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That intrepid memtier of the Ghurch mili- tant, Mr. Robert Lewis, the 'wall-known tithe bailiff in West Wales, has taken to him- self a wife from the fair daughters of Cardi- land, and the Rector of Llanfyraaeh is busy ing himself in building up a, sudta-ble testi- monial to the tithe champion—ia praiseworthy ooject which the clergy m C-ardiganshire and Carmarthenshire are likely to view with con- siderable favour. Mr. Lewis, no doubt, has performed Ms work with much appreciable firmness and a great deal of tact, often under circumstances peculiarly trying, but it is a fallacy to think that it was he that broke the backbone of the anti-titlie agitation. That movement, like a cyclonic disturbance, died a natural death, having exhausted its force and energies. If any external means contri- buted to its disappearance it way Mr. Asquith's Bill, or, rather, the discuss on upon it in Parliament. Once the farmers of Wales discovered the, true character of b!lilt Bill, and that there was no profit to be made out of the Church, they pud their dues like sen- sible men. Later OIL wt may miriy expect tt see them turn round upon those interested individuals who deceived and egged them on. The preacher and the board school master in South Cardiganshire have much to answer for when the day of reckoning tonnes. The interesting- discussion which followed Captain Hinde's paper on cannibali-m before the -anthropological section of the British Association at Ipswich on Saturday brought to light one or two facts connected with Welsh social life which are entitled to a passing notice. Mr. Hartland, of Gloucester, referred1 in, the course of his comments to an old custom which obtained in Wales in times gone by, and which was called "sin-eating." As late as 1851 traces of it still survived in the Swansea Valley, and it would be worth while inquiring whether they have com- pletely disappeared. The "sin-eater" wa.s the individual who literally "took the cake" at the death of a neighbour, and in oorisum- Jhg it was supposed to "eat" the sins of the deceased. The custom was a relic of bar- barism, and shows with what tena- city old beliefs and institutions hold on. The student of man and his ways must feel regret that so many ancient customs and usages have been relegated to oblivion. beyond any possibility of re-call. But it was hardly expected that they should have survived in a country like Wailies, which has given itself over to the Sunday ociiool and the Bible. It is a mistaken policy, however, to drive out ancient customs, for they form links between the present and the past, and relieve modern social life of much of the monotony which enters into its very texture. Welsh C (> ng r eg a ti on 9 li s te have good reasons to mourn the loss of Mrs. William Owen, wife of the famous missionary 1\llllO has done such g'(;od work in the Ciiin-a mission field. Only a. few particulars respecting the decease of Mrs. Owen have come to hand, but we a-re in a. position to learn that her death was not due to any of those nmlignant outburst.s of persecution in China with which we are only too familiar of late. His relatives &nd friends, and, indeed, his countrymen gene- rally, will deeply sympathise with Mr. Owen in his bereavement, especially now that he has been deprived of the comfort and encourage- ment of one who was ever hr's true helpmeet in all his endeavours. The event has cast a gloom over the Ohina, mission field, where -^r. Owen is so weM knofwn and is held in such deserved repute. This is. par excellence, the Collector's Age. There is scarcely anything, however small, of the slightest interest in itself with the acquisition of which some rider of a hobby does not concern himself. Rare books. old china, old armour, coins, postage stamps, these are amongst the thou- sand and one objects whioi the collector claims as his own, and will, in nia-ny instances, cheerfully spend fabulous sums to obtain. Amongst the miscellaneous objects of what Mrs. Malaprop called "bigotry alia virtue book-plates take a conspicuous position, and, though in them- selves comparatively insignificant, hundreds of eminent and cultivated men and women devote themselves to their collection, and there are several societies and magazines de- voted to the' subject. The journal of the Ex Libris Society for September contains a re-print and description of the book-plate of Mr. Henry Blackwell, a very well-known Welsh collector resident in New York. Here is its description, as given in the journal This plate was designed and engraved by Mr. Edwin D. French. The red dragon and the motto surrounding it mean in English, "The red dragon sets all in motion." The vignette shows a view of Harlech Castle, North Wales. The other little sketch depicts a-n old bookbinder at work, Mr. Blackwell being a bookbinder. The book displayed shows a handsome binding in the Derome style. The lettering on the backs of the •four books' indicate the hobbies of Mr. BlackweH-bookbinding, book-plates, Welsh history, and Welsh bibliography. This plate is used for general literature. We have just come across a statement in the "New Age" which is, on the face of it, absurd, and meds no public refutation. The writer in that magazine 4ays that eleven- twelfths of the Welsh people repudiate Anglicanism and all its works. It is the old familiar fallacy over again, "Walts is a nation of Nonconformists," which has bten shown to be as untrue as it is absurd. What- ever weaknesses belong to the Church in Wales, it is only fair that the truth should be told in regard to it. Let us for a moment look at t-hf statement of the writer in the "New Age" in the light of the figures of the last census. The population of Wales and Monm'ou(thsh/;re in 1891 was 1,771,451. The number of adherents of the four leading Nonconformist bodies on their own showing is 832.357, which is less than half of the whole population. Thus there is left the number of 939,094 who are of no religious creed or belong to the Church of England. In the face of these facts it is simply foolish to try and prop up the statement that Wales is a nation of Dissenters, a phrase, we believe, which can be traced to the late Mr. Henry Richard, a ma.n who. whatever his good wishes in regard to Wales were, was singularly ignorant oif its religious and social condition for the la-st thirty years of his life. The touching event which took place at Dinas Powis on Monday evening showed only too well how Canon Edwards was loved by his old parishioners, and how much they regret his going to Llandevaud. No parish priest has ever had the satisfac- tion of living in closer touch with his people than Canon Edwards in his late charge, a.nd a more genuine address on leaving could not have been presented to any man. He goes to his new charge accompanied by the sincerest wishes of his old parishioners. The latter, however, may take comfort in the fact that in Canon Edw-ards'g successor thev have a thorough gentleman and a Christian, a man of spiritual and mental power and great personal influence, so that his appoint- ment in all respects is a very satisfactory one. The decision of the Cardiff Deputy-sti- pendiary in the ease Newman v. the Mayor. Aldermen, and Burgesses of Cardiff is of the highest importance and interest, not only to the whole of Cardiff, but to enry dis- trict both in England and Wales which is supplied by water either by a water com- pany or by a municipal authority. It has been the custom for very many years for the waterworks authorities to out off the water supply from the tenants of houses in respect of which the landlord paid the water- rate whenever the landlord was in arrear with his water-rates in respect thereof. This, it iwall a.t once be seen, was a great hardship to the; tenant, for the reason that he had to be the sufferer through no fault of his own, but entirely through the default of his landlord, for it followed that as long as ever the landlord delayed paying the water-rate the water supply of the tenant would remain cut off. It is unnecessary to say that the vast majority of the houses in Cardiff and in the country generally are held by weekly tenants a.t a weekly rent, the landlord paying tlie rates. It wild then be readily seen what a great revolution in favour of the tenants in Ca/rdiff this decision will bring about. For the result of the decision of the learned dapi"ty-s-tipendiary is tthat in future, •wherever tiie landlord of a house is liable for the wm<e 1 rate, the tenant will be secured agams | having the wat-u- supply of his house off. The case was brought under 4 of the Water Companies Regulation Powers Act, 18<37. Strangely enough. solicitor under wln.se advice this action waS tuken against the corporation is himsdi a member of that body. We have thi* week the plea-sure We have this week the pleasure the unanimous invitation of Cardiff County Council to beconi mayor of the town for next J"e The town is to be congratulated 011 his lore ship's decision, and may reasonably forward to a year of office characterised J unqualified success. Lord Windsor will Ilia an ideal chief magistrate; a man of ability and tact, noble presence, address, and of more than ample means, will find no difficulty in making the whee of office run smoothly during what, doubt- less, will be aai eventful year in the histofy of the town. One is well-nigh afraid the success which must necessarily attcO" his mayoralty may give a death-blow r* the custom, hitherto so well observed in p*\ council, of electing the mayor by seniority- This would be a matter for regret, for it would take away from the atmosphere of the council an element which has always in- spired a very laudable ambition. Moreover* it would deprive the town of an OppOltuDJty to exercise a generous impulse which f03 favourably circumstanced, but duly-qualified, councillors have a right » expect on the part of such a great an growing borough as Cardiff, where, in 8ft dition to the arnuousness of the duties, office of mayor involves great personal E^* pense. A man who has held the rcsped and confidence of his colleagues in council sufficiently long to qualify for j mayoralty should, in all honour, ba pJac.t in a position to accept 1 And we have always thoug-ht that 81 town like Cardiff should dea.1 with its mayor with no niggardly hand. For if 1 does it denies to itself the grafciCcat'^J which comes of maintaining one of the c:<€- democratic institutions of which this country can boast.

PHIL PHILLIPS'S EIIKU-JHLATIO…

PUBLIC-HOUSE REFORM- I

--->--LLANDUDNO EISTEDDFOD-…

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