The North Wales Express

SUMMARY OF NF, WS. Diptheria has broken out to an alarming degree in the neighbourhood of Rossett and Gresford. Parliament on Tuesday night ad- journed until Monday, the 17th inst., for the Easter recess. On Tuesday* a Llangollen farmer named Edwards was found drowned in a well. Hewent to his work as usual in the morning, but was never afterwards seen alive. A little girl three years of age, the daughter of Mr John Roberts, the well- known agriculturist, of Well House farm, Saltney, was last week found drowned in a horse-wash. Mr John Jenkins, Plas-isa', Ruthin, has been appointed a co-optative governor of Ruthin School, and also a I governor of the charities of that town. The 39th annual race between the University crews was rowed on Satur- day, Oxford winning by seven lengths. The time was 20 minutes 12 seconds. Of the total, Oxford has won 21 (three in succession) and Cambridge 17. I The polling for East Cornwall re- sulted in the return of Mr Acland, the Liberal candidate, by a majority ot 201, A Llanberis quarryman named Wil- liams, on Monday last, lost his footing while clearing away some rubbish, and fell to a depth of twenty-one yards, death being instantaneous. A respite has been granted to the convict Lamson, at the suggestion of the United States authorities. Mad'lle Sarah Bernhardt, the cele- brated French actress, was on Tues- day somewhat romantically married in London to a Greek gentleman named Damula. According to latest reports the mar- riage of Prince Leopold and the Prin- cess Helen of Waldeck has been post- poned indefinately. N: the Conway Petty Sessions on Monday, Mr F. G. Jones, a member of the town council, was fined 2s 6d and costs for erecting a building contrary to bye-laws. On Sunday, a lady named Mrs S my the, a resident of Collinstown, near Mullingar,was shot dead whilst driving home from church. Mr Love Jones-Parry took his seat as member for the Carnarvon Boroughs on Thursday week, and was received with cheers. The North Wales Line of Steamers have commenced operations, the first vessel running from Liverpool to Car- narvon on Wednesday last. Notices have heen posted up at all the North Wales collieries announcing that the current rate of wages will be reduced 5 per cent after the 15th inst. Jumbo is reported to have arrived safely at New York. He sailed in the Assyrian Monarch from London on Saturday, the 25th March. Mr and Mrs Gladstone arrived at Hawarden late on Tuesday night- One or two extra constables have Ii been placed on duty in the neighbour- hood. The High Sheriff of Anglesey (Mr Hugli Edwards) has appointed, as his under sheriff, Mr J. Lloyd Griffith, Holyhead, Mr J. Rice Roberts being the acting under sheriff. The Flintshire magistrates, on Tues- day, by a large majority, passed a re- solution to the effect that the expense incurred for the extra police force required to protect the Premier at Hawarden should be paid from the public purse and not charged to the county. A Russian Finn, while in a state of drunkenness, stabbed a Welsh sailor at Portmadoc on Monday night, in- flicting injuries which on the following day terminated fatally. A political debate on an extensive scale took place at Holywell last week, Mr P. P. Pennant presiding. At a meeting of the Denbigh Town Council on Monday it was decided to start a fund in aid of the Royal College of Music.

-n_ POLITICAL DEBATE AT HOLYWELL. It would be well if most towns in the Principality followed the commendable example set by Holywell and Flint- which are not the liveliest places in creation after all-of encouraging political debate. The typical Welsh- man of the nineteenth century is, if we are not digressing the laws of Datriotism by saying so, too fond of settling down to his newspaper when he wants to know how the wind in the political world is blowing. Of course his daily or his weekly may afford him all the information he requires, but that does not help him to form an in- dependent opinion for himself. "There's nothing like a good argu- ment," says the old maxim, and we maintain that a man, before he can assert himself to be possessed of any- thing like reliable political knowledge, must enter the arena of debate- whether in private or public it matters little-and go in for an interchange of idea and opinion. More than this, as Mr Pennant pointed out at Holywell, it is strange, but nevertheless un- deniable, many men can converse on a vast number of subjects easily and brilliantly in the congenial presence of the fire; but when they are put to the exacting task of facing an audience, as the American would say, they are nowhere "—it is another illustration of Horace with them, Sic transit glorta b mundz. The meeting last week in which the Holywell and Flint Debating Societies met at the former place to decide whether Mr Gladstone's Government was worth preserving, was, at any rate as regards numbers, and the in- terest taken in the proceedings, an un- equivocal success. Speakers were plentiful, and the presence of Mr P. P. Pennant, who it will be remembered was the Conservative candidate at the last general election, added tone to the gathering. The one thing wanting was, we think, discretion of speech on the part of those who participated in the debate. High-sounding epithet is all very well in its way, it may have momentary effect, but when, as Scott says, the cool reflection of morn- ing" comes, we are more inclined to value the argument than the elegant phrases in which it is clothed. For instance, we do not think it necessary for anybody when dealing with the Bradlaugh question to talk about the black fiend of theological malice," the contemptible spirit of abhorrent bigotry," etc., nor do we believe we could ever be wound up to such a pitch of despotic enthusiasm as would make us assert that "a Liberal Government and no other can or shall guide the destines of the British Empire." Another Speaker vehemently declared that the Tory policy at present was nothing but a malignant hatred of Mr Gladstone," another that the Irish Land Act was a measure of robbery and confisca- tion," another that "he would challenge anyone to find in the civilized world a government which had committed so many blunders, and wasted so much time as the present Government." These sort of party wasted so much time as the present Government." These sort of party recriminations are not to be encouraged. It is intelligible that a man should stand up bravely for his side, and throw as much force as possible into his arguments, but he should above all things guard himself against the use of irresponsible language. If they keep this in view, the Holywell aud Flint Debating Societies, possessed as they both are of admirable material, are likely to I flourish, and become a power in the locality.

DR PIERCE'S PORTRAIT. It will be remembered that in Sep- I tember of last year the people of Den- bigh and neighbourhood presented Dr 'I Evan Pierce with his portrait, as a .mark of their esteem for him, and in consideration of his services to the town and county ranging over a period of some thirty years. The portrait having been accepted by the worthy Dr, he, in accordance with general usage, presented it to the town of Denbigh for ever, and it was decided to hang in the magistrates' room at the Town Hall. Now, however, an exception has been taken to the latter course, and a motion is to be brought forward at the approaching quarter sessions for the c unty proposing to re- move the portrait. This, at first sight, appears a somewhat strange proceed- ing, but we are assured that it is simply a question of precedent, and that the magistrates have the highest regard 'I for Dr Pierce, and have no intention whatever of slighting his feelings by the removal of the portrait. The question of precedent is this-many years ago the portrait of the late renowned Sir Watkin was hanged up in the justices' room at Ruthin. Some of the magistrates, however, with a touch of fastidiousness, thought that justices' rooms were hardly proper places to display portraits, and after a good deal of controversy the work of art in dispute was translated to the grand jury room. Strange to say the magistrates are not moved by a sense of the aesthetic in the present instance. They object to Dr Pierce's portrait remaining in the justices' room on a point of precedent only. We fail to see that there is any reason for acting on precedent. Because the magistrates sixty or seventy years ago took into their heads that a painting hanged up in a justices' room was an eye-sore, it is a paralogism to suppose that the magistrates of the present day are bound to entertain similar views. In the county justices' room at Carnarvon there are several portraits hanged up, and, to our knowledge, nobody has ever made any complaint about them. And besides, what is the use of stowing away valuable paintings in grand jury-rooms, where they are only seen by the" great unpaid ?" Any- how, if the Denbighshire magistrates determine upon removing Dr Dierce's portrait from the sacred precints of the room that it now honours it will be gladly welcomed in the town council chamber.

At the Flintshire Quarter Sessions, on Tuesday, the question as to the cost of pro- tecting Mr Gladstone while he resides at Hawarden again came up, the prime mover in the matter being a London gentleman I who manifests an amazing amount of anxiety to protect the ratepayers of the county from a trifling expense. This gentle- man at the very outset of his speech rather suspiciously disavowed any political object, and went on to show that the cost of pro- tecting Ministers in London and in Ireland is not met by the ratepayers of limiteddistricts, and that therefore the ratepayers of Flint- shire should not have to keep extra police- men for Mr Gladstone's protection. Colonel Rowley, who thus champions the in- terests of the Flintshire ratepayers, does not appear to be either a landowner or a ratepayer in the county, and we believe has not attended the Flintshire Quarter Sessions at Mold for the last twelve years, so that if he has not a political object in view in his present proceeding, it Is difficult to see what spirit has moved him to this un- usual demonstration of activity. However, the bench adopted his opinion, that the public purse ought to bear the cost of Mr Gladstone's protection, and with that result he may be possibly satisfied. An interesting question as to the right of the public to fish in non-tidal rivers has been disposed of by Mr Justice Grove and Baron Huddleston. Mr Scotcher, a Wrex- ham gentleman, was charged with trespass and unlawfully angling for salmon in the River Dee, but he held that he was merely exercising a right, aa he held a licence to fish under the conservators of the district • u Jmoro1ove,7 as one of the public,' fished in the river for more than forty years without interruption. The owner of the property on both sides of the river had, however, Jet the fishing, heuce the action. The magistrates at Ruabon Petty Sessions dismissed the charge, but granted a case for the superior court, and it was on the state- ment of this cuse that the court's opinion has been expressed. Mr Justice Grove pointed out that navigation was ift some sense an act of ownership and evidence of ownership in the s il, but it con- ferred no right to take a profit from a water which was considered the prima facie right of the ripavian owner. No case, he observed, had been quoted to show that the right of navigation conferred the ri^ht to fish; indeed, the cases were ail the other way. Baron Huddieston was of tuo same OPllllOn, and considered that the magistrates were bound to convict. The point, he hpld, was clearly decided that the public could acquire no rights, of fishing in a non-tidal river. Yet we are much mistaken if there are not non-tidal rivers in certain portions of which the public have an indefeasible right to fish, though perhaps not for salmon. t ^rorQ report <jf Friduy'^ ruLing of the Ruthin Town COllncl it i-; ho seen that that body intend to celebrate in a be.. coming manner the retirn of Major and Mrs Cornwallis West t > their ancestral home on Saturday next, Major West haS now been living away from the Castle for three years, and it is only repeating what is pre y generally acknowledged that during that period local society has felt the loss of its leader in no ordinary degree, But not only has society had reason to look upoii Major v\ est s absence as a loss-the people oi Ruthin as a whole look upon it as such, ar d it is for this reason that the ccrr r ■ r-° body propose giving him a right hearty wt-i- 'n' on his return. In view of the Sheep-dogs trials on Easter Monday. and the meeting of the Yeomanry in June, Major and Mrs West s presence in the neighbourhood must afford no small amount of gratification to the inhabitants. The Corrupt Practices Disfranchisement I Bill proposes to wholly disfranchise Ma-'V<- neld, Gloucester, and Sandwich, and to de. prive of representation during- the present Pa.liainent Chester, Oxford. Boston CantarW B>oh of thc80 bo h; ha„ hitherto had two representatives, but all the W 0ne at Gloucester held by Mr J. C. Monk, who has sat for the city since Julj, 1805; and one at Sandwich held by Mr H. A. Brassey, who was first elected for the borough in 1868, and was returned at the general election without opposition. These gentlemen, we presume, will not be unseated by the bill, but at the next general election they will find ii neces- sary to seek fresh constituencies, and if the seats should be vacated in the interim they would not be filled up. The bill also proposes to disfranchise for ever all persons scheduled as having been guilty of bribery, treating, or personation at the last general election, and who have not succeeded in proving their innocence. Adding the Parliamentary vacancies now to be created to the six caused by the disfranchisement of Beverley, Bridgewater, Cashel, and Sligo, there will be during the present Parliament eighteen vacant seats—or twenty, should Mr Monk and Mr Brassey's seats be vacated and after the next genera) election there will be twelve seats vacant, unless, in the meantime, they are di-tributed amongst other constituencies. For the twelve seats to be vacated seven Liberals and five Con- servatives were returned, and the two seats at present occupied, but which are not to exist in future, are hald by Liberals. With pleasure we hear that the Queen is benefitting considerably by her sojourn on the sunny shores of the Mediterranean, and without surprise that there is a likelihood of the marriage of Prince Leopold being postponed until June. These frequent ill- nesses of the Prince naturally cause one to wonder whether the Court Physicians have been consulted in the matter of the Prince's marriage. The question cannot be regarded as an impertinent one. Recollect with what* jealous care the health of a Prince or Princess of the blood is watched. Consider that every precaution which medical science can prompt is taken to ward off disease in every shape and form, and that whatever remedies the world can provide are at the Court Doctor's disposal. Prince Leopold is the ailing youngling of the flock. The diffi- culties of his case apparently defy all the efforts of his medical attendants to over- come. The future bride of His Royal Highness is already poplar in London, through the medium of photography, and by reasons of the reports which are prevalent as to her amiable disposition. Besides having a frank; good-tempered face, and a figure which.is perfectior, she is de- clared to be goodness itself. It is to be hoped that the union will be a happy one m all respects. A prince who is gifted and accomplished to the extent that Prince Leo- pold is deserves a good wife, and by a parity of reasoning so amiable a lady as the Princebs Waldeck-Pyrmont deserves a good husband. A new land company is in active procesa of formation with no less ambitious purpose than the creation of a town. A beautifully romantic bay on the coast of Cornwall has suggested itself to some adventurous prospector as a likely spot for a sea- side resort. It has hitherto escaped notice because there is no railway within a dozen miles of it. But a branch line is projected. A London surveyor is already on the spot laying out streets and designing the indis- pensable hotel. Very shortly no doubt the writing up" process will be commenced, journalists will be induced to spend a brief holiday there, medical men will have bottles of air obtained on the spot sent to them for analysis, and they will tabulate surprising proportions of ozone The worst of it is Cornwall is rather far away and the intermediate coast is pretty well stocked with watering places. A good deal of time was occupied at the meeting of the Carnarvon Town Council on Tuesday in discussing a motion brought forward by Dr Kirk, that in future members of the corporation be not allowed to accept contracts for corporation work. Dr Kirk a,r^i an<^ no (^ou^)^ to a certain extent rightly, that such a practice was a direct infringement of the Municipal Corporations Act, and he had felt bound to introduce the matter in justice to hia own convictions. Whatever Dr Kirk's personal feeling in the matter may be, though, we think he should have refrained from making unnecessary allusions to members of the council who had, according to his view, acted in contravention of the law. He should certainly have refrained from as- suming the attitude he did towards Mr De Winton, who, as it is almost unnecessary to remark, has on many occasions done invalu-