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THE GRANT TO ABERYSTWYTH COLLEGE.

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THE GRANT TO ABERYSTWYTH COLLEGE. In the House of Commons on Friday Mr Stuart. Eendel called attention to the present pr s Rendel called attention to the present pf < tion of Aberystwyth College, and suggested that the college having, notwithatarding the report of the Departmental Committee, been left out of the scheme for higher education in Wales, the House would be of opinion that injury to the c u?3e of education in the Principality and discouragement to a great portion of the Welsh people would result unless measures were taken to place tbab college in respect of State recognition and support on an equal footing with the colleges at Cardiff and Bangor. The hon. member denied that the college of Aberystwyth, if retained, would interfere with Bangor, and pointed out that the retention had been asked for by twelve members for North Wales and by a very large number of public bodies. He demanded that State aid and State recognition should be given to Aberystwyth. Its transfer would merely mean its suppression and the con- T3tBion of its convertible assets to Bangor. Wales was a poor country, and had been stripped of her endowments for the benefit of England (hear, tear). The educational destitution was incon- ceivable. Her endowments only now amounted to about twopence per head-(hear, hear)—and she had exceptional burdens *o bear. Three* foarths of the students who came to Aberystwyth were from Mid-Wales, and if the college was suppressed that part of the country would be thrown back for generations, because he was satisfied a large pro- portion would never go to Bangor (hear, hear). Sir R. Cunliffe supported the appeal, and asserted that although Wales was a very poor country she received very much less for higher education pur- poses from imperial sources in proportion to her population than Scotland and Ireland. Mr Richard supported the motion, declaring that the people of Wales had an intense and pas- sionate desire for education, and that the college at Aberystwyth was especially deserving of con- sideration in the scheme for higher education in the Principality. He gave every credit to the Government for the way in which they had taken up the question of education in Wales. t Mr D. Davies maintained that though the Welsh members were asking the Government for more money, they had plenty to show in support of their demand. It in the future it could be proved that the money was not deserved, it could be with- held. Mr Morgan Lloyd joined with the other Welsh members in thanking the Government for what they bad done on behalf of education in Wales. He thought it not unreasonable that the Govern- ment should be asked to give, in addition to the £ 8000 a year already given to Wales for higher education, another sum of £1000 a ytar, which should go towards the support of Aberystwyth College. Mr Osboma Morgan said he hai no objection to take to the tone of the speech of bis hon. friend, but he did rise on behalf of the Government to re- spond to the numerous appeals made. In fact, he would join in the almost universal chorus that had been raised. 'He yielded to no man in the House or in the Principality in devotion to the cause the hon. member had at hesit. He was one of the first pioneers of the movement which bad resulted la the establishment of a college in Wales, for in 1353 he was engaged in such a movement as was to load to higher education in the Principality, and very uphill work it was. But if there was any place where there was a passionate desire for higher education it was in Wales, and there was Rosace where there were so little endowment for the-purpose. The colleges, however, for the most part, were founded by Churchiften,and it was almost impossible for Nonconformists to get in. It was an unfortunate circumstance that the monied class were Churchmen and the popular class Dissenters but, with the assistance of the late Sir Hugh O>fen, they founded thi^college, gn1 it was literally founded and supported for a long time by the pence of the poor. Oi;t of stsceen men sent from Aberystwyth. College to Oxford, four had obtained first clames aud ten had cbtpue1? honours, and this was more than could be said of any other establishment. Eton and Harrow could not produce such results. One thing was certain, an education must be given to the people within their reach. Cardiff aud Bangor would not do for them. He certainly thought a moderate grant should be made. Sir H. !IU8S"'Y Vivian supported the motion, and said that the cc llesre was eutit'ed to some grant. Mr Mundella said no one who had any acquaint- ance with the work done by Aberystwyth Lollege, ectablished as it was by the peace of the people of Wales, could over-estimate tho good service the -college had done to the course of education. It was really the parent of the subsequent movement for higher education in Wales, which was making such satisfactory progress. The objects of the college had been attained. If it closed Us doors to-morrow it would have done a noble work in the cause of Welsh education (cheers. It had not had, however, a highly successful career in regard to numbers, owing to the sito being unsuitable for the whole of Wales. He thought, therefore, the people had done wisely in selecting Carnarvonshire as the site for the North Wales College. The real question involved was whether thres colleges could co-exist and flourish together. If they could, then a very good case would be made out for further subsidisation. Aberystwyth College had the strongest claim —(cleers)—upon the sympathy not only of the Welsh people, but also on the House. What he proposed, therefore, was that in. quiries should be instituted into the actual con- dition of Aberystwyth College, and if it could be shown that the three colleges could co-exist with- out mutual disadvantage, then he shculd have to inquire into the financial position of Aberystwyth College and the amount of work it was doing. Considering the number of the students and the scope of the college at Aberystwyth, compared with the college at Bangor, it must be admitted that he could hardly give as much assistance to the one as to the other. He could not give any declaration, nor cculd anybody else, without further inquiry into the whole question (hoör, ^Mr'stanley Leighton hoped Mr Rendel would not be put off with fair words. He would suggest that instead of the £ 3,000 a year, which the Government were <;oin<! to grant, they should give a lump sum of JE250 000, which would be more pre- ferable (hear, hear); Mr Bryce assertel that the passion of education in Wales was greater than anywhere else. Mr Love-Jones-Parry said: —In this Hor-sa I cbse-v the golden rule of silence except vhen questions of great import to my countrymen come -under discussion. Wales has from tue ealiest time been knows under three divisions -Gwynedd, Powis and Deheudir. Powia, of which Aberys- twyth'is tho natural centre, is divided both from Gwynedd and Deheudir by physical divisions arising from the peculiar conformation of the country and the want of easy commumnntkn Bevond the fact of Aberystwyth being a resorc for summer visitors, and that some take advantage of the cheap trips to Aberystwyth. the country people of Gwynedd have no knowledge of the land of Pow-'a From South Carnarvonshire, calculated by the times of railway travelling, it is as far off J Crewe or even Staffed, and therefore I am not surprised to find that thq four counties of Carnar- von! Anglesey, Denbigh, and Flint do not con- tribute together one-sixth of the students at Aberystwyth College, and if Aberystwyth were disestablished the land of Powis would net send to the College of Gwynedd even the small pro- portion which Gwynedd now coutnontes to Aber- Wwvth. The beneficial usefulness of these eol- laees must of necessity be local (hear, hear). The students will come from th<> smaller shop keepers and the peasant farmers—men who serve bemnd the counter and those who plough their fields- men who in other countries would be content with the education provided in the elementary schools but who in Wales are most anxious to give their sons what they have felt the lzss of themselves and it was this aspiration, noble and distinguishing (hear, hear), which moved some 100,OKO poor persons to contribute to this college sums under 23 63 I say that it would be nothing short of a national crime )r this great and iioh nation to II ra'iiB- a grant of £ 4000 a year to the poorest of the three divisions of Wales (cheers), a population 1 who, by the success of the college under great disadvantages, have given proof of high in- telligence and of how greatly they appreciate the benefits of high-class education (hear, haar). I claim the vote of every Scotchman in this house. Last year they refused an annual grant of £ 40,000 to the Universities of Scotland. They insisted that it was utterly in- adequate. Taking population and taxation as the test to be applied, and occluding Monmouthshiie in Wales the annual grant to Wales should. re- lative to that offered to Scotland, be £ 17 000 (hear, hear). We only ask for £ 12,000. Scotland has also had grants amounting to upwards of £ 150,000 towards university buildings. We will erect and maintain our own buildings (hear, bear). And I also claim the support of my friends of all creeds. The principal of the college is a Calvinistic Methodist minister, and yet of the students from this college who have been admitted to orders or have joined the ministry of the Nonconforming churches the return is: -Episcopalians, 36; Calvin- istic Methodists, 39 Congregationalisms, 11; Baptists, 4; Wesleyacs, 3. The Welsh are a layal, law-abiding, quiet people. They have not risen in rebellion s nee Harry Tudor mounted the throne, whose son removed tha disabilities and grievances which previously pressed so heavily on my countrymen. Taffy is not continually raving and bellowing about supposititious grievances (hear, hear). No secret societies for murder and treason flourish on his mountain peaks, nor is dyta mite his idea of convincing argument (hear, hpar from Mr Biggar). He is thrifty and iadustrio is and pays hia rent and never shoots his landlord, nor has he emigrated at the expense of the emoire. The judges eagerly contest for the privilege of going the Welsh circuits, and invariably congra. tulate the grand juries on the paucity of crime, and especially of se ious and capital crime in the Prin- cipality. The record for Anglesey gaol not infre- quently is "white flag, white gloves." Shall this people appeal in vain to the Government of the Queen they love so well and respect so much, whose eldest son is proud to take his title from their country; and to a Ministry to whose support every county and borough in Wales returned a member, and with but two exceptions, one in the North and one in the South, the members for Wales are good Liberals (cheers). Sir R. Cross said the Welshmen iu Liverpool and other parts of Lancashire, of whom there was a large number, took a very great interest in this matter, and they would feel it a serious grievance if Aberystwyth College was closed. The subject then dropped.

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