The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard

CROWN LANDS IN WALES. ML. LKWIS PC<;H PIT.H, M.P. for Cardiganshire, has given notice in tho House of Commons that on an early day he will move for the appoint- ment of a Select Committee to enquire into the Management of Crown Lands in Wales. In bother part of the paper we publish a copy of the return moved for by Sir n. <! KICK. This return shows what, we have so often ^sorted, that the Crown lands of Wales are no I'Votit to the CROWN, hut are a great source of "vil to the Principality. The mineral rights of the CROWN are exercised in ways that on the rjl-te hand hinder mining enterprise, and on the 'iier preclude agricultural development. There 1Si not a mine or quarry proprietor in Wales Nvho has had the misfortune to be brought into •iisuiess relations with the Commissioners of oods and Forests who does not retain a vivid ''•'inembrance of the treatment he received, and regret that his fortune ever drove him into such ullcomfortable contact. There is one condition mining on Crown property which speaks for itself so plainly that nothing need be ^aid in condemnation of it. If the holder of a "o^'u mine sells his rights to another, lie is compelled to give something like twenty-five per cent, of the sum lie receives to the CROWN, he must give this although he may be ng the mine at a loss after making heavy expenditure. It is not, of course, beyond the ^genuity of those who buy and sell mines to the^C .tlU" eoiKlition so stupidly laid down by to > U?AVS) hut evasion and the lying necessary are ('v''s that, by their continuance, tlle moi'al life of the people and ■IS 'rn for » Kfc that tL CROWS ference "P .I to /template with indif- "uforce'1 Lv'tV'V* t t',at t'le conditions mine- >1 • U! Crcnvn Ulake the development of ulav ] lesoarces of the country impossible, *sneeJ atT .'?th pe°ple who ^nmoraPtv }i-«U01ca f until the spread of aiid order T| SaW( t^u' foundations of law from eseh'cJrsb" P tIevived by the Crown sclivdtoi ships are as unsatisfactory as they can be. In Wales it is understood that Crown escheators are nothing but sheep stealers. Farmers lose sheep and often know where they have gone to, but are powerless. The landless sheepowners of the Principality, and the butchers who rarely buy sheep, are well known. The escheating system could be best described by omitting the first syllable of the word. The Crown escheator is supposed to give notice in the parish church and in two market towns of the escheating meetings, but these notices are very inadequately given, and some- times farmers never know about meetings until they are over, and their sheep have been finally disposed of. Of course sheep are marked by their owners, but he would be a poor escheator who could not so deal with marks as to make it impossible to be quite certain respecting them. Hill farmers have a very real grievance against the Crown escheators. It is evident that the method of managing the Crown escheating is as far from tending to the moral and material UL progress of the people as the method of manag- ing the Crown mineral property. The revenue obtained from sporting rights over Crown lands is not very great, and is undoubtedly obtained at the cost of converting hundreds of miners, sheep farmers, and quarrymen into convicted poachers. The Crown leases its sporting rights to somebody who comes down into Wales and finds that the people in the neighbourhood have for years—perhaps generations been in the habit of using the land as common land. The new lessee of the sporting rights enters a crusade against the people who perhaps cut peat and beat for hares. Again, we have a source of immorality and not seldom of much misery. Crown rights have sometimes been purchased over land—bog, and the inhabitants of a whole neigh- bourhood have suddenly been forced to purchase fuel, or been compelled to feel they were steal- ing it. The remaining source of revenue from Crown lands is acknowledgements for encroach- ments. If proof were wanting that the Crown is the worst landowner in Wales it could be found in the difference between the land for which encroachers pay acknowledgment and that which still remains in possession of the Crown. It is a reproach to the Crown that the people find they can make better terms by encroaching than by offering to lease or purchase. A system of paying an acknowledgment for, say, a couple of acres, and then enclosing a little year after year until there are nine or ten acres, is not unknown. There is the bnd-- useless and valueless—and there also are the people willing to make it productive. Between the people and the land there is a ridiculous system of red tape, which offers no plea for itself except its existence—an existence that cannot possibly be justified by the most besotted Toryism. The land pilferers arc pounced upon from time to time, and usually a good deal of hard swearing on the part of the encroachers is followed by a compromise on the part of the Crown, which incites to a repetition of encroach- ments. If Mr L. P. Pumi can obtain a Select Committee to enquire into Crown lands in Wales, there would be no difficulty in showing the Committee that immediate steps ought to be taken to get rid of the. present system of mismanagement. The easiest way to do this would be by selling the manorial rights to the owners of the surface, or by selling or letting the land on long leases. If the 90,000 or 100,000 acres of Crown lands in Wales were planted with larch, or let in small plots, or sold to adjoining owners, a large sum of money would be realized, which could be devoted to the purposes of higher and intermediate educa- tion, and a number of sources of immorality would be got rid of. It is impossible to say how much the progress of Wales is hindered by the present condition of the Crown lands, but that great wrong is done to the people is abund- antly clear. The subject would benefit by dis- cussion, and our columns are open. Mr PCGII has not yet been in Parliament a year, but he has already given proof that lie will bring much credit to the constituency that returned him.

THE WRATHElt AND THE POOR. THE continued hard weather has not only put a stop to out-door labour, but has caused a falling off in trade of all kinds to an extent scarcely credible except by those who are suffering. For once the weather is the subject of conversation, not because then; is nothing else to say, but because it is the topic of absorbing interest. From all parts of our district reports are sent in of efforts to relieve the poor by means of soup kitchens, gifts of coal, flannel, It and clothing. Notwithstanding all that can be done by private effort it is to be feared there will be a very large amount of unrelieved misery. Sickness will be increased, and death will thin the ranks of the very young and the very old. In addition to efforts made by public subscription to relieve those thrown out of work by the frost, a good deal is done by private individuals, who happen to know the circumstances of those near to them and unostentatiously render help which never finds its way before any committee, and figures in no subscription list. Small tradesmen, who cannot refuse to give credit to their humble customers, will have to bear heavy losses, which have been increased by every day's continuance of frost. Fortunately there is a prospect of improvement in the weather, and poverty may be prevented from spreading and becoming more intense. Working men who are prepared for sickness by their friendly society, and for ordinary shortness of work by their trade society, are helpless at a time like this, and in many instances are unwilling to admit their helplessness. Those who live on begging in good times do well at an exceptional period like this. They know who has money to give away, and are not slow to avail themselves of anything that is likely to add urgency to their claims. What is needed is that relief committees should he "fornwd, so that charity may not only be distributed wisely, but that money may be obtained as it cannot be obtained by private persons. At Aberystwyth, DOWNIE'S Trust provides a fund which can be drawn upon so as to tide the poor of that town over this time of scarcity. In the rural districts poverty is very great, but it is more manageable than in towns, where many of the n y people are practically unknown. The thaw which set in on Wednesday still continues, and it is hoped the severe weather is over. q.

THE CARDIGANSHIRE GENERAL HOSPITAL. Tru: Aberystwyth Infirmary and Cardiganshire General Hospital is at last in possession of rules. Owing to some reason or other, the progress 71 made is not rapid, but for anything we know b it may be satisfactory. A circular has been issued, which is very ambiguous, and in some respects is almost as unsatisfactory as the present condition of the Infirmary. The public know that a large sum has been left to the Infirmary, and are unwilling to subscribe with- out a much fuller and completer statement than is afforded by the circular, which says the immediate erection of an Infirmary and the appointment of a house surgeon is absolutely nccesssary to place the Institution in a position of usefulness and in a state to meet the growing requirements of the county, which, no doubt, i will largely he increased as soon as the charity is in a position to provide accoiiiiiodlitioii." We do not pretend to understand all the meaning of the words we have quoted, but we learn from them that it is necessary to erect an Infirmary and to appoint a house surgeon. From other portions of the circular we learn that there is a large debt to he defrayed before the Institution can lie developed that it is neces- sary to obtain a considerable amount in subscriptions that it is intended to make collections in churches and chapels once every year, in the month of February or March and that the subscriptions will first be applied towards the current expenses, and the surplus in aid of the fund for the erection of a new Infirmary. The rules, which were framed by non- subscribers to the Infirmary, are printed, but the general public are, unfortunately, very little inter- ested in the movement. Nothing has been done to inspire public confidence, and it does not seem probable that anything will be done, and yet, without public confidence and enthusiasm the institution must remain in the hopeless con- dition from which it has not yet been lifted. A splendid opportunity of arousing public interest was lost when, on the ground of saving' time, a lot of people who had not subscribed a penny to the funds made rule;, for an institu- tion which, as far as could be judged, they intended to leave other people to support. Sub- scriptions are asked for, but no statement is made showing the actual position of the Infirmary. The circular already referred to asks for help and says help is required, but it abstains from proof, and is altogether superior to figures. There is nobody at the head of the Infirmary movement who inspires confidence indeed, it is not evident, except nominally, that there is anybody at the head of it at all. A county institution should have been placed on a wide basis, and care should have been taken at the outset to enlist the sympathies and co-operation of all the people from whom subscriptions were expected. Instead of this a committee of non-subscribers was formed, rules were framed and ultimately passed by non-subscribers, and now somebody is appealing for subscriptions, but not a single step has been taken which shows to the public that the miserable place in Little Darkgate-street is better managed or better attended to than formerly. What do the inhabitants of Aber- ystwyth and the county of Cardigan know more about the Infirmary now than they knew a year ago, and what did they know then—nothing. If the gentry had subscribed in the past, the Infirmary would not have got into debt; if they subscribe now the debt will be paid off; but where are the reasons, made obvious to the commonest understanding, that something should be done this year which was not done last year but one 1 In movements of this kind every individual who has a penny or a guinea to subscribe does not send for rules and make a close personal investigation to satisfy his own mind. Trust is- reposed in acknowledged leaders and their word is taken. In this Cardiganshire Infirmary movement where are the acknow- ledged leaders of the people ? Perhaps they are amongst the non-subscribers, and if so, they doubtless have what seem to them good reasons for their position. There is a general impression that the revenue from DOWNIKS bequest is sufficient to maintain the Infirmary far more efficiently than it has been maintained, and until this impression is removed only those will subscribe who are desirous of taking part in the management of the institution. Collections in churches and chapels can only be obtained in aid of an institution when very good grounds are shown for making them. These grounds may exist in the case of the Aberystwyth Infirmary, but where are they set forth 1 If the county had been appeale i to befoie the rules were framed it would have been comparatively easy to get up enthusiasm, but now the whole thing has been cut and dried the task will be more difficult. Everyone will admit that no institution could confer such great and lasting benefits upon the poor of Aberystwyth and the county as a well-supported and skilfully-managed Infirmary. It is just possible that the wisest course has been taken 101 towards securing the hearty co-operation of the people, but there is not at present any con- spicuous evidences that this is the case, and the circular recently issued certainly does not err on the side of detailed information. From first to last there has been a marked absence of information as to the past, the present, and the future of the Infirmary. It is not enough to tell the people that money is wanted, or that a new Infirmary should be built. They are always ready to believe money is wanted, and. they need only look at the present dismal building to be convinced l that a new Infirmary should be built. It is felt that Dowxm's bequest is sufficient to do all that is required, and if the promoters of the new Infirmary scheme hope to win public con- fidence they must be explicit and take pains to show that, in order to do what is required, a certain sum in addition to the bequest is necessary. The public have a right to know j what it is proposed to do, and the probable cost of doing it, and how far the available funds will fall short of what is required. The whole proceedings in respect to the Infirmary are carried out in that, half-hearted, perfunctory way which betokens absence of leading and directing minds.

LOCAL AND GENERAL NOTES. We direct the attention of school managers to a letter in another part of the paper on elementary agricultural education. On Wednesday night rain, accompanied by high wind, began to fall at Aberystwyth. The wind died away and the thaw rapidly continued on Thursday. The weather is very much milder. ';t- •X- On Tuesday night a fire broke out at Wynustay, Ruabon, the residence of Sir WATKIN WILLIAMS WYXS. The tire engine kept on the premises succeeded in extinguishing the flames before extensive damage was done. '1" It is stated that Mr. DAVID DAVIKS, M.P., has promised to contribute A;1,000 a year for live years towards paying off the debt of the Calvinistic bodj-, amounting to a total of about a quarter of a million, if the body entertains a project of accomplishing this task by 1886, the year of the third Calvinistic Metho- dist jubilee. Captain JAMES DA VIES, y, New-street, Aberystwyth, commander of the barque Ghilena, has rescued the crew of the Wyllie from that vessel when it was on fire. Captain JAMES DA VIES landed, the crew at Val- paraiso and refused to accept any reward. The Hawaiian Government intend to present the captain with a chronometer, sextant, and other things. On Wednesday last, at the Aberystwyth Petty Sessions, SARAH E'VANS, fowl dealer, Tregaron, was charged with illegally having in her possession seven hares, five snipes, two patridges, two Svater hens, and one teal. Her solicitor said she had been entrusted with the game to sell by certain persons at Tregaron. The Bench only fined the defendant ten shillings and costs. A county bench would have seen this off ence In a more serious light. At the adjourned Dolgelley Petty Sessions on Tues- day, ROWLAND ROWLANDS was committed for trial at the assizes on a charge of iiialic oii-ly wounding WILLIAM VACCHAN, of Llanelltyd, on .January 1st. VAnm/.N was knocked down and left insensible. The attack, whoever was guilty of it, TO a brutal one, and if it can be brought home, the culprit can scarcely be punished too severely. -r- On Monday morning, JANK ATKINS, a married woman, aged thirty-eight, who lived near Llanfiiiangel railway station, about five miles from Aberystwyth, was found dead on the line. One leg had been severed, and she had been dragged by one train a little way in the direction of Borth, and by another back again towards Aberystwyth. Both trains passed before day- light. The deceased was only partly dressed. At the inquest tiie jury brought in a verdict that the deceased committed suicidc by throwing herself under die train. The evidence taken at the inquest is given in another part of the paper. Parsons Bridge near Ponterwyd, Cardiganshire, is a place not as well known as its wild beauty deserves. The Rheidol runs along a deep gorge with rocky jagged sides which thousands of floods have scooped out into strange shapes. Across the current, broken into foam I by great boulders, there is a rude bridge. At the side of the bridge there used to be a much-needed hand- rail, but this lias been swept away. A correspondent writes to ask" ho is responsible ? Something certainly ought to be done, and done quickly, for it requires care in approaching the bridge, and without protection at the sides only those with sure feet could venture to cross over, and then only in daylight. The inquest on the men killed by the explosion at the Penygraig colliery has terminated in a verdict that the explosion was accidental. The jury censured Mr. MOSES ROWLANDS for not complying with certain rules. We are glad to find that this accident and the verdict of the jury will be brought before the House of Commons. Hitherto life has been far too cheap, but the Employers' Liability Act has given.it somewhat of a rise in the market. When employers learn that drunken, unskilful, and careless workmen are not profitable, sobriety will be insisted upon, and skill wilt have to be proved. Employers are on the verge of discovering that trades unions are their best friends, and almost their only means of protection. -> •* Llangollen is a small toMrn that [possesses a small newspaper which contains several advertisements of a kind that ought not to be published, and that cannot be named. This paper has just done a shabby thing in the editorial line. A few weeks ago we published a letter by Cornel PKYSE pleading for protection for small singing birds—a protection, by the way, much needed just sow. The COLONEL'S letter has been elevated without any acknowledgment into the dignity of a leading article. Of course it was necessary to alter the letter a little, as the Llangollen paper could not speak of Mr. DILLWYX as its friend. Filthy advertisements and talk about the beautiful creations cf our "Divine maker" do not go well together, but the public do not expect morality in business, and are not averse to a little cant. Perhaps if the attention of the paper were called to the fact that the article was word for word a copy of Colonel PKYSE'S letter it would defend this small act of appropriation, as we suppose it would defend the advertisements, by saying that it must live, and in the absence of ability of its own must make use of other people's. Papers that are too poor to be honest, and too immoral to be just, cannot perhaps do much harm. -3- A meeting was held at Towyn last week to consider the advisability of establishing fairs for the sale of stock, &c. The opinion of the meeting was that fairs would be a good thing, and it seems to have been recognised that to make the fairs successful they would have to be advertised. A collection was made towards the advertising fund and the sum of ten shillings and twopence was raised. There ought to be at least twelve fairs in a year, and to establish them it will be necessary to raise a further sum of A199 9s. JOd. which will make up £ 200. These fairs should not only be made known in the neighbourhood but at a distance. Towyn, we doubt, is in no immediate danger of obtain- ing good fairs. If some gentleman would take up the fairs and identify himself with them, collect for them, take all the blame for failure, and renounce all the credit for success, they would become successful. It is obvious that a meeting which shows its interest by collecting ten shillings and twopence will net accomplish much. The Towyn Local Board could do wometuing towards making fairs successful. õ' .:< The Aberystwyth Cocoa House Company has been financially successful beyond the expectations or in- tentions of its promoters. A dividend of 7-r per cent was declared and the profits would have allowed a dividend 01 four or five times this amount, but it was deemed wise to carry a large sum over as a reserve fund. The house has been freely used by the country people, but owing to its smallness and want of ac- commodation, has failed to attract the inhabitants of the town. The AberystM-yth Cocoa House is not in any sense a rival to the average well furnished public house. This is strongly pointed out in another column by a correspondent. The accommodation is very limited, I I L and to say the best of it, is only third-rate. The venture was an important one, and it has been success- ful just where those who believed in the movement were doubtful of success—financially. That it has achieved but little as a moral or social purifier will not -c dishearten those who know that, perhaps, the most men can do is to tend in the right direction, and to aim aright. One thing has been proved, namely, that a cocja house well managed will pay working expenses and leave a very handsome balance of profit. There can be little doubt if the house had been larger and the furnishing more complete the results would have been even more satisfactory. We have been favoured by Mr MORRIS JONES, L.R.C.P., the medical officer of the town, with the appended tables, comparing the temperatures of Aber- ystwyth and Cheltenham. It will be seen that the variation of temperature between the maximum and minimum is not nearly so great at Aberystwyth as at Cheltenham, and that on the 14th January, M'hen the temperature of AberystM-yth was at its lowest, that is, fourteen degrees, it was warmer by eight degrees than that of Cheltenham while on the 20th January it was twenty-four degrees Manner. The average difference in favour of Aberystwyth is about eight degrees. The details are as follow :— A J IKRYSTM" YTJ!. CUELTLXKAM. Mn\. detr. Min. uci;. Max. dec". jJiii.dcj". Jan. 14 86 14 IT'S 6 15 ,6 -5 14,5 23 2-5 "lli 29"5 21 v3 25 6-1 M 17 31-5 28 29 9'3 IS 3.") 27 81 v5 15 ]!) 36 20 26 21-1 20 34 2! 1.. 27 -3-3 21 31-5 15,5 27-S 6 The instruments in use at both places arc of the same j kind, and fitted up in the same manner. On Tuesday last a special meeting of the Aber- ystwyth Town Council was held. One of the Councillors called attention to the ui,punctuality of the members, and suggested that the meetings should lie held at sti, half-past ten, instead of ten as at present. When the meetings were lixed tor ejeven the members were unpunctual, and after they were altered to ten the members were still unpunctual. It is scarcely to be expected that things will mend when the time of meeting is fixed for half-past tell. We have thought about this unpunetuality and have come to the con- clusion that the best way to cure it would be to arrange so that an appointment to a public office could be made at every meeting for about six months, until the habit of punctuality had been formed. Fortnightly appointments would also have the erfect of bringing all the members together. They would come even if they had to engage cabs. Merely to change the hour of meeting is a simple, but, we fear, inefficient, remedy. Would it not be M-ell to discuss our suggestion at the next meeting ? We have no doubt as to its effect, and if people think the remedy queer one, the Council can urge that the end justifies the means 11 Tiie annual balance-sheet of the North and South Wales Bank appears in out advertising columns, and a report of the meeting in the news columns. The results arc "very satisfactory to the shareholders. «• There has been a struggle at Llanbadarn, near Aberystwyth, whether the majority of the members on the School Bojrd should be Nonconformists or Churchmen. Of course the majority of the inhabitants are Nonconformists. The Church would rather have taken the power without- a fight, but were prepared for contest, and, as usual in the earlier stages of conflict, Men. Mr. JOHN James has done good service by compelling the Church party to reveal their tactics. All Nonconformists have to do is to asseit their rights and to strive for them. Defeat will in the long run give place to victory. It is far less pleasant tc win by contests than by smiles and handshakings. The Church has won at Llanbadarn by the aid of Non- conformist votes. When did the Nonconformists ever achieve a victory by the aid of Church votesThat is a question the ratepayers everywhere should ask themselves. -> Illegal fishing is a common offence in W ales, and one that river-watchers and heavy fines seem unable to check. One reason why illegal fishing continues was. perhaps, illustrated at the Dolgelley Petty Sessions on Monday last. RICHARD ROBERTS, of Dinas Mawddwy, was charged with illegal fishing, and promptly fined f2, and 7s. Gd. costs. The accused did not pay the fine, nor did lie go to prison in default. A licensed game dealer named ONVE-, OWKNS stepped forward and paid the money, to the indignation and astonishment of the Bench, who reprimanded OWENS, and told him that in future they would look upon him with very II great suspicion Was the money a gift, a loan, or a payment for "goods" sold and delivered:- OMENS must have known beforehand that to pay a poacher's fine is not the shortest or surest way into the confidence of a bench of magistrates, but he may also know that to be loved of poachers is better and more profitable than to be respected of magistrates; and perhaps a game licence is not more highly prized by Mr. OM EN OWENS than the good will of the Bench. He may see his way to getting along in life as easily without a licence as without the good will of the Dolgelley Bench of Magistrates. -:f The money-lending rascals who prey upon the necessities of the poor cannot be too frequently expos- ed. On Tuesday last at a London police court a case was heard in which two servant girls were deprived of their goods under circumstances which are explained in the following extract from a London ptper:- ELIZABETH FLETCHER and RHODA SPELLING, the com- plainants, Mere servant girls, and according to their evidence, when out of employment made their homes with Mrs. SNELLINO, mother of one of the girls, whose husband kept a small shop in Whitecross-street. The latter, it appeared, had borrowed money of the defend- ant ZEFFERTT; £ 9 10s. was the sum actually received. but the bond was for £ 14, secured by a bill of sale upon the furniture and effects within his house. The JE14 was repayable by instalments of 10s. a week, under the usual conditions of seizure and forfeiture in the event of failure of any one instalment. Failure was made, and at the end of December the "goods which Mrs. SNELLINO valued with the shop fixtures at £ 100, were seized and removed. I After the bill of sale had been executed, and before the seizure, the complainants became inmates of Mr. SNELLINO'S house. They had boxes containing their I clothes, and, in addition, the girl FLETCHER was possessed of certain articles of old china, and many other things she had bought. All their property was carried away with the goods of Mr. SNELLING, though, according to the evidence of a witness for the defence, a man employed in the removal, the girls claimed their boxes when they had been taken to the van. Their I return was refused, and when the complainants pursued the matter, and found the goods at the pantechnicon sale room, they discovered that their boxes, taken I away locked, had been broken open and many of the articles gone. The property left M'as, it M'as admitted, offered to them, but the complainants objected to receiving only a portion of their goods. They were, however, induced to sign, each for herself, a paper acknowledging the receipt of their goods, though they left the goods on the premises. Finding that they could not obtain restitution, the present proceedings were taken. Mr. HANNAY remarked that in his opinion, the case might go further. If the complain- ants had taken their case to the County Court, they would probably have obtained damages. As, however, 1 they alleged detention, nil he could do was to order the return of the goods they claimed. ]

v luxb ,District, -r- CROWN LANDS IN IN ALE-z.-Oll Friday night, Mr. L. P. Pugli, M.P., gave notice in the House of Commons that on an early day he would move for a Select Committee on the subject of the management of Crown Lands in England and \ales. ME. J \MES JAMES, Pentremawr, Llanrhystyd, has < been appointed by the Government, registrar of ] marriages in the union of Aberystwyth in the place of j the late Mr William Edwards, Draenllwyi), Llan- gwyryfon. Mr James has. according to law. appointed ] as his deputy the Rev. John Morgans, Rliiwbwys. WELSH COMPANIES IN ISSO.-COI-Irlal"Il" Jamiary, I SSO, with present prices, there has been a very mark- cd improvement in the principal Welsh companies. Taff Vale stock has advanced from 211 to 2.">>; Rhym- ney, 173 to 190; Ebbw Yale iron, 8 to 13; Rhynmey 2 iron, 23 to 36: Newport Abercarne coal. (i to ï\; National Bank of Wales, 6 to 7i; West of England Bank, 8 to 10; Alexandra Dock, 7 to 12A; and Nant- vglo and Blaina, 24 to 41. FIRE AT WYNXSTAY MAN-ION.—On Tuesday night ( the neighbourhood of Ruabon M as in a state of con- sternation on account of a rumour afloat that W yimstay Mansion was on lire. It was soon found that the rumour was too true. The fire it appears, had broken out in a spare bedroom connecting the main structure with the stables. Below the bedroom M-as the boiler-house, the boiler supplying steam to the laundry. It is believed that the fire was caused by the fiue passing from the lower room through the bedroom into the open cast. The bedroom was speedly encircled in flames, which soon burst through the windows. The fire engine connected with the mansion was quickly brought into play upon the flames, which were put out in the course of half an hour. The only damage done was that the bed, the window-frames, door, and floor of the room were destroyed. The worthy baronet himself superintended the work of extinguishing the fire. Acxrox AGAINTT THE CAMBRIAN Railway COM- PANY BY A LIVERPOOL GENTLEMAN.— At the Man- chester assizes on Saturday, before Mr .Justice Stephen, John Parry, commercial traveller, Liverpool, brought an action against the Cambrian Railway Company for damages for personal injuries caused by the defendants negligence. Mr Poole. O.C., and. Mr Smvly, were for the plaintiff, and Mr Gully, O.C., lor the defendants. On November 7th, 1S79. the plaintiff entered the defendants' station at Barmouth with the intention of taking train to Pwllheli. Passing along one platform I I —or. as it is called, a luggage dock—in order to reach a I I another, he fell into a coal cellar, which was unfenced, and the lamp near which was not lighted. He sustained considerable injury to his legs, y, as totally incapacitated for thirteen weeks, and lo&t his siuation. Some expense was incurred, and although the plaintiff had got another situation, it was not so good a one as that lie lost in consequence of the accident. The company, it was contended, were guilty of negligence in not having the cellar fenced, and the lamp near it lighted. For the defence it was submitted that the compativ had not kept the station in a careless mannei, and that the plaintiff had been guilty of negligence. He entered the station by a passage not intended for passengers, and if he had looked where he was going he Mould have found space enough to pass along without falling. As to the lamp, the statement that it was not lighted was denied. The jury gave a verdict, for the plaintiff, and assessed the damage at i'!20. LOANS TO PAUPERS.— On Tuesday, Mr. Horatio Lloyd, delivered judgment in a number of cases M'hicli has excited considerable interest in the district. The St. Asaph Board of Guardians have refused a number of Denbigh persons relief except by way of loan, and the judrre had adjourned the cases to consider the points of law involved. He now found that the guardians have power, under Vict. 11 and 12. chap. 110, sec. 8, to declare such relief as loans, and to recover the same in the county court, and he M as satisfied that in these cases the persons accepting the relief had been con- senting parties to the agreement. He inust give effect to le(tnl documents of that kind, but in this weather he Was not going to have the recipients acted harshly as M-ith, and should give judgment for the guardians, but suspend execution for four months, and then applica- tion would have to be made to him again, with iiifonna- tion as to the circumstances of the people.—The Clerk to the guardians said the cases were only brought to put a stop to Certain applications for relief they had f BANKRUPTS, &O.—-The following appears in the —Kirkpatrick Brothers, Cae ""t;.dmrn, and Rhosgomercg, Llanerhyl, Montgomeryshire, farmers and cattle dealers. PRE SENTATION TO MR. KETTLE.—At the Star Hotel, Worcester, on Wednesday night, a banquet was given to Sir Rupert Kettle, by the solicitors practising in the courts upon hi" circuit. Mr. C. Stokes, of Dudley, presided, and there were about sixty gentlemen present from Worcester, Dudley. Kidderminster, Stourbridge, Hales Owen, and other places on Sir Rupert's circuit. During the evening the Chairman presented to Sir K. Kettle a congratulatory address, illuminated anil bound in a handsome album, the address bearing the signatures of the ninety-five members of the profession. lii accepting the testimonial. Sir R. Kettle alluded to the possibility in the near future of an extension of powers to county courts, so as to make them courts of first instance. Several toasts were given during the evening, and it was mentioned that it is intended to present to Sir R. Kettle a portrait of himself, which is in course of preparation. DENBIGH.-LIRE ASSIZES.—These assizes commenced on Tuesday, before Mr. Justice Fry. There was a good attendance cf gentlemen on the grand jury, Mr. Robert Blezard, of Ruthin and Liverpool, being fore- man. In charging the grand, jury, his Lordship said there were no ordinary assize prisoners, but two indictments would be laid before them. One, in which a man had pleaded guilty to night poaching- before the magistrates, but against M'hom the grand jury at the last quarter sessions "threw out the bill.1* In the ot-ier cise. a man named Cade, of Wrexham, M'as charged M'ith stealing £ J50 cash, two bills of exchange, one for £ 117 and the odwr £ n0, and making false and fraudulent entries in books the case arising out of the bankruptcy of Connor, the- well- known Manchester and Wrexham money lender. The prosecution relied upon a statement made by Cade, who was Connor's manager at Wrexham, in hi? evidence before the receiver in bankruptcy. The facts had been elicited some three years or so ago from Cade's own evidence, but he (the judge) did not think that amounted to a confession of crime. —The grand jury threw out the Bill. A true Bill was returned against the man Roberts for night poaching. As be was not in custody lie will be dealt with lu-xt assizes.— This concluded the business. STAFFORD AND UTTOXETER RVILWAY Co?,ir.A -A special meeting of the Stafford and Uttoxeter HaÏlway Company was held on "Wednesday January 19th in London. Captain Talbot occupied the chair. The chairman said the shareholders were present to express their views with reference to the sale that had been effected between the Great Northern Railway Company and the Stafford and Uttoxeter Company. The amount was i:100,000 for the whole undertaking. He had no doubt that the shareholders M ere aware that the negotations had been going on for several years t8 dispose of the property, in order to have it better worked if possible than it had been. Personally, he would strongly advise the shareholders to agree to the sale, and would allow the Great Northern Raihvay Company to take possession of it as early as possible. They would get a better train service than they hati- ever had before. In reply to a question, the chairman said that the Great Northern Company. would take possession of the line on the 1st of August 1S81, or as soon after as the Act shall pass. The following resolution was carried unanimously:—"That the proposed sale to the Great Northern Company, and the scheme as embodied in clause thirty-four of the pending Bill, be generally approved, subject to the Bill being again submitted to a Wharncliffe meeting."

A DENBIGH DIVORCE SUIT. In the Probate and Divorce Division, the case of Higson r. Higson oil Thursday came before Sir James Hannan at Westminster. It was a petition presented by the wife praying for the dissolution of her marriage with respondent on the ground of his adultery, com- mitted at the Crown Hotel, Denbigh. Mr. Inderwick, Q.C., appeared for the petitioner. The respondent was not represented by counsel. The parties were married in 1866, the lady being the daughter of a gentleman of position, residing at Laucaster-gate, Lon don, and the respondent a gentleman engaged in busi- ness in Manchester. After the marriage they lived at Prestwich Park, Manchester. but lie (respondent I got into difficulties, and they then proceeded to Monte Video and Hamburg, where the respondent's father Mas the manager of the Liverpool ami Globe Insurance Oiiice in that city. After they had been there some time they wished to visit London. They left Hamburg and on the arrival of the vessel the lady left the ship at Lisbon, and proceeded to her father's residence, the respondent coming to London, from whence he took his departure very shortly, and proceeded to Rhyl and various other places, until he took up his residence at the Crown Hotel, Denbigh. Here lie lived for some time, and left, going to other places, but lie eventually returned, and became very intimate with Blanche Min- shull, the daughter of the landlady. Here he seduced that young woman, and she had to leave her mother's house for some time. The respondent passed by the name of Henricks, and continued to remain at the Crown Hotel. Mr. Minsliull died some time after that, and eventually the respondent became on familiar terms with Mrs. Minshull, and committed adultery with that person. Evidence having been given in support of the open- ing statement, His Lordship said that adultery with Mrs. Minsliull was clear he therefore made a decree nisi for the dissolution of the marriage on the ground of adultery and desertion.

CAPE COLONY. In the mail despatches from Capetown, to the uate of December 2Sth. some further details are given of the I L]II Boer rising. Hostilities commenced at Poehefstrooro on the lbth December. An armed party of Boers marched into the town and proceeded to haul down the British flag. Remonstrance being unavailing. Captain Lambart, one of the ofiiicers of the small garrison, shot in the arm the Boer who was hauling down the flag. A volley was then fired by the Boers, and Captain Lambart and a Mr. Green were killed. The remaining British troops and colonial officials retired into the courthouse, and after defending the place for two days surrendered, as they had been all that time without, food or water. The contradiction of the report that Commandant Raafe, who was amongst those who had surrendered, had been shot in cold blood by his captOJ", is confirmed, though it seems the Boers had threatened to shoot him and other prisoners. A telegram from Capetown reports that the treacherous nmrdei- (If Captain Elliott, who was shot by the escort whom the Boers had sent with him and another officer to tiie frontier, has excited general indignation, and has done much to cool the sympathy felt for the Boers in many parts of the Cape Colony. It is presumed at CapetOMn that the British garrison at Pochefstroom, whose position was less assured than that at Pretoria, continues to hold its own, for if the Boers had been successful in their attacks the news would be sure to ha\ « been circulated in the Free States. The address from the people of Holland to the British Government 011 behalf of the Boers, has received, it is announced from The Hague, U,OS:! signatures. A deputation of Dutchmen has arrived at Amsterdam from South Africa to claim the protection of the Netherlands Government for the Transvaal. The correspondent adds that though the Dutch Government is sure not to interfere, the deputa- tion may be suecessml in obtaining private pecuniary assistance for the Boers in carrying on their war of independence.

THE WPkEAT FROST OF IM-I. This was preceded by a dense fog, which came on on the evening of December 27th, 1813. After the log departed there were heavier falls of snow than had been known within the memory of man and the snow, which constantly fell for forty-eight hours, was hardened into ice, the result of four M eek's unabated frost. The river was frozen over for a full weck. and iI. Frost Fair held upon it. On Februaiy 1st, the Thames presented a thoroughly | solid surface between London and Black friar's bridges. Thousands of people I perambulated the rugged plain, where a variety of amusements M ere provided. A sheep was roasted whole. and for a view of this spectacle sixpence m as willillgy paid. The cooked meat m-as sold at a shilling a slice, and termed Lapland mutton." A grand walk was cleared and smoothed between the central arches of the two City bridges, and dubbed the City-road. Eight or ten printing presses were erected, and numer- ous scraps of matter commemorative of the "threat frostMere printed on the ice. Here is one speci- men You that walk here, and do design to tell Your children's children what this year befell, Come, buy this print, and it will then be seen That such a year as this has seldoin been. Swings, bookstalls, booths for dancing skittles, and for the sale of refreshments, appeared in great numbers. There Mas a profusion of books and toys la'jelled "Bought on the Thames. The Thames waterux-u profited by the. suspension of their avocatcn. Kaeh person paid a toll of twopence or threepence ere he was admitted to Frost Fair, and a heavier mulct was ex- acted on departure. Some of them were said to have taken six pounds in the course of a day. On February oth the wind, which had been steadily in the east, veered to the north, and there was a slight fall of snow. In the evening rain began to fall and the ice to crack. On a sudden it floated with the printing presses and booths, to the no small dismay of typographers, caterers of refreshments, vendors of nicknacks, and merry- makers. The thaw advanced more rapidly than indis- cretion and carelessness heeded. An unusually strong tide accelerated its action, and in a very few days, which chronicled the loss of not a few human hves, the Thames once more presented its wonted aspect.- City