Welsh Newspapers
Search 15 million Welsh newspaper articles
6 articles on this Page
£ HE LLANFAIR RAILWAY.
£ HE LLANFAIR RAILWAY. TI' ,p roj ect of a railway to Llanfair has been ggB&zi&i., with considerable chance of success, and ..e report meetings at Welshpool and f-Vn--g-r in support of the scheme, or rather, of ÆiT" mfxemes, one terminating at Pool, and the t"er as Four Crosses, near Llanymynech. The •W. üÍ Welshpool have shown great interest in -er, and will have to reproach themselves -aajdi negligence if their hopes are disappointed, w*&oas probable from the tone of the influential æg held at Llanfair on Saturday, when the Jfesar Crosses route was almost unanimously k There is one noteworthy fact about the la.,J,ar meeting which cannot fail to arrest the ■j*fc«aSs*L of our readers, especially those who at resent moment are interested in similar ZtlmZv* Ltafyllin and Oswestxy,. we tke enthusiasm with which the landowners of district are entering into the matter. One kzeiuost of them presided, several others •vests -weeent, and others again expressed in iheir hearty concurrence with the pro- fflojaf A project which has the conspicuous of the support of the leading men of am -iiifkict, and of some of the chief landowners -«fa»Eproperties will be traversed, may be said, VP*. Sancy, to have traveled already a long way å;p¡Fnii;¡ success. Captain PRYCE, Captain JSTJOB, and the other .landowners who have ,i' their interest in tP-e rropoeed line, have at the same time that they understand ZÜZ: J¡, V- 6S of their position and value the powers of service to the community which it places reacb) and their neighbours will appre- course of conduct which is, unfortunately, ~\r c0rf_mendable than customary. Too SjaT&o&e who should take the lead in public i.a ban^ back until their support has almost alUtsvalae. The OTST- tho meeting at Llanfair will give our JSL L information they reqmre and thore is smrfi that it-is neccssary «° J avoar of ~<gK' ,-5 a desideratum as rail wa} « £ Wans°en the:.e can be little presume, tlat-the good example set. oy ™»5 the landowners will be followed by others, am* tim entqprising town, oT Llanfair seems to a. ^cfwm greater spirit than ats more ambition r in Shropshire. The ^habitants <& the iha.matteric As* owy., h. If they can appreciate the inestimable advantage ffl a railway, all the comfort and convenience it will bring to them, and all the commercial advantages, they will certainly not hesitate to put their hands in their pockets and give the necessary support. The question of route appears to be settled, and Mr GEORGE OWEN'S clear and weighty statement probably left little doubt as to the choice of g;tuce. Mr OWEN said, and the point is one of consider- able importance, that timber was earned by the Festiniog line, that cattle had been conveyed by it, and that the objections to transhipment had been practically overcome by an inrenfiion of Mr SPOONKR'S. Viiquestion ably, the narrower gauge is more within the compass of the pyomioters, and if it can be made to serve the agricultural interest, it will probably pay a larger dividend, and on the whole be the better line for the digtriet.-Osivestry Adverttzer.
PROJECTED RAILWAY TO LLANFAIR.
PROJECTED RAILWAY TO LLANFAIR. MEETING AT LLANFAIR. On Saturday, Oct. 2Gtfo, a large meeting was held in the club room at the Cross Foxes, Llanfair for the pur. pose of considering the desirability of constructing a Hne of railway from Llanfair Caereinion, through the Meifod Valley, and joining the Cambrian rail- way at Four Crosses station. The chair was oc- cupied by Captain Pryce, of Cvfronydd, and the attendance included Captain Mytt-on, Captain P. 1. Harrison, Canon Jenkins, the Rev. E. Jones, the Rev. J. Mcintosh, Messrs E. S. R. Trevor, George Owen, C.E, Oswestry John Miekelburtjh, Montgomery R. Sturkey, Meifod; R. D. Harrison, C. E. Howell, Baxter, Agnew, W. lB' Rider, John Jones, Welshpool; J. C. Bayard, Owen Jones, Gelli; James Stephens, Birmingham F. Brownley Jones, Pentre W. W. Thomas, S. Evans, E. Evans; Bronygarth; R. Williams, Newtown; Moore, Hirrhos-Hall, &c.&c. Captain PRYCE, in opening the proceedings, said that a scheme for constructing a line of railway between Llanfair Caereinion and Welshpool, had been proposed seven years ago, jMst before the great railway panic. Since that time matters had remained in a dormant state, and might possibly have continued so seven years longer, had it not been for the energy of Mr Sturkey, who, with praise- worthy zeal, had come forward and revived the matter. (Hear, hear.) By the scheme about to be laid before the meeting, it was proposed that the line of railway should go from Llanfair by the Meifod valley, and taking the right bank of*'the river Verniew, join the Canptbriun railway at Four Crosses station. The length would be about thirteen' miles, and he believed that if the line was carried to Four Crosses, the Directors of the Cambrian railway would give e7ery facility for through traffic, with Llanymynech. At Llanymynech they would be very comfortable, because from that point they would have per- fect and unbroken communication with Liverpool and Manchester on the one hand, and by means of the Shrews- bury and Potteries line or the London and North-Western at Bafetington, with Shrewsbury, Birmingham, and Lon- don. With this scheme there was, however, one difficulty, and that he felt to be a very great one-it would involve a severance from Welshpool. (Relatl, hear.) He had always been accustomed to look upon Welshpool as his market town, his starting place but at the same time, if they decided in favour of the Meifod valley scheme, they would have the same facilities for- going to Welshpool which they- now had. He did not know what was to be the orderof: the present meeting, whether it was pledged to the Mdirdcfc valley scheme, or would accept. any other which might be bi onght under its notice. If,-however, it was pledged to the Mtifod valley scheme, he- would say a few words about the landowners, Act of Parliament, width of gauge, and so on; but if it was not pledged to that scheme, he wtrold like to take discussion upon that point, and that point only.. AAr. BAXTER wished to say a word or two in favour of Welshpool. For many reasons it might be considered the very best point to take the line to. The shortnesw- of. the. distance when compared with the length of the Meifbd valley line was one reason, and another reason was- because- Wel3hpool was a central point, and from it passengers could get direct to Shrewsbury and London on the one- hand, and down to Manchester and Liverpool on the- other. Any person wishing to go from Llanfair to Newtown or Aberystwyth would not care about- having to go round by Four Ocosses. There was no- town there, and there was enly a third-class station with few conveniences for passengers. Llanymynech- was not much better, wfcareas at Welshpool there waa a very good station, and as these was often some time to wait at railway junctions, passengers who came down frwm Llan- fair might find time to transact business in Welshpool be. fore going on. He hoped that the meeting would not -pledge itselt to the Meifod valley line, but decide in favour of the more direct and shorter route to Welshpool. (Cries of "No, no," and Hear, hear.)" It would be bettw in many respects for Llaafair to go direct to Welshpool, than through Meifod to Four Crosses. (No, no.}, If they liked to ran the line by way of Brithdir, the Berrie^r and Minafon district wouW sapport it. He stseongly ufgsd the prior claims of Welshpool, and these meeting with.consider- able disfavour from a seetkxn of the meeting, tho speaker abruptly resumed his.seat. 4 Mr STURK EY said -these was no doubt that Welshpool was nearer than Four Crosses, but if the meeting would calmly discuss-the relative advantages of, the two points they would most certainly arrive at- the conclusion that the latter was the right placa te run to.. (Hear, hear.) Where would they want their geoda from? From Liverpool: and Manchester,, and at Four j Crosses tlq would be nearer these markets. Meifod wanted to. have its say' in the matter,, and if they determinedi upon going to Welshpool instead of Four Crosses, that district would be left out in the cold. If they adopted the WeMipool scheme there wmM be only one station on the line, at Castle Caereinion, a place from which they would get very little traffic; while, on the other hand,there would be stations at Cyfronydd, Newbridge and other centres, to which plenty of litae and coal would" be taken. (Hear, hear.) For it-was lime and coal they' wasted to take up, and to brisg. down timber, cattle, and; market produce. When the grice-of the land was taken into, consideration, it would be found that the Meifod; valley route was by far cheaper than that to Welshpool far, a good deal of the land which woald be taken was not wor,th more than £1 per acre. Then, again, they would have to go to a deal of expanse- in building embankments to'keep. ottt the floods, whereas on the Meifod route there would be hardly any necessity for such works. (Hear hear.) My-G. OWEN wished to, state that Four Crosses was & first-class station on the Cambrian line, and not what Alm, Baxter had described it. (Hear, hear.) The CHAIRMAN said that Mr Sturkey had reteived letters from several landowners and others who woald be affected by the Meifod valley route, all assenting to and favourable to the construction oft the line. (Applause.), Mr STURKEY said, that favourable replies had been re- ceived from Mr Bflck, Mr Hodgkinson. Mr E. Hilton- (hear, hear)—Mr Moore, Dr Turnbull, and Mr Slater, A GENTLEMAN said he had also received a letter from Mr Beck, in which that gentleman stated he would be willing to assist in every way the construction of the line to Four Crosses. (Applause.) Canon JBXSINS had much pleasure in proposing that the meeting pledge itself in favour of the construction of a line of railway to Four Crosses, by way of the Meifod valley. He had carefully thought over the subject for the last ten years, and he was thoroughly convinced that such a line would be one of the greatest boons which could possibly be conferred upon the distriet-(hear, hea.r)-and further that the valley of Meifod, and no through Castle Caersinion, was :the 163t route toetake. (Ap- plause.) The traffic which would swell the reoeipts t? wra lime and coal coming to the district, and timber and grain going from it. The only thing which could be said in favour of the line being constructed to Welshpool was the disadvantage to passengers and traffic going west, but that slight disadvantage was nothing to be compared to the advantages which would follow from going through Meifod to Four Crosses. (Applause.) When once a railway was made to Llanfair they might rest assured it would never stop there, but be carried further westward. (Hear, hear.) He heartily supported the scheme now before the meeting, and he believed that the branch, when constructed .would be one of the best paying IA THE country. (APPLAUAP.) 1 R
--THE BEST WAY TO HEAVEN IN1…
THE BEST WAY TO HEAVEN IN WALES. IF €OE £ e of the speakers on the Church in at the Leeds Congress, were not very «3R353?liE2eutary to their" Dissenting brethren," dt 3S3&S&, inc-ommon fairness, be remembered that 'His* -&Iso dealt hard blows at their own Church, 1=4;1 «rwea at one another. Free speech was the <- Utiles: of the day, and Dissenters will scarcely themselves to reply to arguments already iWssSw'issiiiy demolished by Churchmen who took jnart. ia. the discussion. 'It is probable, indeed, > Dissenters have read the report of the ,&L-4--4n with considerable satisfaction, tempered by t £ ae irritation which the most Christian mind asssi feel when the affectionate condescension of SIl -A-^aal becomes extravagantly demonstrative. Cfcssstoiers will look on with an amazement which JfcegrlfeaTe often felt before, at the solicitude of a man, of good men to see a number of other •agsfrti: cs-en converted to their own opinions, when StsgesEs a matter of profound indifference to the of the world at large whether people get 68 beaten through the church porch or the chapel Acnir-: We publish to-day a full copy of the paper z7-b-7- by Archdeacon FFOULKES, and it is a matter .•far ztrzae regret that the exigencies of space have catV.¥.,¿1.d us to separate it from the summary of t-ke ..iebalto which we gav last week, because 3xsovance that will be causod to Non- ■ESRA&iZEikits by a perusal of the ARCHDEACON'S rvug/Ad would have been tempered by the ju-xta- 14n of the speeches delivered by the of NEATH and the Rector of IEliTHYR. It is aet necessary to criticise Archdeacon E-LXES'S method of dealing with Dissent. We 3re to publish his paper because it is well '-very opinion, however far it may wander the limits of what may be considered by ^.rational discussion of the question, should dœl ifree expression. It is to be regretted that IS&IT Tal. ARCHDEACON should refer with such q v"-ig.-itlfkous curmess to the University College 35sit Wales, to which a host of Churchmen as ■mzstisk and sincere as himself have given sub- aEsedsai proofs of their attachment. The college 3RSSET -jmsfessed to be sectarian, and it was impos- JB'IS'S Sbr the committee to go out of their way to member of one of the smaller denomina- fuKî ct Wales, like the Episcopal Church, to SBMever it. They chose, we have no doubt, 7.h>i! h candidate who offered himself, and at- Stse &ct that that candidate happened to be a -ss^ssisar of the most influential denomina- fu4;:r ia. the Principality as well as a ripe 3k1'js £ s^ most people will find an additional proof cl ;:Ië: aatianal character of the institution. We rasa doubt of Archdeacon FFOTILKES'S belief £ b Sspsi- extraordinary assertions with which his gugiS1 slioands, although it will seem to some of 0' ssrxy .'xe&ders to require a stupendous amount of A6- Tzaiity-we do not know whether to call it kty or enthusiasm—to imagine that there is bitterness of party spirit," and less .g:2z-£i.ud life," in the ranks of Dissent in Wales L -a those of the Established Church. ILiivkLiig upon this scarcely edifyiqg spectacle Ibsri q Jiside, we should be inclined to ask each ■fatTr.j to bear in mind the danger of throwing ,-A*UA-.g .Zom glass houses but the practical con- d5.í,: of the whole matter are simply these 35u& CSirlstianity looks very small and very feeble J ik.8 world when it is based upon anything ^aEesisfc charity and that the way of the Vicar of ÄTII and the Rector of MERTHYR is a more saraeoisiBg way for the Church of England than TI of the Archdeacon of MONTGOMERY. We Jionestly hold out any hope to the Church i^ag'Land that the Dissenters of Wales, who are convinced that their own systems are the jbt-i: will be won either by scoldings or per- sii i^ons, and we confess we care very little, the Episcopalians "comprehend" the li, iii>nCorjnists, or the Baptists, say, persuade A?-hdj;veon FFOULKES and his friends to undergo j ,ws-u Shams to us the uncomfortable process ot "xtu .^r^ron, or all the churches continue to £ Iveir own battles against misery and sin. Sst lor the sake of the Episcopal Church, it ;Ikat-,v seem 'better that the question should be a$|3i3Ts&c-hed in the temper of the Vicar of 3Ks,433E, who did more good to his communion by -ass -sentence than most of the speakers could Jane by half-an-hour's eloquence-" A grtesikhindrance "to the progress of the Church in W'ÚÚ:5 itad been the practice of using censorious faa.'{t.1i,g.£ to the Nonconformists of the co un try;" 'i&s&a this wise and high-minded exhortation- *■ OkjEseiiraen in Wales should examine the Aziifle and the 55th canon, and see the noble my which belonged to the Church that was S&HSK-. sdt forth." Some persons may differ, at ain members of the Congress did, from Mr "fecLRfXTHs's interpretation of the canon but it uc wits, capable of uttering sentiments like this TT any church strong, and influential, ,pcstolic," and prove to the world, by an e argument, that their ministry is ^4»i&b:arized by the highest of all sanctions, jbzsL rt. is a "delegated power" from the of GocL-Ostresti-y Advertizer.
.L AN ANONYMOUS MEETING.
.L AN ANONYMOUS MEETING. It is scarcely likely that an anonymous meet- ing, which is said to have been held at Newtown, to protest against ,the most iniquitous demands imposed by the new assessment of income-tax under schedule D," will have much weight with the authorities Ð'r the public. 'I here is a novelty about the thin^ that will excite some attention, O but the words cf a gentleman" who took the chair, and of H. at tradesman," "another trades- man," and an kicome-tax payer," will be read with much the same feeling of amusement as is excited by the conversation of the 11 1st Watch" and 2nd Watch" of the play. This is the first attempt that we remember to report a discussion entirely in domino,, and the effect, as we have said, cannot be called successful. People will want to know why a gentleman," and another tradesman," if tile really met at the Lion Hotel, object to let the world know who they are, when hat they said they need neither be ashamed nor afraid to publish openly. Our contemporary did well, perhaps, to give some account of the meet- ing, if it really happened, and only an anonymous report was desired and if the report is a jeu d'esprit, nobody will- blame the endeavour to call attention to a most important subject. A gentleman," we are glad to see, kept his anony- mous meeting well in hand, and another gentle- man," who wanted to carry a resolution against I the income-tax, was ruled to be out of order. The grievance which these phantoms of Newtown tradesmen—for to the outside world they can be ) nothing more were diseussing was, not the tax itself, but the manner in which it is too often imposed, and there cannot be the slightest doubt that in many places besides Newtown there is ample room for com- plaint. At Newtown, if we may accept the state- ments of the ph-antoms-ancl it is far from our intention to treat them as the officials have treated them and doubt their word—their assessments have been increased in the most reckless man- ner, and it seems to have been the intention of the authorities, for some inscrutable reason, to screw them up to the point of appeal. In spite of many serious objections to the income-tax, we are afraid there is no jiister impost, and, there- fore, no chance of its- repeal; but it is a real grievance when arbitrary assessments are made, and a tradesman is even compelled, as has hap- pened within our knowledge,, to pay on a large sum, while he is, in fact,, making no profits at all The gentlemen who have moyed in the matter at Newtown—always supposing they have moved— will carry the sympathy of the whole country with them in their pro teatbrat they must be ready to show themselves a& something more than phantoms before any practicad results can be achieved.—Osivestry Advertizer*
THE POSITION OF THE CHURCH…
THE POSITION OF THE CHURCH IN WALES. The following paper was read by the Ven. Archdeacon W, Ff<-ulkes at tiie Chnr.-h Congress at Leeds I A paper on the Church in Wales would hardly have been desipable at a Church Congress were it not that very exaggerated ideas exist in Englanrl aa to her position there. Wales is thought to be the moat, vulnera-ble part of the Church of "England, because a large portion of the popula- tion i not in communion- with her, aIid; therefore the attack on the Church is expected to begin there. But as the Church in V«Tales ;s an integral part of the Church of England, and has no separate national existence, it is no more po-sihie to deal separately with her th--n with the Church in t'he metropolis or in Yorkshire. Mr Miall is well aware of this, and therefore does not encourage any special measure for the Cllurch in Wales. Still there does fx'st in England a feeling of uneasiness with regard to the Church in Wales; so I am glad, the subject is proposed, and I do not despair of making out, however imperfectly on my part, a good ease for her. I will at the outset justify my opinion by quoting the woHs of the Bishop of L'a-nd'aff (Charge p. 10, 18(;9): "Peopie in general twve so long been accustomed to talk of the low state of the Church in Wales that it is now almost assumed as an admitted fact that she is little more than a skeleton, no longer animated with a living spirit—an institution indeed of the. Stite, with its machinery and endowments-but. one- with which the inhabitants of Wales have no sympathy- I am fiilly con- vinced that the assumption is not- justified, and that the picture of our helplessness and of the antipathy with which we are supposed to be regarded, is entirely out of proportion to the reality of the oaEe: I will add that any one who has read the masterly article rnthe Quarterly (April, 1870), by the. present learned Dean of Llandaff, will confess that the Bishop's words are abundantly con- firmed. 1. It would be impossible in a short paper like )-the nreaent to enter upon the vexed question as to the proportion, of Church people to Dissenters in Walt-s. Most extravagant deductions have been drawn from the census returns of 1851 to prove the great preponderance of Dissenters in the Principality. It may be sufficient to refer to the pamphlets of the Re-. W. L. Bevan, of Hay, and the Rev. D. R. Thomas, of Cfefto, St. Asaph, to show the entire falseness of those returns which, if they prove anything, would show that mor» people went on the census d-vy to chapel than there were people to go. The Rev. John Phillipg, Principal' of the formal College at Bangor, whose zeal for Welsh Dissent is well known, and who is intimately acquainted with almost every part of Wale3 when examined before the select committee of the House'of Commons in 1866, only claimed four-fiths of the population for the Nonconformists, instead of nine-tenths, which many wild enthusiasts had asserted to be the real proportion. The Cardiff Tim;t, of August 21st, 1869, a cons'stent organ of Dissent,, was content to say, According to the most reliable date that can be obtained the Dissenting bodies in Walesare as fourto one." But when we find Dr Rees, of Swansea, who is an equally great authority among the Dissenters, admitting that one-third of the population of Wales, 400,000, speak the English' language, and that in the thirteen counties of Wales, in- cladmg Monmouthshire,, there were hardly twelve or thirteen English congregations able to support themselves and help others with barely twenty more able to support themselves (cee speech, March 16th, 1867, Monmouth Advertiser), we must believe that the larger pirt of these English speaking persons mixt go to church for English services, and if they are added to the Welsh who attend their parish churches, we might suppose that one-third, rather than one-fifth was the red number of Church people in Wales., But the number of chapels in Wales is often referred_to as a proof of the iBun°n3e preponderance and strength of Di&- se-it. In rep'v to this I will venture to say that this is- not the opinion of thoughtful Dissenters. A Walsh writer in the Dry&rfa (Oct. 18:)2), says, "I have a word for you to, utter about multiplying small chapels without necessity. The Rev. Daniel Jenkins took notice 0f this in his excel- lent sermon on spiritual degeneracy. He tru",y. states that chapels have been multiplied to excess until it has becooie a cause of the feeble state of religion in r"ny places. Certain small places where a Sunday. school used t £ > be kept desire to become in a m(.ment churches on their own foundation—some ten or twelve raen wishing to set aleader over them." Some persons feol, oh there. ia no possi- bility of my being a leader in Vais-eh,.irch, as it is no one here sees any need of me. Wa. will haw a little church, and we will be head over it," Ac. A wiitar also in a Welsh Independent magazine, on te same scibjecb, says :Were the goodness of the country-to be measured by the number of our places of worship, or if. we could conclude that the increase of true religion calls theia. in existence, it would be easy for us to please. ourselves with the thought of our approach to perfection. ".Weroweto reject the assertion of the old people thai there was. more spirituality forty years ago, with some hundred chapels less, still we could not deny the nakeatruth that the multiplication of theJH is owing to the concurrence of mixed motives." The veal fact is, that as aeon as Oiie sect sets up a chapel m a neglected spci, other sects almost always follow; simply from steeling that they also must be represented there,and htsce the fact which those census returns feeing out, that taking,the accommodation of all the chapels^ together at upwa^da ol one million sittings, there musi have been c >naid«i»i)\y more than half of them vacant in the census Sunday. (See Ohwieh in Wales, Rivingtoa.)- As to the e^q?ea of Dissent in Wales, the same msvy- he said of- them A3, might b»»w at Digaent in any IJjigHsh diocese. The Church there, as in England, had iaiien into a lamentable state cf Lni Illdiffoxmqe. qAs with tlke people, so with the pwest, and thoa* earnest men, who, ijh{e the Yftatesaia KagUwi. rola tfci Osd to w vive the spirit of religion in Wales, were actuated by the sincerest desire to win the masses to God. The Rev. Griffith Jones, of Llanddower, writing in the last century, :J that it was not any scruple of conscience about the principles or orders of the Established Church that gave occasion? to ecarce one in ten of the Dissenters in Wales to separate' at first, whatever objections they might after- wards imbibe against conforming. They dissented at first for no othe? reason than for want of; a plain, practical, and pressingfprasching, in a language tifey can understand, and freedom of friendly access to advice about their spiritual state." 7his is equally true of tb-r mass of Welsh Nonconformists now, where they are infltfetrced by poli- tical agitation, and gt^es good ground for hrflxe that they may yet be recovered Ho' the Church. But, for a while, we have two great diificnMes to surmount: 1. The existence of the Welsh language, which has a natural caflnl for the people, especially for the poorer classes, who find Jri the chapel system a continual appeal to the warmer sTttlia:- thies of their nature; so t&y cling to their chapel, Waite they continually say they have nothing against the Church. 2. The other difficulty arises" from the pecuniarv connec- tion which the middle classes' have with their places of worship, on which they have atiVauced their money, and" fer which they often receive auth good interest, that as soon as they are paid off, they r?re glad to promote the building of a new chapel as a frt.&h- investment. Add to which that they enj ) 'v a. pre-eminell"e in the chapel that they could not have in the church, for they supply the class of local preachers, deacons, eldetf?, cJsn leaders, and the like, -o that they form the very backbone of the system. Yet, in spite of these obstacles, I confidently assert that prejudices against the church are daily giving "tay, and a very different feeling rising up everywhere. The line of demarcation between Church and Nonconformity has never been drawn very definitely in Wales, and in the present day the distinctive doctrines of the fndependents, Galvinists, 3Dd Wesleyan Methodises are a'ood' deal kept out of sight. 1 lie Baptists, in their peculiarr fenets of anti- px-iobaptism and immersion of adults, stand out ratber in contrast to others, but when any members of any other dissenting community return to the Church, they fitrd no difficulty in accepting all her doctrines, so littler nave they been taught any specific dogmas of their own.- Many are conscious of a great decay ia the spiritual life arrd teaching of their guides and' of their own community. They find their chapels used for social gatherings or" political harangues as readily as for religious purposes, and the bit- terness of party spirit which has been fomented in so- m-inv parts of the Principality of late has made them doubt whether the spirit of Christian charity rai'es tlieir body as once it did. Probably thev may find in their various bodies much akin to CL-at which was so forcibly ex- pressed by the Moderator of the Church of Scotland in 1862, Dr Blissett ^quoted by the Bishop of LlandarT in his- Charge, 1863) From the daythat the apple of religious discord was cast among us, the noble fabric, founded Tiy master builders, began to be shaken as with a whirlwftid. When the great schisms were consrammated, the change in national morals and manners was so sensibly developed as to be seen and read of all men. Since that time, not- withstanding the multiplication of our churches and ser- vices, and more fervent religious zeal. our declension1 in morals has advanced with alarming strides, so that from' being the first and highest we lit ve fallen to be among he last and lowest of the Protestant States of Europe in respect of chaste conversation." Ahd be adds, Our con- viction is clear, and the truth seems written as with a sun- br-am, that until a way be bridged for our return to tiie- ecclesiastical unity from which we have departed, our discipline, supervision, and correction (.f manners will continue so greatly impeded as to be the shadow of a name." Mr A. J. Johnes, a gentleman of enlarged and liberal views, writing for the eisteddfod prize in 1&3T, says—"I have fre- quently heard the oarly Welsh Methodists described as; proverbial for simplicity, humility, and benevolence. Since their separtion from the Church of Engfanid a far lower- tone of morality has prevailed amongst this body, which is in some measure ascriMble to the inferior grade of preach- ers entailed upon them by that event." But that which probably weighs with-'tliem more than anything else is the sight of the Church, which they have been taught to con- sider an effete body mining more souls than it saves, reviving in every part of the PrincipaIrtT; and offering to them and their children all that is needful for their edifi- cation here and their salvation hereafter. And the sight is very striking even to those who are most familiar with it; but especially so jefthose who believe that the Church in Wales is in so miserable a minority. The smaller bor numbers, the more amazing the work she bas accomplished in the last thirty years. Time would fail were Ifomention what has been done in church baildincr and church restoration in the four Welsh dioceses. Hardly can we find a part in any of the four dioceses these like works are not going on, unlessthey have already been executed; and the greater blessing is that in every case restored and free seated churches have been filled by much larger congrega- tions than ever were'known before. Iri- the matter of schools, we have the testimony of her Majesty's Inspec- tors that they will bear comparison (ceteiw-:prt, ri%s) with our brethren in Engliiti4. Mr Foster, to whom- the statis- tics of Wales were thoroughly known, h, by his Educa- tion Bill, borne witness-that our schools are acceptable to the people, except perhaps in a few localities where from some cause the people have been prejudiced against them. Even where British school's co-exist with National schools in a parish (and it mast be borne in mind'fliat British are not always dissenting schools it is a fact that children of dissenting parents are-found quite as muelfin--the National as in the British schoolfe. Tn some places the former are pre- ferred. as at Mold, Cardiff. Dolgelley, jQlJinfyTTin. Pem- broke Dock, Ystradgynlafi?, Bangor (see tablfe lit pamphlet bv Rev. D. R. Tbomas). In the fifty-sri chief towns of North and South Wales, wb?re the two schools exist side by side, with above 13,600' chffdren, the majority were in the National schools. Pn country places nearly all tire children are educated in Church schools and the religious- difficulty, of which so much is-heard in theory, is never-found to exist in practice. In condrfnatian of this assertion, I will quota the speech of the present Prime Minister- at Ormskirk in 18G8, who There is no hostility to the Church Establishment fi* Wales, and nothireg to pro- duce painful and irritable feelings, speakiftg a3 a gen- eral rule, among tile- IVecconformiijt 'portibn of the population. Looft- at the- work of education. Who are the class thai-have for the last thirty years borne the burthen andlieat of tbe dav in England' and Wales with respect to tie* education of the lalofaring eJaSses of the community ? I say they are the clergy. The education of the labouring claaaea-lias been conducted" Under the super- intendence of the clergy^ aod with the co-operation of tho clergy, and in a eoosideraSfe degree at the personal cost of the clergy and rt i»-owinsrtf> their devotion and :teal that the children have been ceflacted in the day sohoolS through- out the country—the overwhelming portion of the work has been in therr liand's.. That is the streat, moral- strength of the establishment even in Wales." This T believe is felt; bv Dissenters, firtice the furor that vnas exefte^ when the Education Bills Passed, and it was anticipated1 that School Boards would everywhere lie called into existence. Some- where about 120-bave been set up in AVales-^ and we migltt- suppose, from thte alleged" power and aumbew of Dissenters, they would have fallen- into their hands-entirely. This- is very far f?-oon, oeAny t&i case. In some towns Churchmen have been returned at the, head of the pol?; iø SOIBe places they actually form tRe-majority—as3t> ruTe- it may ^id that in cousaa-y plaaes where tha^Boarcte consist of five- members, thme, marbe Dissenters, and two ChmrchmeT*. In towns where-sevens form the Board, yon Save three OP four Churchmen to-four-ar three Disswateru. And it should be, borne in niinilahat, as a rule, BoatdaaM. formed whare the Church is weakest. and Dissent strongest, so that it TS most satisfactory undeB-suchetrcumstaQoes' to find the, ichureb, fnirly repreaanted1- At Bedwelty^in 3buth Walesj. and at Bangor, in the north, the Cliiirch had a great inriumph: Thø TWetriihlt tR"IYSPPQH «ar»Aa.lriT* Vrfxf-flWk.$r\T*r%OT. aaYS ,C<TTI s, --v. -oz- -uv, "l'óf''J& 0"10" "&I.oIv., OoI_J" parish, where the population ooun 561 as Di-ut-g, School Board has been electeG) j upon which there are six. Churchnica. anJ Romion Catholics,, and the minority, ex*. cept one, does not include & ma&> who may said to be reallYlrepresenbalive of NonoQnfoomists "-when it adds* Ib is.1lO triucaph for the Churclu, but a victory. snatched' from the Nonconformists tbi-ough their own foBy," it does but,teskly-to, the divisions af Dissenters among themselves, and the ma-naer in which the.dia&rent aecta strive fcasthe pre eminence rather than unite. for the public good. But it is instructive to notice that alter all this exhibition of" zeal on ibehalf of School Boards; a great change has come oyer tbeifi advocates lately Itij some moE-ths now sinee we. baw heard of tha formation el a new Board. Several of those floriaied are- doing nothing, while others are vainly begging to be released fisom. their own acts. Bub all th-ife while the Church is pnrsuingher steady course ia- truildiag and; improving schoc-Its, aad in every- diocese providing eneagatically for the religions instruction and examihattion of the children in her schools. Again, our Tsam- ing Colleges at Carnarvon and Carmarthen, are than they eyet- were before, the f^^nor having fifty-two students, of whom, thirty-sis. are Welsh, :j the latter dfly, several o £ whom are>childrea of Dissenters, and who, on becoisyig acquainted with Church doctrines, have declared that the opposition*, made to. the Church in WAles is due to ignorance and a want of care in instructing the people in an intelligent way. At the last Christmas enammataon at Carnarvon per eent of the students appeased. in the fxst and second classes, an average equal tc,tW of the larger coHbgea f York and i Durh tca. The college also WAS,one of the few that passed every candidate under the n»w systesi: of reJigious exami- nation. Whi' Carniarthea passed twenty-three per cent of her second year studenbs-ia the first alws, no other col. leges in the kingdom passed more than sixteen per cent. Thi3 gives g-.vat promise for the future. At the same tima there are not wanting signs tltat teachers of British schools aza beginning to transfer their servJees. to Church, schools, aal; student- at tha Normal College are tuining their eyes towards the same, rather than British schools. Our gramsaar schools, afeo, which are fairly spread wer all parte, of the Principality, are all wonder- fully improved and doing espeUent work some of. them providing a superior- classioal education for our yoangjnen. In raany other respects tlue- prospects of the Church are brightening da:ly-choral test-ivals and harvest services are attended by enthusiastic congregations, in which Dissenters of all shades of opinion, and even their ministers are found. Many subscribe liberally to the restoration of our churches, and are seea at our church consecrations and! openings, at our confirmations, and even at meetings for ohurch extension, and if anything cvuses them to leave their own sect, they almost invariably return to the com- munion of the Church. The Bishop of Llandaff tells us that as many as 54& of the Baptist sect had been reported to him PA. received back into the Church in six years. The clergy as a body are greatly improved, and for the most part diligent in their several spheres of woifc. and have the respect of Dissenters of all classes, lp the diocese of Llandaff four clergy are engaged as missionaries amongst its dense popu- lations and the reception they everywhere meet Wlijt ip most cneering. So tfrfit we may almost believe that the words of the forjifjers. of MethpjKsm will prove roajiy pro-, phetic, e.g., iWfel Rowlands, ol Llangeitho, VfllP, on, lua deathbed d^lapng himself attached t> the Chnj-Q*, said, hiK b 4 in the G.fcsfcqlb. ayyà YAY.1 the Church it will sre long return." In 1810 the head of Trevecca College Sali to a visitor-" The revival of re- ligiofl began in the Church in the days of Howel Harris and I tiftnk it is beginning In the Church now." Many other points to be noticed mtfct be left to those who come after me. But a word must be said as to the future sug- gestion of improvement. 1. We "Want better trained clergy to cope witrr the difficulties of car day. We have to train men for all the work our Efoglish brethren have to do, but we have to train them to officiate in two languages, theraf orc we ftrnst begin early with them. I rejoic9 to see that in Idaudaff there are six exhibitions offered this year to cr Grammar School? for boys who will remain there to prepare for college, and it is a notable sign that twenty-eight candidates presented themselves for these six exhibitions. In Bangor Diocese' a fond is being raised for the' same purpose. Meanwhile we shall do well to receive readily to our ministry men of devoted lives, with many good1 qualities and experience and powers of preaching, though they have never received an university education. Many such are doing effective work in the dioceses of England arA5 Wales, while, thrtmgli neglect of drawing such men tw the Church many eaen j have fallen frito the ranks of Dissent. I trust no one will be taken in by the so-called Unive^ity of Wales. G. 1. Clark, Egqr of Dowlai- in an unanswerable letter, has sfeo-tfn the utter fallacy of such a proposal, and the positive drsarlVantages cf such an institution. Ft now comes out in its true colours, with a Calvinisms' minister as its prirntpal, and will!" talce its proper place hereatfer as one of the xMSsenting Colleges of Wales. Sorae'means, however. mmt be devised1 for the theological training of our clcrfty—and tiis- I think may be astomplxsked even under j-dt present slrcumsstances to some extent, if done wisely. But then we mwsft have real thorough Church teaching^the PraycT Book in all its fulness—no biding of the powers of the miaistry. No reserve astir the fulness of sacrameifta! grace. We jaraat teach Ot.r p!re that we have togivfcthem thatwliicli tbey cannothave in an viTisatho- rized minis Sty. We rfieft tell iiaem that they can corae to us to open 'heir' griefs, and tl-at we have the'Benefit of absolution fcr''them. We mus £ not speak with stammer- ing lips, as if apologizing for the y to which fi belong, but set forth oflrf minisf-^ to them as being 3 delegated power issuing fifth from- tHe Imtemate Son of' (rod', M that we are in Tlreztuest sense "arsbsssadors for Christ,"m His stead," £ seht"by Efira, as He was by the father For it is impossible to thiolt of a esarranission given tb enn- vert the world in all ages, as limited tc» thirteen or fourteen) men, who were TCtfn to p«es- away from it—that which they received thetf;we have now, 3nd our people should Imow it to their socis''health and nmfort. To thisenrl Jet us have our microns—going-out into our lanes, as well as the alleys of c towns, t6 rea«& tbose who ar,, -in ignorance and sin, 31! w'èll as those who are alienated' from us-gathering around us for the work fellow helper-s from all classes;- even ti-A-iierhvoda and sisterhoods if SJocI will give them to ns and by their-loving help carry out the Gospel to eve.y part of the Jai-.4, and show that iit it is to be found sympathy and relief for all the sorrows' and'3iHR of men. For the spiritnGraid of our clergy let us* liav OUT retreatst; oui--goiiig aaidfe from the world for prayer and mediation, and deepening our own spiritual life. For secular .aid let'usinake a-better use of the press, that our people mr-y be disabused of the gross falsehoods that are continually circulated through hosti'e publica- tions;. and also that they may be provided with pure and wholesome Jiteratui e for light readihgr and with sound church teaching foi theiz- spiritual edification. Let us make oar sermons i '.s effective as we can, but let us re- m»mbe?' that our people will read for themselves—the BermoTi wiil not work the wonders it did in years gone bv. We--mnfit pay attenti, m to little things as well as greater ones—oar Sun day Sch oo!s nrusfr be real'nurseries for con- firmation, and for a c arefuV training-in* the knowledge of Church ordinances an d practice of Christian duties, and .then we Rave- every r eason to hope for success-far more ithan can Be looked for i n our Mrge tonvns in England. The Welsh are a quiet, trut tful, and religious-minded people, ;Ît"ëe fiom ,re-i t crime?, s nd greatly attached to their betters and the old5 families of their country. There are chords CO strike among-them tl at are- not to be found in England. Thera is » warm, lovin g heart hidden in most of our people, let* tfs meet thei n witil' love and tenderness, not llphraidintllm with tt -eir Dissent, but treating them as i/urfirers from, ottr forei '.thera" mglect of them. Let us show them'the- treasures 1 lid in the ministry and ordinances l'our Church, and I c( >nfidently b'elieve thby will then Fart-with all' to join then i.
C®TRFIJRY AITD* FORDEN AGRICULT"…
AITD* FORDEN AGRICULT" URAL SOCIETY. The annual Breetrng of the Chirbury an 1 Forden Agri- cultural Society was held a t Chirbary, on Friday, Oct. 25th. THe- competition in the T loughincr, draining, and hedging classes took place at Wa Icot, Chirbury, and Heightley, and were judged by Me ssrs T. Williams, Trystywelyn; Mailing; .Moor Farm ar d Timmiss, Brockton, Worthen. Tiieir awards were asr folio- ws PiouGarNXJ; —For serrai its and labourers in the society's district, who shalT pTw^-h 1 heir allotted' space in the most approved manner, first priz ?, £ 2 IG-4. second prize, £ 110s.; third prize, £11; fourth prizf 10s.; ten- entries—1 John Hum- phreys, with Mr Langfe rd, Chirbury Hall; 2 David Br,tir er -servant7 with, Mr Shuker, Heightley; 3 George Wiifiarns, servvint to Mr J ebb, Stockton; 4 Thof. George, servant MTr Hrnnph eys, Walcot. Servant, and lafcfraTers tmcler eigfc'tTWi years or age, nrst, £ 1 10s. seeondy £ I'; ttlrhl, 164. three entries—1 Ingram Pryce, servant to-Mi* Humphrey -s, Walbot; ? William Punce, ser\~ant to Mr LewiiJ, W orthertoa 3' David Hughes, sermiit to,-ivr Funner. E( Idertoni Open to farmers' sons under twenty-tfve years of age, residing in th-i counties of Salop or Montgomery, ent -ance fee, 53. first, 23; second, RP-; -three entries-t Mr I iobert Jbnes. Tynewydd, Guils- fielS; ^"Mf-WilH'an* Drsirj ■, Bergedin; Oswestry. Open to airiabourwa-'or pIbughme n (except makers7 meo), in the counties of S'atop and 1 lontgomepv, entrance fee, 10s., first, £: second", 12 2: third; 2t eight entries- 1 Jfthrt Rroxtoo,.plbrasfh-mj into MVE. Humphreys, Walcot; 2* Willikm EVaas, plte^fai arm to Mr Bars, Brompton Hall ST;Rrtger Bonfafd, servai it to Mr Bunner, Edderton. A clfampioa- cliM* for make rs, ojien io all England, entrance fee, £1:: The- entrame -money to make a first prize, the 3»ciety gmng half the amount ft)the second prize.—No eompetrftion.. The wiWIt 3 of these prizes were competed for wit,'n'tw,o -hones abreast, single-furrow ploughs. HBDOSNO:—To tftefar m labourer whoshall plaish sixteen yards Ðf ffence in six hours in the most workmanlike ,manner, -fiftti St 5s. Pf cond, 3rd. 10s.—1 Benjamin iBroxfeeni workman, to. P Ir HumDbrey, Walcot 2 Thomas ijotes, servant 00' Mr 5 Torrii, Chirbury 3' Thomas Pro- bert, workman- to My1 ATard, Crankwell. DiutfjflNG:— Opea to all labourers in the counties of Salop, and Msntgomer y. Bhtrance free. To the pair of dr-aitvers who. sheat cut a draiii f-Yar feet' deep, sixteen yards '!bng" and lay the- pipe j, in five howrs, in the-most work- Bttanitke mmmor first, £ 2 seoond;. £ 1' 103. thirf, 15s.— .3Dtry. —To the fame- labourer wba has lired the Imigest titae with the same master, or on the same farm, witi. a good? chavaeter first, JEl-; second, 10s. ITiree en- trift-17. Jighn, Prrce, wwfARan, at- Wóodraøre. th-izty-five 12,7homas Jones, Chirburyi twenty years and five months. To the in-door man servant;. utKterthirty years jof^age, wito has lived the* ionfjest time in the same service, with a geod first, £1; nd; tdn. One en try. —Thomas Cheese^ servant to Mr- Bfnbreyv Heightley MiA; four yearB-an(} five months. To- the ito-dbor woman sem*nt,-undeir-thitty years of age, wha- ibas lived- the looagest time in the- same serviCe with a goo • character of not less th&n fou»- years;- first, £ 1; secortf, !10s. one entary.—Samh Sherry servant to Mr Franev^ iFord&n. four years asd ii*e moaths. Tfea- annual dinner ot the society was h eld in the National thecl^se of the competition. The catwera were-Mr and Mrs Stoeade, Herbert- APmB, who provided an, excellent dinner. The chair was occupied by Mr Edward Hucnphreys, Walcot Hall; and; thei,& were at the principal taltfe, Mr C. G. Frtrbes, MMrihg!bon Hall; the Itev. J. Bard, Viear of CMrbury Mr W. Wilding, Montgonsery; and Mr G. D. son, Welshpecl. The vice-titeirman was Mr Ward, attendance iaclnded Lieut. Channer, R.Nv, Messrs Dt. P. Owen, Wfctehpool; 3. Miller, The Cocart, Abermule; B. Morris, Llwynrhidaeth; T. Williams, T"sty.welxa G Farmer, Montgcsaory J.- Jones, Nantcribba; W. Langford Chirbury Hall; Jl Shuker, Heightley; — Etnbrey, jun., Berriew-j Shuker, Churchstoke;- J I Davies, Rtownal, Ciirbury; Jones, The Hem, Chir&iry;: Jcnes, Manllyn, Forden; J. Bennett, Montgomery ■ J; Hotchkiss, The Wood, Chirbury; Ei Hotchkiss, '^lingswood, Chirbury A. Williams, Chirbusy; W. Higgins, Meadowtown, Worthed; J. Pryoo, Wilm,ingto, Hall; E. Pryce, Marton Moore, Bahaillon, Kerry;; P. G. Hughes, Cwmearlj Kervy; G. Brown, TfeftDairy, Welsh- pool; Allan, Liymore, Montgomery; T. Wo.fe, Gaet", I Welshpaol; Haines,. Rorrington Hall; Botler, Aliport, Churchstoke W. Pryoe, Chirbury Morris, jun., Wern- ddu; Morris, A,ton J. Mellings, Gcston, Marion,; Pryco, Henfroa, Llaadyssul; Hamuwnds, Pentrebelig; Pryce, jtin., Bank, Mainstone; C. Danes, Stephens; Dndston JR. Wilkes, R^uy^oes>. J^orra, Ll-wynrhedit5fe;. Fraancis, Yron; Pl^i WorSn- Richards, Churchstoke Je^b» Velg\4^p ,h The lSSh' Parkes, Lodge* Bishops Castle; E- Bfeech, N^rburv • W. Barrs, Brompton Hall; W. Chelanck, Woodmorii B. Ward, CrankweBj E. Farmer, Wu^ury; i Mi Jones* Iiiwynolin, Montgomery; Jewell, Hope; iBirchali, Calcott E. Embrey, Berriew Mellings Moors Farm Timmiss, Brockton, Wwthen,.&c., ke. The loyal toasts having beea drunk, Me G. D. HARRISON proposed the: army, navy, and reserve forces, connecting with the toast the name of limwt. Channer, IL N. (Applause.) Lieutenant CHANNER hawing responded, Mr W. AVXLDING proposed Clergy of the diocese, coupled wi. the name. of the Rev. J. Buxd, "Vicar Df Chirbuiy." (Applause.) t f The Rev. J. BUKI>, in acknowledging the toa3t, referred to the recent visit to the paiisii of the Bishop of Hereford visit which had left a vejy pleasant impressioa upon the neighbourhood. (Hear, hear.) Mr E. H. MOERIS, in proposing the Health of the Diemhersfor t'ae South&rn Division'of Salop," expressed regret at the, absence ot Colonel Corbett and General Sir Percy Herbaet, as those present, would have liked to have heard the opinions of their -representatives upon subjects which WGJO of vast interest, to agriculturists, such as lood taxation and the importation of foreign stock. (Hear, h°M^W. WiLMNtt V/ished to point out that the lead mines in the Forden ucii'on were not rated to the rehef of the poor, and that when an accident occurred at them, the poor sufferers "bad generally to come upon the parish for relief. The lead mines were exempt from mating through a. meN ler,;al quibble, and he thought they should be rated *S well as°coal mines. (Applause.) Tb'J Hon. Secretary, Mr SHUKER, of Heightley, having judges' awards, „ The CHAJBMAH said he had next to call upon the com- pany to drink what might be termed the principal toast of tot miSng, ta wd Prosperity to Chirbury and Forden Agricultural Society." (ClWars.) He had heard it buzzed about on the field that the was some possibility of the society being broken up. (Cries of rio, no.") Well, he hoped that such was Dot The case. In a great many places societies like the present had come to grief. He could not amount for such an unfortunate result, unless it was owing tw thie apathy and indifference of the landlords in those locaHtie", He thought the land- lords ought to take more interest in these small local societies than they did at preset, for such societies were ) productive of v'efy beneficial result,4 to. the neighbourhood, and ought to claim support from all Isfndowners and tenant- farmers, as well as from the labourers for whose special benefit they were fefmed. (Hear, her-), Agriculturists, as a rule, did not appear to work so Weill together in ad- vancing and protecting their interests as other classes in the country did. When any subject a flatting a certain class in society was brought forward in or out of Parlia- ment, the persons who woiMd be affected by ri managed to meet together and discuss? the matter, and e^pi'es? their epiwicrw freely but as tor tbft agriculturists they appeared to do nothing of the kind--they were very luktwarm in protecting their interests- (besf, hear)-and whatever tax ;the Government thought right- to put upon therai', they quietly pafd it, whereas other bccHes of men generally took care to let their opinions be krrhWi to the Government, and Govertiiwent now and then fe'tll irt with their ideas, fife ] thought tbaS the agriculturists ou»*&t to be a little more aliVe to anil watchful of their interests, and not submit t'o tbihgs so'fjufetly as they had hitherto done. (Hear, hear.),' Kfe' was glad ?o hear that the society was making very stsady progression, and that ths reports be had heard re- specting its dissolution were not based upon truth, and he had much pleasure in asking them to'dHfi'kto its further success and increased prosperity. (Loud-applause.) M' W. LAKGW?.V> said that in proposing the toast which- had been entrwsted to him-" The Landlords," it would not be out of place if he reverted very briefly to two or' three matters which affected the interests not merely if the landlords but of their tentiits-also. (Hear, hear.) Tbfe first subjfectf to which he would allude was that of compensation for unexhausted improvements, for that was a question which tad very considerable interest for farmers, and he was glad to-see that it had been' set down for diseussi&n both at the Shropshire Chamber of Agri- culture an A also at the Central Chamber in Londbn. The discussions wateld be watched with much interest by the agricultural world, and he looped that some good' resnlt would follow? and that the iriutaticn would be placed upon a satisfactory footing. The farmers invested their capital upon their fp.rfe^, and having done so it became the pro- perty of the landlord, but no compensation conld be slaimed for this outlay on the- part of the tenant. And as the investmeni'of-this capital increased the value of the farm, the tenan-ts were liable to be rated upon tlieir own oittlsy. (Hear, hear.) Living "under sneh a g-ood landlord the Earl of Páwjs, it might appear strange th i t" he should take an interest in this question, but it was one- of great importance to the whole- body of agriculturists {throughout the country, and every farmtr, whether "he ;liyed under a good, bad, or indifferent landlord, had a to look for compensation for unexhausted improve- ments. (Applause.) If he (the speaker) was occupying.,t farm under a bad landlord he should protect himself by luaMag no outlay upon his farm, but living under the Eari; pf Povris, he, in common with his lordship's tenantry, had bnn-fidence in their landlord, and knowing they would not be unfairly treated, they did their best to improve their holdings and to make their farms as near perfection as possible. (Hear, hear.) In that neighbourhood it was fortunately a rare occurrence to hear 6fit man being turned oui of his farm, but in case a man died, be left all the improvements upon the farm, to the Isras of his widow and chiMren, only benefiting the landlord, who generally took advantage of the improvements effected by the late tenant to raise the rent for the -incoming tenant. (Hear, hear.) Thai; was a very unfair thing, and he hoped the matter would speedily be settled in some form or another. (Applause.) Mr J. SHUKER proposed the health of "The J udges." Those gentlemen had taken a very important part in the day's proceedings, and many thanks were due to them for the ti ne and trouble they had bestowed upon the competitions. The committee were always very careful m -their selection of judges, and endeavoured to obtain gentlemen from differ- ent districts, so as to avoid local prejudice. They en- deavoured to obtain farmers of great intelligence and ability, men who would be-above suspicion of being influ- enced, and who, above all, .were possessed'of sound, prac- tical knowledge. henr.) The veryar pearance of the gentlemen who had been selected as the-judges of the present meeting would stamp them for at least well mean- ing men-(H6ar,hear, andlaughter.) He had had the pleasure of knowing them for a great number of years, and he con- sidered the committee had been most fortunate in securing their services, as they were possessed of all the qualifications essential to giving a good and impartial judgment. (Ap- plause. ) Mr T. WILLIAMS, in responding, said he was glad to state that the judges had not differed upon one single point. He congratulated the ploughmen upon having done such capital work, for it was better than any ploughing he had ever seen. (Hear, hear.) The Rev. J.' BtHm said that the next toaet^had been en. trusted to Mm. It wart a very important toast, and at the same time a vory difficult one to deal with, and he could say with all sincerity that he wished' its-proposal had fallen into, Iletter and abler hands. The toast he had to give was "Health and prosperity to the labourers." (Applause?)' He did not know whether any of the labourers were present to hear what he had to say, but he hoped there might be some in the room, and that his re- marks would' be- matfe known to most, if not all, the labourers in his parish. He knew that in speaking to such a toast'he was treading upon very delicate ground, like a man who -was walking upon cinders; con-cious that one false step would betray the smouldering-mass beneath, and in the few; and he feared imperfect, remarks he was about to offer, he would, at the outset, ask for the kind indulgence of both labourers and employers. This question of the agricultural labourer had become one of the great questions of the day. They had seen all classes of artisans come to the front and'take their part in every great struggle, and he thought that all who had watched1 the course of public events must have been aware that the time was coming when. the agricultural labourer- would have his turn. (Hear, hear.) That time had now come, .and all were watching anxionsly to see how he would bear himself in the struggle. The agri- cultwarlabourer bad as much right as anyone to en- deavour to bbtterhi3 condition if he could. (Hear, hear, and applause.) Be (the speaker) hoped he should carry the opinions of rtho3e present with him, when he said that the condition of the agricultural labourer admitted of being. bettered. (Hear, hear.) That being admitted, the question of ;al!;qjae&tioD8 was, How is this to be done!" As regarded his- own neighbourhood' he thought he was bound to say that during. the recent har- vest the labourers had, as a body, behaved very waffl. (Hearr bear.) During that period' of agitation he was proud to saty-tih-at the labourers it*- his parish had be- harred very well.. (Wear, hear.) They (the laV iyrorers) knew that the question was being mooted and cMspusserf everywhere, and tie employers must have expected thawnatwalfy enough the milids of their men wotild have become a Jittie unsettled. St ill, the m&nhad not taken advantage of -the farmers when they had "the reins-in their bands, and ,he. hoped and trusted that the farmena would mete oat-to them the same mea- r,uro-(heiar, hew)-so that in the coming winter-whicli promised to be at very severe one—they would all <Io some- thing towards helping the agricultural In his parish, Its they knew, he had not put-• himself forward in the matter; becausa- he did not t-hink, it was the duty of a clergyman to. make himself a partisan, in a class question like that- of- the agricultural labourer and1 his employer. It Vras .bis-plaoe^and more thaa .hjfl-place—ifc was the groat- and^high: psavilege of a clergyman to. be a peacemal,-er, and, it he oaly bided his tkna. and patiently watched the curpent- of events, he would always be found useful in.ten- dering moderate, temperate Christian connsel. He (the speaker) Itoped they would" allow him to play that,part. (Heari haar.) His peopls-r-they MAiet pardon him sailing them sos but it was a habit- clergymen had got, and he thought not a had habit e"ther--Lad behaved pretty.well during the late harvest. He believed that such .condr.c1: j'was in a great measure drq to the-fact that the labourers in rtbat neighbourhood had a. feeling of trust and confidence ;.in thedr masters. And-h« did Dot wosder that such .a..feclir..g 'should exist, for wheaeYer-he wanted anything fan the agri- ioulttiwal poor he had anly to go-to the farmers foe lielp and succour, and he newer came- awav empty handed. (Ap- plaase.) Why, the society, which had broughV coEstpanv together, had been set on foot for t e „ improvement of the labourer—to encourage bix^to become a skilled workman, to enabie bim to get better wages, and to compete with machinery which was. every day coming into mcrft 9mmoa use in the country. (Hear, hear.) To the the laborers he would say, Most cer- tainly use all legitimate iceans to better your condition but, at the same timp he would add, Dea't attempt to do so by listeniag to and taking the adviee of paid agitators who go about the COUJQ <ry stirring up a feeling of class against class for their own. political ends." (Hear.) If the labourer would hawsorne trust and confidence ip. his master, and the master have some good feeling towards the servant, they could, easily. settle their disputes without the inter-- ference of persona—or foreigners" as they would call them ia, those paits who had Bptjiing in common with, them,, (Applause.) The labourer's condition coitld not be benefited; by a strike. He never knew a strike to succeed. He did not mean to, say that strikes did not gain. their end sometimes, but the victories won by strikes were very costly to those who gained them. (Hear, hear.), They were won at a price far too dear. There had been a. time when he thought the difficulty as a mere question of money, and that the wages should all be paid in money but on that subject he had done what many had done before him — changed his naind. agri- cultural labourer did not stand in. the same position that other labourers did The art;? m cared nothing for his master. He had nis. appointed hours and certain work to do, and he rarely saw his em- nlover. He had his aaarket close at hand, and all that was requisite to supply his wants was his money. But it was very much otherwise with the agricultural labourer, for there were many things for which he was necessarily de- pendent upon his master, and it was essential that there should be a kindly feeling between employer and employed. The rent of » cottage at all fat tor a labourer to bring up his family decently and morally could not be less than €6 or 27 per year, and how could he pay that—he was dependent upon his master to do it. He (the speaker) must say ha shorld like to see the men better lodged, for how could they expect a man to better his condition if he was housed like a pig. (Hear, hear.) Then there were coals at 30s. per ton, and how was a labourer to pay five shillings for having a load lugged 1 He was dependent upon his master to do that for him. He (the speaker) wished he could see cider and beer commuted into money. The men whom the farmers wished to keep-the steady men-would be glad to see it; while the men whom they did not care about—the idle and dissolute fellows—would be the only persons dissatisfied. He wished to see the best man re- QviyO THE TEST "ies, AND AUOTMEGTI FOR DESERVING work men. The following extract from a leader which had recently appeared in the Times might interest h;s hearers, and dhow them the real state of things in the labour market 1-" Our working classes have just won a succession of great Victories. The campaign of labour against capital may be considered at an end for the present, and the results may be calculated almost as easily as those of the late Franco-German war. They may be stated either in time or in money. Taking the latter test, it is not too much to say that five million men have worn on the average a shilling a week tfoxa their employers, even when all allowances are made for the increased price of food. ,.ls thirteen miRirms sterling a yezt, and, if capitated, is about She amouut of the French thi etPr:^y* may discuss the consideiatiorr whether nra!>fIS. 1 ^.° Another question of much -83ore Wh*f 8 immediate importance is forced upahi us. and ti,^Se OT-e ^le irking classes making of their vvfctory tiuie and Sf013*' ^ow are *^7 spending their increased shillings? T^irKhTr8 Mberiy, and their extra fu!, respectable and th D° f,°r ° ,and the source ol much reasonable ea- lZrTl\f^0^ schooling- cheap literature, in. -Provement, healthy outings, assistance to less successful frieuds and relatives. A multitude of good works are at » stand for want of money or of men, and as a working aan ln these day* is as good as hi^ employers there is reason why he should not take his turn, and lend a liana in labours of love, whatever they are. For the present, we grieve to say, we see no signs of the working classes the place of their employers, or even honestly trying to- be their own employers, as they have a perfect right to <to. We may loot* over our own COi^*?ns afteF day the proof of that regeneration which ardent politicians have confidently xJredicted from an extra sixpence and an extra hour a day. In one and one only, do-we seem to trace'a cause and effect. The police intelligence is becoming a"?ery serious part of our news the casualties of a single dav are often as heavy as those of a battle. On Monday, Mr D'Eyn- cOUJhd to dispose of lifty-three charges of drtmkennes?. At Vrestminster, of the tpftenty-iiine prisoners on the charge-sheet, the whole bad been more or less drnnk when taken into custody. At Worship-street and Lambeth drunkeirsess supplied the chief business of the iay. At the other-police courts there isr a strong smell of liquor about all the cases." In conclusion, the rev. gentleman said thatrthat was not a very cheerful state of things, and if that was to betbe result of increased wages they would be doing a khrd and good act to therr workmen if they told them that there was something more expected of them— that they might try to raise themselves in the social scale. Th-sy were all'ready to give the agricultural labourer a helping hand, but, at the same time-, they wanted to know what he meaacit to, do for himself. (Hear, hear.) And, if they found that' the agricultural labourers wished to im- prove themselves, and to be respectable and respected by their neighbours, the employers would be glad to give them a helping hand, and always ready to drink Pios- perity to the Agricultural Labourer. '(Cheers.) Mr FORBES PROPOSED the Health': of the Chairman," whom he eulogised as a good-hearted. Kbera.1, free gentle- man, and one who'was very kind to the poor. (Cheers:) The CHAIRMAN-baiving responded, Mr T. WiLLi.YMS'-proposed The Agricultural Societies of Shropshire and Montgomeryshire," \?hich was acknow- ledged by Mr D. P. OWEN, the joint-secretary of the Montgomeryshire Agricultural Society. The remaining toasts on the list were, The Vice-presi- dent," proposed by Mr Jones, and responded to by All Ward; "The Visitors,"proposed by Mr E. H.Morris; The Committee," proposed by Mr S. Miller; aad Th3" Secretary," proposed from the cha r.