for the purpose of considering the question of con- veying to Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman by means of a deputation the special claims of Wales in regard to future licensing legislation. We understand that resolutions have recently been passed by the Executive of the North and South Wales temperance associations upon this subject, and that they will be submitted to the meeting. The Welsh members have no reason to doubt that the Liberal leaders are fully aware of the exceptional strength of temperance sentiment in Wales, but it is felt that this fact should be emphasised at the present moment, and that the general lines upon which a solution of this question would be satisfactory to the Welsh people should be indicated to those who will be responsible for licensing legislation in the next Parliament. The deputation, if it is decided upon, will probably be received by the Liberal leader in the course of the next fortnight. The desirability of furthering temperance reform is admitted, but it is a matter for con- sideration whether the Welsh Party should not also take steps to ascertain the views of the Liberal leaders on other questions of import- ance to Wales, such as the extension of Local self-government, Welsh Disestablishment, Educa- tion, and Land Tenure. The relation of the Welsh party to the coming Liberal Government, as Mr. Ellis Griffith and other Welsh members have repeatedly pointed out, is one of supreme importance to Wales. The discussion on the Education (Scotland) Bill, which one member described as "in- describably dull," has very little attraction for Welsh members, and the great majority of them were conspicuous by their absence. Wales, however, were not quite silent on the question, for Mr. Frank Edwards, recognising the possible connection between the two systems of educa- tion- the Welsh and the Scottish,—delivered a short but effective speech in eulogy of some of the provisions of the Bill, which he would gladly see extended to elementary schools in the Principality.

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WALES AND TARIFF REFORM. Discussion by the London Welsh Conservatives. The monthly meeting of the London Welsh Conservative Association on Monday evening was devoted to a consideration of Tariff Reform as it affects Wales. Dr. Rutherfoord Harris, M.P., was to have taken the chair, but in his absence Mr. E. Micholls, Unionist candidate for the Monmouth Boroughs, presided. Mr. J. Lort Williams read a paper on Tariff Reform, in which he urged that agriculture, in which Wales was interested, had suffered from the system of Free Trade, whilst in the iron and steel trade one of the evil results was shown in the fact that numerous works in Wales had been closed. In the course of the discussion, Mr. Simner said that Wales had suffered through the attempts of the Americans and the French to send their slates to the British Isles. It had been shown that people would not invest in a Welsh slate quarry. Mr. G. F. Mortimer, as a Welsh Conserva- tive, expressed the opinion that it was discredit- able to Welsh Conservatism that in the first bye-election upon Tariff Reform the Conserva- tive party in West Monmouthshire accepted a candidate who held no single Conservative opinion, except that he was a whole-hogger upon the question of Tariff Reform. He thought it was the best thing for Conservatism that that candidate was beaten, although he was preaching to the electors of the division the doctrine which was supposed to be especially fitted to their requirements. Referring to the iron, steel, and tin-plate trades, he contended that those trades had increased and were at present in a satisfactory condition. Messrs. R. O. Roberts, F. Pennant, David Williams, and others also took part in the debate. In responding to a vote of thanks, the Chair- man said that the policy he advocated was that advocated by Mr. Balfour. He showed that in one year a total of 260,000 tons of produce was imported at Newport, and the whole of that quantity could have been produced in Newport and the district. Whilst he agreed with the necessity of some measure of Tariff Reform, he did not go so far as Mr. Chamberlain advocated.

DRASTIC CHANGES PROPOSED IN THE WELSH SUNDAY CLOSING ACT. THE Bill to amend the Welsh Sunday Closing Act is presented by Mr. Herbert Roberts, and supported by Sir Alfred Thomas, Mr. William Jones, and Mr. Herbert Lewis. Its clauses deal with the sale of intoxicating liquors to travellers, leaving the bona-fide clause much as it is, and Sunday licences. It compels the publican to enter the name and address of every traveller, together with the date and time on which he enters the premises. Any constable may inspect such book. The Bill is strong against illegal associations" or clubs "of ten or more persons existing only for the purpose of supplying intoxi- cating liquor to its members." Each member of such a club is liable to a fine of five pounds or three months' imprisonment. The Bill is equally severe upon shebeens, the penalty for the first offence being ten pounds or two months' imprisonment, rising for the third offence to twenty pounds or six months' imprisonment. The wholesale trade and Sunday delivery is also dealt with. No beer sold for the purpose of re- sale shall be delivered on a Sunday at any house or premises at which beer is sold or kept for sale by retail, or at any place other than on board ships bound for a foreign port and ready for sea. No beer shall be sold for re-sale, except between five a.m. and nine p.m. The County Council is to keep a register of all premises upon which beer is manufactured or sold for the purpose of re-sale. Any constable may enter and inspect any premises (other than those of a brewery), in or upon which beer is sold for the purpose of re-sale, and examine all vessels found on such premises. The Bill proposes to repeal Section 4 of the Sunday Closing Act, 1881, and from the passing of this Act no intoxicating liquor shall be sold on Sunday at a railway station to persons arriving at or departing from such station by railroad or otherwise.

ORDINARY AND EXCURSION."—Testing a fervid Welsh congregation at a revival meeting recently held in West Wales, the minister asked all present who wished to go to Heaven to stand up. All but one old deacon seated in the big pew rose to their feet. The minister, thinking that the old man had not rightly understood him, put the question the second time, but with the same result. He then said Don't yoU> brother, wish to go to Lleaven with us ? No, came the emphatic reply I took an ordinary train thither 40 years ago, and I don't care to go up with a rowdy excursion like this."

DAVID RICHARDS, A.R.C.O., ORGANIST OF KING'S CROSS TABERNACLE, PIANIST TO MADAME PATTI (BARONESS CEDERSTROM). Ee$$on$Given on Piano and Organ. For Terms apply— 8, MORNINCTON RD., REGENT'S PARK, N.W»