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TEMPERArURE AND RAINFALL.

v Feathers and Fluff

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OUR DIARY.

KILLED HIS SON.

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Cardiff Exhibition.

SERVE THEM RIGHT.

SMOKE AND SNUFF.

LOCAL NEWS ITEMS.

Mr Maclean, M.P., at ] Cardiff…

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Mr Maclean, M.P., at ] Cardiff ANOTHER CONSERVATIVE CLUB OPENED. Speech by the Borough Member on Wilee and the Education Bill. The new Park Ward Conservative Club-a. handsome and commodious building wliiich has lately made its appearance in Castle-road —was opened on Thursday night by Mr. T. M. Maclean, M.P., the interesting occasion being celebrated by a presentation to the hon. gentle- I man, and also by a banquet which subsequently took place in the meeting-room of the club. Tho building, which was designed by Mr. C. Armstrong Austin, of the firm of Barker and Austin, architects, Cardiff, is built of red brick- work, with Bath stone dressings, and contains on the ground floor, besides an entrance-hall and passage leading to the back and steward's rooms, a billiard-room a.nd smoking-room, over which is a large clubroom used for meetings and concerts, a reading-room, and secretary's office. Lavatory accommodation is provided in a building erected in the garden, and the old part of the house is utilised as a residence for the steward. It is proposed at an early date to extend the house to the rtar, covering in the greater part of the garden with a skittle- alley and kitchen, and dining and other rooms overhead. The builder is Mr. Harry Gibbon, who is also the chairman of the clu'b. We may add that the architect, Mr. C. A. Austin, gave his services in designing and supervising the alteration of the premises as a contribution to the cause. Mr. J. M. Maclean, M.P., in driving up at 6.30 to perform the opening cevcmony, was received with loud applause by the officials and a large number of members who had as^emvbled outside awaiting the hon. member's arrival. Rain falling all the time, the pre- liminary ceremony was necessarily brief. Mi*. Harry Gibbon (chairman of the club) presented Mr. Maclean with a massive silver key (de- signed and supplied by the Atlrvs Furnishing Company, Cardiff), .and bearing the following inscription:—"Presented to J. M. Maclean, Esq., on the occasion of the opening of the Fark Conservative Club. 30th April, 1096." Mr. Gibbon, in handing ever the key, said it afforded him great pleasure to present it as a memento of the ope-ning of the club. Mr. Maclean, in reply, said: I am extremely obliged to you for presenting me with this handsome key, and it affordfe me great pleasure to open your club this evening. (Applause ) The hon. member then formally unlocked I the door amid a loud outburst- of cheering. THE DINNER. A dinner was afterwards served in the I aespmbly-room of the club, which had been handsomely decorate^ by the Atlas Furnishing Company. About 100 members sat down. Mr. H. Gibbon presided, and amongst those present were Mr. J. M. Maclean, M.P., Coun- cillors George David, Henry White, Robert Hughes, and Illtyd Thomas, Mr. W. W. Nell, J.P.. The Grange, Wenvoe; Messrs. J. Stanfield, E. Waddingtoai. Fred Dunklev, Tack Samuel, A. Prosscr (secretary), F. Broken- brow (treasurer). Isaac Samuel, J. Owen Con- way. G. E. Whitehead, C. A. Austin, W D. Williams, and F. J. Rendall (vice-chairmen), E. P. Lewis, R. Taylor, J. Hinton, E. Gregory, T. R. Jones, A. Gavin, E. C. Willmott, &c. The loyal toasts having been proposed and enthusiastically honoured, Mr. J. Rendall proposed "The Bishop and Clergy and Ministers of All Denominations." Mr. George David, in response, said there was no town in this country in which the bishop and clergy o-f the 'Church had done such admirable work in the cause of religion as had) been done by the bishop of th;s dioccse and by the clerirv of the town of Cardiff. Although they differed in principles, they who belonged to the_ Church could throw out generous words of praise of the work which the ministers of other wt-re doing in their midst. They all recognised the self-denying -laibours wlnca were being dona in other communities by men who conscien- tiously believed they were right. (Applause.) Mr. Councillor Henry W liite proposed the "Army, Navy, and Reserve Forces,' alluding to the statement of Colonel Goldsmid at a banquet on the previous evening in Cardiff that he was ready at any moment to obty the stem call of dirty as the spirit that ani- mated all the military and naval and other forces of her Majesty the Queen. (Applause.) Mr. Austin responded. Dr. Trehame, in proposing "Her Majesty's Government," said that in Mr. Maclean they had one who was not a mere puppet of either party. (Applause.) No one desired (at any rate, in the Conservative ranks) that the representative of Cardiff should be a mere delegate, voting as he Atas told, without exer- cising Ihis own intelligent criticism. (Ap- plause.) Mr. Maclean was a loyal a,nd warm supporter of the Government, but lie main- tained the right—especially in regard to South African affairs-to use his independent judge ment, and claimed to bring to bear on the -great questions of the hour such ciiticiem as would assist in the formation of a proper policy so far as foreign affairs were concerned. (Applause.) They had too often shown the white feather iu the Transvaal, and he maintained that they should now show a bold front and (pursue a resolute policy. (Applause.) Mr. J. M. Maclean. M.P., in rising to respond, was received with musical hon ,uvs. Before replying to the toast, which had been proposed 'by Dr. Treharne, he ghoild, he .-aid, like to congratulate them upon having opened ^hat day that commodious and pleasant club, HA had known the Park Ward for a great num- ber of years now- (Applause.) He first hecarae acauainted with it when he came about there with his late lamented friend Sir Mor- gan Morean.—(applause)—and he knew that th<R Park Ward did yery weli for him at the last, election—(applause)—and he was pleased t.ha+, thev had succeeded in obtaining a club-house like that, and so complete, he might say, the network of clubs which now over- spread that great borough. (Applause.) Ti ose clubs were )f the greatest service to the Ccn- servative- cause. They were centres of social intercourse and political progress, and if they wanted any testimony to their value to the cause which was so dear to all of them he thought thev would find it in the impotent attempts of the Radical party to run aown those clubs, and in iheir still moro impotent attempts to form corresponding clubs on their ;wn side- (Laughter and applause.) W ell, j rie found he was placed in the- position of laving to respond again that evening to a j lGast to which he replied, possibly, at too greak db length on the previous mslit. (Lrns of "No.") Dr. Treharne in proposing the toast had found it necessary to offer, as it were, acme defence of himself (Mr. Maclean) for speaking out his opinions with great indepen- dence upon tho public questions of the day. Perhaps it was a fault of his to be a little too militant in his criti- cisms. He hoped he should not give ceca- sion to amybody to compare hire o the states- man described by Drvden, of wham the post wrote: Pleased with the danger whew the waves ran high. He sought the storm-; but for a calm unfit. Would steer too nigh the sands to show his wic. (Laughter.) But. really, there as a great temptation at the present day to indulge in criticism of the Government which he was returned to Parliament to support. He did not offer criticisms in an idle spirifc, but, really, they had so overwhelming a majority and the Opposition was so disorganised that if some- one did not criticise th. Government life would become very dull indeed. (Laughter.) He dared say they all remembpred the stcry of the gentleman who wai giving evidence in a court of law. He said he had been married for 40 years, and lie and his wife had never had an angry word, and the judge leaned over from the bench and said, "Dear mp, what a dull life it must have- been." (Loud laughter.) He was afraid it would be a very dull life for a private member of Parliament—who in these day,, found very great difficulty in gett:ng a chance of putting in a word edge- ways in Parliament-if he was not "Bowed to expreRS his opinion with considerable frankness to his constituents when he came down to them to pour out the treasures of his soul, which he had been denied the opportunity of laying before the House of Commons. (" Hear, hear," and laughter.) He did not think that in anything he had sa.td upon public affairs he had departed from ihe advocacy ot the principles which commended themselves to his supporters a.t the general election. (Hear, hear.) He kept always in view certain great ends of public policy, and if be thought the Government was deviating from the attainment of those ends lie felt lie was bound to express his opinion on those points. (Applause.) But he asked them not to suppose for a moment that he took a very gloomy view of the state of public affairs abroad, or that he wished to suggest for one moment that, whether or no- the' men responsible for the Imperial policy of the country had made mistakes here and there, it would be possible to improve upon the present stat" of affairs by bringing the leaders of the Opposite n into office again. (Applause ) He was perfectly satisfied that the men they had in power now wera the men who were best qualified to direct the Apetinies of the country. The cause of Enghifk civilisation, which was the cau £ 6 they to promote, must. Would remember that the great astronomer Galileo, when imprisoned and! forced to deny hie theory that the earth w-fmt lound the sun. made the famous exclamation, And yet it moves." (Applause.) And -o. whatever trouble might come upon the British Empire, and what- ever passing storms might disturb them, they c'ould- still say, with the proud confidence of a people who had- advanced from, age to age throughout the centuries, and always had) con- throughout the centuries, and always had) con- tinued to make progress for themse'-ves and for civiliea-tion, "Whatever these troubles are, we are gure that the cause of English civilisation is safe, and that we will do our beat 'to advance." (Applause.) Ne w, the leader of their party, Lord Salis- bury-— (applause)—-mad9 a speech on the previous night in which he showed how little dismayed were the minds of English states- w I men at being confronted with troubles in any part of the world. (Applause.) He rhowed that iin the great work they had now again undertaken in Egypt they were endeavouring to recover for Egypt her lost provinces, and to extend our rule far up the River Nile into the heart ,-f Central Africa. (Applause.) That was RU expedition conducted with great care and skill, and he thought with every promise of ultimate success. (Applause.) That they were undertaking very quietly while they had greater troubles to encounter in another part of Africa, and he thought it 1 shewed our statesmen were moved by rial desires, and would not be deterred from J carrying out what they believed to be a true ( Imperial policy. No doubt, attention had been mainly directed of late to foreign affairs, but there were many other questions of the s greatest interest to the people of this country. t Thev could ttot always have their eves fixed i abroad; and they must remember that this J cuuntry itself v,is the seat of our Empire, and > thar it was upon the prosperity of the people of 1 this country that the future of the whole t Empire depended. (Applause. ) lie thought they < might rest assured that the Government now in power was doing its be-t to promote the I prosperity üf the tliiited Kingdom, and was also attempting to carry out, the policy which it was returned to ijfiSce last year to pursue. A I very great number 01 Bills had been had before Parliament by the Government, all of ^hem ] in redemption of ;hc pledges made to the eke- ] tors at the general election. 1 Applause.) i Attempts were made here and there by the Radicals to show theIH these measures would do some harm to t'ue country at large. They • had ithe great Education Bill, for instance, pro- posed by Sir .Tohn Qorst—(appiause)—a states- man who took a great interest in Cardiil", cu.d v ho was well known to many of those present. (Applause.) Now, lte had seen it stated in some of the newspapers that the people of Wales were intensely indignant with this Edu- cation Bill—tliat they considered it. infringed upon their religious liberties, that, there- fore, they would oppose it to the bitter end. When the Bill was brought out he (the speaker) was away from London, but he read it care- fully, and was struck with the special provi- sions made for_ the benefit of the Principality of Wales—(applause)—because the mea-sire put the lontrol of education entirely under the educational authorities whioh had been Formed for the purpose of carrying out the work of secondary education in %ales. On reading the clause he thought to himself, "W dl, this gives very great power to the Welsh people, because Under the Secondary Education Act these authorities are able to meet together and to foim a singly great educational scheme for the whole of the Principality-" And in writing to a Cardiff newspaper With which he was connected he pointed out this great advantage that would -be conferred Uipon the Principality by the new Bill. Well. some objection, was taken to what lie said as not indicating the trus purport of the Bill; but he spoke on the subject to Sir John Gorst the other might, and aaked him if his (the speaker s) interpretation of the Bill was correct, and he said, "Certainly it will be possible nuder the Bill for th.-j different county councils of the Principality to appoint these educational authorities to come to an agreement with one another and form one court for the -administra- tion o.' the elementary education of the whole peopls of Wales." That seemed to him a great concession, indeed, to the spirit of nationality which was so powerful an influence with the Welsh people; and they got that benefit from, the Unionist Government which was supposed to care nothing about the people of Wales. (Applause.) He did not sec when that was the case—when it was pos- sible for the Welsh people to form their own educational court, acting, of course, always under the Education Department m London -how it was possible for them to say that this Education Bill struck in any way at the principles of equal an,j free education for the whole of the Welsh people. (Applause.) On the contrary, he thought the Bill ought to confer signal benefits upon them. (Applause.) Well, tiit-re were maty other measures whicu i the Government had brought forward which i had been of the greatest advantage to the whole country. He did not tnmk that people realised yet what an immense work had been done in the strengthening of the Navy of this country. (Applause.) Many millions of money had been devoted by the Government for this purpose. At the lowest estimate he should say that ten millions of money had been devoted to the strengthening of the Navy, and of their fortifications in diffe- rent parts of the Empire, in excess of what would have been given if the Estimates of the late Government had been simply ma.ntained, and) this had been done without any harm to the taxpayers of this country. (Applause.) That, he thought, was a feather in the cap of any Administration. (Applause.) There were other measure#? which seemed to him to be somewhat more doubtful in character. He must say he did not like the principles of the Agricultural Rating Bill which had been in- troduced .in the House of Commons, because it seemed to him 11 dangerous, thing, although it had not been unprecedented, for the State to say when such and such an industry was di-tressed that xhey would relieve it by paying the rates out- of contributions to funds taken from the general body of the taxpayer. Many industries" were depressed-the coail industry, for instance, but he did not suppose that any Government was likely to bring in Bill to relieve the persons interc-stf-d in the coal trades from the payment of their rates by taking money from ihe rest of the ratepayers. But vhv should it not be done for them if it was done for the sake of relieving agricul- turalists? (Hear, hear.) For his part he thought it would be a very good tiling if -t BilS of that kind, instead of being made per- ) manent, should he made temporary. What it a revival took place in agriculture—and it was quite possible that they had now reached th-; bottom of the present depression? Suppose that rise were to take place. Was this re>:ief to be gran-ted for ever? Were rates on agricul- tural land to be relieved at the expense of the general body of taxpayers, when, perhaps, other industries were depressed and apriculiurc was prosperous? (Hear, hear.) He thought it wag only reasonable that the claims should be admitted, that relief of this kind should lie onlv temporary, and that there should be an inquiry into the whole incidence of local taxa- tion liefore a-nv permanent change was made. (Applause.) He supposed that would be quoted as an example of the criticism in which he indulged at the expense of the Government. Well, he did not find that the Government, itself took very much offence—(lauglrterV--aiu1. if thev were to do so he should not much care, so long as it did not give Great offence to his con- stituents. (Hear, hear.) The position of a member of parliament at the -present time was one that presented very serious difficulties. At the opening of another club in the borough tho previous night a working man made a very interest1# speech, „nd said ha ,not °'1" ject to bun (Mr. Maclean) criticising the ee Government, hut }ltlJnu,sb not object to being criticised himself' ("Hear, QIJ.i laughter.) He (Mr*. did, rot do *0> <md ha did not find t-hut at aj remiss in looking after him and critic1* lung lim whenever he ventured to stray from the g,mighli path. Let them come to an agreement. (Laughter and appiause.) Thet ghouls be at liberty to On both side*. Tha option of a. member of Parliament wad a very honourable on.e, but it would cease to be 80 for men independent mind* if they were £ lys to be kept in gro°ve He not conceive any position wln<-tt w,.uld b« more disagreeable <"han that of having ahvav^ say ditto to the Government which he I"* returned to Parliament to They might re8t assured'of one thin«< *■l,at we inte- rests of that constituency, and »»; tiu £ «d great interests of the Empire, l and-- (\pp!au^-> No ,i,at th? Government ot tihe day bad not pur- sued -u e*a £ stly right policy Jn regard to aiipstions of public moment, would, mduoe him to embark in W.. course of persona] obstruction or pefs°^a' ambition, »nd -he should continue in the tuture, as ho and he should continue m the tuture, as he Kev presented to Mr. J. M- Maclean, M.P. his opening the Pa,rk Ward Coiu^rva-tiv.. Sib. 0 J si ti f< 1 ? v b 0 s a t D r ( I t 1,

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE.

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