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South Carnarvonshire Notes

Alleged Wholesale Larcenies…

DOCTORS AGREE

rNorth Wales Free Church Federation.

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r North Wales Free Church Federation. THE REV EVAN JONES ON FREE CHURCH WORK. The annual meetings of the North Wales Federation of Evangelical Free Church Councils were held in the Zion Chapel, Wrexham, on Friiday. The com- pany enjoyed the hospitality of the Mayor and Mayoress of Wrexham (Mr Thomas and Mrs Jones) at luncheon in the Zion School, and at the close of the repast the Mayor said that as a Nonconformist, a member of the Free Church Council, and mayor of the borough, it gave him great pleasure to welcome the delegates to Wrexham. He was very pleased that there had been so large a gathering to re- present the Evangelical Churches of Gwynedd in that town, which was notable as the place of burial of Morgan Llwyd, one of the most famous of Welsh Noncon- formists (applause). He proposed the toast of "Success to the Free Church Federation." The Rev Evan Jones (Carnarvon), res- ponding, as the President of the Federa-- tion, said that besides Morgan Llwyd, Wrexham had the honour of being the I birth and burial place of Walter Caradoc, one of the finest of Welshmen; Vavasour Powell, who spent fourteen years in prison on account of his Nonconformity; Daniel Williams, and Elihu Yale, founder of Yale College, in the United States (ap- plause). He was glad that on the date ) of the visit of the Free Church Federation to Wrexham the mayoral chair should be occupied by a sturdy Nonconformist (applause). He was happy to hear that recently his Worship stood his ground as- a Nonconformist, and also that no insti- tution suffered on account of what he did (applause). I PUBLIC CONFERENCE. The Executive Committee met after I the luncheon, and the public conference commenced at three o'clock, the chair being occupied by the Rev Evan Jones. The Chairman said he was proud to have the privilege of addressing a few words to the Conference. He had attended some of the meetings of the Council, and was still in a certain amount of difficulty to understand in what way they were to look at these councils. There were :two ways which would suggest themselves to outsiders perhaps. The councils might be regarded as councils of war, to prepare for offensive Or defensive taatics. Per- haps they had a great deal to do on the defensive side. Undoubtedly they were surrounded by many who were not friends to Free Churches, and who had a very wishful eye, especially towards their children and the younger members of their flocks (applause). They believed also tha t they needed to defend their ] young people by grounding them in the principles, he would not say of Noncon- formity, but of true religion (applause). They all knew that position and surround- ings had a great deal of influence, espe- cially upon those who had not known any hardship, and who had been brought up in a better position than their fathers. They knew nothing of the sufferings of Nonconformity; they thought that others had been very kind and very nice: and were turning in good society, and they said "What are wef better than they?" Personally, perhaps, they were not, but upon principle they felt that they had borne the heat and the burden of the day. They were Nonconformists from conviction. They upheld the true reli- gion, according to the principles of Non- conformity. They should establish their people in the faith, and in that sense set them on the defensive against any assaults from outside (applause). As regarded their children, too, they had to act on the defensive. Some of them remembered the time when they were really kidnapped. (laughter). He used the term advisedly because he had been under it himself. His parents were Nonconformists. An old Nonconformist gentleman left a thousand pounds for a free school, but it got into some hands; no other school could be established in the place, and the children, the speaker included, were I compelled to go to church everv Sunday I and every holyday, whether they wished it or not, otherwise they would not be I allowed to enter that school. He had I felt all his life that advantage was taken of him when he was a child (hear, hear). They ought to thank the Government which gave them the Board schools, whic had been a great boon to a large part o Wales. He wished he could say t> e same of the whole of Wales, but there was a shady corner—the north-east co.rn-er- of Wales not far from where he spoke which was the hunting-ground of the Bishop and his lieutenants, who made raids upon the children. He wished he could rouse the Nonconformists of Fhnt- shire and Denbighshire to make strenuous efforts to defend themselves against these poachers (laughter and applause), Non- conformists were looked upon by these people as moral lepers, and they wanted them brought over to the* views. He would not mind so much i 7 do this with their own grieved that tha public were obliged to pay for these schools out of the national funds. In this matter they ought to take the offensive ^d^hould say to these Sounds, and leave us alone" (applause). It was to him a mystery how Nonconfor- mist people who had once been Liberals could support a Government which was doing so much against Nonconformity, especially in the matter of education. But for his own part, he would not come to the Council for offensive or defensive tactics in warfare; he would prefer to see them grow together in the faith—(ap- plause);—less war and more love. The whole world was peopled with Nonconfor- mists of one kind or another, so that there was nothing peculiar in the name. Let them close up their ranks and trust one another, and do what they coulrl to fur- ther the Kingdom of Heaven (anplause). The Rev. J. Raymond (Llandudno) read a paper on "How to get localities mterested in Free Church Council Work," in the course of which he said the conditions of locality and resources of service must de- termine the methods whereby the work of their Councils was to be successfully under- taken and accomplished, and suggested that some definite work should be on hand. A discussion ensued, and a vote of thanks was accorded Mr Raymond for his contri- bution. r The following resolution w?s carried^ on the motion of the Rev. James Ch&ries, oi I Denbigh, seconded by the RJV. G. T. Sad- ler, B.A., of Wrexham. :rhat this con- ference, realising that the moral and re- I ligious condition of the country loudly calls for Evangelistic effort on a far larger scale j than has hitherto been attempted, and, be- lieving that the opening months of the new j certury present an unparalleled opportunity for the Christian Church to make such a j supreme effort, earnestly commends the roposal to the National Council to hold a I great simultaneous mission over the whole country. It expresses the hope that every local Council will consent to take part in it, and it would urge upon them the ne- cessity of taking immediate steps to pre- pare their affiliated churches for participa- tion in the service and blessing of the mission by (a) calling a conference of the churches to determine the local plan of c&mpaign, (b) forming a. strong representa- tive committee to effectively organise lt, and (c) arranging for united prayer meet- ings to implore the blessings of the Al- mighty on the project." The absence of any memorial to Morgan Llwyd, the great Nonconformist, whose re- mains are interred in a disused cemetery at Rhosddu, formed the subject of a discussion, and it was unanimously decided that the local Free Church Council erect a suitable memorial with, a view also to establishing a scholarship. A vote erf thanks to the chairman for presiding closed the proceedings. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. At six o'clock the delegates and personal members met to transact the official busi- ness. Mr W. Thomas, Wrexham, presided, and the Rev D. Oliver read the executive's annual report, which was unanimously ap- I proved. The following officers were elected — President, the Rev Evan Jones, Carnar- von; vice-presidents, Mr W. Thomas, Wrexham; Mr W. Foulkes Jones, Corwen; the Rev Abel J. Parry, Rhyl; treasurer, Mr F. Nunn, Colwyn Bay; secretary, the Rev D. Oliver, Holywell; executive com- mittee, the Revs E. Jones, Denbigh; J. E. Jones, Holywell; R. Jones, Rhos; T. 0. Jones, Conway; Thomas-Roberts, Mold; G. T. Sadler, Wrexham; H. Barrow Wil- liams, Llandudno; and T. Jones-Hum- j phreys, Mold; Messrs F. H. Hawkins, j Wrexham; T. C. Lewis, Liandudno June- tion; J. E. Powell and Henry Lewis, Ban- gos. THE LATE PRINCIPAL EDWARDS. On the motion of the Rev T. Jones-Hum- phreys (Mold), seconded by the Rev Tho- mas Roberts (Mold), a resolution was un- animously carried placing on record the valuable services which the late Principal Edwards, of Bala, rendered to the Free Churches of Wales, and sympathising with his relatives in their bereavement. WELSH SUNDAY CLOSING ACT. A resolution was passed, at the sugges- tion of the Rev E. Jerman, supporting Mr Herbert Roberts's bull for amending the Welsh Sunday Closing Act. I PUBLIC MEETING. I In the evening a well-attended public meeting was held in the Zion Chapel, Mr William Thomas, J.P., presiding. The Rev J. D. Jones, M.A., B.D., of Bourne- mouth, and, In the absence of the Rev Pro- fessor Ellis Edwards, M.A., of Bala, the Rev H. Barrow Williams, Llandudno, de- livered addresses, after which Mr Francis Nunn, of Colwyn Bay, moved, and the Rev R. E. Morris, M.A., Wrexham, seconded" a resolution in favour of Lord Peel's report as a practical basis for immediate and effec- tive legislation. Mr Clement Edwards, the Liberal candi- date for the Denbigh Boroughs, said lw was glad to have an opportunity of supporting the resolution. He believed that it recom- mended a wise and statesmanlike attempt to meet a most difficult and complicated problem. It was not heroic, but it was businesslike (applause). In reference to the bill to prohibit the sale of liquor to chil- dren, he had no hesitation in saying that very terrible evils arose from young chil- dren being familiarised with the interior of a public-house and all its ugly concomi- tants. It was a scandal to a Christian people that this should be allowed; and if I we could not hope at present to wipe out the drink evil as it affected the adult po- pulation, at least we could stop the scandal and the shame with regard to the children (applause). Some people took the view that the success of the second reading of th £ Monmouthshire bill was an accident. He believed that there was a profound convic- tion amongst a good many people of both parties, in spite of what the member for Denbigh Boroughs had done, in favour of extending the Sunday-closing principle (cheers). But, after all, the great and vital feature of the Peel report was to be found in the suggestions for dealing with the compensation difficulty. He entirely endorsed the declaration of Lord Peel and his colleagues that there could be no pos- sible legal or moral right to compensation, but that as a matter of practical politics, for the purpose of hastening the solution of the drink problem, it was wise that some well-tbougnout compromise should be adopted. The old unbending temperance position was really, in the arena of politics, what the frontal attack had been in South Africa. The publican and brewing interest had entrenched themselves behind an al- most impregnable kopje, and if we could not carry the position by a bold frontal at- tack, let us, as Lord Peel's report sug- gested, outflank them by making them pro- vide their own compensation (applause). The resolution was carried unanimously.

LLANBERIS

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The Bangor "Imperial Demonstration."

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