Monmouthshire Merlin

TO CORRESPONDENTS. AN ENQUIRER'S letter requires but little comment from us. We think it unnecessary to insert it. We spoke of Mr. Pope last week solely as a clergyman and gentle- man, not as a magistrate. Our opinion has been before given on the propriety of clergymen sitting on the Judicial Bench. There is scarcely a dissentient voice upon the subject-amongst the LAlTy CEREDIG will excuse our attending to his communication this week, on account of the interest of the Indian news. G. O. N. G., next week. The advertisement of the intended concert at Cardiff, in aid of the Indian Relief Fund, reached us too late for insertion.

MONEY MARKET.—THURSDAY. The Market for the English Funds has been very quiet to-day, and prices have shown an improving tendency. The details relative to the fall of Delhi have given much satisfaction, and the commercial advices are considered to be, upon the whole, as favourable as could be expected, considering the disorganised state of affairs in India. The fate of the Liverpool Borough Bank appears to be sealed. Owing to the arrangements with the Bank of England not having been completed, it has been announced that the business of the bank will not be resumed until further notice. This is virtually regarded as a total suspension and although the effect of the intimation may have been lightened by the manner in which the fact has been disclosed, it will, it is feared, produce serious consequences.

THE TREDEGAR HOUNDS WILL MEET ON Monday, November 2nd .Penyland Gate Friday, 6th .Castletown At half-past eleven o'clock. THE MONMOUTHSHIRE HOUNDS WILL IIUT ON Monday, November 2nd Llanarth Court Thuwaaj „ 5th Tallywwd Wood Ai Wf-pwt Ua o'ctock.

THE •' Iflmtiiwittjrslrite HMTI. NEWPORT, SATURDAY, OCT. 31, 1857. -a A newspaper writer has much to encounter, be his course ever so fair and straightforward he has obloquy to contend against, and silly advice to eschew; the rancour of enemies—the bur- then some advice of friends-the first to meet and foil-the second to turn with a smile, or to silence with a frown but he falters from the duties of his mission if he heeds every petty opinion, every trashy remark, that bad temper, worse feeling, or a crotchety brain may pass upon the journal he edits and directs. He should ever hold the even tenor of his way," and doing so, he can well afford to smile at those who, seeking their small modicum of popularity, fret their little hour upon their ELEVATED stage, and weakly or valorously rail while wisdom nods and criticism sleeps. We find we have been so unfortunate as to incur the grave censure of Mr. G. R. GREENHOW RELPH, of Usk,-for what cause we are unable to predicate, or even suppose; and feeling how great is the talent of this gentleman- how close his logic — how keen his wit, wrongly called by many IMPERTINENCE, we depart from the rule of turning with contempt from every pettv opinion that may be pro- nounced upon us, and even now, amid the fever of the money-market—the crash of Delhi—the cries of the Sepoys—and the cheers of our Braves—can afford to break a lance with the redoubtable literary knight that does honour to Usk by his "ripe scholarship," his exquisite good- breeding, his Horation judgment, and Addi- sonian grace It seems our" Whiggism" is not strong enough for the palate of this Epicurean in poli- tics. There is too much milk-and-water about us, it appears. Another ingredient with the water might be preferred; but we never could endure such a compound. But are we milk- and-water in our Whiggism and politics 1 The columns of the MERLIN declare the falsehood of the charge, and show poor Mr. Relph to have been as oblivious of facts as a blind man its ignorant of colours. The MERLIN was estab- lished to advocate the largest measure of Reform, and it has never swerved from the course it first marked out for its guidance. It has been often blamed for being Whiggish, and l £ something more," and a correspondent writing from USK, who did not favour us with his name-and therefore we violate no confidence in alluding to the circumstance-but signing himself" R," attacked us most vehemently, and something in the style of the letter to which we this day give insertion, for being too severe in our censure, too "strong" in our remarks, on the Coryphoeus of Whiggism. In fact, we were held up as almost arrant Radi- cals, and advanced denouncers of a great Whig public man Now, far from us be the wish to penetrate the obscurity of Mr. G. R. G. Relph. If there was once a Junius in London, why, accordiug to his logic, might there not be anotberdweliingwithintheshadow of Usk Castle 1 But for a moment supposing "R." and Mr. Relph to be one and the same person, we think we can find a clue to his present feel- ings in selecting us as the objects of his censure, and we would almost venture to say, wild rebuke. In discussing the merits of It's (query Mr. Relph's) composition, we said R." was a ripe scholar." A subsequent letter made us alter our ideas altogether; but we generously said we would not retract the phrase withdraw the charitable donation! Has Mr. Relph not yet recovered his equanimity, wonndr^^ u £ °nJ^ 1 Does Hseret lateri lethalig arundo." We are sorty if such has been the case, for we have been more friendly to Mr. Relph than he has been to himaelf, judging from the injudi- cious use he makes of his unruly pen. His speech at the late Usk Sessions was a failure, and deserved a far severer criticism than was pronounced upon it. Having got somewhat beyond what he would call his exordium, he was as much puzzled as Taylor, the water-poet, said he was in his accidence For having got from possum to posset He then was gravelled, and could no further get. But Mr. Relph got further on but with what success and with what" endeavourings," the public now know and feel. It was, therefoie, certainly with great surprise that we found our- selves addressed in the manner we have be n this day by Mr. Relph. After ample opportu- nity for mature deliberation, he takes upon himself to impugn, upon three several points, the remarks we made last week, upon the sub- ject of the Cou ty Advertisements. He fir-t i affirms, in oj>p Sitioa to our state nent, th t the comparatne clutns of the r spective local journals to the ounty advertisements," were not discussed at the late quarter sessions, and that they never have been discussed nor has any analogous question been discussed by the Court in any shupe ur form, since he has had the honour of sitting upon the Bench. Mr. Relph is either hypercritical or f rgetful—or perhaps both. To deny what every one else admits, can scarcely be deemed good logic, since it lacks the important ele nent, TKUTH To rebut Mr. Relph's unqualified affirmation, we simply refer our readers to the Sessions reports in the local pal ers of last week; and leave them to decide whether there was or was not, at the last Sessions, a discussion as to the comparative claims of the re,pestive local journals to the county advertisements." If our correspondent's statement be based upon hypercriticism as to the word" discussion," (and upon this we are left to conjecture,) then it is beneath contempt; if not, then he seems to us in the unenviable position df denying a fact now patent to the county. We do not know whether or not what Mr. Relph would call a discussion took place when an analogous" question was introduced to the notice of the magistrates, some time since upon a letter from the Star office; but we do know that a similar subject was then re- marked upon-the letter referred to being in- tended to raise the question of the "compara- tive claims" of the local press. Mr. Relph next says that it is news to him that he was so little satisfied with the notice he had given upon the subject that, even before ] submitting his motion to the Court, maturer i deliberation had convinced him of the inutility 1 of his proposition," and that he never altered, 1 in any degree, the motion of which he had given j notice. As we did not state that Mr. Relph J had altered his motion, (which, probably, he f could not do,) that point may be at once dis- t missed. Whether Mr. Relph had or had not I altered his opinion as to his proposition, is the N point at issue; and, to settle this, we place in l juxta-position his notice, and his remark 8 MR. KELPH'S NOTICE. EXTBACT FB.OM MR. RSLPH'S SPEECH « • That the finance com- « Upon the whole he did mitttee be instructed to ob- not think it advisable to tain tenders, «md to enter advertise the disposition of into a contract, subject to the countv stock l l such conditions as the Court naner J>)JL m., order, for ad»«rtUiJ the county accounts and efect other county advertisements in one Bew»paper only,' •* .:i ;011 •*A* « ■: Mr. Relph's classification of the Motimouth- shire Press we pronounced curious j" but he I denies the statement upon which that remark was based. We object not to his disclaimer but let him, if he will, stand before the county as having applied to the MERLIN an epithet distinguished alike for its insolence and inac- curacy. Mr. Relph concludes his letter by expressing his "pity" for the Country! The Country must be much obliged to him; but he should recollect that charity begins at home, and that he has not a great deal to spare of that commodity, considering the extent to which its exercise has recently been demanded on his own account. But we have said the learned Magistrate is hypercritical," and his hypercriticism reminds U3 of a scene that once passed between Doctor Moseley and George Coleman :—fi Well, Doctor, what do you think of my farce 1" (Inkle and Yarico.) "Won't do, George," said the Doctor. Why," said the author, the plot or the dia- logue?" "Neither." "The soingal" "No." '• The sentiments ?" "No." "The characters?" "No-" What, then F u It won't do," George!" Poh! why ?" said George. Why P said the Doctor, because it is nonsense. You say— Come, let us dance and sing, And all Barbadoes bells shall ring.' Tush, George; there is but one bell in all Jamaica Coleman survived this piece of hy- percriticism. May Heaven preserve us to survive the terrible censure, severe rebuke, and withering criticism of Mr. G. R. Greenhow Relph.

CARDIFF MUNICIPAL ELECTION. THE first of November occurring this year on the Sabbath, will, we trust, prove a day of peace, though we cannot anticipate so much for the following day, as then the aspirants for Municipal honours will marshal their sup- porters and rush to the Poll," each determined to conquer or—to fail. In the North Ward the Election promises to be a mere matter of form for, although Mr. Lewis Reece and Mr. Montague Grover again seek the suffrages of their constituents, their colleague, Mr. Griffith Phillips, having retired from business, and in- tending to reside in a distant neighbourhood, withdraws himself from the representation of the Ward. The only candidate for the vacancy is Mr. Archer Langley, a member of a much- respected family, but who has yet to gather the lessons of experience in Municipal affaira. In the South Ward, however, matters are in a very different condition. The retiring members of the Council are Messrs. J. Elliott, Evan Tho- mas, and George Watson, who severally seek the honour of re-election. They are opposed by two other Candidates. The first who took the field was Mr. Richard Cory, sen, who had a seat in the Council some years ago, and has been standing" at every election but one ever since-he has frequently been near to success, and if there is any truth in the old adage, "Omnia vincit labor," he must some day or other get in once more. The other aspirant is Mr. J. Grant, well-known throughout the county as a highly-respectable merchant, but whose address does not furnish any abundant amount of material for forming a judgment as to the course he may take, if successful in obtaining a seat at the Council Board. The contest will be very severe, but the result is rendered doubtful by the introduction of a variety of questions which we humbly submit should have no kind of bearing upon a Municipal Election. Discus- sions on Teetotalism and we know not how many other I- isms" besides, have been intro- duced, to the almost entire exclusion of subjects immediately within the province of the Town Council and Municipal authorities. This is wrong in principle, and detrimental in its opera- tion on the public welfare. It is also an evil that has been growing until at present it threatens to introduce into the Ward the ele- ments of permanent discord. It is. therefore, high time to seek a remedy, and we believe that it can only be applied by the Electors them- selves taking the matter into their own hands, and asserting their right to control the repre- sentation of their own interests. We believe that this can only be effected by adopting the system of Ward Meetings" held in some corporate towns and cities with excellent effect. We do not mean meetings got up hy cliques or parties, or by the friends of particular candidates, but fairly convened by the Bur- gesses themselves, for the purpose of fixing upon the most proper men in each Ward to represent them in Council, for hearing their various claims fairly discussed, and for resolving to support the most useful men in the face of any opposition that may be brought to bear against them. Such meetings would also afford the members of the Corporation an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the opinions and wishes of their constituents with regard to matters of local interest. There are two questions of very great importance on which the Cardiff Town Council are at present so equally divided, that a single vote may turn the scale but the public voice has not yet been heard either with regard to the choice of a site for the New Cemetery, or the increase of the Police proposed by the Govern- ment authorities. These are subjects affecting every ratepayer, but they may be finally deter- mined in a way contrary to the wishes of the majority, and both matters placed beyond the control of the Burgesses without their having had a voice in the matter. It is, then, high time that there should be a change, and we earnestly commend the subject to the consi- deration of the public of Cardiff.

ittrlin's Hates of metlt. DELHI has fallen!—the news came with much joy but no surprise, upon us. Its fall was merely a, question of time, and the proper amount of force. The total inability of the rebellious Sepoys, armed as they were to the teeth, possessing a materiel of war unsurpassed in the world, insanely provided for them and left in their hands by the imbecility of the governing power of India—with all this, we say, and in numbers overwhelming, if they bad but pluck, yet made to flee whenever they came in contact with the small band of heroes that menaced their walls- left no doubt that the fate of Delhi was sealed when reinforcements arrived, and the period had come for the assault to be prudently made. The favourable moment arrived, and the result was as might be expected. The sons of the men that esca- laded Badajoz, and marched in their might over the ramparts of St. Sebastian, had little to oppose them when surmounting the walls of an Indian town and the tide of Sepoy life fell back, and knew no further flow. The details which have as yet reached us are but meagre; but still enough haa been declared to show how daring were our officer* 1^™ firm our men. Much hadto be gSed~/reM to be expiated, and, we lamentKy^LTe whtlwhdaoflni • 0f passionsfii th: u ^US. ra £ ei is not generally a reasoning ,?» an«. war is not the proper school for philo- sophic meditation. There must have been a fearful slaughter. It was inevitable, and India, for years to come, will bow its head and weep when it "remembers Delhi." It was necessary that a terrible example should be made, and Rebellion taught its price and penalty When the interests of Rome demanded the destruction of Carthage, in vain its chief citizens knelt before Scipio and implored its life under the lowest and most ignominious terms of existence. The stoical Roman remained inflexible, for Delenda 611 Carthago was the mandate which had gone forth aw he was not the nan to turn destruction from its, walls and the innermost regions of its once puissant State. We have spared Delhi, its unoffending population, its women and little ones; but the sharp sword has fallen where justice claimed its victim. The mimic King, without even his reed in his hand, has fled, but his capture, if he lives, is certain, and we now may be fairly said to have seen the beginning of the end-the end of the once most fearful, but most insensate rebellion that ever threatened the remote possessions of a great empire. ENGLAND within the last- few months has bad two dark clouds hanging over uer. One has burst, but the other is condensing, and when it will break or clear away, cannot at this moment be declared-nay, even conjectured. Our great difficulty was India first-now we are threatened with a monetary crisis; and trade lingers, though, as yet, there is no cause for the apprehensions which we cannot conceal from our- selves are rife in the public mind. The crisis, we admit, has fearfully come in America, and falling Houses are as common there now as if a whirlwind had passed over more places than the minor and Broadways" of the States. This must, of course, more or less affect some of our staple trades; but many of our great commercial establishments possess securities that cannot be rendered worthless by even a general crash. But to release such securities time mi«V°hAC/Ur^e: aQd hence our imports must be diminished, and the trade of the countU so far curtailed. It would be fatuity to conLS rom ourselves that for the next Jfew SSfi there may be a pressure upon us; but the recu- perative powers of the nation are great, and these powers are ever our hope and main-stay. There is plenty of money ia the country, and it can never be forgotten that we have been for some time suffering under, to some, but not to all, the most agreeable malady in the world -L'entbary-ass des riches. It is indeed said by some who consider themselves well- informed, that we have yet to come to a sterner period than we have had for many years to encounter, and this opinion is grounded on the supposition that the East India Company will not be able to meet the enormous outlay consequent upon our military pos- session of the East. That Company was ever sup- posed to be enormously wealthy. We have read from. our youthful days upwards of the treasures of the Kast, and certainly the Partolean streams that have flowed for years and years into the Company's reser- voir, would not seem to negative the belief of the depth and contents of their coffers. rhe empire which they ruled is their own for, however in theory it might be thought, in fact, they were the monarchs of the East, and they collected the kingly revenues with a rigid and unsparing hand. The law with them was not Lex sub graviore lege-and liberal .qe and bountiful as they were to themselves and to their civil retainers and military defenders, we think there is nothing to apprehend as to their solvency, and that their treasury, for some years, at least, will be able to meet the enormous demands upon it. Besides, if they have to pay the Queen's troops, it must be recollected they will have no costly Bengal army to keep up, and the entire pacification of the country will enable them to again collect the taxes to meet, at the worst—the first exigency of the public service -the soldiers' pay. The maintenance of our immense army in the East-the cost of transport, and the hundred expenses incidental to war-must, of coarse, be heavy; but it is an outlay that is imperative, and if the East India Company were insolvent to- morrow, England should, and would, boldly face it; for all men feel, all parties concur in the belief, that India must be won back to our rule, no matter at what cost; for, bereft of that immense empire, our p•restige as a nation is not only gone, but we should be prepared to abdicate our position among the fore- most nations of the world, and that we cannot and will not do, no matter the gloom below or the cloud above.

Concert of Jtemrt IN AID OF THE INDIAN RELIEF FUND. A performance of sacred music like that which took place at the I own-hall on Thursday evening, is not often heard in a provincial town. In the first place there are not, in many towns, 60 or 70 efficient musical amateurs to be found, and, in the next, supposing such a number can be met with, they do not invariably sing well together The ladies and gentlemen, however, who were generous enough, on Thursday, to expend their time and energies on behalf of a charitable object, would have gratified even a fastidious and critical audience. They had gone through careful rehearsals, and as their labours were to be gratuitous, they had evidently determined to make them worth receiving. In truth, the amateur singers of this town. if we may take their recent achieve- ment as an example of their ordinary skill, would not suffer by comparison with much more ambitions associ- ations. Many of them are manifestly good musicians and possess, in addition, carefully-trained voices. Prac- tice at the meetings of the Sacred Harmonic Society, under a watchful and proficient leader, materially contri- buted to the excellent results to which we have already alluded, and shall again have occasion to advert. The general arrangements for the performance were complete, and showed evidence of taste and forethought on the part of the gentlemen who designed them. A commo- dious orchestra waR erected, and an organ fixed at the back, at which Mr. Tasker presided. We have mentioned an approxitration to the number of vocal performers, but the instrumental department was not overlooked Herr Pfeiffer was engaged as leader, and he executed his diffi- cult task with all the ability and dexterity which must have been anticipated by those who bad previously had the pleasure of listening to the thrilling strains of his violin. To ?Ir" -K?1" o?5,fce' Bristo1. allotted the violoncello part and Mr. Ricbardsou undertook the double bass. Mr. H. J. Groves acted as conductor. These professional gen- tlemen were assisted by several amateur performers on various instruments, and the accompaniments, as a whole were ably and efficiently executed. It was not, of course' to be expected that the whole of the band parts would be iutrodnced but the parts represented were well sustained. The programme was judiciously chosen, with perhaps a trifle too much in it. It included selections from Handel's Judas Maccibseus, Haydn's Creation, and Handel's Messiah. The solos were assigned to Miss Clowes, Mr. Groves, Miss Chapman, Mr Toogood, and Mr. Willey, Miss Clowes's taste in mezzo-soprano airs is well known, and it is only necessary to say that her singing was marked by the accuracy and faultless expression which generally distinguish it; the other soloists re- ceived the cord-id approbation of the audience, wh:ch, we may here obeerve, was very large, and included many of the principal families of the town and neighbourhood. The performance opened with the chorus, Fall'n is the Foe," followed by ihe National Anthem. This was a diversion f.om the original programme, aptly made on account of the fall of Delhi. It was gratifying to listen to cheering notes of triumph at an entertainment whose purpose is so replete with thoughts of sorrow and anguish. The spirited strains of the first chorus were given with all the requisite energy, and showed how well the singers were up in time." The recitative, '• Be comforted," and the air, The Lordworketh wonders," were next sung with striking effect by Mr. Groves; and Mr Toogood's following performance of Not vain is all this storm of grief," was correct and pathetic Miss Clowes then sung the beautiful air, Pious Orgies, in a very chaste and effective manner. The principal solo allotted to Mr. Toogood-the thrilling Arm, arm, ye brave —was correctly rendered, but lacked power the grand chorus, We never will bow down," preceded by "Dis- dainful of danger," was admirably performed by the choir. The same remark applies to the best choruses from the "Creation, And the Spirit of God," and the Heavens are telling"-the latter one of Haydn's noblest conceptions. Mr. Willey in this division of the entertain- ment sang the solo portion of "the Marvellous work," and also assisted Miss Clowes and Mr. Toogood in the fine trio Most beautiful appear." I The second part consisted of selections from the Mes- commencing with the chorus, Behold the Lamb of God, which was sang with great precision. Then fol- lowed tho gem of all the airs, the touching and pathetic "He was despised and rejected of men" u" Clowes with unusual sweetness and puiitv 8 It was followed by three ckimti „ii' j formed. Miss Clowes 5 11 admlrably per- off," ''Thou did'st not wr?rds, 8unS' "He was Vut the feet," and Mr Gm™ H°w beautiful are mation WW dA th 8ave the fine piece of decla- poiat! 7 the na,1^s," with great energy and « Priacjpal choruses were, Lift up your heads," ti, r 8 iu God," Let us break their bonds," and tae famous Hallelujah," which formed an appropriate Ui uniah to an entertainment of a very anperior order.

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. LONDON CORN MABKET — FRIDAY. Unfflish wheat met a slow sale at Monday s rates, and a nidify mostly indifferent. Supply of foreign plentiful w buyers; prices lower. Barloy wanted, and a little cheaper. A fair trade in oats, at previous terms. Flour not much wanted rates scarcely maintained. Malt brings fall value. 0 WAKEFIELD CORN MARKET.—FRIDAY. Wheat trade very dull. Best, 2s. secondary 2s. to 3s lower. Barley, Is. to 2s. lower. Beans, oats an<i shelling also cheaper. METKOPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET-FRIDAV Trade dull, at Monday's prices. KID AY. A fever is raging with such violence at Lisbon, that 130 pewon. are dying daily Business is entirely .upended. There Us been a terrific atorm in the Black Sea, and eleven TMMIC wrecked. eleven TMMIC wrecked. A frightful railway accident has occurred in America, number of Uvea have been sacrificed. 1 No freak news from India, but Sir Oolin Campbell. *[ w*y*P<yt*i to be desperately ill, is in the fall pos- » Mthi