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WELSH UNIVERSITY REFORM.
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WELSH UNIVERSITY REFORM. Sir Marchant Williams' Reply to His Critics. On Tuesday last, Sir Marchant Williams addressed a meeting of the Cardiff Cymmro- dorion on "The University of Wales Its Past, its Present, and its Future." The time, he said, had come when a full statement of facts relating to the administration of the affairs of the University of Wales was absolutely necessary. Though there was no provision in the charter for a principal or head of the University, Sir Isambard Owen, the senior deputy chancellor, had, fortunately for the University but without the direct authority of the Court, assumed these functions from the start and had never relin- quished them. A salaried principal could never have vested in him, and could never even usurp, half the power that had been wielded and was still being wielded in the University of Wales by the gentleman who was now principal of the Armstrong College of Science at Newcastle- upon-Tyne. Last year Sir Isambard made it known that he must abandon his Welsh University work and devote himself to the calls of his London practice, unless it could be arranged that he should be paid a salary for his services to the University. This led to a move- ment to provide for the retention of Sir Isambard Owen as a paid and permanent officer of the University, the title suggested being rector. Principal Reichel and Principal Griffiths sup- ported the idea, but immediately Sir Isambard Owen, to the unbounded surprise and disappoint- ment of all the friends of the University of Wales, accepted the Newcastle appointment, these gentlemen, and oddly enough Principal Roberts, turned their backs upon him (Sir Marchant) and others, scouted the idea of a salaried rector or head, and declared that there was no work for him to do Could any reason- able being, he asked, believe that the general affairs of the University of Wales could still be supervised and administered thoroughly and efficiently by the paid officer of another univer- sity, who resided on the borders of Scotland, 400 miles-or more away from Wales? Under these circumstances the retention by Sir Isambard Owen of his authority and power over the destinies of the University of Wales was detrimental to its best interests and humiliating to the Principality. Turning to the recent address of his impul- sive and rhetorical friend Professor Henry Jones on the subject of University reform, Sir Marchant expressed the opinion that no person of high academical reputation was so ill-equipped for the task of defending the present system as the moral philosopher from the banks of the Clyde." He had no direct knowledge of the working of the system, and the little indirect knowledge of its working he had recently acquired was as imperfect as it was superficial, and had led him into a total misconception of the situation. As the chosen champion of the Senior Deputy Chancellor and the three Prin- cipals, the valiant Professor had been careering through the Principality, shouting defiance at their opponents and puffing clouds of specious rhetorics in their faces, thereby blinding their eyes to the real issue. If his old friend wished Welshmen to listen to him patiently, he must cast aside the airs and drop the assumptions of a Roman Emperor. Once a professor descended from his class-room pedestal into the public arena, delivered speeches-wise and otherwise— on public platforms, participated in collegiate, municipal, and university electioneering, belittled the national aspirations and derided the suscep- tibilities of the people who maintained him, he must not be permitted to escape public criticism by wrapping himself in the folds of his academical gown. The man, Henry Jones, might say what he liked about his "faith in popular government." In the sight of Henry Jones, the professor, popular government was a thing to be shunned, distrusted, and perhaps secretly detested. On paper the University of Wales was as democratic as it ever was, but the acting officials of the University, the Principals and many of the professors, were closely banded together and seemingly were pledged to secure at all costs and hazards the predominance of the academic element of the Court over its lay element, and they had at last become so powerful that they had nearly attained their object. Professor Heney Jones asked for peace; he (Sir Marchant) asked for justice. He referred to Principal Rhys, Professor Morris Jones, and Sir John Williams. The Wheldons and their race might well be left out of account, for nobody, he presumed, worshipped at their word. Principal Rhys had not shed a glimmer of light on the salient points in this controversy, for he had not applied his acute intellect to its manifold details and bearings. Professor Morris Jones was a great authority on Welsh prose and on the Jingle-men of Welsh poetry, but when he was forced upon his friends as a safe guide on any other question, there was no course left but to turn their backs upon him and burst into laughter. Sir John Williams was a new comer in the field of Welsh education, and did not appear as yet to have any settled convictions on the question of University reform.
WELSH DISESTABLISHMENT.
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WELSH DISESTABLISHMENT. Attitude of the Welsh Party. The Rev. Evan Jones, of Carnarvon, the well-known Welsh minister and advocate of religious equality, has a vigorous article in the November number of The Traethodydd on the present position of the disestablishment movement in Wales. In the course of it he says "Sir Alfred Thomas, the chairman of the Welsh Parliamentary party, has expressed it as his personal opinion that next to the amend- ment of the Education Act Welsh disestablish- ment ought to be given the foremost place in the programme of Liberal legislation, while Mr. Lloyd-George declares that Sir Alfred spoke in this matter only on his own behalf. All this points to the urgent need of the Welsh party in Parliament making up its mind on the subject. There has never been room to doubt the sincerity of all the Welsh members on this question. Were it otherwise they would soon hear of it. It is one thing to be faithful to a question from intellectual conviction it is quite another, however, to be ready to push it forward, and to do all that is possible in that direction. Is the Welsh party as such really and truly zealous for anything except its name ? It is said that one hon. member brought this matter forward and showed the desirableness of the party, as a party and not merely as individuals, making up its mind on the question, but to no purpose. Perhaps that was best. Had they proceeded to a division in the meeting it might possibly have been found that there was in reality no party to divide-only a number of members bearing a high-sounding name and professing great things before the country, but who felt not under the slightest obligation to each other or to anybody else, but every one at liberty to do what seemed best in his own eyes without a shade of responsibility to anyone. This sort of thing is not a party, but a bundle of opinionated units without light or force. When the chairman of the party says one thing, and one of its most prominent members is ready to throw him overboard, and to declare in public that the chairman (save the mark!) represented no one except himself, what are we to say ? To lovers of Wales the thing is a deep sore." Mr. Jones calls upon the Welsh party, if it is a party, to make a clear declaration on the subject as Wales has already done. He en- dorses the views of Sir Alfred Thomas and Lord Rendel as against those of Lord Stanley of Alderley that Wales must go in for a disestab- lishment measure of its own, and not merge its claims in a general bill for England and Wales.
JOINT COUNTIES ASSOCIATION…
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JOINT COUNTIES ASSOCIATION (LONDON). This Association held its second Bohemian Concert, the first of the present season, at Frascati's, Oxford Street, London, on Thursday evening, 2nd November. Abel Thomas, Esq. K.C., M.P., presided. There was a very large attendance of members with their wives and friends. An excellent musical programme was provided, to which the following artistes, under the direction of Mr. J. M. Picton, contributed, Miss Amy Evans and Miss Hilda Snelling, Mr. David Evans, Mr. Stanley Davies, Mr. John Bardsley, Mr. Kenneth Park, Mr. Wilson James, and Mr. Sidney Jones. Mr. David Richards, A.R.C.O., was the pianist. The following members acted as stewards :— Messrs. J. Bowen Davies, D. J. Davies, T. E. Jones, J. P. Morris, L. J. Phillips, J. W. Samuel, and Tom Williams. Mr. J. Bowen Davies, M.A., LL.B., in moving a vote of thanks to the Chairman, said that it was very good of Mr. Abel Thomas to have thus honoured them. The object of the Associa- tion was not to enhance any particular institution or individual, nor to seek any profit, but to give Welshmen in London an opportunity of meeting one another in a social way. They heartily thanked the Chairman for coming, and hoped he would honour them again with his presence. Mr. Abel Thomas, in reply, said that it seemed to him he had been brought there under false pretences, inasmuch as he did not know that he would be expected to make a speech. He had only one fault to find with Mr. Bowen Davies, and that was he had forgotten to mention the ladies. He was a younger man than himself, and should, therefore, have them more in mind. He was sure the Association would benefit both the ladies and the gentle- men. He never forgot that he was a Pem- brokeshire man, and he knew that such was the case with the natives of Cardigan and Carmarthen. These counties were the most important in Wales, and he hoped the Associa- tion would prosper. He thanked them for asking him to preside. It had been a greater pleasure to him to come amongst them, he was sure, than for any one of them to have him there. The concert was brought to a conclusion with the Welsh National Anthem.
.HWFA MON YN EI FEDD.-
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mor awdurdodol, a'i ymadroddion mor drwyadl Gymreig, fel y gallesid bron dybied mai un o hen dderwyddon Mon a lofruddiodd y Rhufein- iaid ers yn agos i ddwy fil o flynyddoedd yn ol wedi adgyfodi ydoedd. Y tro diweddaf iddo gymeryd rhan yng ngweithrediadau yr Orsedd ydoedd yng nghyhoeddiad Eisteddfod Caernar- fon yn yr haf. Prudd oedd ei weled mor llesg, y llais taranllyd wedi gwanhau, y llygaid mellt- enaidd wedi dofi, ond yr ysbryd mor fyw a Chymreig ag erioed. Methodd fyned i'r Eis- teddfod yn Aberpenar ym mis Awst, ac yr oedd bwlch dirfawr yno hebddo. Teimlid fod y darn mwyaf o'r Eisteddfod a'r Orsedd ar ol. Nid dyma y lie na'r adeg i geisio beirniadu ei athrylith. Yr ydym yn rhy agos ato ac yn teimlo gormod o hiraeth ar ei ol i ddal y glorian. Fe benderfyna y dyfodol ei safle ym mysg beirdd ei gened!. Nid oes ynom yr am- heuaeth lleiaf na chydnabyddir ef yn un o wir blant yr awen. Ond diau mai ei bersonoliaeth, yn fwy na dim arall, a'i gwnaeth ef yr hyn ydoedd. Yr oedd yn gymeriad, yn ddyn ar ei ben ei hun, ac mewn oes pan y mae yr hyn a eilw'r Sais yn character mor brin, nid rhyfedd ei fod yn llanw lie mor fawr ac amlwg ym mywyd Cymru. Ac yr oedd hefyd yn gymeriad trwyadl Gymreig. Ni chyffyrddodd gwareiddiad Seisnig ag ef yn y mesur lleiaf. Yn Gymraeg y meddyliai ac y dychmygai yr iaith Gymraeg oedd iaith Parad- wys iddo; delfrydau Cymreig oedd ei ddel- frydau; defodau ac arferion Cymreig oedd y rhai perffeithiaf a nefoleiddiaf dan haul yn ei olwg. Talp mawr o Gymreigaeth na chafodd dylanwadau estronol gyffwrdd ag ef i geisio ei gaboli a gosod eu hargraph eu hunain arno oedd Hwfa Mon. Ac fel y cyfryw bydd bwlch ar ei ol nas dichon neb arall ei lanw. Mae'r olaf o dderw Basan wedi cwympo.