The London Welshman

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MR. H. W. LUCY'S REMINISCENCES OF WELSH MEMBERS. In his Later Peeps of Parliament, taken from behind the Speaker's Chair," Mr. H. W. Lucy gives a little place to the Welsh element in the House of Commons. He publishes for the first time an interesting letter from the late Mr. Dillwyn, who sat for Swansea for so many years Mr. Dillwyn was a regular occupant of the corner seat below the gangway, now filled by Mr. Labouchere. He held it undisturbed till Mr. Roebuck was returned for Sheffield at a bye- election. The old gentleman, presuming on his years and fame, coming down to the House at whatever hour suited his convenience, dislodged Mr. Dillwyn. This genial custom was suffered for some time. But the worm will turn at last, and one day Mr. Dillwyn did. The situation is described in the following letter here published for the first time. I take it from a copy in the neat handwriting of Mr. Dillwyn, which he gave me at the time. It bears date, 'House of Commons, 23rd May, 1878,' and commences :— My dear Mr. Roebuck,-Some time ago I mentioned to you that, although I wished to accommodate you by giving up to you the seat which I occupy in the House when you come here, I would ask you to let me know when you intended to come, as otherwise I am left without a place, and as I take rather an active part in the business of the House, this often occasions me considerable inconvenience. I understood you to assent to the reasonableness of this request, and upon one occasion you did so inform me. Of late, however, you have not done so, and, consequently, I have several times during recent debates been without a place, although I had secured my usual one, as I did not like to pre- vent you from occupying it. Under these cir- cumstances, I hope you will excuse me if I con- sider the arrangement at an end, and that I will decline to give up my usual seat should I have secured it. I may say that several members who sit on the Opposition side of the House do not like to hear speeches directed against the Opposition, and in praise of the Government, such as you almost invariably make, emanating from their own side of the House, and they are surprised that you should like to make them from that side and that I should make way for you on it. Very many representations to this effect have been made to me since your speech this evening, and I cannot say that I am sur- prised at it. Wishing to act with courtesy with you, I think it right to inform you before you come next to the House that I shall in future decline to vacate for you any place which I may have secured.—Believe me, yours truly, L. L. DILLWYN.' Before a week had sped after the despatch of this letter the crisis came. During question time, when the House was densely crowded, Mr. Roebuck entered, dragging his leaden foot- steps in the direction of the corner seat. His habit was to stand there till Mr. Dillwyn rose and left or moved lower down the bench. Now, as he stood and waited, Mr. Dillwyn steadily stared at the Treasury Bench, ignoring his pre- sence. Not a word passed. The House paused, watching the scene. Finding the Member for Swansea immovable, Mr. Roebuck crossed over to the Conservative side, half a dozen members, amid wild cheering, springing up to give him a seat within the Government fold." Concerning the present representatives of Wales Mr. Lucy has not very much to say. But the following bit will be relished by our readers:- "There was a time when the Welsh members showed a disposition to organise a Parliamentary guerilla force. They had the making of excellent leaders in Mr. Lloyd-George and Mr. Samuel Evans. As long as their own friends were in power they showed themselves industrious and vigorous. They had a good deal to do with making Lord Rosebery's Government so uncom fortable that its members rather welcomed than resented dismissal on a side issue. The incen- tive of opposing his titular leader, dear to the heart of a good Liberal, being withdrawn, the Welsh party fell to pieces, and has not been reconstituted."

CYMRAEG CAERDYDD. Fel dernyn gorchestol o Gymraeg clogyrnaidd ac anystwyth rhoddwn y flaenoriaeth yr wythnos hon i'r anerchiad a gyflwynwyd gan bobl Caer- dydd i Ardalydd Bute ar achlysur ei briodas a merch ieuanc o'r Ynys Werdd :— I'r Anrhydeddusaf loan, Ardalydd Bute ac Iarll Dumfries. "Yr ydym ni, Faer, Henaduriaid, a Bwr- deisiaid Bwrdeisdref sir Caerdydd, mewn Cyng- hor ymgynulledig, yn parchus gynyg, ar eich dydd priodas, ein llongyfarchiadau diffuant a chalonog i'ch Arglwyddiaeth ac i'r foneddiges ydych wedi ddewis yn briodferch. I- Mynegwn, nid yn unig ein teimladau ein hunain, ond yr eiddo pob preswylydd yn nhref a phorthladd Caerdydd, sydd a chymaint dyled arnynt i antur fawr a phellwel, ac yspryd cyhoedd goleuedig, hynafiaid eich arglwyddiaeth, pan osodwn ger eich bron eich dau, ar yr adeg ddedwydd hon yn eich bywyd, ein gobaith dwysaf y bydd i bob bendith ddilyn eich bywyd priod. "Fel cynrychiolwyr prif dref Cymru, ni allwn ond ystyried y gyfathrach deuluol hon fel y peth mwyaf boddhaus i bobl y Werddon a thrigolion y Dywysogaeth, oblegid tynheir a sicrheir yn gadarnach y rhwymau o ewyllys dda ac o gysylltiadau cyfeillgar sydd gydryngynt eisoes. "Hyderwn yn gryf y bydd i'r cysylltiadau teyrngar a serchog, a'r rhwymyn cyfeillgarwch, sydd er cyn cof wedi bod cydrhwng Ty Pen- defigaidd Bute a phobl Caerdydd, gael eu cryf- hau, os yn ddichonadwy, gan y gyfathrach hon, ac y gallwn barhau i fwynhau y manteision a ddichon ddod o honynt. "Yr ydym, gan hynny, yn erfyn ar i'ch arglwyddiaeth dderbyn y sicrhad hwn on dymuniad calonog am i chwi a'ch cydwedd urddasol fyw yn hir, dan Ragluniaeth Ddwyfol 1 fwynhau dedwyddwch, hawddfyd, a llwyddiant unol, yng nghanol serch a pharch byth-gyn- hyddol trigolion y fwrdeisdref hon." Mae'n amlwg mai yn Saesneg y cyfansoddwyd- y gwaith ar y dechreu, ac mai gorchest rhyw glerc o Sais-Gymro yw'r cyfieithiad uchod. On mae'n cydfyned yn hollol a Chymraeg cyffredm Caerdydd.

weithio ar hyn o bryd. Mae yn wasgfa ar breswylwyr y lie o eisieu gwaith. Llawer oedd wedi gwneyd cartrefi clyd yn gorfod eu gadael a myned i ffordd am fywioliaeth; a dyna ddy- oddef mae yr eglwysi, tair mewn nifer, perthynol i'r Methodistiaid Calfinaidd, Annibynwyr, a Bedyddwyr, a dim gweinidog sefydlog. Dyna gyfle i wneyd gwaith cenhadol; a chan fod genyf Sul gwag arosais yn East Greenville i ymweled a gwneyd a allwn. Ymunodd y tair eglwys. Cawsom gwrdd Cymraeg y boreu yn nghapel yr Annibynwyr; y prydnawn cwrdd pobl ieuainc yn nghapel y Bedyddwyr, a'r nos daeth mwy na allasai gael lie i eistedd i gapel y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd-canoedd o bobl ieuainc a neb yn gofalu am eu bywyd ysbrydol. Dyna faes llafur i ddyn da; mae talentau yn pydru o eisiau eu defnyddio yn ngwaith Duw. Yr oedd y cwrdd amrywiol y prydnawn yn ar- dderchog-y plant yn canu dan arweiniad William Thomas; hefyd cawsom adroddiadau ardderchog gan Miss Fratherham a Miss Ceridwen Thomas, yr hon sydd yn fydenwog fel elocutionist. Gwnaeth waith clodwiw tra ar ei hymweliad a'r Hen Wlad. Cymraes yw Miss Thomas, merch Mr. a Mrs. William Thomas, Beach Grove. Cymerodd y chwaer ran mewn amryw o'n cyfarfodydd, a'i chwaer ieuanc chwareuai wrth yr organ. Cefais fwynhad diderfyn gyda phobl anwyl East Greenfield, yr hen frodyr Thomas Lewis a Thomas Thomas yn gofalu fod yr athrawiaeth yn iachus. Cawsom gyrddau yn yr wythnos, ac un cwrdd chwiorydd. Arosais gyda Mr. a Mrs. Protheroe, Mr. a Mrs. James Thomas, y store, ac oddiyno i Beech Grove i orphen fy amser.