The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard

MEETING AT ABERYSTWYTH OF MR. DAVID DAVIES' SUPPORTERS. RESOLUTION IN FAVOUR OF MR. BOWEN ROWLANDS. GREAT EXCITEMENT. Yestirday afternoon placards appeared about the town headed "Unity of the Empire," and announcing that a meeting of the supporters ef Mr. David Davies would be held at the Assembly Rooms to form a working committee. At half-past eight, the hour fixed for the meeting, the upper portion of the room was occupied by a few well-known Tories, Mr. Griffith Jones, the convener and Mr. David Davies's election agent, Mr. Stephen Evans, Old Cliange, London, and Llwyndafydd, Cardiganshire. Mr. R. J. Davies, Cwrt- mawr, and Mr. H. Bonsall, Cwm. The other parts of the room were occupied by the supporters of Mr. Bowen Rowlands, the Gladstonian candidate. Mr GRIFFITH JONES, commenciug the proceedings, said—This is a meeting of Mr David Davies's sup- porters. It is a business meeting to further the interests of Mr David Davies as a candidate for the county. (Groans.) I ask those boys to be quiet. (Laughter.) We shall proceed presently to take down the names of all those present who are supporters of Mr David Davies. (Hear, hear, groans, and hisses.) This is not a meeting for speeches. That we shall have in abundance again. It is a meeting for business. I have great pleasure in calling upon Mr Stephen Evans, an old and tried Liberal, and an old and tried friend of Mr David Davies, to take the chair this evening. (Uproar ) Mr STEPHEN EVANs-I came to Aberystwyth to-day upon quite another business with the intention of pro- ceeding to the bottom of the county to see coine of my friends, but when I arrived here I learned that iuy old friend and your old friend, Mr David Davies—(hisses and groans)—had determined to come forward again to represent this county. (Cheers from the Tories, and liisse-i and groans from the others.) I have been an oil Liberal all my life (Hear, hear.) I may say that I am an old Liberal of forty years' standing, and I have always worked for the Liberal candidate for this county. At the last election I took no little trouble and made some little sacrifice to attend eight or ten meetings with Mr David Davies in the centre of this couuty, and I assure you I was very pleased with him myself and with the way in which he explained his principles to the constituency, and I was in hopes that at all events we should go on three or four years without all election. Circumstances have now occurred, however, which makes it incumbent upon the electors of this county to go into another election. (Hear, hear.) I can assure you, gentlemen, that it is with the utmost pain that I have myself been obliged to separate myself from Mr Gladstone on this occasion. (Hisses.) I believe myself that Mr Davies has, with the utmost reluctance, felt it his duty to vote against Mr Gladstone's scheme of Government for Ireland. (Loud and continued groans and hisses.) I am quite sure that it was with the utmost reluctance that Mr David Davies separated himself from Mr Gladstone and Mr Gladstone's Government, hut let me tell you that Mr. Davies separated himself in veiy good com- pany—("Hear, hear." cheers from the Tories, and boots)-ith John Bright, Lord Hartington, Mr. Tre- velyan. and ninety other thorough Liberals. I believe myself (hAt Mr. David Davies is doing what he ought to do—("Oh" and hisses) in giving au opportunity for the electors of this county give an indepencle, t vote—(dissent and up- ro-.r)-at,ci I think he will find that he will have more support than he imagines. ("Not likely.") This is a business meeting. We have only asked those who are prepared to support Mr Davies to attend this meeting —(laughter, and a Voice It is a public meeting ")— and if there are any here who are not disposed to do so, we don't wish to press them unfairly in any shape whatever. (Hear, hear.) If we are going to return Mr. Davies (lallght(r) we shall have to put our heads together and work shoulder to shoulder. (Hear, hear, and cheers from the Tories.) I believe, for one, that: Mr Davies will be triumphantly returned. (Loud cries of "No, no," and Tory applause.) Mr Davies deserves well of this county. (Hear, hear.) He has been a good and liberal friend to this county. He has spent his money freely, The amount of work lie has done in connection with the College does him infinite credit, and I hope and trust that the electors will not be so ungrateful as to oppose so thoroughly liberal and honest man. Mr Da vie. Cwrtmawr, will now address you. (Up- roar. ) Mr DAVIES, Cwrtmawi, who was received with laughter and hisses, said—When you have finished, gentlemen. I shall commence. We appear here this evening as Liberals—(cries of "No, no "I--to support a Liberal candidate to support a man that we returned to Parliament last autumn of "Never no more," and "Shut up,")—and we are resolved that if there is a contest, but as yet we do not know whether there will be a Gladstonian candidate brought out against him—(cries of "Yes," find "Mr Bowen R,-)wlands -we are resolved to tight and put Mr Davies in again to represent as in the Commons House of Parliament. However, this is not a meeting for speaking, but is a meeting for business, and I shall sitnplv propose the following resolution- That this eting forms itself into a committee to -secure Mr D. id Davies's return, with power to a,ld to "its numbei, and we pledge ourselves to do every- tiling in our power to secure his return." (Hisses.) Mr G KIPFITH JONES—I rise to second the resolution, You know Mr David Davies. (A Voice "And you too.") He is the same man now—(cries of Question") -as he was six months ago—(loud cries of "No")- and you supported him. (Hoots and hisses.) There has cropped up since then a matter—(ciies of "Shut •Jp")—that neither you or nor Mr. Gladstone ever Areamt of, (Hisses, and loud cheers for Mr. Glad- stone.) You are all jumping; but I ask you how many of you have seen the Bill that you are now so hot- headed about? (Criesof;t All of us, "laughter, and hisses.) Before you can form any opinion of that Bill you must at least read it. What has the venerable John Bright aai(I about it. (Hisses and shouts.) What does he say ? You have hitherto respected him. (Cries of order ) Have you forgotten the mighty works thut «nau has done in his day? (Cries of No.") Are you so ungrateful to such a man ? (Cries of "No," laughter, Shup up." and "Order.") What does he say ? "Were it not for the great name of Mr Gladstoue—(tremendous ebeers. waving of hats, and hisses, which continued for &fmue time.) The CII A IRMA- -Now, gentlemen, order, if you please. Mr GRIFFITH JCXKS (continuing Mr Bright's remark -11 Not twenty men would have voted in its favour." (" Oh," laughter, and uproar.) There are a number of boys here who are not electors—(Query)—and they must reach maturity before they are electors. (Laughter and continued uproar.) Mr H. BONSALL, who was received with loud laugh- ter and cries of Tory," said—Gentlemen, if you will allow me I will support him. (A Voice What is your creed ? ") The CHAIRMAN—Let me appeal to you to give a fair hearing at all events to our friends. (Continued interruption.) Mr H. BONSALL—I hear a voice—(laughter)—down at the other end of the room who said I was only a boy. (Laughter.) It is the voice of one of your most revered ministers, and that man had the courage, the manly courage, to apologise for having said so. It is to the boys of Aberystwyth-(" Yes ")-the young men of A!)erystwyth-(" Yes ")-that we look for victory. (Laughter.) Now, gentlemen, Mr David Davieis-(" Oh," groans, and hisses)—I respect Mr David Ditvies-(Stiout, of No ")-and I respect Mr Gladstone, too, (Load shouts of No," uproar, and a voice, Who called him a thief? ") The CHAIRMAN—Shall I put the resolution? (Up- roar.) Mr BONSALL—Only one section of the Aberystwyth people spoke at the last meeting, and now there is auother section going to speak, aud you believe my words, as sure as I stand before you—(great interrup- tion)—Mr Davies will win the contest. (Laughter, cheers, interruption and adverse noises.) The CHAIRMAN—Now. I appeal to you, gentlemen, to hear this resolution. I will give it you if you like. The resolution is as follows That this meeting forms itself into a committee to secure Mr David Davies's return, with power to add to its uumber- (cries of No gf) ")-and pledges itself to do every- thing in its power to secure the return of Mr Davies." (Uproar and cries of Rowlands.") The Chairman, amid considerable uproar, put the resolution to the meeting, when about iifty voted for I t, the majority of v.hora were Tories and the non- voting members of the Conservative Club. Mr GRIFFITH JONES—A number of gentlemen will go round and take the names of those who support Mr Davies. (Uproar, during which the people got on to their feet and shouted, while Mr Jones, shoemaker, urged Mr Griffith Jones to carry it on.) Mr Gibson entered the room at this interesting stage of the proceedings and was received with great applause, the Chairman meanwhile being advised on one side by Mr William Wiliiams, and on the other by Mr Griffith Jones. Amidst the uproar and confusion, Mr GIBSON made his way to the middle of the room and proposed That this meeting pledges itself to support Mr Bowen RoN% lands. (Loud applause and cries of We will.") Mr-J. H. EDWARDS seconded the resolution, and it was put to the meeting and carried amid considerable cheers and uproar. The CHAIRMAN, during a lull, made himself partially heard, and said—I expected that this meetiug would have been composed of the supporters of Mr David Davies only. There are people here—(shouts of "Pub- lic meeting lio are not supporters of Mr David Davies—(a Voice "Justice to Ireland.") There are a large number here, however, who are satisfied with the resolution. (Shouts of "Tories.") Mr David Davits is a man so much respected by so many people that we expected to have au orderly meeting. (Laughter.) I now declare the meeting dissolved. No working committee for Mr Davies was formed. A scene of confusion and uproar now ensued, and a rush was made for the open air, on gaining which the crowd escorted Mr. Gibson to the Liberal Club Rooms, and by the tillle the place was reached the crowd numbered many hundreds. Mr. GIBSON*, going to the window, said—I am not about to say anything against Mr. David Davies, but we must oppose him, aud we must begin to oppose him at once. That meeting we have just left was called by his supporters, and if that meeting, full of the inhabi- tants of Aberystwyth, had been quiet, al- though every inhabitant there was opposed to Mr D. Davies, they would !ia,e gone away and said that the couuty was in his favour, I have letters in which he SY8 he will be leturned by an overwhelming majority —that he will be returned by a larger majority than he received at the last election—(laughter)—and he says this notwithstanding the fact that he is against Home Rule, against Mr Ci>nybeare's Mining Bill, against Mr Jesse Coilings' Bill, against Mr Broadhurst's Bill, and as far as I can judge, against every Liberal measure. (Shame.) Now, i say it will be a shame for us if we do not begin this battle now and carry it on without ilinching to the very end. (Loud cheers.) Who has Mr David Davies made his election agent ? A very faithful Liberal (Laughter, and a Voice: A back- slider.") He has lefr. tIle Liberal party, and he has called you and me the black sheep of the Liberal party." Now, we have got to prove one thing during this election that Wales is in favour of home rule (applause) home rule both for Ireland and home rule for Wales—(loud applause)— and that it is in favour of Mr Gladstone and not in favour uf Lord H;i»i,iugtou. (Cheers.) The whole of England is waiting to see what Cardiganshire will do. We have got, perhaps, the greatest battle in England to fight. We have got one of the wealthiest men and one of the shrewdest men in the House of Commons against us. Let us fight the battle good humouredly, but with a strong determina- tion to will it, and I have no doubt we shall succeed. (Applause.) Mr Bowen Rowlands will he here by the half past .v:ven train on Saturday morning, and will address a meeting in the eveuing, au.i'on Monday. Let us show him what Aherystwyth aud Cardiganshire will do. Everyoue of us must do our part. (Applause.) I have made a start, as you will see to-morrow, and the battle must go on until we have achieved the greatest victory that has ever been won in this country. (Cheers.) Mr. Gibson then retired, and the large gathering soon afterwards dispelsed. Whilst the crowd was in the street, Mr. H. E. Bon- sall rode quickly through it, at the risk of injuring the people. Fortunately nobody was hurt. There were two or three scuffles but no blows were- struck, and 110 damage of any kind was done.