Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald and North and South Wales Independent

TO SUBSCRIBERS. -2n GAAKASTOM AND DKHBIOH HXBALP" Islivered in Carnarvon on Friday afternoon the following rates 3 Months. 6 Months. 12 Months. Prepaid 2d. 4e. 4d. 8s. 8d. Credit 2s. 6d. 4s. 9d. 9s. 6d. Fan BY POST. Prepaid Ie. 9d. 5s. 6d. lis. Od. Credit 3s. 3d. 6s. 6d. 13s. Od. Cheques and P. O. O. to be made payable to DANIEL REES. at Carnarvon. MIa Hnirn OHOUM* delivered in Carnarvon on Tuesday at the 101. lowing ratm:- 3 Months. 6 Months 12 Months. Prepaid Is. Id. 2s. 2d. 49. 4d. Credit Is. 3d. 2a. 6d. 5s. Od. FBIJ. BY POST. Prepaid In. 8d. 3s. 3d. Se. 6d. Credit 2s. Od. 4s. Od. 8a. Od. Cheques aw P. 0. O. to be made payable to DANIEL REES, at Carnarvon.

Our WHOLESALE AGENTS are Messrs W. H. Smith and Son, Dale Street, Liver- pool Mr C. Conlan, Victoria Street, Liverpool; Mr John Heywood, Paradise Street, Liverpool, and Deansgate, Man- chester Mr J. C. Aston, Smallbrook Street, Birmingham; Messrs Everett and Sons, Bell's Buildings, Salisbury Square, London.

FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1896. FUTURE OF WELSH THEOLOGY. In 1689, after the passing of the Act of Tolle ration, it became possible to establish trusts in favour of Nonconformity. Soon afterwards, that is to say in 1711, that largo- hewrted Welshman, Dr Daniel WiEiams, füunded a notfe Trust, the Trustees being the Presbyterian BoeAl, London, under which scholarships, schools, and the great library in London were established. The Trusbees ha-re assisted1 in educating olose upon a thousand ,N,onconfc-r,m- ist ministers. Since 1698, tihe Board has maintained Carmarthen College for the educa-tion. of students preparing for thel Nonconformist ministry. It is thus the oldest ooC-lege in Wales; end as the college is open free of change to well-recommended simdents, without any theological test, its position has alwayH been somewhat peculiar. The Presbyterian Board, by a process of evo- lution, has become practicably though not theoretically a UnitArian body. The majority of the tutors at Carmarthen are Unitarians, the rest being as a a-de- Congregationalists. The majority of the students are Congrega- tionalists. It is claimed, however, that the institution is "absolutely free from prosely- tism', and that the dfiveraity of opinions found there teods to give a certain robust- nesa aJnd independence of thought to the students." Be that as it may, the ptan has not always worked smoothly. A century ago there was a "split," the, stricter Indepen- dents esifcabtisliing a college of their own at Abergavenny, which has since migrated to Brecon. Just now, another crisis has been reached1. The PfetSbyterrian Board, rooog- nising the eatablisfomenifc of three national colleges in Wales, and particularly noting the establishment of a faculty of theology in the I University of Wales, have decided to relin- quish their arts course, and to confine the curriculum to theology. Whence does this tend I The intentions of the Presbyterian Trust are admirable, but we are afra.d that their scheme will be abortive. The idea Gf an un- denominational college for the training of Nonconformist students in thecf.ogy is a most attractive one. The best men among the popular denominations have long regarded it as a consumimation devoutly to be wished. The recent amalgamations and removals of the Baptist ajid Congregational Colleges liaw been movements towards consolidation. The BaLli. College (over which the Rev T. C. Ed- wards, D.D., so worthiHy presides) is now a purely theological institution. Moreover, it is open to students, who are not Calvinistic Methodists, without any sectarian test what- ever. Still further, many of its best friends think it ought to be removed to Aberystwyth and amalgamated with Trevecca. Now, why sboufd 'not Carmarthen College also move to Aberystwyth, and prepare for amalgama- tion? Commonsense ought to tell the Pres- byterian Board that if the Congregational students get their arts course at the national colleges, they will go to Brecon or Bangor for theology, rather than to an institution controlled by Unitarians. The Unitarian students, in iike case, will almost certainly go to Oxford. Hence Carmarthen College will1, fi-i-i.(t itself stranded high and dry. We urge upon illie friends of higher education in ¡ Wailes, and upon the Presbyterian Board them- selves, to join in placing the management of the college upon a new foundation. The governors should, in the next century, re- present religious Wales as a whole. This would result, first, in the appcintment of scholars representing the highest attainments of each denomination as teachers, and, se- condly, in gathering around them the choio- est spirits of Young Wales to be trained to become fib stewards of the divine mysteries. We take for granted, of course, that the fun- damental principle of the coE.ege-the ab- sence of sectarian sl.xbboleths—will be un- swervingly maintained. As it stands, the Carma-rthen scheme is destined to be a fail- ure, but the idlea which it purports to embody contains the promise and potency of incalcu- iable benefit to Wailes. May it not fail of fruition, through that prevalent cause of so- cial sterility—the stubbornness of well-mean- ing men

Mr Howard Evans, secretary of the Libera- tion Society, has in the most convincing man- ner possible shown up the slanderous state- ments of a writer in the "Church Times" respecting the morals of the Welsh people in all their hideous and glaring colours. In his letter he states that "of late the old slander has been revived that the Welsh people are gross- ly immoral, and it is alleged that their im- morality is due to their Nonconformity. The latest and, worst journalistic outrage of this kind is a long article in the "Church Times" of May 1st. Of coure it is anonymous, but the writer declares that every one of his statements is supported by "men who are among the most experienced clergy in South Wales." The sub-headings of this artia.e are suggestive, "Demoralisation and Dissent," "Religion without Morality," "Two National Sins." Here are one or two choioe extracts "The really apalling result of Dissent is the moral evil that has undoubtedly resulted from the divorce of religion and conduct." Mr Evans in the following sentences shows how facta and figures tell against the slan- derous statements —" Every man who tliinks for a moment will see that the rate of illegitimacy alone is an unsafe index of morality. In London the rate is lowest, and yet London is far from being the most moral part of England. The rate of illegitimacy is Hower in South Wales than in North Wale?, but it is notorious that South Wales is not morally superior. High rates of illegitimacy prevail in agricultural districts, and therefore it is not surprising to find that the rate in North Wales is 6.6. But cross the border to the neighbouring agricif-tural counties of Shropshire and Here- ford, and what do we find ? Shropshire illegitimacy is also 6.6, exactly the same rate as that of North Wales, white in Here- fordshire the rate rises to 7.6. In Shrop- shire and Herefordshire Dissent is weak, and the Established Church is in ovenvhelm- itig strength; yet s regards illegitimacy 0 Shropshire is as bad as North Wales, and Herefordshire far worse. If it be true that the illegitimate birth rate rises when the peop.e are alienated from the Established Church, it ought to fall when the people are attached to that Church. The facts do not coincide with the theory." ø

A correspondent writes, urging the pro- priety of starting a testimonial t.,) Mr Tho- mas Gee, of Denbigh, in recognition of his immense services to Wales in various cap- acities. The incident reported this week shows him to have been the mark of Tory archers once more. Though he has been dightly wounded, it will be no doubt a source of consolation and encouragement to the vet- eran to know that his Liberal comrades still regard him with respect and even with affec- tion, as one who according to his lights and opportunities has waged a brave fight for freedom and. progress in every department of life. We shall be pleased to see a movement worthily initiated and promptly carried ttiruogh. Mr Gee being a national personage, the movement should assume national and even international dimensions.

The Bangor people believe in doing 3 thing well, regardless of all expense. Yes- terdav was a day that will long be remem- bered in the history of the cathedral city, for the demonstration that was held marked the completion and the opening for the public of the magnificent pier which ;lias been er- ected at Garth at a cost of about £ 17,000. Whether the results of the undertaking will come up to the expectations of its sup- porters, time only can show. Of course, the pier is meant as an inducement to sum- mer visitors to make Bangor their head- quarters, but can Bangor compete in other respects with the fashionable seaside resorts that dot the .North Wales coast ? If not, the pier will not make up for the deficiency. But apart from that question, a pier was reatly wanted there, and now the Bangorians can boast of as fine a structure as any to be seen in North W, ales. Let us hope the best for Bangor; the energy and public spirit of its inhabitants well deserve the fullest mea- sure of success. &

LOCAL & DISTRICT NEWS. Lord Mostyn has intimated lis intention of subscribing twenty guineas to the funds ol the Eisteddfod. The Rev W. Mason has resigned the charge of the Salem Congregational Church, at Llanbedr, Conway. Lord Penrlivn and the Hon. Violet Doug- las Pennant arrived on Tuesday night at, Penrhyn Castle, from Mortimer House, Lon- don. The Home'Secretary has appointed Mr Ro- bert Lloyd KenJ 011 to be recorder of Oswes, try, in place of the late Mr C. W. Williams Wynn. Dean Vaughan, Master of the Temple, has resigned the presidency of the University College of South Wales on account of failing health. ° Mr D. E. Davies, of Pwllheli, 'has been promOlted to be district manager for North Wales of the Mutual Insurance Company of New York. We hear that Bryn Bras Castle Estate, neaT Llanberis, has been purchased by Mr T. H. Goodwin Newton, of Barrells Park, Warwickshire. Mr Goodwin Newton, we believe, is the owner of Cefndu and other slate quarries in the neighbourhood employ- ing some hundreds of workmen. On Thursday, the degree of D.D. (honoris causa) was, by a grace of the Senate of the University of Cambridge, conferred cji the Very Rev. E. Owen Phillips, dean of St. Davids. Dean Phillips is the representa- tive of Cambridge University on the Council of the University College oCWales. He was at one time vicar of Aberystwyth, The Rev David Macrae, in his clever book- let on "Puns," says that the word "pun," looking to its etymology, is derived from a Welsh term signifying "equivalent, and used of any word that applies equally to two things. What is the Welsh word There is a Welsh word "pwn" meaning a burden, and- that seems to us an ideal deriva- tion. Mr Richard Bromley, the coroner for Flintshire, Lias received an intimation that the Home Secretary had ordered tna release of Hannah Piercey, a girl 14 years of age, who was a few weeks ago sentenced by the Holywell magistrates to three Yl>ari' deten- tion in a reformatory for dealing a few articles from Vicarage, where she had been in service. The Welsh goesiper of the "South Wales Daily News" says: --Professor Morris Jones will keep away from the Gorsedd at Llan- dudno this year if he has the slightest re- gard for his peace of mind. Life would not be worth living even for the iconoclast pro- fessor should, he chance to hear tthe poetical imprecations which, would greet his arrival among the bards. Dr Isambard Owen, upon whom it was re- ported the other day that it had been de- cided to confer the honour of knighthood in recognition of services m connection with the foundation of the University of Wales, writes :—"I know of no foundation for the statement about the title to be conferred upon me. Kindly contradict, as the an- nouncement is causing me mujh trouble." ■"Pa-pur Pawbf for (this week contains epilencLucl pcH-traita of Alderman D. Davies, chairman of the Baptist Union, Merthyr: the Rev J. W. Price (C.), Troedyrhiw, and Mr D. C. Williams, the popular young com- poser, of Merthyr, who was honoured' by the Llandudno Eisteddfod Committee by being appointed to compose ain orchestral overture to be performed at one of the Eisteddfod concerts by a Ml banid. The serial story mantains its interest. A luncheon was given by Mr Alfred Da- vies, of Hampstead, on Tuesday afternoon, at the Holborn Restaurant, in honour of the succession to the chair of the Congregational Union of England and Wales of the Rev J. Mortais Jones, of Lewisham, to meet whom some 200 Welsh ministers and laymen were invited, and with very few and unavoidable exceptions attended. Dr Herber Evans pre- sided at a meeting which was afterwards held, in which fraternal sentiments were cordiofiy exchanged. Mr Pfrangcon Davies, who is on tour in America, has taken Chicago by storm. The "Tribune," the chief paper of the city, speaks of his singing of the Polyphemus music in "Acis and Galatea" as "a. surprise and a re- velation." The "Times—Herald" Fays "his tiiumph was complete." The "Chronicle" says "the appliause flirty shook fthe building." The "Inter Ocean" goes into raptures over his "high culture and drama±ic fervour and phe- nomenal range." Decidedly, the Porkopo. litans know a good thing when they see it. The cue of the Tory partisan just now is to try to make out that not the stubbornness of the London a.nd North-W estern Railway authorities, but the perversity of the Welsli Liberal members is responsible for delaying the widening of the ohester and Holyhead line. It is, of course, convenient, to forget that the protest of North. Wales against ex- cessive railway rates was in no oon88 par- tisan and that Mr Tudor Howell, the Con- servative member for Denbigh Boroughs, joined with Mr Lloyd-George and Mr Her- bert Lewis in voicing the grievance in Par- liament. The "South Wales Daily^ News" observes —The "Carnarvon Herald" now announces that the townspeople are already arranging to secure Ibhe National Eisteddfod of 1900— four years hence!—"the idea being that thb Y'ast eisteddfod' of the century should be held on a scale hitherto unprecedented, and tliat Carnarvon, on many accounts, is far the best centre for such a gathering." The invita- tion, if pressed, will very likely find ready acceptance, for in Carnarvon, freed from the enormous outlay lnvoLved' in the erection of a temporary paviLion, the Eisteddfod is al- ways a tinanciall success. The festival is thus pretty rwela, booked up to the end of this century. for Newport 'have secured it for 1897, -Fesfbiniog and Liverpool are in the run- ning for 1898, and Carnarvon will make a bold fight for 1900. What town in South Wales will mvite it for 1899? Why not Cardiff ? it P.-njlyn, in the beautiful Vale of GV morgan, there passed away on Monday, in his 107th year, the oldest member of the Royal College of Surgeons, Dr Salmon. He lkclm in 1790, at Wickham Market, in Suffolk. When Dr Salmon was seven years old, he moved to Cowbridge. There, in the year after the battle of Waterloo, he married a!1 —Mites Esther Thomas Deere*, of Penltyn Court. As was necessary, when i aS J»ung man he taught himself Welsh, and he was a gre.alt friend and patron of Ioflo >Mlc<rgaTiWg, thi greatest literary Welshman of his day. Among his remini- scences, none was more striking that, that of hf. description of this bard travelling the Principality on foot, with corduroy knee- oreeehes, knitted Welsh stockings, a wallef in which he carried hia precious manuscripts. his bread and cheese slung over his left shoulder. Dr Salmon left off smoking when he was ninety, but he drank port to the last. The "magnificent price" of 1000 guineas— we use Mr Gladstone's words—offered by the "Statist" for a scheme of Imperial Customs Union, has been awarded, half to a Canadian jour nay st, who adirocates differential tariffs, and! half to an Englishman who took the side of free trade. "Proxime accessit," Mr H. Read, late editor of this journal, and now chief of the staff of the "South Wales Daily News," who advocated evoluciontary progress. Tihe adjudicators, Lord Lome and Lord íP13Y- fair, single out this essay for special oomraenal- ation. We warmly congratulate Mr Read on the distinction he lias gained and wish hi- better luck when. next he enters the lists. The special matinees, which have come to' be a distinctive feature of Mr Beerbolmv Trees management) of the Haymarket Theatre, London, have been marked by no event more interesting than the revival of tho first part of King Henry IV., which, of all the plays of Sliakespeare, is probably the most interesting to Welshmen as such. A correspondent writes of the performance:- The character of Glendower has probably bien assigned to Mr Hdman Clark on account* of this gentleman's ability to speak some lines of Welsh, which, however,, are not in the text. The Welsh .anguage, indeed, p,Lzlvs more conspicuous part, we believe, in this revival; than in any previous one. Miss Ed- ith Wynne, if we remember rightly, used, in the pare of Lady lortimer," t, sing a few snatches cf a We-isli melody; but vesteruaT Miss Marion Evans was introduced to sing several stanzas in the Welsh tongue to the accompaniment of an antique harp. — The "D3jy Mail" critic says: 'A charming im- pression was created by Miss Mad-ion Evansil" who sweetly spoke, and still more sweetly sung in Welsh, and t. desire long dormant to hear more of gailmt little countiry. The "Morning Leader" critic is sti-ll more complimentary, and gallantly ob- serves that Miss Marion Evans "proved what a musical language Welsh is when sung and spoken by pretty lips." Even the '-Times'' joins in the chorus- of approval, stating that Miss Evans sings "Y Deryn Pur' with such effect as to ''bring the hcu.se down." The "Lobbyist" of the Express" cherisihes- duly sycophantic senti- ments as to the absolute incorruptibility of 'I the British squire. Here is a sample of his reflections :—"I will not—at least, for the moment—dwell upon any of the more signi- ficant political features of the week until I have animadverted upon the painful incident, ■ of which Mr Lloyd-George was the central: figure. It is a political tradition that the House of Commons is composed of English' gentlemen—of men of high patriotic idealai fine nationafl instinct, and generous, unsel* fish methods. To say of any section of theee" men that they have introduced a great mea- sure of fiscal and rating reform in order to 11 er realise selfish personal aims is to attribute to them motives which are out of harmony with the history of British politics. If I may. borrow an idea from Mr W. S. Gilbert, I would say to Mr Lloyd-George and his fel- lows that the nobility and aristocracy of Eng- land may be as honest, ias self-less in thtif aims, as generous in their integrity, as the young, ambitious politician from Wales and, inasmuch as I would hesitate to attribute to that young aspiring person in his po'itical efforts the desire to put money in his purse at the public expense, so he ought to be simi- larly generous to a body of men whose pri- vate character is without a smirch, and whceo- pditical career has hitherto been without the' suggestion of personal aggratndisement." Pro- digious THE SNOWDON RAILWAY—It is stated that the reopening of the Snowdoo1 Railway is to be delayed for another six weeks. In the meantime arrangements are being made, upon the recommendation of Sir Douglas Fox, to overhaul the rack and to introduce a patent by which the grip of the cogwlvaeua attached: tir tihe locomotive- can be, rendered more seoure, and prevent ,the moun- ting of the rack,, to which cause the recent- accident was attributed. THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN WALES.—The "South Wales Dailv N cw" is responsible for the fol- lowing: -ón a certain cold winter's Sunday- morning, the vicar on entering the church, found his congregation to consist only of the sexton. After careful consideration, it was deemed inadvisable to hold a service at all, and the two State officials left the sacred building. But, unfortunately, at the church- yard gate they were met by a poor. parishion- er, whose religious instincts had proved su- perior to considerations of personal comfort. The parson was non-plussed for a moment,. but then a bright thought struck him. "Mis? Jones," saidi he to the- shivering woman, "I am anxious to do my duty by you, and, ant prepared to hold the usual service for your benefit. But the church is very- cold this morning, and-which would you prefer, the usual service, or a shilling from me ?" Miss Jones chose the shilling, and vicar and flock were equallv satisfied THE WELSH LAND COMMISSION.— It is now definitely stated that the report of the WT«J.sh Land Commission, will be ready by the end of May. The current Estimates make provision for carrying on the work over April aaid May at a cost of1£315. Mr Lleufer Thomas, in his letter of explanation tothi)i- Treasury, states that "the Commissioners have endeavoured to the best of their ability to push on their work as rapidly as possible, but owinsr to the great labour entailed in the preparation of their report, they have re- luctantly found it impossible to present the same within the financial year 1895-6. I am, therefore, instructed to forward an estimate of expenditure for the two months of April and May, 1896, by the end of which time they witll have brought their imquiry to a final conclusion. The Commission was appointed on March 27th, 1893, and since that time 99 pubdic sittings for the reception of evidence have been held, 80 of these being in the countrv. and 14 for the consideration of the report, which, with five additional private sittings, bring the total number up to 118. Four volumes of evidence have alreadv been presented to Parliament. The-fifth and last, consisting of evidence taken during the pre- sent year in London, is now ready for pre- sentation." In the Estimates for the first three years Mr Lleufer Thomas was described as secretary, with a salary of f,400, and Mr Cecil Owen as assistant secretary, with a salary of ,£150. This year, owing, presum- ably, to Mr Thomas's indifferent health, the estimates refer to "two joint secretaries afc 2275 a year eadl." THE ROY-A-IL VISIT: THE USUAL FUSS.—On Monday evening, a special" meet- ing of the Aberystwyth Town Council was held in the Town Hall, the Mayor (Coun- held in the Town Hall, the Mayor (Coun- cillor T. Griffiths) presiding.—The Town Clerk read a letter from Dr Isambard Owen addressed to the secretary of the reception committee, in which the position assigned to the town council and the part they were to take in the reception of the Royal party and" the ceremony of installation was defined. The proceedings were of a private ebaracteri but it appears tha.t the executive committee had, in the opinion of the town council, allotted to the council a position which nei- ther custom nor precedent gave them a right- to, and had tlmught it within their province to reserve for the Mayor and Town Coun- cillors a third-rate position in the nroceed-. injrs. The position of affairs was. discussed, and the town c^erk was directed to com- municate with Dr Isambard Owen, informing him that the town crnnevl were desirous of mrdnng certain amendments in the proposed programme. At t.he Rame time the town dork was asked to mako the nee^arv m- oirries as to whether the Princes* of Wales would be willingo toO receive a bouquet of ,oweT3 at station from the Mayoress. Lord Salisbury is likely to stay