The Cardiff Times

kMB^ETOaiiMli^g^WWHi flHHBr TRY IT.

WORKMEN'S TOPICS. i-I BREAKING UP THE GOVERN- MENT. By MABON, MtP. Ovv that the Prime Minister and his col- ^8Ues have taken fcbeir courage in both it is the bounden duty of all good /locratfi to back them up with renewed v 87 and enthusiasm. Doubtless we are in [ (jj an°thcr big fight, and it will require al] | loyalty and zeal that we can command, the great question of guarantees has l 11 settled by the King after the battle be- fche Commons and Peers. An early dis- Qtion is almost certain, but whether an ly election is certain or not there is not the potest doubt about the need of a revival of 4ef ^erce fighting spirit which animated the ^fe&ders of the people in the recent struggle ft the polls. It will considerably help the ^ernment in the bold course they have Pped out to see that the same popular lh«^ re"^n^e<i. Neither would the demon- Jr**100 be lost on the Peers, who are always vens when confronted with the stem, will. te revelation this week respecting the- C^ysis of the nation's finances there 7. sufficient suitable material for the talleation of the general mass of indif- citizens, in what was meant by ^/Coining the consequences." So let it be home with relentless and unceasing Trance that the Peers threw out the Budget r grossly selfish motives, heedless and reck- of plunging the country into bankruptcy. 1-9 not pobsible in my humble opinion for ordinary man to follow the ramifications of damage wrought by the rebellion the Peers t*W;ed in refusing the Government's Budget, "^d jfc js iyy matching the debates in the Com- one has a glimpse, now and again, of consequences," in the revenue defi- announced from day to day. ■As far as I can gauge things, fqr last we'ek jp,y there were lost two mill ions of money. op February llj millions, and for the year we ^'«lose at least 44 millions. And above and t ^°nd all this is the cost of the loans raised to over the emergency, and the loss in pri- t ate circles due to the continued uncertainty consequences should now be d to Milnerise the House of Lords in a ^iriwind of a popular campaign. Lords' Dilatory Strategy. It is not only a good thing, but an essentially fj^dful thing, that members of Parliament and I eir constituencies should at once be attempt- P? ev«y possible way to foresee the future. the Easter recess Mr Asqurth will bring Resolution into the House of Com- Having passed them through he will then them up to the House of Lords, who may meet them with a direct negative as some O%Ple think. Some think that it is ahnoat r^Ain that the Peers, notwithstanding Lord **nado<wiie's apparent haste, will meet them dilatory amendment, seeking to postpone *em till they can deal with the reform reso- ptions as well. Such like prospects are already 'ores had owed in the Unionist Press. They are *"D'Wted to follow the same course as was j°pted by them in 1284, when they met the "j °nn Bill with mi amendment asking for *lay until the Redistribution Bill came up to also. The Government doubtless will r«ady for this move, and will be prepared ttieet it as equivalent to what it really isgft •J^ative to the veto proposals. We must also t Prepared for a steady and growing effort the part of Unionists to make trouble over e Postponement of the Budget. That is ^o*7 ^^le'r l^De tactics, and it will j^btless be repeated on every possible occa- j There is to be a definite effort made Dext ^ew weeks to excite the busi- men in all business elements in the jy^&try against the Government on the ground they are prolonging the confusion, a he answer is, of course, what Mr Asquith t" the House it was That it was the w^° ^ted the confusion," and the ^^ouiets, I say, while they still propose to against the Budget, are the respon- People. Nothing has ever been put before the House of Commons than the jt that the passing of a resolution to col- would legalise nothing, and would nqt save the inconvenience of borrowing, un- Ik S'ttch resolution was the foundation of a BilL 1 think that the aim of the Opposition was *T^e obvious when Lord Hugh Cecil said Wj*1 can have as many Bills as you like." aim is to lure the Government into ^%g up the Finance Bill into separate hi. and thereby removing one of the land- ilj?*8" in the struggle between the Commons Lords.Uptotheyearl860therehad been Supply Bills each year, until the House ^J«Qrds rejected the Paper Duties Bill," Mr Gladstone conceived the plan of kSfooing a Customs and Inland Revtenne and that gave the House of Com • sufficient security to have the undivided Octroi of finance during the year. And no leader for fifty years ever dreamed Ejecting the whole Budget Bill; and thus t ^laflstone said The House of Lords was, ^•ly and absolutely excluded from all infto- whatever upon the finance of the what to him and to all Conservative since seemed impoesible has now be- to the House of Lords possible under the p of Lord Lansdowne and Mr Balfour. the suggestions madeso plaintiv^y by the ^^°srbion during the week at first had the ap- ^*ance of innocence but in reality were very JjT^ious, and I cannot think that the having put their backs up, will *oto the trap laid for them. Surely to be- v the fight for the restorati&i of its rights jjjj^Qceding to the Lords one-oi the essential ^cjplgg wj3iCjj are at stake Is too ridiculous ^ords. yet, notwithstanding all this, the. guilty persons of the unpreee- act of rejecting last year's Bud- Lord Lansdowne, the most guilty J™the head of the historic Whig House— to score a point against the Govern- ri I by impudently calling attention to die t»r*y °f the Government in bringing before *^Uent their proposals for raising the tk,vetlue necessary for the current year. We have the architects of ruin hypo- C*1 enough to pretend that they have >e concern for th^ financial confusion that ^ave coated, abd in both Houses appar- they are going to make desperate efforts w*Mdle the responsibility on the Govern- I ^^t* In this I strongly hope that their are doomed to failure.

ALLEGED INSANITARY DWELLINGS 4 0.), t Abertillery on Wednesday the Lancaster C( Company were summoned at the instance & Abertillerv District Council for allowing ance to exist at 36 houses known as the I Eastside, Cwmtillery, also witii r'e- tlxe back yards and further with not ra'n wa,ter trough in g kud. down *or the houses in question. Mr A. H. rePresenting the Council, said that had been served with notices to VtT> °ut certain improvements in property, I >33 ^y did not comply with the same. There open drain, which undoubtedly hSj the health of the people. The back «ad absolutely no paving, and were in condition, and it was pitiable that "ad to live in such dwellings, which ^W?1r1actic«'»y the only slum property in ry. fiench, after consulting with the clerk, trjoivH? that the case would be adjourned for the D anc* suggested that in the meantime m' £ hfc endeavour to come to an ^id hl ng- Mr Everett, for the company, fliatoi- iT35 authorised to state that lmme- Wyg the connection with the Western Val- V) was made hi3 clients would that the Council desired.

Former Cardiff Doctor. TRAGIC DEATH IN LONDON. Snpposed Suicide of Dr. Chas. Fox From inquiries made on Wednesday by our London representative it appears that the name of the gentleman found in a lavatory at Paddington Station with his arteries severed is Dr. Charles Fox, formerly of Cardiff. The deceased gentleman has been staying for some time at the Craven Hotel, Paddington, where he has certain belongings. He was of a quiet, retired disposition, and is described as a man apparently 65 to 67 years of age. He had very little money and no valuables upon his person at the time he was found. He was identified by a London prac- titioner who had known him for many years, but was unaware he was in London. He had recently lived at Canterbury. The artery on the left wrist had been severed with a surgeon's knife. This gentleman said he had not seen him for seven or eight years. On Tuesday, seeing the report of the death in a morning paper, he viewed the body. The inquest will be held to-day at Pad- dington. At present the poliee have not-traced his relatives. Had Threatened Suicide, Further inquiries show that the deceased had stayed at the Craven Hotel for about a week, where he was visited on Monday by Dr. Bridger, of London, for whom he acted as assistant some 20 years ago. It appears that, the deceased was in financial difficulties, and that he had worried over the loss of his only son, who committed suicide some time ago. Upon him papers were found addressed to a village not far from Cardiff, where at one time he is said to have been in partnership with another medical man. Recently, however, he has stayed at Canterbury, and his widow is living there at the present tirtie. It is stated that after Dr. Bridger's visit on Monday the deceased threatened to commit suicide.

BLACKLEG'S FUSllADE. New York, Wednesday.—Further fighting took place in the streets of Philadelphia yester- day, following upon stone-f&rowing by the strikers at the police and the strike breakers who are maintaining the car service. After two or three had been injured on the cats, the strike breakers commenced to use their re- volvers, and poured several volleys into the crowd, with the result that three men and a young girl were shot and badly injured. The infuriated strikers thereupon stormed a num- ber of the cars and wholly wrecked them. There has been a further strike of HKOOO em- ployees out of sympathy with the present move- ment.—Central News. GENERAL STRIKE DECLARATION. Philadelphia, Wednesday.—About 1,000 employees of the BaJdwin Locomotive Works, who had up to the present resisted an appeal to cease work in sympathy with the strike, walked out at noon to-day. The crowd cheered and raised the American flag and then marched to the meeting hall. The manager of the works said the new strikers were not sufficiently numerous to necessitate the shutting down of the works.-U,euter. New York, Wednesday.-The United States Labour Federation held a conference at New- castle, Pennsylvania, to-day to consider the situation owing to the strike at Fbttahejphia, and declared in favour of a general strike throughout theStatc of Pennsylvania.—Central News.

AUSTRALIA'S HIGH COMMIS- SIONER, Sir George Reid, the first High-Gommissioaer for the Australian Commonwealth in England, is a son of the manse, and was born in Ren- frewshire, Scotland, in 1845. He was taken by his parents to Australia as a chilti, and there entered the Civil Service. He later became a barrister, and built up a lucrative practice. Sir Georee Reid. I Politically his career has been uniformly successful. He was made Minister for Public Instruction a few months after entering Parlia- ment in 1880, and has been Premier of his State, New South Wales. He is a. most attrac- tive public speaker. Since his arrival in London Sir George has been invested by the King at Buckingham Palace with the insign « of a Knight Commander of the Order of at. Michael and St. Geoege.

IMPERIAL TOttSS ROBBED. Soldiers Untrae to Trust. St. Petersburg, Wednesday.—Considerable* sensation has been caused by the discovery- that a number of silver wreaths have been stolen from thetombs of the Bmperors and, member8 of the Imperial Family in the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul. So far as at present ascertained 32 wreatkshave been stolen during the period of three xianths, and the supposition is that they have heen bsoken, up and sold to various dealers. The robbers have been discovered in the per- sons of four soldiers belonging to the guard of d the Imperial tombs. They have been arrested and have confessed their guilt. A commission has been,appointed to makeae tally of all wreaths in the Cathedral. They number about fifteen hundred.—Renter.

BALCONY DOEl. PoHceman's Unorthodox Exit. Rome, Wednesday,—The duel between. General Prudeote, the Italian Under-Secretary for War, and Signor Chiesa, the Republican1 deputy, has at last been fought, and under remarkable circumstances. The combatants, despairing of finning an opportunity in any of the public places, to-day-met to fight on the j balcony of a private house. The police endeavoured to intervene scaled the balcony, but were pushed back before they could interfere, while one officer who succeeded in making his way to the scene -of the conflict had the unpleasant experience of being thrown from a window to the ground, though fortunately without sustaining any serious injury. The duel resulted in Signor Chiesa. being wounded in the face.—Central News.

BOMBAY MURDER TRIAL. Bombay, Wednesday.—The trial of Kanhere, who shot Mr Jackson, the collector, of Nasik, and of six other natives charged with com- plicity in the crime, was resumed to-day be- fore a special tribunal of the High Court. Gopal, a Bombay Brahmin, gave evidence to the eftect that he handed nine pistols to the second of the accused in May and June, which he had received from Chatterboogh, at the re- quest of Savarker, of whom he was afraid, as he had been convicted «of sedition. Inoroas- examination, he stated that he had never joined a conspiracy to overthrow the British. and knew of no such ploL-Reater.

MULEY HAFID'S PRECAUTION. An Unbrotherly Act. Paris, Wednesday .—A telegram from Morocco City, dated Feb. 3rd, states that by order of Mtiley Hafid, his brother Muley Kebir has been deprived of all his superfluous means. It is believed this step is due to a fear that Muley Kebir may acquire too much power, as was done by Muley Hafid himself when he-~was proclaimed Sultan against Abdul Aziz. Dis- order continues in the Donkala.—Reuter.

HAMBURG COLLISON. Five Seamen Drowned. A Lloyd's Hamburg message says :—The German steamer Pennsylvania, from New York, and the German schooner Gertrud, have been in collision near Lightship No. 2. Five of the latter's crew are believed to have been drowned.-Rcuter.

WELSH COUNTRY HOMES. XXI-Dunraven Castle. A ROMANTIC HISTORY. TALES OF WRECIJERS & WRECKING. Walter Vaughan and the ex-Pirate, Considering the beauty and grandeur of the cliff scenery along the South Wales seaboard it is somewhat remarkable that so few of the country homes of South Wales have been built upon it. If you search the coast-line from Barry to St. Davids Head you will not find I DUNRAVEN CASTLE, THE EAST FRONT. more than half a dozen which occupy a strik- ing position when viewed from the channel. In Glamorganshire there are St. Donats Castle and Dunraven Castle, while in Pembrokeshire the list is completed by the addition of Hean and Dnnraven Castle, while in Pembrokeshire the list is completed by the addition of Hean Castle, Lydstep Haven, Stackpole Court and St. Bride's. Hie four latter are the seats of Sir Thomas Lewis, Bart., Lord St. Davids, Carl Cawdor, and Lord Kensington respectively. Of all these fine places none occupies a more notable position than Dunraven Castle, the subject of the present article. The Glamorganshire home of the Earl of THE SOUTH SIDE WITH SUNDIAL AND ARMS. I: I Dunraven is perched like an eagle's eyrie, on the grandest portion of the great rock wall. which stretches south eastward of the Ogmore mouth to St. Donat's. It is a grim iron-bound coast, and of that blood which is the price of Admiralty" tht-se forbidding cliffs have in days past received full toll. Nowadays the giant syrens of the Nash wail weirdly when the DUNRAVEN IN 1776, SHOWING THE OLD TDDCVR HOUSE FROM THE EAST | AND THE INNER COURT. J mists hang low and warn the mariner against his danger. The Beginnings of Dunraven. One has to go into the remote past for the earliest mention of Dunraven It is reputed to have been the site of a British camp in the days when Caradog led the Silures against the Romans. It was then known as Dindryfan, which Dr. Malkin declares to have signified a circular fortress." Then, for nigh a thou- sand years, history is silent. The next Inci- dent concerning it is that in 1050 the Saxons crossed the Severn sea and burned both the castles of Dunraven and St. Donats. Half a century later the Norman came, and when Fitz- hamon divided the spoils among his knights he apportioned to Sir William de Londres, the lordship of Ogmore, which included Dunraven. There is a tale, which may be related for what it is worth, that once when de Londres was absent fighting against the Welsh his servant. Sir Arnold Butler, or Botteler, de- fended the castle of Ogmore against a sortie by the dwellers from the hills, with such valour that de Londres rewarded him with Dunraven as a gift. According to Rice Merrick it was Maurice de Londres, the son of William de Londres, who gave the castle to Butler. Be that as it may the fact remains that from the beginning of the 12th century the Butlers lived at Dunraven, and it may be supposed that they dwelt in a Norman Castle which had been reared upon the site of the older fortress. Many generations of Butlers lived there till at length the male line became extinct, and Ann Butler, the heiress, married Sir Richard Vaughan. Their eldest son. Walter Vaughan, who was sheriff of Carmarthen in 1553, we I living at Dunraven in 1584. Leland makes reference to Dunraven and the marriage of the last of the Butlers, in characteristically quaint, style by saying, In this part of the shore is only a. manor place, cauDid Donnerenen, about the midle Way. It longid a late to Boteler. The laste Boteler sister, maried to Richard Vehan of Aberdourde is now heir of it The Vaughans at Dunraven. The residence of the Vaughan family at Dunraven covered a period of about a century, and it was the most romantic era of its history. Probably it was the Vaughan family who built the Tudor mansion which succeeded the Norman stronghold. This Tudor house with its quaint gables and big chimneys was stand- ing until after 1776. Excelleat views of it were published by Grose in his antiquities," and these we reproduce, for dne of them gives a capi- tal idea of the position of the castle in relation to the sea and the great headland known as the Witches Point," which protects it from the south-east. The Vaughan family, like their predecessors, intermarried among the other leading families of Morganwg of that day. About five generations later, Walter Vaughan was the head of the family, and concerning him many romantic stories are related. Some Tales of Wrecking. It would be idle to suppose for one moment that all the stories told of Walter Vaughan are fact, but there is, doubtless, a pretty substantial substratum of truth, and however lenient a ] view one may take of the matter one canno j get away from the fact that the last Vaughan ] of Dunraven developed into a very unenviable c type,of man. There is, however, some evidence c to show that circumstance conspired in a some- J what unkindly manner to make him the cbara- ter he eventually became. »As a young man, shortly after he came into the estates, he once swam off with a rope to a shipwrecked crew— in those days a very notable act of bravery and humanity. He devised plans for the sav- ing of life in the event of shipwreck, and he studied navigation and astronomy. There was & lofty watch tower hard by the old house and here o' nights be would sit up alone study ing the stars. Subsequently he placed his in- vention before the Government who, with ] small tact and less courtesy rejected f them. This action seems to have proved the j,turning point in Vaughan's life. Vanity was always one of his failings, and thus having *4>een touched has whole character became 'o soured. He returned to Dunraven a changed man revelry ran riot there, he drank to ex- -coss, kept open house and gambled till his 'fortune began to fail. About this time his wife died. It is related that he shut up his main castle. went to live with one of his younger sons in the watch tower and became a wrecker. His eldest son had gone abroad, Mid Walter Vaughan pursued his evil wa^ft in com- pany with the notorious Mat-oftbe Iron BJmd," The latter was once a skipper of a ] 'private craft seized by Vaughan and in his tin defence of his ship Mat lost his hand. t Mat was a revengeful man, and though out- wardly submissive, bided his time. The ancient i harper warned his master against his evil associate, but Walter Vaughan ignored the advice. By day Vaughan and the ex-pirate were never seen together, but when night fell rthey prowled along beneath the cliffs with their false lights to lure vessels to their doom. A Terrible Retribution. This is a tale in which retribution swift and <sure fell upon the evil doers. One evening "two of the Val-ghan family took a boat and rowe& to the Tuskar Rock. They failed to fasten it securely, it drifted away, and they were drowned. The same day, so the story tells, the younger child fell into a vessel of whey and was drowned! With this grief, something alcin to repentence came to Walter Vaughan, and he set his hopes upon his son who was in a distant land. One wild night a vessel was seen approaching. From a cave in the cliffs, near the booming surf, Walter Vaughan and his old harper listened to the pries of the storm-driven mariners. Suddenly from the cliff edge near the Cwmla gate lurid lights sent a beam of light across the waste of waters. Half an hour later Mat of the Iron Hand strode into the cave witii the news that the ship's boat had been swamped and that the captain had remained on the wreck when, it drove against the rocks. "Did you help Uei, vfflahx," cried the- old man. For answer tftie wrecker Sirust a cold hand into that of Walter Vaaghan. A gleam of Hgftt from the drift-wood fire revealed a ring upcai^ the Icy limb. 093 Wim^an tottered and. Stiled, fortbe hand was that of the bar of -c unraven, his only surviving son t Mat, the one-handed wrecker, had murdered a him upon the wreck ani had thus bad » tern- x hie revenge. As to what became of Mat ? divers tales are told. Some state tba&the old harper shot him on the spot, and others that e he was executed for another murder shortly afterwards. Walter Vaughan. broken-hearted and prematurely old. died at Tenby, and his tomb may be seen there in the parish church to this day. The Wyndhams in Possession. The fortunes of the Vaughan family had (J gone. About 1642 Dunraven Castle was bought y Mr Humphrey Wyndhain. and In that family the estate has since remained. ? The tragic events of Dunrawen did not aid j with the death of old Walter Vaughan, for after the Wyndham family came into posses- t sion, one of their race, a Major Wyrldham, was one night riding to the castle along £ he ctifi m edge when his horse suddenly stopped short i on the brink of tiie precipice, whither in the dark his master bad unwittingly directed him, with the result that Major Wyndham was a thrown over the horse's head, and was picked a up dead upon the beach. Five or six genera- tions later, after the Wyndham family came into possession, Mr Thomas Wyndham, of „ Dunraven and Clearwell died, and his daughter and heiress Caroline married in 1810 Mr Wynd- j- ham Henry Quin, the second Earl of Dun- — raven. As the result of this union the surname of Wyndham was by sign manual in 1815placed before that of Quin. Some points regarding the family of the Earl of Dunraven, a description of the present mansion and some reference to the main in- tetests of its interior will form the subject matter of our next-article. Next week-Duumven Castle (continued). n1 ■ ■i M i —a—— COLLEGE MILITARY SCHEME. Training Corps at Cardiff. At a meeting of the Council of the Univer- sity College of South Wales and Monmouthshire hekl at Cardiff on Wednesday, Dr. W. T. Ed- wards presiding, Mr Owen M. Edwards, H.M. chief inspector of schools for Wales, gave an interesting report on the work in the day train- ing department. The Council appointed mem- bers of a Military Education Committee, which will be engaged m selecting officers as a train- ing corps in the college similar to those exist- ing at Aberystwyth, Bangor and other colleges. It was reported, that the Frogs' Classical Society of the College, out of the profits gained by the performance of the Greek play last session, had purchased and presented to the college a bronze bust of Euripides. A scheme for pensions to members of the staff was adopted. —————^——

"TIRED OF LIFE." ¡ I intended to do it. I will do it again if I come out." Mrs Nora Davies, Birchgrove, Porth, told P.C. Thomas when he charged her with attempting to commit suicide. Davies was at Pontypridd Police Court on Wednesday, and Phelan, boots at the Park Hotel, narrated how he saw defendant enter the Taff river and fie on her side in the water. Defendant alleged that her husband had turned her out of the house, and having no where to go she was tired of life. The husband, a collier, said his wife was addicted to drink. He had given her dozens of chances all to no purpose. Defendant was remanded in custody for a week to see what arrangements could be made for her future.

MAKER OF THE TURKISH REVOLUTION. Enver Bey, who has been entertained by the Balkan Committee this week, was bom at Constantinople 28 years ago. When six years old he was taken to live at Monastir. There, in the preparatory Ecole Militaire, he got his first training, and there, too, in the storm centre of Macedonia, he saw the full horrors of the old misrtde. After finishing atthe Constan- Enver Bey. J tinople Military School he returned to Mopastir as an officer, and,till the Revolution he served there and at Monastir. In 1905, with 11 others, he founded the original Committee of TTnion and Progress at Salonika., a secret society of 12. The story of peril, devotion, and success ha1* already been told.

MAGISTRATES TOO LENIENT/' Carmarthen School Attendance Cases. At a meeting of Carmarthen Town Council on Wednesday the Mayor (Aid. Walter Lloyd) said that lack of attendances at the schools meant a loss to the borough of dE200 to E300 a year, equivalent to something like a 2 £ d rate. He wondered who was to blame for not having the defaulting parents summoned. Mr Walter Spurrell said the magistrates were too lenient. The ex-Mayor said the attendance officer got no encouragement from the justices to now summonses. The Bench's sympathy, appar- ently, ran away with their common sense.—Mr James Davies, J.P. Do I understand that the people do not appreciate the cheap education given to children ?—The Mayor I don't think they do.—The.Council decided to draw the Attendance Committee's attention to the matter.

CARDIFF LADY CLERK'S DEATH. A sudden death took place at No. U, Queen- street, Cardiff, on Wednesday afternoon, Miss Elizabeth Amelia Waterfield (56), who for many years had been employed by Messrs Davis and Sons as a cashier, expiring whilst preparing her lunch. Miss Waterfield left the office at one o'clock, apparently in her usual health, to prepare her lunch in an upstair room. At 2.40 she was discovered lying dead upon the floor. Dr. Skyrme was called in, but he could only pronounce life to be extinct. The deceased lady, who lived in Marl borough-road, was held in the highest respect by her employers and the staff. Death is believed to hø ilno to "'It'n'n1 r.iiiw.

National Library. LORD RENDEL'S FURTHER GIFT. Mr Herbert Lewis, M.P., vice-president, pre- sided over a recent meeting of the Council of the National Library of Wales at the House of Commons. There were also present Dr. Henry Owen (treasurer). Sir S. T. Evans, Sir John Rhys. Mr David Davies, M.P., Dr. Gwenog- fryn Evans, Col. Bradney, Principal T. F. F. Roberts, Messrs J. H. Davies and D. C. Roberts (Aberystwyth), D. Lleufer Thomas, D. Lloyd Lewis (deputy treasurer), J. Ballinger (librarian), and — Greenslade (architect). The President (Sir John Williams, Bart.) and Principal Roberts presented a written report with regard to the site for the National Library, which stated that after seeing the plans of the proposed building. Lord Rendel, the owner of the land, had generously agreed to give further land to the extent of a little over an acre, making a total of about five acres. On the motion of the Chairman a vote of thanks was passed to Lord Rendel. The Treasurer reported that since the last meeting Mrs T. E. Ellis had paid X50 towards the building fund, and other payments amount- ing to S25 13s had also been received. It was stated that the subscriptions promised to the building fund were now being steadily p&id, and there was every prospect of the whole JE21,000 promised being realised. The Librarian reported that the work of cataloguing the printed books in the library was making good progress. Newspapers and periodicals of the year 1909 were being bound, and when these were all returned the Library would have nearly 250 volumes of bound news- papers. The normal additions for each year will amount to about 120 volumes. The Council confirmed the action of the president in authorising Mr J. H. Davies to purchase for JE30 10s at a sale in Anglesey a rare copy of the first book published by John Penry in 1587. being An humble supplication in the behalf of the country of Wales that some order might be taken for the preaching of the 'Gospel among these people."

PEARY'S PROOFS. Sceptical Congressman. j Washington, Wednesday.—Practically una#A&- mously the Sub-committee of the Naval Com- mittee of the House of Roprescntath es decided to-day against honouring Rear-Admiral Peary until be submits proofs of his discovery of the North Pole, and Congressman Macon contri- buted to this result by declaring himself sceptical of Rear-Admiral Peary's claim. The astonishing part of Rear-Admiral Peary's statement, argued Mr Macon, was the num- ber of miles travelled every day after Captain Bartlett had left him, when he had no white man with him as a witness. Hisgreatest marches were singularly all north of Captain Bartlett's camp, thence forward he claimed to have aver- aged 26*4 miles a day until he reached the Pole; 44 miles a day on the way back to Captain Bartlett's camp, and 24*8 miles a day from Bartlett's camp to Cape Columbia. The greatest speed made before Captain Bartlett left him was 9*06 miles a day, so that he most have made nearly three times as great a speed after aa before in order to reach the Pole. Mr Macon quoted Sir Ernest Shackleton and others to show that ten to twelve miles a day or slightly over were considered the limit of human endurance over Polar Seas.-Reuter.

KING AND EMPEROR MEETING. No Misunderstandings Exist. Berlin, Wednesday.—A statement emanating from Vienna has been widely circulated here to the effect that as a result of an exchange of letters between King Edward and the German Emperor, certain misunderstandings have been removed, and that a meeting of the two monarchs at Schloss Cronberg this summer is being arranged. In official circles in Berlin nothing is known at present of this suggested meeting of their Majesties With regard to the removal of misunderstandings between the Wo Sovereigns it is emphatically pointed oat that there are none to remove.- Reuter.

NEW SOLICITOR-GENERAL. Mr Buf as Isaacs, who succeeds Sir Samuel Evans as Solicitor-General, has for many years held a unique position at the Bar, and no man has more amply earned legal honour. He was born in I860, and ran away to sea before set- tling down in a stockbroker's office for seven years. His training as a stockbroker accounts for the commanding grasp he has of the intri- Mr Rnfus Isaacs, K.C. I •eaeaes of commercial problems. He was called I to the Bar in 1887, and took silkll years later, since when his name has been associated with mostof the leading cases of the day. He was elected Member for Reading at the by-election in BM, and has represented that constituency ever since.

FRENCH JUDICIAL SCANDAL Investigation Recommended. Paris, Wednesday.—A Senatorial Commission of Inquiry into the liquidation of the estates of the Religious Associations to-day heard a statement regarding the case of M. Duez, yadicial iMpMdator, who was arrested yester- day owing to the discovery of large defalca- tions in his accounts. His liabilities are stated to amount to MWW(L The Commission is of opinion that the Civil Tribunal committed a grave error in confiding 148 liquidations to only three officials, and passed resolutions recommending that an in- vestigation should be held into the circum- stances attending the appointment of M. Duez as liquidator and his retention in that post, as -well as into the question of patronage to -which he may have owed his position. At the same time the Government is asked to verify the regularity of the payments made by the liquidators, and to examine the purposes to which the sums withdrawn have been devoted. —Reuter.

EARTHQUAKE SHAKES. Inhabitants' Panic and Flight. Johannesburg, Wednesday.-A severe shock of earthquake was experienced here early this morning. Large buildings in the centre of the town swayed perceptibly, and the residents generally were considerably alarmed, bat no serious damage has been reported. Odessa, Wednesday.—Early yesterday morning, and shortly after half-past 6 this omening, alarming earthquake shocks occurred at Tlflis. The shocks were undnlatory in character, and travelled from south-east to north-west. People fled from their bouses in terror, and many buildings were dnmagnd. but no personal injuries were sustained.—Cen- N tralNews.

RUBBER CRAZE. English Syndicate's Purchase. Berlin, Wednesday.—According to a state- ment published this evening, a number of most valuable plantations in the Usambara district, in German East Africa, have passed into the hands of a British syndicate at very satisfac- factory prices for the vendors. The properties sold include the East African Rubber Com- pany's great plantation at Lewa. The owners intend to make a great outlay of capital for the development of the properties.-Reuter.

FRENCH COLUMN ATTACKED. Moorish Tribesmen Repulsed. Tangier, Wednesday. — A telegram from Casa Blanca reports that the advanced posts of the French mobile column operating in the Shawai country were attacked last night by bodies of Zaer tribesmen, both mounted and on foot. The enemy, who are estimated to have been about 800 strong, were repulsed i without F-'v.i«l-> ••'d"—T?-

WELSH GLEANINGS. News and Views in Lighter Vein Llanyfodwg parish can boast of having bret as many Welsh writers as any in Wales. Dr. W. G. Williams is resigning his positioi as hon. anaesthetist at the Cardiff Infirmary. There are 80 licensed inns and hotels at Car- tparthen. Twenty years ago there were 100. A prize will be offered at the Criccietb Whitsun Eisteddfod for the finest baby be- tween one and two years old. The Welsh Bible is said to be the best trans> lation from the Hebrew in the world, because of the affinity of both Hebrew and Welsh. ——— Bryamawr is represented on the Breconshiri County Council by three Calvinistic Methods ists, 2 Congregationalisms, one Wesleyan, ant one Baptist, the two latter being aldermen. Impromptu speaking competitions hav« fallen into disuse at Welsh Eisteddiodau. Ma LI oyd George is offering prizes for impromptu speeches at some of next year's Eisteddfodam. The Welsh Congregational Churches of Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Pem- broke are arranging for holding a united «inp» ing festival in the National pavilion at Caumarthen in 1911. Mr D. Watts Morgan, who is wnwomj from a vcy serious iHnAswj is, upon tOe of his medical man, recuperating at Bourne- mouth, but he hopes to be back in ia» the next meeting Iff the Conciliation Boud. An illustration of the success of wen and District Farmers' Aa«n(-»«tinn ia, afforded by its phenomenal growth. LaA- year s balance sheet shows a trading, aoooswfe^ of £20,000, and a net profit of close upon^flSOL There are notmany octogenarians Mi presiding officers at elections, but Mr Inli^ Thomas, the clerk to the Brynmawr Dntzick^ Council, was the other day the presiding affioab at one of the polling booths at the tnnm. Mtt kept at his post for ewer 12 hours. According to Mrs Lloyd George, fh r Finirrtl i' fod has shaped the whole of Welsh- caltove iiit- literature, in music, and in-art. It was titer institution that gave to the sons and (Jangbten^ of the country their chance to realise th(t possibilities oi their lives. Tradition says that once the old rut hi Priory-street, Carmarthen, is removed, thstk! ancient borough would be no more. The stated the other night that the ^"Tiwfhtn Town Council became so alarmed-sane tinv ago that they built a wall round the 1D8CIa- decayed tree. An amusing incident happened at ase^tb*. St. David's dinners in North Wales. TkJ toast of the" Immortal memory of tit*, David had been proposed, and the «wn- pany rose as usual to pledge it in silence, wba; an old gentleman astonished the f*°* Virimr b# singing For he's a jolly good fellow ra A sculptor asked a Welsh bard to write» nice little verse ah £ it She d.øce8sed u place upon the tombeto^j. This is how be it Underneath this pile of stonea, Lie the remains of Mary Jones Her name was Lloyd-It was not Jones, But Jones was put to chyme with stones. General Baden-Powell's family motto is-afct& puzzling the minds of Welsh readers, and even the General himself, for he is keenly anxious to know its correct meaning when he comes to Cardiff on Monday next. Its correct wending a* used at present is :— Ar nid yw pwyll pyd yw." Talfyrydd's History of Haven throws t flood of light on the way the preachers at Wales a hundred years ago were paid. The Church book for 1&1.J has tbe following list ot: payments to preachers: — Dr. Pnillins. Neuaddlwyd, 2s; Azaaah Shadrac, Isj Michael J ones with two Wrexham students, 4s David Davies, from London, 2s Ja-mew Pergryn, 2s. Bro. Edward Bourne, ..J..p. of Cheltenham* the Grand Master of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows, and Mrs Bourne will visit Cardiff on the 50th of March, and will be the guests ot the Lord Mayor, who will entertain them to luncheon. The Grand Master is expected to deliver an importamtspeech at Cardiff the same evening. An old Carmarthen bookworm has passed away, at the age of 82 years, in the person oi Mr Steadman Thomas, Belle View, Peusarn, This specialist in pedigrees came of a very ol<t and celebrated family, and was a descendant of Sir Rhys ap Thomas by a daughter of thli latter. Another ancestor was Sir John Perrotm who was governor of the 1 Castle in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Rev. Evan IJoyd, great grandfather of the Rev. W. J. Phillips, who is contesting the seat on the County Council in the Porthcawl Divi. sion, came to Porthcawl about 128 years ago. His son, Rev. Titus Lloyd, preached tha ancient sermon in connection with the Odd- fellows' dinner for 50 years without a single break. The church at Porthcawl has alwava been ministered to by one of the family. The late Idrisyn, the well-known Welsh Bibb commentator, himself a clergyman, left several sons, some of whom are now hnlrimg orders in the Church of England. One of them, how- ever, the Rev. Idrisyn Jones, is a Congr^a- tional minister, who, having now retired frui^ active service, has taken up his residence iifc Cardiff. For years he has taken great in.terE8á¡ in such subjects as the Second Advent and 1JIeoí identity of the British people with the tribes of Israel. Mr Jones has now published an interesting pamphlet illustrating in a stok-^ ing fashion his theory. The resting-place of David Morris, the rnht-u brated preacher of Capel Hendre, Carmarthen*^ shire, is close by the old chapel. He difd June 18th, 1858, in his 71st year, and t.Kcm» the words following the usual inscription Canys Dafydd, wedi iddo wasanethu al genhedlaeth ei hun trwy ewyllys Duw. a ddodwyd at ei dadau." Thus to later genera- tions is conveyed the memory of David Morria. whose fiery sermons swayed the country his great influence pervaded the whole life of ttws community. It is said that he was the q| starting more than one of the great religious upheavals, and directly to the influence of l»fr> preaching can be traced the conversion of tb* Rev. Edward Matthews, prince among Soottfc Wales divines. How many stories could be Md < £ > cwrddau mawr and the bittern^ oftaS, existing as to who shall be the ceffyl b1aeo or first to ascend the pulpit. Some of tbe greatest preachers of the day are, in tbi8 respect, the worst offenders. They discourse for over an hour, and leave the lesser light the unpleasant task of keeping a large congregation interested for another lengthened period, whereas an arrangement made beforebaDci would save both the congregation and the preachers. But it is frequently the case tbaá an indifferent preacher monopolises all the time and leaves the star only a brief 15 minutes or half an hour. At Capel Als, Llaa- eily, a> few years ago, when this occurred, the second preacher, who, to everybody's chagrin, was put in this predicament, ascended the pulpit and said only the benediction 1 It vra* a greater rebuk than, words could convey.

A FRACTURED SKULL. Young Ctllier's Compensation. At Pontypool County Court on Wednesday, before Judge Hill Kelly, Thos Hopkin Norman, a young collier, claimed compensation from the Elled Colliery Company in respect of injuries received at respondents' colliery, on January 23rd last year. Compensation at the rate of 146 dd per week was paid up to January 1st, this year, when it was stopped. Mr H. Saunders, for the applicant, said that he sustained a fracture of the skull through a fall of stone from the roof. It was rarely a person recovered from such an accident as hia client met with. Mr A. E. Bowen, for the respondent, said tk was alleged applicant had given way to drink. The applicant denied this. Some friends treated him to three half-pints on New Year'a Eve," he said, adding," That's all." Dr. Mason said the applicant could not do even light work continuously. Dr. Jones said that the man would not be able to do work requiring a stooping attitude. His Honour said that as respondents would not give suitable light work, he awarded com- pensation at the rate of 14s 8d per week. But if applicant did not endeavour to get light work elsewhere, or if he gave way to drink in the future, he would reduce the amount of the compensation.

DESERTED FAMILY. At Aberavon on Wednesday Alex. Brown, lodging at Splott, Cardiff, was brought up oz. a warrant, charged with deserting his wife and two children. Warrant Officer Galxiel said prisoner's wife and children bad been relieved to the extent of £2 18s 9d. Prisoner, who was arrested in Cardiff, could make no offer, and he was sentenced to one 1,1.