The London Welshman

Notes of the Week. Find the Fleet.—Is there not a Stanley in seek of fame who will venture out into the China Sea and give us some news of the Baltic Fleet ? Is it still in existence, or has a typhoon sent it along the path of the Spanish Armada ? Since it passed Singapore the civilised world has had no definite news about it, and since it left French waters in Cochin China it seems to have disappeared completely. The rumours concerning it are most aggravating. To-day we are informed that it is near Formosa, to- morrow that it is well on its way towards Vladivostock. One agency assures us that Rojhdestvensky is determined to compel Togo to fight at once, another that he is playing a game of hide-and-seek with him. The latest rumours from St. Petersburg are startling. It was announced last week that Rojhdestvensky had been superseded, but that he is to be per- mitted to take the fleet to Vladivostock if he can. But this week a persistent rumour says, first, that he is seriously ill, and, next, that he is dead, and has been buried at sea. All this shows the urgent need for a Stanley. But if Togo's fast cruisers have failed to trace the Russian Admiral, no other naval explorer stands a good chance of succeeding. It is particularly aggravating. # A Memorable Night in St. Stephen's—If any additional evidence were needed to prove that the present Parliament has outlived its useful- ness, and ought to be speedily dissolved, it was found in the scenes that disgraced the House of Commons on Monday night. The proceedings were unworthy of the traditions of the mother Of Parliaments, though we cannot say that the outburst of feeling came upon us as a great surprise. We do not know what the Opposition gained or expected to gain by persistently refusing to give a hearing to the Colonial Secretary. Had he been allowed to speak, some light might have been thrown upon the mtentions of the Government. But, coming after the manner in which the Prime Minister has treated the House and the country since the present session began, his refusal to reply immediately to the attack of Sir Henry Campbell- ■oannerman upon his personal honour was more than the temper of the Opposition could stand And we are not at all sure that such exhibitions, though most regretable, are the worst symptoms Of political condition. They show that our Politicians are in earnest, and that is something. '^nly men in earnest can lose their tempers. A hose who look upon politics as a game to be played according to certain laid down rules, cannot understand such scenes. To them, in- tolerance of any kind is incomprehensible. But Earnestness is always capable of being intolerant. What is a Pledge?—The apparent cause of he outbreak of passion was the admission of he Prime Minister that Preference would be "One of the questions discussed by the Colonial Conference which is to meet next year. In his dinburgh speech he declared that he would _e no party to take steps in the direction of ariff Reform during the present Parliament, nd also that a Colonial Conference would only e called to discuss Preference after the General ection, whilst a second General Election should precede any attempt to establish pre- ferential tariffs. This was taken to be a pledge to the country, and the Free-fooders consented to retain Mr. Balfour in office. The Opposition maintain that that pledge is now to be broken. We presume that Mr. Balfour's defence, had he made it, would have been that the conference to be held next year is not calleti to discuss Tariff Reform, but as it is to meet according to an arrangement made three or four years ago— a fact that he did not realise when he spoke in Edinburgh—that he has no power to tell it that it must not mention Preference. But, plausible as that line of argument appears, it does not touch the point at issue. Is it the Prime Minister's intention to postpone the dissolution until after the conference, and is he going to make any decision it may come to concerning tariff the basis of his appeal to the country ? We fail to see that he can do so in the face of the Edinburgh declaration without being guilty of something very much alike breaking a pledge. If he has changed his opinion, as he has every right to do, let him say so distinctly, and then we can know where we are. A A Pledge or a Statement ?—Whilst giving room to think that his opinion concerning Preference, or, at least, concerning the method of discussing i,, has been somewhat modified since he delivered his Edinburgh speech, the Prime Minister now boldly declares that his declaration on that occasion, reiterated later in Manchester, was not a pledge to the country in any sense, but simply a statement of policy made to his own party. It seems that it was merely what we usually call a "feeler." If the party accepts a feeler it is adhered to, if different opinions and views prevail, then it is cast into oblivion. What has happened in the present case ? Has Mr. Chamberlain proved too strong for Mr. Balfour after all? We know that the Birmingham oracle strongly dissented from the view that two General Elections were necessary before any scheme of tariff reform would be presented in the House of Commons. We also know that he declared quite recently that it was a mistake to postpone the dissolution. Have the two men struck a bargain on the basis of a discussion at the conference next year before an election takes place at all ? And, is not a public statement of policy by a responsible leader made for the sake of the country at large rather more than for party? We have always thought so, but, then, we are not behind the Parliamentary scenes. Nor do we pretend to understand the mysteries of philosophic doubt. Powers of Licensing Magistrates.—Whether the framers of the Licensing Act meant to rob the magistrates of all the powers they possessed prior to the time it came into force or not, the Courts are in'erpreting it in a manner that leaves them nearly impotent, and the decisions are most contradictory. On the one hand, the magistrates who hear applications for licences have no judicial authority. They cannot, for instance, make the renewal of a license con- ditional upon backdoors being closed. On the other hand, they must act judicially when they consider applications for fresh licenses. They must hear evidence, and decide accordingly, not according to their own knowledge of the require- ments and condition of a district. These decisions of the High Court completely reverse the order of things that existed up to a year or so ago. The brewers are now masters of the situation in most respects. As a rule, members of the Compensation Committee, to which the local magistrates report, are shareholders in 1-arge brewing companies, and they do not care much about the welfare of localities in which they have no interest apart from their drinking facilities. Unless the House of Lords reverses these decisions, and of this there is very little expectation, the outlook from a moral stand- point is dark indeed. Women Talked Out.—It is not often that women are talked out anywhere, but that feat was accomplished in the House of Commons recently. The fair sex, or that portion of them who aspire to govern the empire, are furious. To have their Suffrage Bill thrown out in a division is bad enough, but to be talked out— well, we dare not put down their expressions. It must be very annoying to have their own favourite weapon turned upon them, but such is want of gallantry in the present generation. But the day must come when women will not only be enfranchised, but allowed to sit in Parliament as well. And then for the deluge.

Am Gymry LIundain. Y CYNGHERDD.—Prif ddigw) ddiad yr wythnos ddyfodol fydd cyngherdd y Cymry nos Lun yn Queen's Hall. Boed i'n cyd-ddinasyddion gofio am dano. CYFARFODYDD PREGETHU.—Yn ychwanegol at y cyfarfodydd Diwygiadol eraill, bydd cyrddau arbenig yn ystod y Sul (yfory) yn nghapel Beauchamp Road, Clapham Junction. Y CLWB.—Nid yw'r dyddordeb ynglyn a ffurfiad y clwb Cymreig wedi llwyr gilio o'r tir, oherwydd deallwn fod cyfarfod cyhoeddus ynglyn a'r mudiad i'w gynhal ar nos Wener yr wythnos hon yn un o westyai y dref. Disgwylir bellach y daw'r newydd am agoriad y sefydliad, gan fod y nifer disgwyliedig wedi addaw ymuno a'r sefydliad. Y GOCHELIADAU.-Ond beth bynag f)dd dedfryd y cwrdd yr wythnos hon, dylai'r rhai' sydd ynglyn a'r achos ofalu ar y cychwyn fod y cyfan ar linellau priodol i bob Cymro ymuno a'r lie. Gan fod y fath gri ar hyn o bryd yn erbyn y ddiod feddwol, rhaid gofalu fod y lie yn berffaith sobr, ac yn fangre addas i bob dos- barth o'n pobl i'w fynychu yn rheolaidd. BOXERIAHTH.—Rhaid gofalu hefyd ar y dechreu mai sefydliad gwerinol a fydd, ac nad oes na phlaid nac adran i fod yn geffylau blaen ar y' Clwb a'i reolau. Rhaid i'r pwyllgor fod yn gynrychioladol o Gymry C) mreig, ac os ceir hyny feallai y daw rhyw obaith o'r sefydliad. Ar y dechreu mae rhoddi'r sylfaen priodol iddo. Y LLYFRGELL.—Rhaid canmol y Cymry pybyr hyny a gefnogasant gais Aberystwyth mor barod ynglyn a'r mater uchod yn ystod yr wythnosau diweddaf. Gweithiodd Mr. J. H. Davies, M.A., a'i gefnogwyr mor rhagorol yn ystod yr.ychydig ddyddiau y buont ar draws y ddinas fel y caed dros ddwy fil o bunnau heb yr un anhawsder bron. Dyna ddangos fod y mwyafrif mawr o Gymry'r ddinas yn ddigon eangfrydig eu meddwl mai mewn tref Gymreig y dylid rhoddi'r llyfrau, ac nid mewn tref Seisnig fel Caerdydd. MYGYN A CHAN. — Nos Iau yr wythnos ddiweddaf caed noson ddifyr yn ngwesty Frascati gan nifer o Gymry sy'n hanu o'r tair sir, PenfLJ, Caerfyrddin, a Cheredigion. Yr oedd rhaglen faith o ganeuon wedi ei threfnu, a buwyd mor sir-garol a rhoddi un gan Gymreig i gynrychioli y siroedd Dic-Shon-Dafyddol hyn! Pan gaed y gan honno gan Mr. Pugh yr oedd ei derbyniad mor boblogaidd fel y canodd un cantor arall gan Gymreig yn lie yr un oedd ar ei enw. Yr oedd y caneuon Seisnig yn ddigon cyffredin, a'r unig beth a ellir alw yn grand ynglyn a'r cyngherdd oedd y neuadd lie ei cynhelid. Ag eithrio'r adeilad. lied gyffredin oedd pob peth arall. Cadeiriwyd yn ddeheuig a doniol gan Mr. Vaughan Davies, yr A.S. dros sir y Cardis. Y TAIR SIR.-Eglurodd un Mr. Samuel amcan y cyngherdd mewn araeth aml-eiriog Seisnig. Un o'r amcanion oedd sefydlu Cymdeithas Dair Sirol heb yr un amcan iddi. Amcan arall oedd ceisio gwneyd y Cymry hiraethlon yn gartrefol Gymreig o dan reolau ac arferion Seisnig, ac yn swn caneuon iselwael