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WALES AT THE FREE CHURCH NATIONAL…
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WALES AT THE FREE CHURCH NATIONAL COUNCIL. At the Annual Meeting of the National Council of the Evangelical Free Churches, held in Birmingham last week, the following resolu- tion on the subject of Welsh Disestablishment was carried with acclamation :— "That the National Council of Evangelical Free Churches deems it important, immediately after the election of a new Parliament by over- whelming Progressive majorities, to reaffirm its adherence to the principle of religious equality, and the freedom of all State Churches from State patronage and control; and the Council calls for the application of this principle to the Principality of Wales and Monmouth, which has just sent to Parliament the whole body of its members pledged to demand and vote for the Disestablishment of the Anglican Church in that country. Such a pronouncement, in the opinion of this Council, entitles the people of Wales to the fulfilment of their national aspira- tions after religious equality without unnecessary delay, in the course of the present Parliament." Amongst those expected to speak to the resolution was Sir Alfred Thomas, the chairman of the Welsh Parliamentary Party. He was unavoidably absent, and his place was taken by the Rev. J. Morgan Gibbon, who expressed his delight at the enthusiasm which had been evoked on behalf of the proposal. He per- sonally regretted the absence of Sir Alfred Thomas, the leader of the Welsh Party, who was an honest, earnest, kindly, universally beloved, trusted, convinced, and resolute man. He was a Welshman indeed in whom there was no guile, and he was especially glad that the present suggestion of Disestablishment in Wales was linked with the name of a man who at the utmost stretch of the imagination could not be associated with fanaticism. It was essential to Nonconformists at this time that they should do their work in the spirit of Christ, and he wished to dissociate himself from every allusion that could be construed into disrespect of any of their opponents, and more especially to that eminent man to whom Birmingham owed so much, and of whom they might naturally be proud. Whilst he wished to exercise every courtesy and kindness to those who differed from them, still they must not sail under false colours. He would be courteous, but not mealy-mouthed. They were Nonconformists, and Nonconformity meant Disestablishment. Whether Mr. Chamberlain would help them or not, they had Mr. Chamberlain's head, mind, brain, and conviction in this matter, and whether they offended Birmingham or not, they must stand for their principles. If they left the tree standing it would again produce fruit of its kind. Passive resistance must complete itself into Disestablishment. Wales had big claims upon Birmingham. Birmingham owed to Wales its water supply. The fame of Scot- land and Ireland rested on another liquid, but that liquid did not conduce to the health and sobriety of the nation. His nation stood for pure water. Since it had taken the Welsh water Birmingham had become cleaner and healthier, and he was told that one embarrassed householder had found a fish in the water. That showed how generous his country was. In conclusion, he contended that the religious revival in Wales had struck a final blow at ecclesiasticism. A meeting of the Welsh delegates to the Council was held, under the presidency of the Rev. J. Glyn Davies, of Newport, to discuss several matters immediately affecting Wales. The question of representation for Wales on the Executive of the National Council was considered, and it was unanimously decided that Wales have two representatives, one for the North and one for the South. After nomina- tion and a ballot the Rev. Dr. David Oliver, of Holywell, and the Rev. J. Glyn Davies were selected. Another matter considered was the question of a Welsh National Convention for the Deepen- ing of Spiritual Life, on the same lines as the one held at Llandrindod last year. It was the unanimous opinion of the delegates that a con- vention of this kind would be the means of consolidating the results of the recent revival, and some of the speakers intimated that Mr. Evan Roberts had expressed his willing- ness, to attend such a gathering. It was after- wards resolved that a National Convention for Wales be held in the spring of 1907. It was further agreed that the Rev. Dr. Oliver and Mr. G. A. Herbert Price call the secretaries of the different federations together in order to place this matter before the respective councils included within their area.
CHURCH SCHOOLS IN LLANDAFF.
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CHURCH SCHOOLS IN LLANDAFF. Decrease in Numbers Examined. In connection with the Llandaff Diocesan Association of Church Schools (religious educa- tion department) the annual joint meeting of the Archidiaconal Sub-association was held on Friday afternoon at the Town Hall, Cardiff, to receive the annual report and accounts and the report of the diocesan inspector, the Rev. A. J. Holme Russell. The Bishop of Llandaff pre- sided, and there was a large attendance repre- sentative of all parts of the diocese. The annual report showed that grants amounting to £ 1,563 had been made during the year to cope with repairs requisitioned by the local education authorities, besides grants from the National Society and other bodies. The report closed in these terms The outlook for the friends of Church schools is not cheering, but we are determined to carry on our work so long as we are permitted to do so, and to resist to the end any and every attempt to prevent the children of Church parents receiving the religious training which they have a right to demand, and which they and we believe is so essential to their well-being and the well-being of the nation. The diocesan inspector then submitted his report, which was received with approbation. The inspector described in severe, but just, terms the policy of local education authorities in the diocese. Mr. Russell says These authorities, with the one exception of Cardiff, have aimed at the extinction of our schools, and to gain this end have not hesitated to stoop to mean and unjust methods"—a statement which common experience will readily endorse. In 1904 two voluntiry schools had to L-e closed, and in 1905 ten more departments ceased to exist in Church day schools, and the inspector knows already of several more schools whose doors will be closed during the current year. The treatment meted out to some of the schools is not only unjust, but positively cruel. The school of which Mr. Russell happens to be one of the managers, has been without a head- teacher since September last. In that case the Glamorgan County Council offer a salary of £75, whereas the voluntary managers had pre- viously been paying £ 130. In dealing with the religious question, the inspector deplored the divided state of opinion in Church circles It is because we are disunited, and because the glamour of liberty, falsely so-called, has been thrown around the invertebrate Christian teach- ing which is supposed to be good enough for the ordinary Churchman that responsible politicians dare to ignore our just claims, whilst they propose to make special terms for the benefit of a much smaller and alien Church. The total number of school departments inspected in 1905, was 174, or 24 departments fewer than in the previous year. There were 24 school departments inspected in 1904 which were not in 1905, and one inspected in 1905 which was not inspected in 1904. Of the 25 departments not inspected ten were Church day schools which have now ceased to be such, four were Sunday schools, and four were board schools, to which, under the present regime, the inspector is no longer admitted. The remain- ing seven were schools which for various reasons could not receive the inspector's visit last year, but which he hopes to visit this year, and, as only one of the schools inspected was not a Church day school (Aberdare Industrial School), the number of Church day school departments inspected was 173, or sixteen fewer than last year. In the 174 schools examined there were 23,194 on the books, and of these 19,812 were present on the day of examination, but, as 346 were withheld from examination because of the irregularity of their attendances, the number actually examined was 19,466, or 2,353 fewer than last year, and the smallest number examined in any one year for more than twenty years. These drawbacks notwithstanding, the inspec- tor was able to say that the work done was excellent, and for this the credit was almost entirely due to the teachers. The number of children wholly withdrawn from religious instruction was 89, and of those partially withdrawn 577, the former number being slightly smaller, and the latter being rather larger than in the previous year. Of the 89 wholly withdrawn 63 were Roman Catholics, and 10 Jews, and of the 577 partially with- drawn, 321 came from one school. The examiner dealt also with the subject of pupil teachers' examinations.
OLD BALLADS AND BALLAD SINGERS…
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OLD BALLADS AND BALLAD SINGERS OF WALES. In a lecture delivered before the Cardiff Cymmrodorion, the Registrar of Aberystwyth College (Mr. J. H. Davies, Cwrtmawr), gave very interesting details about old Welsh ballad singers. He said that the ballad was a branch of literature greatly neglected in England and also in Wales. The Civil War and the Common- wealth played much havoc with Welsh literature, and the period which succeeded was one of the most barren in Welsh history. From the middle of the seventeenth century Welsh literature was produced and encouraged chiefly by the people, and the ballad, as a matter of course, became popular. The most prolific of Welsh ballad- writers was Ellis Roberts or Elis y Cowper, whose compositions might be reckoned by the score. Other composers were Dafydd Sion Dafydd, of Trefriw; Dafydd Manuel, from Montgomeryshire; Dafydd Jones (the Jolly Tailor), of Llanfair Talhaiarn John Thomas, Pentrefoelas; Morris Richards, of Bala; and Richard Parry, of Anglesey. All these were from North Wales. In South Wales they had the old bards of Cwmdu, near Newcastle Emlyn Ifan Thomas Rhys, of Llanarth; Dafydd Jones, of Caio; John Thomas, of Rhayader; Thomas Evans, Cefncoed, and many others. A notable fact was that a great many of the ballad-singers of the eighteenth century hailed from the Vale of Teify, from Lampeter to Cardigan. Of all the ballad-writers, the ablest was the famous Twm o'r Nant, whose name was still a household word in Wales. Ballads were sung on all sorts of subjects. Some of the writers took sides in the religious con- troversies of their time others took up their parable against the vices of the age. Mr. Davies referred to the pamphlet published last year by the Western Mail Limited-" Tragedies- of the Mine "—-which gave an account of some thirty memorable explosions during the past thirty years. Mr. Davies examined the ballads that were produced during the same period, and, strange to say, every explosion recorded in the pamphlet had been made the subject of a ballad, and a few explosions besides.
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Y CYNGOR SIROL.-Bydd amryw o seddau gwag ar y Cyngor ddechreu'r flwyddyn, oher- wydd y mae amryw o'r aelodau yn aelodau o Dy'r Cyffredin hefyd, ac mae'r ddau orchwyl yn mynd a gormod o'u hamser. Wrth gwrs, fe aberthir y Cyngor er mwyn glynu wrth anrhydedd uwch Ty'r Cyffredin. Boed i'r Cymry ofalu am nifer o ymgeiswyr yn barod i'r ornest.