The London Welshman

Notes of the Week. Death of Mr. Seddon.- The sudden and tragic .death of Mr. Richard Seddon, the Premier of New Zealand, has removed one of the most interesting personages on the stage of Greater Britain. The story of his career is quite a romance. Born of poor parents, at Eccleston, in Lancashire, sixty-one years ago, he emigrated to the New World when he was eighteen as a steerage passenger. After spending some time in Australia in a vain effort to win the smiles of fortune, he moved to New Zealand, and for some years worked in the gold diggings on the West Coast. During that time he also kept a little drinking shanty, which developed in later years into a hotel. Gradually he acquired knowledge of engineering. In 1879 he entered the New Zealand Parliament, and fourteen years later he became Premier of the Colony, a Position he held until the last against all rivals. He was only an uneducated man, but his Personal force and magnetism overcame all obstacles. His politics were a strange combina- bon of Imperialism and Socialism. He believed In beating the big drum incessantly, and he allowed no British statesman to forget the existence of New Zealand. In "pushfulness" he rivalled Mr. Chamberlain, but, unlike the darling of Birmingham, he managed to give effect into his schemes. His methods were often of a doubtful character, and no one could Wish to see them adopted in England. He Z, visited this country twice, in 1897 and in 1902, and through his speeches made us all pay heed to him. The manner of his death was quite in harmony with his life. He was returning to New Zealand from Sydney, and, not feeling very ^ell, had retired to his state-room to rest before dinner. His wife sat near the couch upon which he had slept for two hours. Suddenly he raised himself, leaned his head on her shoulder, saying, Good-bye, my dear; I am going," and expired. That his country will miss him greatly for a long time goes without saying, and whatever the New Zealand of the future may think of his policy and his methods, she j?ust give him a prominent place on the roll of ose who sacrificed themselves to make her n°wn to the world. j The City By =Election.- For the third time in ess than six months the city of London is passing through the turmoil of a Parliamentary election. Sir Edward Clarke, who headed the poll in January, has resigned his seat, ostensibly on the ground of ill-health, but it is an open secret that his ill-health is due chiefly to worry caused by the way in which the Tariff Reformers have persecuted him ever since he delivered the speech in support of Free Trade in the House of Commons in March. The City Conservative Association, led chiefly by Sir Joseph Lawrence, made up its mind that Sir Edward should have no peace, and rather than be subjected to further worry, the eminent barrister decided to retire. All right-minded men will regret the final removal from the House of Commons of one of the most straightforward politicians that ever entered its portals. He was too straightforward and honest to succeed there, under the condi- tions that predominate at present. He could not lose himself in his party, he could not pocket his own convictions in order not to wound the susceptibilities of pushful leaders. True Conservatism had no more loyal defender, and how the leader of the party can allow the followers of his lieutenant to oust from it such a conscientious and eloquent member is to many people incomprehensible. It seems probable that Sir Edward will be succeeded by Sir Frederick Banbury, whom Peckham rejected in January. If the city prefers a Banbury to a Clarke, it is not for us to complain, but in the House of Commons" a man who has made his reputation by blocking Bills," as Mr. Cosmo Bonsor bluntly put it at the meeting that selected Sir Frederick, will hardly fill the place of a man who has the double reputation of being the most successful lawyer of his day, and the most eloquent member of the English Bar. The Merionethshire Emergency Schools.-A sensational report was issued by some papers a few days ago of a serious disagreement between the Merionethshire Emergency Schools Com- mittee and the Central Campaign Committee, and currency was given to the statement that the Central Committee had demanded from Merionethshire the return of all funds collected throughout the kingdom towards maintaining the Merioneth Revolt Schools." Had there been any truth in that report it would have caused great grief to those who contributed towards the campaign fund.' But it turns out that there is no ground whatever for it, and that the dispute, such as it is, between the two com- mittees, is of a very trivial character, and has been going on almost since the beginning of the revolt. Both committees were at one as to the necessity of providing emergency schools into which might be drafted Nonconformist children at the time attending non-provided schools. But whilst the Merionethshire committee wanted to make these new schools permanent, thus eventually compelling the closing altogether of the non-provided schools in those districts, and appealed for assistance to erect buildings that the Board of Education would acknowledge, the general committee argued that it would be unfair to the rest of Wales to use funds collected for emergency schools to put up buildings that would become permanent county property and for the providing of which the county fund was by statute charged. That matter has not been yet settled, and the communication which has been so malignantly misrepresented was in regard to it alone. That it will be amicably settled in the near future is pretty certain, and the friends of the cause of justice in matters pertaining to Welsh education need not be alarmed in the least. Whatever may be said about the Welsh revolt, it is a consolation to know that there are no dirty clothes to be washed in connection with it. EGLWYS ST. MAIR, CAMBERWELL.—Aeth aelodau yr Eglwys hon am dro i'r wlad y Llungwyn-i Upper Warlingham a Court Farm, a chan i'r hin fod mor ffafriol cafwyd mwynhad mawr. Y mae yn llawenydd mawr genym ddeall fod ein hanwyl gaplan wedi gwella o'i afiechyd diweddar. — D.D.