The Cardiff Times

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CONSTRUING A WELSH WILL. Rhondda Litigants. In theOhancery Division on Wednesday Mr Justice Eve was asked to construe the mean- ing of certain clauses in the will of the late John Watkin Jones, of the Royal Hotel, Tre- alaw, Rhondda Valley, in the action of in re J. W. Jones, deceased, Jones v. Nicholas. The plaintiff was Dr. David John Jones, West End, and the defendants were Walter Power Nicholas, solicitor, Mrs Margaret Anne Phillips, Edith Mary Jones, and Trevor Jones. Mr Nicholas, the first defendant, is a solicitor, and the legal representative of Ann Jones, deceased, who at her death was the sole ex- ecutrix of the testator. Edith Mary Jones re- sided at Hampstead, and Mrs Phillips was the wife of John Frederick Phillips, Bridge House, Tonypandy, and Trevor Jones lived at Cym- mer Park. Rhondda Valley. The testator died in November, 1900, leaving his wife sole execu- trix. After certain pecuniary and specific bequests he devised and bequeathed the whole of the residue of his personal estate to his wife during her life or widowhood. Upon her death the plaintiff claimed to be the absolute owner of the freehold, but this the defendants dis- puted. His Lordship said on the question sub- mitted by the. plaintiff he decided that he was not the absolute owner or tenant for life, and the distributions must be made on that foot- ing. Order accordingly.

ALTERED BIRTH CERTIFICATE. I -1 At Abergavenny on Wednesday Thos. Bright, labourer, was summoned for falsifying a birth certificate, issued by the Superintendent Registrar of the Bromsgrove District. Alice Bright, his wife, was summoned for using the certificate knowing it to have been falsified at Abergavenny on October 20th. Mr Scanlon, Abergavenny, prosecuted, and said that Bright had been summoned for non-compliance with an orddr to send his adopted son, William Devonport, to school and Mrs Bright before in court bad claimed ex- emption on the score that the boy was four- teen years of age, and produced a certificate to this effect. Attention was drawn to the fact that the certificate had been altered, and it was impounded. The male defendant did not appear. Mrs Bright said that the copy came to her house by post when she was out, and that the boy's father who was staying with her at the time must have altered it as he would have it that the boy was fourteen. She said that her husband had gone to look for work before the summons was sent to her house. The female defendant was fined £1 or 14 days.

French and Natives. HEAVY LOSSES IN AFRICA. Paris, Wednesday.—The Paris journals this morning all publish accounts from Africa of an attack on the French posts in Wadai, and state that the French suffered severe losses. The official report states that the French force was attacked at Grijene, the capital of Massalit, by an immensely superior force of natives, well armed. The fight lasted for some time, but at length the natives were re- pulsed with heavy loss. The French losses, too, were heavy, and the Minister has cabled for fuller particulars to be sent without delay. —Exchange. Paris, Wednesday (later).—Supplementary details received at the Colonial Ministry re- garding the fighting in the French Sudan show that a column of 300 sharpshooters, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Moll, entered Dridgeli on November 8th, without firing a shot, but were attacked at 10 o'clock on the following morning at Dorothy, five kilometre-s south of Dridgeli, by 5.000 of the enemy. After a stubborn fight, lasting an hour and a half, the enemy was put to flight, leaving 600 killed and carrying off lma.ny wounded. Lieut.- Colonel Moll, Captain Jolly, Adjutant Leclere, and Sergeant Bal were killed, together with 28 riflemen, while 12 more riflemen are missing. An officer and three non-commissioned officers and 69 men were slightly wounded. Major Mollard afterwards umed command. He reported that all is quiet at Abecher, which is strongly entrenched and garrisoned.-Reuter. Totally Inadequate Force. Paris, Wednesday.—The check to the French forces in Equatorial Africa is generally attri- buted to an insufficiency of troops, a force of only 6QO men being left to defend a territory equalling in extent four-fifths of France, while, for the entire area, including Chad, nearly four times the size of France, only 6,000 men were available. Colonel Moll bad the reputation of being a prudent officer, not likely to take any un- necessary risks, and had himself pointed out the weakness of the force under his command. The Journal des Debate considers that France will experience further difficulties in the same region until the Anglo-Egyptian Government makes up its mind to establish order in Darfur, a thing which France is pre- vented from doing by the treaty of 1819.— Reuter.

PLOT AGAINST JAP EMPEROR. Death Sentence on 26 People. Tokio, Nov. lith.-In the spring of this year a number of arrests were made in Japan. It was given out that the prisoners were Socialists, charged with plotting to assassinate some high personage." Later a startling story was told in the clubs frequented by Japanese of the higher c lass and officials. It was said that the men recently arrested had plotted against the life of the Emperor himself. Finally it leaked out that there was some foundation in fact for the statement that a band of Anarchists had formed a plot to take the life of the Emperor of Japan as lie drove from his palace to one of the out-iyíng military schools to inspect the students. Bombs were the weapons to he used. The bombs were* discovered and seized. Four or five men first, then four or five more, until at last some 40 were in gaol in Tokio charged with complicity in this hideous plot. Within the last few days 25 men and one woman have been tried and convicted under the following clause in the criminal code :—" Anyone who injur", assassinates, orx attempts to assassinate the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, the Crown Prince, or the Imperial grand- children shall be put to dtath.Prew Asso- ciation Foreign Special.

LAST OF THE LUCKNOW V.O's. Sir Anthony Dickson Home, V.C., K.C.B., who has been celebrating his eighty-fourth birthday, is the last man left of the little band of eleven-cutoti after the much of Havelock's column of relief into Lucknow Pet-idiz I in September, 1867* held a house in a Lucknow bazaar against 1,000Sepoys for a whole long day bir Anthony Home, ii.C. ), and night, defending wonnded men. Sir Anthony was a surgeon then attached to the 90th Light Infantry, and was with the rear- guard that could not force its way through to the Residency with the main body of Have- lock's men on September 25. The events of September 26, which gained him the Victoria Cross, are still fresh in the memory of Sir Anthony.

EX-SULTAN'S BANK DEPOSITS. Action Against German Bank. Leipzig, Wednesday.—The Imperial Court of Justice has confirmed the judgment on the Berlin Kammergericht" ordering 'the Imperial Bank to band over to the ex-oultan, Abdul Hamid, the sums deposited by him at the bank with the object of saving costs, the amount of which is regulated by the value of the object in litigation. The plaintiff had only claimed the sum of 40,000 marks (92,000) in the suit. It was shown that the Sultan, as 211 a prisoner, had demanded the surrender of his deposite under certain pressure. The amount. of the deposits is £ 600,000.—Reuter.

OAIRO TO CAPE BY CAR. Berlin, Wednesday .—The Nemste Nachrich- ten states Lieutenant Detleff Sehmude and Herr Mueller, the well-known geologist, seconded by the German Government, are about to unaertakea journey from Cairo to the Cape by means of a motor-car, the object being to demonstrate the value of the auto- mobile for transport of travellers and goods, especially in German Africa. A special car will be contstructed towing a trailer, the latter moving on wheels only 3ft. 3in. in diameter. The wheels are to be fitted with double tyres and movable rims. The cost of the cars will be £ 10,000. Experiments with wireless telegraphy i will be made during the journey.—Central News.

DANISH DEFENCES. Stockholm, Wednesday.—The commission which was appointed in September, 1907, to examine the defences of the country has issued its report. It recommends an expen- diture of £ 5,180,000 yearly for eight years for defence purposes, the construction of four battleships and four torpedo boat destroyers, the extension of the period of colour service and the-development of the coast defences.— Reuter.

NEW HULL FOR WARSHIPS. Berlin, Tuesday. According to the "Taglicbe Rundschau," the Ministry of Marine is cauvying, out trials with a new model of hull for large vessels, which has already een proved at the experiment station of the North German-Lloyd at Bremerhaven, to show an economy of 25 per cent. in engine-power for a given speed. This is arrived at by a re- duction of the resistance to water owing to the form of the hull combined with a change in the situation of the propellers. It is further claimed that the new hull will be much steadier, especially with high speed. It is the invention of Herr von Koeppen.

MRS EDDY'S BURIAL. Boston (Mass.), Wednesday.—The Christian Science leaders decided that the remains of Mrs Eddy shall be interred at Mount Auburn Cemetery pending the ejection of a mausoleum. —Central News.

NEW YORK SNOW-BOUND. New York, Wednesday.—Snow has been falling heavily here for 36 hours, and still con- tinues. Traffic of all kinds is disorganised, and many accidents are reported.—Central News.

WELSH COUNTRY HOMES. Lil.-Nottage Court. A TUDOR MANOR HOUSE. P6ints in its History. SOME- EXQUISITE TAPESTRIES. A mile inland from Porthcawl stands Not- tage Court, which though in point of size it is by no means a large house, is still one of the most interesting in the County of Glamorgan, retaining as it does so many of the character- istics of the Tudor times in which it was built. The main front with its three gables faces almost due south and, looks out upon a plea- sant prospect of garden, backed by trees which screen it partially from the quiet little by-road which winds across to Newton Not- tage and the sand hills. On the eastern side the ground falls away across well watered mea- dows, beyond which you may see the hills above Tythegston and Candles ton and the Ogmore mouth. Westward, beyond a narrow belt of trees, is the little cluster of houses forming Nottage village, which is 1 dually extending a modern suburb to the tward along the road leading to the golf iinks. The environ- ment of Nottage Court is altogether of quietude and healthfulne&s, for whether the wind blowg from south-east or south or north- west the sea breezes sigh in its tree tops and whistle round its Tudor gables. Some Historical Landmarks. Though the present house dates from the 16th century, the history of the Manor goes back far earlier. Excavations many years ago brought to light remains of Roman days. One of these was a ring, while another was a small brass ornament depicting the face of a Medusa. In Norman times the Manor, with others ad- jacent, belonged to the de Clares. In the time of Edward III. Jenkin and Thomas Turbervill had the lordships of Newton Not- tage from Henry de Cockershal and Johanna, his wife." In the 14th century Newton Nottage was referred to in manuscripts as Newton Notassh." In a previous article upon Margam Abbey we made reference to the document, bearing date 1540, which records the sale by the Crown of the Abbey of Margam to Sir Rice Mansel, Kt. This contains a list of properties belong- ing to the Abbey, and among the granges is Noge Court Grange." Does this refer to Nottage Court t The point is an extremely in- teresting one that for the present at any rate must be left to conjecture. Seme Subsequent Owners. During the latter part of the sixteenth and in the seventeenth century the Lougher family, who had intermarried with the Turbervilles, lived for some portion of the period at any-rate at Nottage. "It is probable," says the late Mr H. H. Knight, that the first Robert Lougher, of Nottage, was the second son of Watkin Lougher, who lived throughout the great por- tion of the reign of Queen Elizabeth at Titheg- ston. Whether he obtained Nottage Court by marriage with Alice Watkin, his father's ward, is uncertain. Robert's son, Watkin, died in 1628, and his grandson mortgaged the property to William Jones, an apothecary, of Cardiff. His grandson, Cradock Nowell, sold it in 1777 to Mrs Basset, Colonel Knight's guardian, and thus it returned into the collateral descendants of the family from which it had been alienated. In the Knight family it remains, for the present owner is Mrs Gordon. Nottage Court To-day. The present house which retains so many of its Tudor characteristics is a stone building, the ground plan of which resembles a capital E, each of the projecting portions, which are at the south or main front, being crowned by a gable terminating in a carved finial. The door- way leading into the entrance halt and the mullioned windows all bespeak Elizabethan days. The entrance is at the western end of the main front, and through a square porch you enter a long low room which it is not too much to say is one of the most quaint and charming apartments of its kind in the county. Pro- bably in days passed this formed the principal living room of the house. To-day it is used as a dining-room. Everything here speaks of ancient days. The ceiling is supported on massive oak beams. The walls from floor to ceiling are paneled, and every doorway, of which there are at least four, is of stone and in the Tudor style. The fireplace is of the same date and also of stone. All the furniture, much of which was collected by the late Mr H. H. Knight, the uncle of the present owner, is old, being mostly representa- tive of the 16th and 17th centuries. Some Beautiful Tapestries. A striking feature of the interior of Nottage Court is provided by its beautiful tapestries. These originally belonged to the family, and were brought from the Abbey House at Tewkesbury together with portions of carved oak moulding with the initials of the Abbot who held office there in 1509. Of these tapestries two are in the hall or dining room. That at the lower end, immediately to the left hand on lower end, immediately to the left hand on entering, depicts Antony giving kingdoms to Cleopatra's children, while at the upper or eastern end is another magnificent piece of I NOTTAGE COURT—THE MAIN FRONT. I r ii n__n. 'W- NOTTAGE COURT—THE DINING ROOM, SHOWING TUDOR FIREPLACE AND OAK PANELING. (S.W.D.N. Photo.) NOTTAGE COURT-A CORNER OF THE DINING ROOM. I (S.D.W.N. Photo.) NOTTAGE COURT-TAPESTRY AT THE EASTERN END OF THE DINING ROOM. (S.W.D.N. Photo.) I I work, exquisitely designed and made, repres- enting Noah's sacrifice. A Fine Elizabethan Apartment In the halls or dining room, as in other parts of the house, are some beautifully carved chests, of which an especially fine one is that at the eastern end below one of the tapestries. Against the north wall opposite the front door is a richly carved oak cabinet, the panels of which depict hunting scenes. On the north wall hanf some old oil paintings of ancestors of the family. Above the stone fireplace is a carved oak border, the extremities of which are elaborated into quaintly fashioned figures in Elizabethan ruffs. In every nook and cor- ner there is carving. Even the sides of the window recesses have carved panels, of one of which, a lady in Tudor garb with an extra- ordinarily large right hand, we reproduce a photograph. The paneling is noteworthy, each panel being divided by cross pieces into j four triangular portions. 1 Some Quaint Carving. < The morning-room, a pleasant apartment with mullioned windows, occupies the south- eastern corner of the house. Here the paneling which is of the linen pattern order forms a dado to a height of some three or four feet from the ground. The main Interest of the morning-room is the quaint carving which occupies the wall space above the pretty Tudor fire-place. This carv- ing depicts the five ages of man and was pre- sumably the design or work of one who did not believe in the commonly accepted division of life's span into seven parts. To the left hand < is a child blowing bubbles and beneath it are the words, i show my time as in- fansee." The second figure is of a girl with a », garland of flowers, beneath which is the legend My time is at the best with me." Thirdly is j a figure of a grown man with an hour glpss, « and the words. See that your time well spended be." The fourth figure is that of an old man supporting his tottering footsteps with i a stick, beneath which is the line, Time was, < and holds me in decree," while the last scene is t of a shroud, and bears the words. Tim(e)s past from death." The staircase, the dado of which is of linen pattern paneling, is on the northern side of the morning room and leads to a small land- ing, all the doors leading from which are sur- mounted by stone Tudor-headed archways. The Tapestry Bedroom. The most interesting room upon this floor is what is known as the tapestry bedroom, for it contains two large pieces of tapestry which came many years ago, as did those described previously, from the Abbey House at Tewkes- bury. Of those in the bedroom that upon the eastern wall depicts Miriam with her timbrel rejoicing at the overwhelming of Pharoah and his hosts in the Red Sea, the latter drama- tic episode being illustrated at the right hand side of the tapestry. On the long western wall of the bedroom is the tapestry having for its subject a gallant nobleman riding forth with his hawk, and followed by his page, to meet a fair lady with a lute. It is believed that the male figure may be that of George Duke of Clarence, and that the lady who has come out to meet him is Lady Isabel Nevil, the daughter and heiress of the Duke of Warwick. The detail work of this tapestry, which is in some respects the finest of those at Nottage"Court, is wonderful. It contains most of the flowers which are referred to by Chaucer in his Canterbury Tales. Here also is a notable example of an Eliza- bethan four-post bedstead, the posts and canopy of which are all exquisitely carved, and bear among other devices the double Tudor Rose. On the northern side of this room, near the door, is an exquisitely-wrought chest, inlaid in mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell. A Relic of Roman Times. There are many other interests at this fine old Elizabethan manor house, but our space is circumscribed. Not the least interesting feature of the front is a fragment of antiquity which goes back well nigh 17 centuries, for it is an inscribed stone which was brought in a vessel as ballast to Aberavon many years ago, and which was procured by the late Mr H. H. Knight, and placed in Nottage Court garden just in front of the house. It is inscribed on one side to Gordian III. and on the other to Diocletian. These Roman Emperors lived of cours in the third century of the Christian Era. Diocletian is too well known to need mention, but Marcus Antonrus Gordianus was treacherously slain in A.D. 244 by one his generals, Philip the Arabian, who succeeded him, and was buried on the banks of the E uphrates near Dura. This landmark of Reman days is in an excellent state of preservation, ac £ its inscription may still | under favcurati^<ionditions be deciphered.

News Agencies Trap. AN INFRINGED COPYRIGHT. In the Chancery Division on Wednesday Jus- tice Warrington had before him a motion hy the Press Association and Exchange Telegraph Company, Limited, to restrain the Norther r. and Midland Reporting Agency from infring- ing plaintiff's copyright in certain election re- sults. Defendants, who in a circular described themselves as of Lumley-road, Skegness, ap- peared by their manager, Mr R. J. G. Dutton. He stated that he only had the notice d motion in a letter late on Tuesday night, and he asked for an adjournment. The Judge, having ascertained defenilani had not been served with the writ, said he had better be served now, and regarding the appli- cation for adjournment, decided to first hear plaintiff's evidence. Mr Cave, opening the case, said plaintiff's were the two, principal purveyors of news of all kinds. He described the very elaboraU and costly arrrangements made to secure early results both by 'phone and wire for the purpose of forwarding to numerous sub- scribers, and plaintiffs were desirous of protecting their rights. The charge to subscri- bers, for the service was a considerable sum, and a short time ago plaintiffs had information that a circular was being issued by the defen- dent agency offering to supply results at cer- tain charges. Plaintiffs held the view no one could get the results telephoned direct from the constituencies and redistribute them at the prices quoted by the defendant agency, and thereupon made arrangement for a test. They arranged for a paper to subscribe to defendant's agency for the service of results, and on Saturday, the first day of the declaration of polls, plaintiffs purposely altered the results in four cases. These altered figures were telegraphed by the defendant agency to that paper, and were sent sometime after plaintiffs had published them. Counsel read affidavits from persons em- ployed by the Press Association showing how the matter had been carried out. Replying to the Judge, Mr Dutton said that it had never struck him there was any infringement. If the results were copyright he would accept judgment against him with- out costs. Eventually the Judge granted a perpetual injunction without costs.

"SALOME AT COVENT GARDEN Some alterations have been made it Strauss' opera Salome," performed for the first time in England this week, in order to bring it with in the Censor's requirements. It is being given by the Thomas Beecham Opera Company, and Mme Aino Ackte, from the Grand Opera, Paris, will sing and dance the title role. She is Strauss's own selection for the part, and studied Mme Aino Ackte. I it with him for many weeks. She has already played the par t twenty times in the principal opera houses of the most important of the <'ontinental cities, and she believes" the opera will create as great a, sensation in London as it has done in other capitals. In New York it was withdrawn after one performance. The .-ipera is a setting, almost unabbreviated, of Oscar Wilde's play of,that name, which owed much to a tale by Flaubert.

A FATHER'S CRIME. Found Guilty, but Insane. Atthe Central Criminal Court on Wednesday Stanley Dennis (32), carman, was indicted for the murder of his infant child, Violet Blanche Dennis. Mr Bodkin, who prosecuted, said the case was a melancholy one. Prisoner was fond of his children, and when he abstained from drinking was a very respectable and kindly husband. He had been out of work for twelve months, and his wife had been going out charing. They lived in Southampton-street., King's Cross. On t he morning of 29th October a sister-in-law came to see them, and a shilling was spent in beer. There was little doubt pri- soner had been drinking heavily for some time. At 20 minutes to one that day his wife left home to go to work, and at 2 o'clock prisoner walked out of the house saying to a neighbour, You will have a surprise in about five min- utes." He walked up to a constable in the street and said, Guv'nor, I have killed my baby. It was all through the drink." The policeman went back with him, and found the child had been strangled. Prisoner then said, I strangled it an hour ago with my hands. Send for my wife." Evidence having been called, Dennis was round goilty, but insane, and was ordered to be detained during the King's pleasure. Drink ind unemployment were factors in the case.

FOUNDER OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE. The death of Mrs Mary Baker Eddy, at the ige of eighty-nine, removes one of the most re- narkable personalities of the present day. For nore than half a century she was poor, strug- gling and unknown. The world did not hear of Christian Science until 1875, when Mrs Eddy, en well past middle age, published her book. Science. and Health," and organised the first -ongregation of "believers." To-day Christian Science is a powerful force in America, where nany imposing churches have been built by tfrs Eddy^i disciplcs, and where thousands of healers practice her precepts. She was a voman of strong, masterful personality. She ihowed keen business capacity in developing ,he financial side of the new "science," and un- 'ailing courage in dealing with the internal dis- lensions and revolts which frequently ar03e' imong her disciples. Science and licalth I,, M Mrs Eddy. I was written in a little cottage in Boston, and Mrs Eddy believed, as do many of her fol- lowers, that she was directly inspired in her famous Boston church this little cottage is im- mortalized in stained glass. After making £ 50,000 out of the first sales of Science and Health," Mrs Eddy purchased a large estate near Concord, Massachusetts, and built a pala- tial residence. Here she received thousands of visitors in a kind of semi-regal state. She sat in a chair which was placed on a dais in one of the drawing rooms. Until a few years ago Mrs Eddy personally supervised the work of the Christian Science movement, and kept a large staff of secretaries busy answering the letters which poured into Concord from aJI parts of the world.

The King sent 360 head of fat stock from the Royal Farms at Windsor to the Slough Christmas cattle sale an Tuesday, and they realised a total of £ 2,566. There were 35 Deion, Shorthorn, and Hereford bullocks, 250 Hampshire, Down and crossbred sheep, and 75 bacon bogs and porkers. The champion prize in the competitive cattle classes was won by a magfaificent Devon ox exhibited by Mr I H. H. HOT rd Vyse, of Stoke-place, Slough, which was sold for £36.

WELSH GLEANINGS. News and Views in Lighter Vein. According to an official report 92,000 acre* have been obtained by the English and Welsh County Councils for small holdings. There are now between 200 and 300 wild fowl •~n Roath lake. The species include widgeon, polchard, coot, and tufted duck, George William Manby, who invented the coast life-saving rocket apparatus, was a schoolfellow and in those early days a great -:dlmreI1 of Nelson. He was the Bonot -Matthew Pepper Manby, a captain of th. Welsh Fusiliers. Miss Eva Bruce, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Lord and Lady Aberdare, and whose bptrothal is announced, has not mad& her formal appearance in society, her debut having been deferred until naxt year owing to the Court mourning. The Bute family held Cardiff as a pocket borough for 40 years, during which time, from 1790 to 1831, four members of the family sat for Cardiff, till in 1832 John Nicholl, of Merthyr Mawr, closed their reign. Mr Stanley B. Jones, of Swansea, is a grett fa.ncier of bulldogs, and the Christmas numbeJr of the Illustrated Kennel News," which has been described a& a dog show without the noise," devotes half a page-to Mr Jones and his dogs, of which there are pictures of Mackworth Albert," Babina," and Mackworth British." Mr J. H. WilliamS, the Mayor of Newport. who opened the Shopping Carnival last week. is himself a grocer, b eing managing director of Messrs J. H. Williams and Son, Ltd., grocers, bakers, and provision merchants, Newport. He is only 42 years old and a native of Haver- fordwest. Five hundred Peers possess 15,000,000 acres of land in the British Isles. Can cats, asked John Bright, be trusted to make laft for mice ?" If ever the people of this country are to enjoy the full benefits of a free and easy access to the land with security of tenure and right to their own improvements THE LORDS MUST GO. The Vancouver World gives the exciting experiences of a Swansea lady, Mrs Campbell- Johnston, youngest daugther of Mr A. Merry. of Swansea. With her husband, she penetrated through almost trackless mountain wilder- nesses, over torrential mountain rivers, across a mountain 6,000 feet high, a journey of 400 miles in all. She is the first white woman to invade the recesses of the New North." The Home Office have approved of the advance of £50 a year in the salary of Major Leadbetter, chief constable of Denbighshire, which was voted by the Standing Joint Com- mittee in consideration of his long and abls services to the county. The advance was re- sisted by the County Council members on th. Joint Committee, and the County Council some weeks ago passed a resolution asking tin Home Secretary not to confirm it. Alderman Lewis Morgan has ransacked tbtf dictionary for words ending in tion." In hit election address the following appears —Th* present Constitution is to bedestroyed to facili- tate so-called Progressive legislation, and to bring about—" Disruption, reduction, spolia- tion, persecution, secularisation, confiscation! nationalisation, pauperism, creation, aliebaf. tion, taxation, Imperialisation." The list finishes with destruction "—ominous for thC genial alderman's chances on December 13th. Cadrawd's article on Twm o'r Nant recalls a story once told of the Welsh W8Øt Caught inside a churchyard in the act oC praying over the grave of a departed friend, clergyman waited and told Twm that he woo* dered it was possible in a churchyard to hold communion with the dead. "Oh, yes, it is, replied Twm, and we had an interesting conversation. I had a message from heaven asking me if there were any clergy on earth, now, because none had COIUe to heavenlor some time." Neither on the Bench nor in private life is Lord Justice Vaughan Williams a slave to conventionality. His custom of travelling second-class on his circuit travels once caused a High Sheriff to make a ludicrous mistake* Stepping leisurely from his compartment alt the rear of the train, the learned judge, clad in farmer-like attire, saw tbe obsequiong High Sheriff engaged in paying tbe Clerk of Assize, a stately-looking ma* in a fur-lined cloak, the homage due himself. Sir Roland Vaughan Williams's country house is near Dorking, where be devotes his leisure to farming. Lord Justice Vaughan Williams's humoav has an epigrammatic turn. There is a genuine ring about these affidavits, as if they were the witness's own words. I can never understand why counsel will undertaker the arduous task of convincing their oppo- nents instead of the judge. Their opponents are paid not to be convinced." There is a. Providence, even in the City." These an some of the good sayings with which be has adorned his judgments. To a voluble and persistent barrister he once said, Stop, Mr my receptivity is exhausted." A number of Newportonians have for tile second time settled the fate of an election When Mr G. R. Thorne, the Liberal member for Wolverhampton, was first elected by majority of eight two motor cars containing nine of Messrs J. Lysaght's workmen from N port arrived at the booths just before 8 o'clock after a breakdown on the way and voted fem the successful candidate. On Saturday Mf C. D. Phillips, J.P., Emlyn Works, Newport* took a motor full of his employees to Gloucester to vote for Mr H. Terrell, K..G* who retained the seat by four majority. Political feeling is running high amon» Cardiff schoolboys. A fond parent noticed that his 12-year-old and 10-year-old respeo* tively had decorated themselves with hup bouquets of Liberal colours on Monday morn- ing. He remonstrated, and suggested two blood-red ties instead. The shops are open yet, dad," was the reply. "And three fellows on our form have challenged us to bring our colours to school this morning." Dinner time was awaited with anxiety, but the duett arrived with their colours still in position plus three Tory colours captured from tbi enemy. Evidently there are sturdy Liberal saplings in the Welsh Metropolis. Lord Lansdowne's repeated observation; Now, just a few more words before I sit down on that point," relieved the wearied faces of many of his listeners, for though hundredll had left the Skating Rink before hit Lordship had been speaking half an hout perhaps but for the sake of the blue' they were wearing they may have gone earliee. No* doubt, however, they were waiting fop Lord Lansdowne to sit on that point," ia which they were disappointed, for there wee* neither points to sit on, points in his argu- ment, nor anything pointed to delude the people in making Lord N inian Stuart Cardiff's repre- sentativ e. Lorfl Justice Vaughan Williams, who is just now very much before the public, belongs to a family that has produced three distinguished lawyers in three suceessive generations. His father was one of the most] earned Judfees that ever sat in the Common Law Courts, and his grandfather was one of the most famous Serjeants of his day. He is proud of the Welsh blood in his veins, and this was not the, least of his qualifications to act as chairman of the Welsh Church Commission. Sir Roland Vaughan Williams, who, owing to the peculiai roll of the body with which "he accompanied each of his sentences, was familiarly known as Rolling Williams in his forensic days; b gan his carecr at the Bar by devilling for Lord Halsbury. A pretty incident in connection with a largt colliery proprietor in the Rhondda Faeh. which occurred last week, explains the popu-u larity of that gentleman in the district. A grocery haulier in difficulties with a large box of goods which he required to lower from his lorry hailed a passer-by for assistance. Help was readily granted, and the heavy box re- moved to where it was required. After the apparent stranger had disappeared, the haulier turned to a lady customer and asked who was tbe" mate who had given him the necessary help. The surprise of the haulier can be better imagined that described when he was informed that his Samaritan was a wealthy colliery pro- prietor who lived nearby. The colliery pro' prietor referred to is Mr W. J. Thomas, J.P., Brynawel, Ynyshir. A cutting from an American newspaper sent us throws some light on the wonderful effect of the singing of the Royal Welsh Ladies' Choir. Words (says the writer) fail tc justly convey the magnificence of the total vocal efforts. Casting aside any feelings of sei < timent which might exist, it has to be ad- mitted that the Welsh choir, with its galaxy of talent, excelled in every way and soared far above the realms of general anticipation. Ali the renderings were perfect, and under all the circumstances aeapitaJ." P appears necessary to give the proper meaning to the expression. As a choir, the Welsh ladies practically put the stamp of infallibility on their reputation last night. Two hours of wondrous music bathed in glorious song did not appear to prove suffi- cient for the large audience." Our vocabulary this side of the Channel is so inadequate!

WORKMEN'S TOPICS. I THE GENERAL ELECTION. By MABON, M.P. Parliament has been dissolved, and the most important struggle of modern times is now being engaged in. Hence it becomes necessary once more to set out what it is that we are fighting for. Apart from the abso- lute control of the House of Commons over finance (which is scarcely disputed now even by the Peers themselves), the issue before the country is simple, precise, and direct—shall the British people govern themselves, or will they submit to be thwarted, hindered, and over-ruled by an irresponsible hereditary Assembly? That i3 the dominant political question. To it all else must be subordinated. If by any mischance the House of Lords were to be triumphant at this election, the old balance of our Constitution would be de- stroyed, and the consequence to this country would be calamitous. Another result equally disastrous, if not more so, would ensue. Should Toryism get into power, by however small a majority, the priceless blessings of Free Tradewould be lost to us in a very short time. For to over- throw Free Trade and to erect in its place a system of despoiling and exploiting the many for the benefit of the few is what they have been craving for for a long time. This, to my opinion, is far and away the most revolutionary as it is the most immoral proposal in the whole sphere of pontics. The Lords would joyfully use their Dower to fasten the fetters af Protection on the people in this country, even if so ruinous a policy would have been carried by only half a dozen votes through the House of Commons. I hope I am not exaggerating, but to me no peril that confronts this great country is nearly i:K> menacing as the possibility of a re- version to Protection. The policy which is falsely called Tariff Reform aims a blow right at the heart of our industrial prosperity and commereial pre-eminence. For by taxing every- thing that they propose they would add greatly to the cost of production and thereby hamper British manufacturers in all the mar- kets of the world, and its effects on the masses of the people in these isles would be ruinous. The taxes on bread, meat, butter, cheese, fruit, tea, sugar, clothing, and furniture would add enormously to the eost of living, and make life verymucb harder than ever to all wage-earners. Of all taxes the most .fruel is tax on bread. Here is a tax that penalises a man for his Everfcy, and very much so by the nature of avocation. Next to the tax on bread is what Mr Keir Hardie has described as This burdensome iniquitous tax on sugar. An injustice on the very poorest." It is admittedly the most odious of indirect taxes. Mr Asquith, the Premier, on one occasion remarked that, if he were asked which of the indirect taxes pressed most heavily on the bulk of the work- ing-class population, he would say the sugar tax rather than the tea tax. Sugar, after bread, came nearest to the definition of an actual necessity of life among the articles sub- ject to taxation. Sugar, unlike tea, finds work for much British labour. The sugar tax again, though reduced, is still exceedingly irk- some, and the injury that it does is hot to be measured by the amount of the duty. Protection would bear with such crushing weight on the masses of our people that they would be driven by their thousands into the ranks of tho&e who are at enmity with the whole social order. These are some of the grave dangers that Tariff Reformers, in their selfish folly, are prepared to impose upon the country. Certainly, the House of Lords is no security against them, and, more certain still, the Peers are hand-in-glove with the Protectionists, j Both must be fought to the death. Strikes in France. The Government's plan for preventing strikes in the public services, particularly on bhe railways, is now nearly complete, and the following is a summary of the main prin- ciples :— The scheme falls into three parts, of which the first deals with sabotage, which is defined I as the wilful destruction or rendering useless of I Instruments or other objects, with a view to i stopping or hampering work, industry, or com- tnerce. It is worthy of notice that the measure j applies also to the sabotage of private pro- j perty. The penalty of sabotage will be im- f prisonment from two to five years, a.nd of fines varying from 18 to 240. i Provocation or incitement to sabotage will j be a punishable offence, whether made in the j Press, by public speeches or writings, or pri- vately. The second and third portions of the scheme j deal only with the railway services. Th e first Part definiteliy deprives the men of the right to strike by making refusal to work an offence punishable by from six months to two years' I imprisonment. | At the same time machinery is set up to deal.; with all disputes arising between the com- panics and their employees. Periodical con- ferences will be held, local Conciliation Com- mittees will be set up, to be supplemented by I central committees, whose mission it will be to deal with the system as a whole. There will also be Arbitration Committe",which will take np the matter should the Central Conciliation Committee fail to arrive at a settlement. Appa- rently the men will have no choice but to accept the decision of the committee,on which, from all appearances, they will generally be in a minority. Over and above these measures the Government propose to remodel the law affecting the mobilisation of the railway men, and also to deal with services other than railways, the cessation of which would be injurious to the public interest. It is indeed clearly demonstrated here that all advocates of the nationalisation of large indus- tries need pause before pursuing the idea v ery much further in the face of such evidence that we found in Austria during our International Miners' Congress there two years ago. Who would in this country be a public ser- vant under conditions as put forward in the French Government's proposals ? Yet France is considered to be one of the foremost coun- tries of the world to preserve the rights and liberties of the masses of working men. The fact is. no improved conditions are to be secured by getting industries nationalised be- fore the Governments themselves are recon- stituted, or, at least, the majority inside them is composed of working men