Weekly Mail

FEMININE FASHIONS. USEFUL HINTS FOR THE GREAT FESTIVAL. The great mid-winter festival occurring. as it does, at the week-end. I am uncertain whether the editor of this paper will publish earlier than usual or not. Lacking informa- tion on this point, I have decided to write my Christmas letter a little in advance of Christmas Day, so as to make sure that any hint or suggestion relative to its oelebration shall not arrive the day after the fair. Even supposing earlier publication in Christmas week, there would be little or no time then to carry out any of the suggestions I am about to offer. And, firstly, with regard to the despatch of parcels by post and rail. I advise that they be sent off some days in advance of the 25th. It is conceded that a gift loses a. little of its extrinsic value by arriving after date. To ma-ke sure that this fate shall not over- take it, send it away in good time, and be sure it will be quite as welcome though it do come a day or two in advance of the great occasion. Last year great disappointment and anxiety were caused by the delay of parcels and packages, although posted three- days in advance of that on which they were timed to arrive. The pressure nut upon per- sons responsible for the delivery of articles sent by post and rail is overwhelming at this season. It is an act of charity, therefore, to lighten their burden as far as we can on a day when the great majority are holiday- making. The watchword of the season is "Peace and goodwill." Sorely-haraosed officials are deprived of peace, and our good- will towards them is non-existent if we do not try to spare them needless work on Christmas Day. Self-interest also is pro- miot44 for we ourselves and our beneficiaries alike profit by a timely despatch of Christmas gifts. To insure safety, spare neither sound sheets of thick brown paper nor good string. A little sealing wax is useful to fix string. Put a card in the parcel, with the address of the consignee, in case of accident. Attach the outside label firmly, and also write the address on the wrapper itself, without which officials do not hold themselves reapontable for the contents of packages, and then only for a stipulated sum. Go in to the large receiving houses at Christmas time, and when you see the careless packing there you will probably wonder that some parcels ever reach their destination, and feel certain they must in any case arrive in a state of "Pie contents crushed, soiled, and otherwise damaged. CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. Jfottoes and similar decorations always find favour at this seaeon. They are better if bought made and ready for the borders of evergreens to be attached when artificial holly and ivy are not used, and they certainly do produce the best results. Making mottoes at home, the letters must flrrit be cut out of stiff cardboard, be washed over with thin gum, and the cotton-wool, cut to shape, is then pasted over the letters. Frosting powder is of great service when decorating for Christmas, and there is an improved variety known as "diamond frosting; but thin mucilage sponged over leaves or letters, which afterwards are dusted with Glauber salts or crushed alum, will Sftve the effect of frost. For ivory lettering sprinkle rice over the gummed letters. To make them stand out boldly, the process may have to be repeated more than onoo. The sacred monogram looks well mounted on white silk, white satin, or on white cloth; the letters are studded with dried peas dipped in red sealing wax. palpit panels are frequently decorated in this wise. There are luminous texts and crosses to be had which look metallic in the daylight and shine out brightly in the dark. Letters, sacred devices, Ac., can be bought ready-made in brilliant red card-board. Oval shields and decorative symbols, aaored devices, «uni8, angels, &c., are sold in red or in an aesthetic mixture of colouring, these severally useful for fastening on walls. Frosted swansdown costs three and sixpence a rar°- 1°* 1 wool letters are sold at so much a, dozen. Waterproof paper for laying on window-sins can be bought. Flock paper in many rich colours, to serve as a foundation for texts, or the better to throw up the symbols hung against walls, is sold for something over a shilling a. yard. I have not space to describe forms of decoration in detail, but I will just say that the beauty of church decoration in no way depends on the multitude and variety of flowers used, for some of the happiest effects have been obtained by the judicious choice of two or at most three kinds of blossoms. Limit the colours to red and white, with foliage carefully arranged, and the result will be far more admirable, as a rule. than that produced by a scheme in which blue and yellow play a part with red, white, and green. A simple. repetition of two or three well-known symbols is more impreesive to worshippers than a medley could ever be. HOME DECORATION. First of all we will deal with table decora- tion. The centre-piece should take the form of a large star. It may be carried out in red, yellow, or white satin ribbon, or be a solid star of white satin worked in gold tinsel with smaller stars, or be merely treated with lines of tinsel radiating from the centre. If a tall vase is to stand in the middle of the table, a. hole may be cut in the star to accommodate it. The points of the star should be sharply defined. Red or gold paper may be used for the star. The ribbon effect is exceedingly light and tasteful. The points of the star must be panned to the table- .4 cloth. With holly, mistletoe, and Christmas roses arranged in low bowls of silver, china, or Benares brass, the result is excellent. Quantities of red crackers should be distri- buted over the board. Another favourite scheme is to cut some red satin ribbon in lengths, starting from the centre of the table, to reach the corners, where bows of ribbon are pinned; or, suppose a strip of red silk gauze raffled uP. a. big copper bowl in the centreftlled entirely scarlet tulips and mistletoe, four tiny bowls at each corner similarly filled, and connected by red velvet ribbon tied in true-lovers' knot, with long ends. Good fires yeem to give a. warm wel- come, and are quite indispensable. Heap on more wood! The wind is chill, Bat let it whistle as it will, We'll keep our Christmas merry still. That was Sir Walter Scott's injunction, and a more modern poet (Tennyson) writes:- Again at Christmas we did wsave The holly round the Christmas hearth, The silent snow possessed the earth. THE DISTRIBUTION OF PRESENTS. Where there are children, the manner of distributing Christmas gifts has much to do with the enjoyment derived from them. A rather novel notion is to drees up two of the company respectively ago "Punch" and "Judy." It is easy to get masks of represen- tative kind. Make a show box with two folding screens, or a draped four-fold clothes'- horse will answer. Put a ledge on the top. "Punch" and "Judy" stand on chairs within the box, and the presents are hooked up by "Punch." If a humorous person takes the part and acquits himself with drollery, the result is most amusing. "Punch" can inter- sperse his remarks with consistent ill- treatment of "Judy" in orthodox faabion. AN Ainrsruo DECEPTION Is the Giantess. Drera a tall boy in a petti. ooat, then cover a large umbrella (man's) with another dress skirt and a long cloak. Get a big ball of some sort for the head; faeten it firmly on the umbrella stick (ferrule end), that is, above dress and cloak. On the fictitious head place a bonnet and thick veil, then partly unfurl the umbrella, so that it eets out dress and cloak. The boy then gets under. Holding the handle as high as he can, he looks like a woman of extraordinary stature. All which preparation, of course, goes on in secret. The figure then goes out- side and knocks imperiously at the door. An accomplice opens it, and demands the stranger's name. That given should be as Jong and outlandish as possible. The servant (pro. tem) bows low, a.nd repeats it to the company in some such fashion as this:—Her "Great High Mightiness, the most noble, the most honourable, the most gigantic, Ac., wishes to make the acquaintance of the august personages here assembled. The figure then enters, and. doing so, raises the umbrella slowly to give the appearance of ever-increasing height. The voice in which salutations are made should be as shrill and uncanny as possible. A rehearsal or two will be necessary to the successful advent of her "High Mightiness." An amusing game suitable for grown per- sons is called "Prominent Characters," and all that is required is a packet of imitation hair, perhaps a false nose or two, a big roll of fancy. paper or other stage properties of simple character. It should be arranged beforehand what prominent persons are to be represented, and their looks, gestures (if known), and any other characteristics sug- gestive of profession or occupation should be studied in advance. Living celebrities or those prominent in fiction are all available- John Bull, Brother Jonathan, and other national types; Mr. Pickwick, Sam Weller, Mrs. Jarley, Scrooge, Mr. Micawbcr, Miss Betsey Trotwood; in short, any character may be assumed, provided it be of sufficient notoriety to make the guees as to identity not too puzzling. Two characters should always be ready-one to follow the other—so that there be no long waiting on the part of the audience. In all games or entertainments of an impromptu kind con- siderable promptitude should be observed. t Small deficiencies and makeshifts are part of the fun; the audience is always indulgent thereto, but not to long, wearisome pauses.

A P,100 FINE FOR BETTING. John Wee tall, a well-known bookmaker, was fined .£100 and costs on Monday at Aocrington for using his honse for betting purposes. His aeon, fifteen years old, was fined PS and oora.

FOR FEMALE FOLK. USEFUL HINTS FOR THE HOME. RICH CHRISTMAS CAKE. One pound butter beaten to a cream, lib. powdered sugar, nine fresh eggs beaten in one at a. time, lib. sifted flour, lilb. currants, a wineglassful of brandy, nutmeg to flavour, 2ox. sweet almonds blanched and sliced, and some sliced candied peel, lemon, or citron. Bake in a round tin lined several thicknesses of buttered paper. The ke will take two hours to bake, and should not stand on the oven bottom, but on an inverted tin. The oven should be hot when the cake is pat in, and, if in danger of burning, a greased paper should be put on the top. This cake should not be cut under a. week. In the midst of so great abundance I feel, sure we shall not forget those -who, but for kindly charity, must go cold and hungry on Christmas Day. Another matter I would like to mention here is that there is some idea. of forming a. "Poor Children's Joy League." When I see tiny denizens of the London slums playing with a bit of stick and a, battered sardine tin I think what untold joy even a few damaged toys would bring to thousands of poor children. I know many charitable persons—Scripture readers and district visitors—who would gladly undertake the distribution of discarded toys. THE FLOWING BOWL. "Punch" is not brewed so often as for- merly, but it is certainly an agreeable addi- tion to the hospitality offered at Christmas, and recipes for "punch" will not, I think, be objected to. No .less a person than the famous Sir Walter Raleigh is said to be responsible for this recipe for sack posset:— Boil together half a pint of sherry and the same quantity of good ale; add gradually a quart of milk or milk and cream in equal quantity. Sweeten the mixture well, and navour with grated nutmeg. Put in a hot bowl, cover it. and set by the fire for two or three bours. The "punch" is then ready for the table.. PONT PUNCH. A gill of brandy, a gill of rum. and a tea- cupful of strong tea. Put these in a fireproof china saucepan, add the juice of three lemons and the thin rind of one, a teaspoon- ful essence of cinnamon. half a. nutmeg u'a grated, a bottle of any white wine boiling hot, and half a pint of raspberry syrup. THE WASSAIL DRINK Is composed of a pint and a half of Scotch ale. two wineglassfuls of brandy, a. few drops of essence of cinnamon, a dozen lulupw of sugar, and the pulp of a. well-roasted apple. Make very hot, add a little nutmeg, and serve. AN EXCELLENT EMBROCATION. Out up and dissolve two ounces of camphor in half a pint of turpentine. Bea.t two dttcke' eggs in half a pint of white vinegar, and mix the whole well. Hiis embrocation must be kept well corked in a bottle. It gives imme- diate relief for rheumatism, bad sprains, and lumbago, and footballers will find it in- valuable if they have the misfortune to sprain a limb. THE CARE OF FURNITURE. A good housekeeper always takes an inte- rest and pride in keeping, or having her fur- niture kept, up to the mark." The daily light dusting must supple merit the weekly rubbing; and pay attention to the dusters used. that they are clean and eoft and not made of scratchy material. If the furniture is of an ornamental descrip- tion, with corners and crevicea, use a painter's brush; for it is almost impossible, or, at least, takes very much longer, to do the work thoroughly if only a duster is used. New furniture should be kept as long as possible without the application of oily restoratives, and for thie reason: Unless applied by a tirelees arm, and thoroughly rubbed in, and thereafter the piece of fur- niture kept in perfect polish by a daily rub- bing, the oil is certain to form a. crust sooner or later, which is sticky to the touch, and not pretty to look at. Furniture finished with shellac or varnish should never be cleansed with goap-and-water. r The soap eats the oil out of the varnish or shellac, and destroys the surface. Where white spots appear on polished tables from hot things being placed on them, imme- diately apply raw linseed oil, whioh will generally restore the colour. The oil must he left on for several hours. When the colour returns, re-polish the spot with a piece of cheesecloth moistened with turpentine. A KIND VOICE. There is no power of love so hard to get and keep (writes Elihu Burritt) as a kind voice. A kind hand is dead and dumb. It may-be rough in flesh and blood, yet do the work of a soft heart, and do it with a soft touch. But there is no one thing which love so much needs as a sweet voice to tell what it means and feels; and it is hard to get and keep it in the right tone., One must start in youth, axid be on the watch night and day, at work and at play, to get and keep a voice which shall speak at all times the thoughts of a kind heart. It is often in youth that one gets a voice or tone which is sharp, and it sticks to him through life, and it stirs up ill-will and falls like a drop of gall upon the sweet joys of home. Watch the voice day by y as a pearl of great price, for it will be worth more to you in the days to come than the best pearl hid in the sea. A kind voice is to the heart what light is to the eye. It is a light which sings as well as shines. THE DUTIES OF AN ENGAGED GIRL. An engaged girl should endeavour to be both a comfort and a help to her lover; not merely a pet and a plaything. It is a very bad augury for the future when a man in- stinctively feels that a. wax doll would be of as much use to him in his worries as she whom he intends making his "helpmeet" for life. And yet, only the other day, a gentleman was heard to exclaim: "No. no; I would not trouble Lily for the world, why, she is only made for the sunshine and the flowers." Again, it is an engaged girl's duty to be open and candid in all her relations with her lover; the seeds of much future distrust and unhappinees &re sown if once he suspects she is keeping a secret from him. It is aJeo her duty to be considerate of his wishes, and if he have a harmless antipathy to any little thing or other let her humour him in this; no doubt, she also has some little "fads" which require consideration. For instance, that girl was wise who ceased adopting "man- nish" ways because her sweetheart dis- approved. By doing so she only rendered her- self. more charming than ever in his eyes. To be punctual is also another of the en- gaged girl's duties; she has no more business to keep her lover waiting than he has to keep her waiting. Unpunctttaliiy is not a sign of maidenly indifference, as some damsels seem to think; it is merely indicative of bad manners. Of course, it is her bounden duty to be engaged openly; her lover should be known to her parents, and, where practicable, should visit her at her own house. In conclusion, we will mention the last and most important duty of all, and that is that she should love her lover with her whole heart, mind, and strength. If ahe does not perform this offloe thoroughly and well the others might just as easily be left undone.

—)— "Much depends on Dinner! I And much-appetite, satis- faction, digestion, health— depends on the condiments used. J Colman's Mustard is a good mustard, because it is a well-made mustard-a cheap mustard, because it is a good mustard. Colman's Mustard tickles the palate-stimulates the digestive organs. Colman's Mustard I ) V j •

ANSWERS FOR ALL. -α- COMMON ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST. i We esfiaot jrablhh any letter unless the writer s-ds i his real name and address, not necessarily for pub- lication, but as a guarantee of good faith. The Bditor cannot undertake to return rejected •om- monic&tions. In^jjies to be aas«y*red la the next week's Issue most reach the "W-rek'y Mall" Office not iater than the first post on Tuesday morning.

MEDICAL. BURIED ALIVE. It cannot be denied that now and then people have been buried while still alive. Probably, however, no one has been buried alive for a great many years, unless, indeed. a doctor has not seen him, for most doctors nowadays are too well educated not to know when life is really ertinot. Even if, in the past, burial has been done during life, there has been only life, not consciousness. Some individuals may have been buried during hysterical trances or cataleptic attacks, but, then, they are quite unconscious, and in the nailed-up coffin would certainly die for want of air without recovering consciousness enough to know what had happened to them. Muscular movement certainly can occur aiter you are dead; but your brain, and, thre- foro, the conscious "You," can know nothing about that. This muscular movement occurs to nearly all corpses, and is called rigor mortis, or "death-stiffening." It may last an hour, or less, or more, and means a general contraction of all the muscles of the body. This stiffening of the corpse may pos- sibly alter its position a little, whether it be nailed down in a coffin or lying on a taWe. So that if a coffin be opened and the body be found in an altered position, it does not necessarily mean that he came to life again after burial. Rigor mortis is an almost posi- tive sign of death. The only absolutely certain sign of death is the first sign of decay, or putrefaction. To an uneducated person the signs of putrefaction themselves, oddly enough, may look like sighs, of life! Fortu- nately, uneducated people are not asked nowadays to decide the important question, and every doctor knows the signs of putre- faction. The corpse becomes swollen with gases formed by the decomposing flesh, and even may hiccough, as a person during life does when afflicted with flatulence. All things considered, you need not fear that you will be buried alive. The horrible stories and newspaper accounts of people who have been, or who are thought to have been, buried during life are mostly sensational stories, conoocted by persons with more morbid imagination than knowledge of the subject. Do not believe everything you see in print. III England, thanks to her temperate climate, there is no need for hurry in dis- posing of our dead. In hot climates decom- position begins very early, and it is usual to bury the dead within a few hours of death. But here in England we do not harry, and anyone who feels dissatisfied may generally see for himself the earliest signs of putre- faction, or have them pointed out tobim by those who know. Short of decomposition, it is true that no one sign can be said to indi- cate the certain presence of death. But there are more than a doten signtm of death, and. if two or three of them are present together, there is no doubt of the reality of dona, although no sign of putrefaction may yet be seen. Neuralgic Headache.—When there are no decayed teeth, try the effect of a dose of five grains of quinine to relieve the attacks; if this failB, you may try tincture of selaemium, for which you must apply to a chemist. Perspiring Feet.—Bathe them in hot water, using carbolic soap; dry them thoroughly, and dust them with a mixture of dry powdered starch and boric acid, equal parts; do this every night for a week. Nervoufl.—"Thomas E."—Restlessness and chokin- sensations in the throat are oniy signs of nervous debility, showing the need of gt course of tonic medicine, such as quinine and iron. Fat-reducing.—"Fat Nell."—Tou cannot make fat-reducing medicines, bui you can procure from a chemist some pills of Fuctu vesiculosns, which is a sort of seaweed, which some persons have, found to reduce fat. Bed Hands.—,rW\ n.From your state- ment, we think that the redness of the hands is a personal peculiarity, which you will naidly be able to alter. We do not think tnat three glasses of beer and three pipes a da.y are the cause of the redness. Sleep-walking.—"Worried Mother."—Afright may very well have been the cause of this eaitd of six years of age being restless at night and unable, to lie quietly in bed. The nwt mode of cQre will be by sending her away into some village m the country for a com- plete change. r Pimples on may be simple acne, or the form in which each pimple is solid and gets a biaafc spot on the top; in the latter case, see answer to "Black- Heads. If the pimples are simply pink, you. might try the alternate use of carbolic and zinc ointments; you should leave off shaving so long as there are any pimples. Nettlera&F. Astin.-Thia form of skin affection is shown by the occasional outburst of ftink and white wheals on the skin; these itch or smart severely; the wheals do not last long, pnly one or more "hours. The best treatment is to take frequent doses of Epsom salts to purify the blood, and to apply zinc ointment to the wheals. Moles on the Face.—"Uriah Heop.They cannot be cured by any lotion or ointment, but may be cut off by a surgeon, or destroyed by the white-hot electric cautery. There is no one aperient medicine which is suitable for habitual taking; it is preferable to change from one to the other, such as Epsom salts, rhubarb, podophyllin, and aloes alter- nately. Blackheads.—"Hopetown."—There js no simple and certain cure for blaokheads; it takes proper treatment, continped often for months, to get rid of them. Simple diet, moderation in drink,. and plenty pf open-air exercise are necessary. Take a dose of aperient medicine at least once a week, and I a grain of quinine twice a day. Bathe the spots with hot water, squeeze out their con- tents, bathe again for some minutes, then dry them, and apply carbolic ointment; do this to each spot as soon as it is red and swollen; then heal them up with zinc oint- ment.

j LEGAL. Taxes.—" L. T."—Members of Parliament are not exempt from paying taxes. Justice of the Peam. Brynmawr."—A J.P. who breaks the law can be removed from the commission by the Lord OhanoeUor. I Will.—' T. H. A."—The mother has no right to the watch. You should hold it until the I daughter attains twenty-cne. Landlord's Eights.—" Excelsior."—The fact that furniture, &e., is htld on the hire system does not exempt it from distress for rent. Bad 'Debts. Pembroke." -We make no recommendations as to employment of parti- cular persons. Bequest.—" Grocer."—The mortgage must (unless a contrary intention is expressed in the will) be borne by the legatees m propor- tion to the property left to each. IntereL-i. J., J.There is no legal limit of tne rate of interest which may be charged. We make the rate which you bave agreed to pay to be, roughly, 60, per cent. per annum. Publican.—" Doubt."—We do not understand your question. A person not licensed to sell spirits must not do so, but if the publican has a fall licence, we we -no reason why he should not do as proposed. RaUway. Querist."—No member of the public has any right to complain of the matters to which yoa refer, and we cannot undertake to advise whether the comnanv hae any such right. County-court B\161nœs. Puzzled.—If the Judge is not sitting, all business which requires to be transacted by him cf course, stand over. Agreed or undefended coses can, however, be dealt with by the registrar. Notice is sent to the defendant of all judgments pronounced in county-courts. County-court. — Perplexed. — The doctor ought to have sued yoa in the court of your own district or the district. You should give notioe of objection to the jurisdiction of the court, and you must appear on the summoftfi. You can make him give you particulars by means of an application to the court. Notice to Quit. ".Ogmore.As far as we can judge from your letter, there eeemø to have been a new tenancy from the time when the tenant took the house and land JS16. It is possible, however, that you hasve not fuily stated the facts, and you hpA better consult a local solicitor. .Postcards-" Talywain.We cannot under- take to answer correspondents in any parti- cular issue of the paper. If the post-cards contain defamatory matter, you can bring lion action for libel against the pereone asnding them, or, possibly, take criminal proceedings. We cannot, however, advise with any certainty without knowing more of the circumstances. Parents' Liability.—" Carrog."—Parents are under no liability in respect of the torts of their children unless they have themselves in some way contributed to the wrongdoing or have allowed the children to run wild. Under the circumstances stated, therefore, there appears to be no liability on the parents in respect of the broken window. Debt.—" Special."—We fear that you would find it very difficult indeed to recover your debt if you cannot do so by means of execu- tion. Yon certainly cannot have a judgment summons against a limited company, for the simplest of all reasons, that a limited com- pany cannot be sent to prison. If ycm can I

II in inn ——MM——»*»- iffel Tower BUN FLOUR Is not only tiaI fw m&Mnortho inoft &.A- diou aims in OotfoateA wo *vAW*. ow*a& success, but it also makes most deHai«tn XHMMBBMBSAMKEB. In each aK psoleet is given a very Kxedtaat Redpe for making these Articles. Tan VP disks tbna better, cheaper, and,. Snefru retta&ulftr byushig it thanIn any othar wa?. Of JUUU MPOMMt. 9

GENERAL. One Who Wishes to Know.Commence, Mr. Chairman, Mr. R., Ladies, and Gentle- men," &e. C. W. Thomas (Wells)*—The date of the eisteddfod will be fixed later on. You had better communicate with "The Secretary, National Eisteddfod. Rhyl, North Wales." A. T. Willis (Bristol).—There is no founda- tion whatever to the legend that "England every century takes a Welsh county away." Wales stands as the Act of Union passed by Henry VIII. made it. Corporal E. V."—The Welsh Regiment won six fighting bars in South Africa, namely, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Dia- mond Hill, Belfast, and Cape Colony. These are worn on the late Queen's medal. They also won the King's medal with two bars, for 19tfl and 1902.

LLANELLY TRAMWAYS. PROPOSED PARLIAMENTARY BILL DEFEATED. A statutory meeting of the Llaoelly I Borough Council was held on Monday after- noon to deal with the proposed Bill which has been drawn up for the ensuing session of Parliament. The Bill seeks to enforce an agreement ottered into by the British Insu- lated Wire Company with the council for the working of an electric tramway in the town and to the sommnding villages. Also in the Hill are a number of clauses dealing with sanitation and the better government of the town. At the outset the Clerk read the report of a private meeting of the council held on Thursday, at which it was decided, upon the motion of Mr. Tom Hughes, to strike out of the Bill a.11 the clauses that did not relate to the traction and lighting scheme. Mr. Guest wanted to know why a copy of the Bill as thus shortened was not laid before the meeting now. Mr. David Handell, solicitor for the Bill, said that he had sent the resolution passed on Thursday to the Parliamentary agents, and asked them to amend the Bill accordingly. Mr. D. B. Edmunds said that a majority of .the council gave a reluctant consent to a Bill being promoted in connection with the traction scheme. Was it fair to tack on to I that any other masters? Mr. Hughes then moved an amendment on the line3 of his resolution of Thursday, that all the clauses which did not relate to the agreement with the wire company be struck out. Mr. Ellis Evans seconded the amendment, and said that the conduot of the solicitor in the matter had been most irregular. Mr. D. R. Edmunds did not believe there was another solicitor in the country who would have acted in the way that Mr. Randell had acted in the matter. However, that was not surprising, having regard to the easy com- placency with which the council had looked upon various shortcomings in the past. There were clauses about tuberculosis, ice cream. and what not. Really, he was surprised that there was not a clause for the improvement of the breed of monkeys on barrel-organs. (.Laughter.) Mr. Daniel Williams said that that was absurd. Mr. Edmunds: Not more absurd than the ice cream Mr. Raudell xaid he would not reply to the extraordinary speech of Mr. Edmunds. What had been done was done upon the advice of Parliamentary agents who had great expe- rience in the work. If, of course, the council decided that the additional clauses should be struck out, he would see that that Was carried into effect. The only additional expense that he could see would be a trifling addition in the cost of printing. Mr. Hughes: The Bill in its present form, if presented to Parliament, would be a disgrace to Llanelly. Mr. Randell said that as far as the cost was concerned he would see that the solicitors' costs would be brought down to an irreducible minimum. A vote was then taken, with the result that the amendment of Mr. Hughea was carried by seven votes to two, fear members being neutral. The amendment now became the substantive resolution, and on being put to the meeting it was lost, only eight members voting for it. This is not a clear majority of the council, so that the whole Bill now falls through.

WALES FOR THE WELSH. BREEZY DISCUSSION AT ABED- DARE COUNCIL. Out of 53 applications (nineteen uf them { local) for the position of librarian and care- taker in connection with the Aberdare Central Library, recently established, the following were selected to appear before the IL.6trlct council on Monday:—Mr. John Henry Bethel (Hereford), Mr. Charles W. iieddon (Grange. town, Cardiff), Mr. C. H. Morton (Swanaea). and Mr. Wm. Enston Stordy (Birmingham). It transpired that neither of them could speak Welsh. Mr. Jackson Thomas said the exclusion of local men mea;n,ta reflection upon the intelli- gence ot the locality. Mr. Llewellyn: Some of the committeemen are here. Why did they not raise that point before instead of doing so now? Mr. Berry: As a member of the committee and of this council, I must protest »^ga.i»»at what is tantamount to a charge against us. We thought we were acting straight in asking these four men to come here to-day, who seemed to us to be the best among those who had applied. Mr. Tom Lewis said that preference had always been given in Government appoint- ments for Wales to candidates knowing Welsh, and, seeing that the population was preponderatingly Welsh, he was at a loss to know why a Wt^hmut should not have been chosen. The Chairman: I think you should have brought all wis forward before we asked those mso to present themselves. Mir. Lewis: I am only giving eccpression to the vieww of a. Jarss proportion of the popu- 1aOe. I.. The Chairman: Your oondnot to speak at all this at this stage of the proceeding* ia oat of order. Mr. Lewis- You will not aUow me to matt a, statement, then? Mr. Williams: If Mr. Lewis be allowed to speak, I shall have to ask permission to defend myself as a member of tbe. The Chairman: I rule you both out of order. Eventually Mr. Stordy was appointed by five votes to one for Mr. Heddoo, and Mr. Lewd* observed that he "declared revolution."

ALLEGED SHEEP STEALING. MERTHYR MEN COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. At Merthyr Polioe-court on Yonday Thomas JIencfith and Richard Williams were charged on remand with stealing two sheep, at Merthyr Vale. Mr. W. Edmunds now defended the prisoners. The evidence given at the previous coart. by Police-sergeant Owen and Polioe-constable William Lewis as to the prisoneis having been found i& possession of parts of the carcases of sheep having been repeated, the police- sergeant added that on Sunday afternoon he found, at a spot about 300 yards below the point Where Police-constable Lewis last saw the prisoners, a sheep's skin amongst some gorse. He brought it to the station at Merthyr Vale, and sent for Mr. Jenkins, of Danyderri Farm, who identified it. Thomas Jenkins said that on the 4th inst. be had 55 sheep grasing on land near the- Mount Pleasant Inn, Merthyr Vale. On Tues- day, the 6th inst., he missed a sheep and a- lamb. He recognised, by the ear-mark, the skin shown to him by the potiee as that of the one he had lost. The prisoners were committed for trial Qie next quarter tMsienN, the Bench inti- .at.tn.. woaid accept approved bail.

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find out any debts owing to it you could obtain a garnishee order. Common.—"Dealer."—We are afraid an answer to your-question would entail a long article. A right of common may arise in I various ways. If yon will state the facts of your case fully we will endeavour to advise. You have no remedy in respect of the other I matter to which you refer. The man is I legally entitled to take the course he pro- poses. > Mortgage.—" Zero."—The practical result of this transaction is that the "lender" has become a surety for the mortgagor, and a person who does this is entitled to an indemnity in respect of any moneys which he may have to pay or which may be paid out of his property from the person on whose behalf such payment was made. i-e., in this cMe the mortgagor. If the mort- gagor is a person) of no means the right to an indemnity is, of course, of no value. Protnisory Note. Zero."—The Statute of Limitations would have run in the case of a promissory note dated more than six years ago in respect of which no payment has been made on account of principal or interest and I no written acknowledgment of the debt given. The debt would, therefore, not rank for divi- dend in bankruptcy. We do not understand the other part erf your question. How was the house lent? If the lender can clearly prove that it was not the bankrupt's property it would still belong to the lender, but. of course, subject to the mortgage, and in respect of the, latter he would be entitled to indemnity and could prove, in the bankruptcy. Insurance.— IW. B."—You were very foolish to take the policy as has been done. You had better tell your wife's parents that unless they agree to assign it you will let it drop and lose what you have paid. It is foolish to pay any more under present circumstances, as you can never recover the moiiey without am assign- ment. It is against the policy of the law to allow any person's liie to be insured by one who has no pecuniary interest in the con- tinued existence of the insured. A wife may insure the life of her husband because the insurer is entitled to maintenaxice from the insured, but not vice versa. Yon appear to have no insurable interest in the life of your wife's parents, and the policy, if it had been issued in your name, would haare been void.