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THE ABERAVON CONVICTS.j
THE ABERAVON CONVICTS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRINCIPALITY. SIR,—Your advocacy of the cause of the unfortunate Martin, if it did not obtain the loud plaudits of your bre- thren of the principality, did ensure to you a more gratifying result—the commutation of his sentence to transportation for life. But has no thought entered your mind about the four unfortunate Welshmen, Glamorganshire men, who were at the same time at Cardiff sentenced each to ten years' transportation, for having in a drunken frolic robbed and maltreated an old man of this parish, at Aberavon ? Their character prior to this was unimpeachable, and their sorrow for the act when sober, was truly heart-breaking; the crime we know was great, and even drunkenness could not extenu- ate it; but surely if you consider it well, you must consider the punishment much more severe than that of hanging for two murders. Four men, young men, nay almost boys, 11 expatriated to a savage soil to encounter and endure every 0 y hardship for ten years! Can nothing be done to mitigate their punishment ? Will the men of Glamorgan behold these four young men lost, for ever, without one interceding hand being raised in their behalf P Maesteg, 8th August, 1848. A. COSMOPOLITE. [The Editor was not in court when the trial of these con- victs took place, and can therefore form an opinion from the printed evidence only. The attack seemed to be most wan- ton and cruel, and that it had been committed in a "drun- ken frolic is a great aggravation. People have no business to get drunk, and then plead their voluntary madness as an excuse for their brutal cruelties. Least of all do we think that the fact of offenders being Welshmen, and natives of some particular district in the principality, should excite our compassion. As to the severity of the punishment we have no opinion. to offer. We shall not be sorry to hear of its being commuted. We believe that many of the jury who tried the prisoners have agreed to memorialize the Secretary of State for comiiutatioii of sentence, and if their efforts should suc- ceed, we hope the fate of the prisoners, whatever it may be, will prove a solemn warning to all to abstain from "drunken frolics."—ED.]
THE TESTIMONIAL TO REV. J.…
THE TESTIMONIAL TO REV. J. REYNOLDS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRINCIPALITY. DEAR SIR,—In the PRINCIPALITY a few weeks ago, I read an account of the presentation of the testimonial by the P e Baptist church, at Middlemill, Pembrokeshire, to Mr. Rey- nolds, one of its pastors. Owing to a deficiency in the account given by your correspondent, some have been led to ask, why was this respect shown to Mr. Reynolds any mor than to Mr. Jones, his co-pastor? Are they not both equally respected ? To such questions the following answer may suffice:-Botil have served the church for the same length of time, and are highly and equally respected. Mr. Jones receives a regular salary but Mr. Reynolds gives all his labour gratuitously, and having done so for several years, the church thought proper to present him with the sum mentioned. A BROTHER. Mathry, Aug. 10, 1848.
MURDERING BY LAW.
MURDERING BY LAW. No. II. TO THE YOUTHFUL READERS OF THE PRINCIPALITY." There is, probably, no other country in the world in which so great a variety of actions are panÜhablewith the loss of life -as in England."—SIR SAMUEL HOMILLY. DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,—I address YOlt more immediately, though I hope others in more advanced life will peruse my letters. A large proportion of the dwellers in these isles have been nurtured up and established in the thought that it is an act of uncotn promising justice to take away the life of a man who stands guilty of shedding the blood of a fellow- creature. My mind has been pained by seeing the multi- tude manifesting such feverish anxiety to be witnesses at the barbarous scenes of legal strangulations, and more especially 'by hearing exoressions of disappointment from those who had forsaken their daily employ, and had travelled many miles with the hope of gratifying the lowest taste, in which the most ignorant—the unfeelingly callous-tlio wretchedly stupid can possibly indulge. Yes, disappointment, because her generous Majesty may feel disposed now and then to re- prieve, during her pleasure, some under sentence of death, on whose behalf a palliating plea is instituted. Let all pre- judice be dismissed out of the mind, and we will examine the pleas of those who advocate capital punishment. The first plea is founded upon some kind of feeling, which some persons would most probably call a humnne feeling They will tell us that a brutal murder has been perpe- trated, and that transgressors against nature, as well as against the positive laws of God and man, should inevitably be put to death." The earth should not be left to groan be- neath the feet of one who stands convicted of staining his hands in human gore. I admit the strength of feeling's plea, nor will I urge anything to palliate the crime of the villain who, in the midst of robberies, will shed blood to prevent identity, to save himself from immediate capture. Again, the advocates of capital punishment will take the Bible into their hands, and say, By this we are willing to abide." Never let it be said, that the advocates of a more merciful code of laws turn the Bible aside. The Mosaical law declared that the murderer shall surely die." But it should not be forgotten that the same law enjoined the death of the idolater and adulturer, the Sabbath breaker, and even the disobedient child but these offences are now committed with the utm ost impunity in our kingdom. And why? Are not all the laws of Moses equally binding ? What right have we to abandon some of those enactments, while we cleave to others with a pertinacious grasp ? Besides this, it is evident that our law departs widely from some merciful provisions in the law of Moses. I believe that the testimony of one wit- ness, with some circumstantial evidences, would be admitted as valid in our courts of law; and, if I am not mistaken, cir- cumstantial evidences are considered by our judges some- times as the most satisfactory, whereas the law of Moses insisted, on a plurality,of witnesses in all cases of transgres- sion. So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings, whoso killeth any person the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses, but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die;" Num. xxxv. 29 and, One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin in any sin that he sinneth. At the intuth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established;" Dent. xix. 15. If we put aside the law of Moses in the case of idolators, adulterers, Sabbath breakers, and disobedient children, I should like to know what right have we to maintain one of its stringent enactments while we discard others ? If the ad- vocates of capital punishment were called upon to enforce the law of Moses in all the above cases, and in every other minutiae, it would, I believe, be rather difficult sometimes to find men to throw the first stone at those who might be de- tected in those offences. We are not llnfrequently re- minded of what is called the law of nature on this subject as laid down by the Sovereign Disposer of all events in the ninth chapter of Genesis. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God made he man." The argument for capital punishment, founded upon this law, appears at first sight to be very plausible but I ask, Is this a command to take away the life of a malefactor ? or is it not a declaration of consequences ? Is it not similar to that passage of Holy Writ found in Math. xxvi. 52, "Then said Jesus to him, Put up again thy sword into his place; for all they that take the sword shall perish by the sword." If the portion quoted from Genesis be not a command to shed the blood of a mur- derer, it falls to the ground as an argument for the unnatu- ral custom of strangulation. But there is one plea again put in with a great deal of confidence by those who advocate the present state of the law. They argue that the murderer is not put to death by any spirit of revenge, nor is death awarded merely as a punishment to the wretched culprit, but as a preventative of further crime. This motive is good, and the idea is tinged with some degree of benevolence. The question now to be examined is, does the practice accomplish the design ? Is the murderous hand stayed? Alas! facts answer, no! Stubborn facts teach us continually that the only effect of capital punishment is to prevent that individual to perpe- trate a similar act. And all must admit that as an act to prevent others it is a most decided failure. Those who gloat their eyes on the hangman and his victims are most likely to be amoiagst the number that will ascend the scaffold on some future dav. The infliction of death by law is an outrage on all human feelings, and a moral stain upon our noble and philanthropic institutions. The practice took its rise in the midst of bar- barism-superstitiori-ignorance-selfishiiess-a,.id cruelty Having thus very briefly noticed the arguments for capi- tal punishment, I intend in my next letter to give a descrip- tion of some of the laws on the subject, with a few remarks on the times in which they were enacted. T Yours, &c., B. PRICE, CYMRO BACH.
THOUGHTS ON PASSING EVENTS.
THOUGHTS ON PASSING EVENTS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRINCIPALITY. SIR,—Will you allow me to record my thoughts on some of the most striking events that happen in these days; events which will hereafter be matters of history. I intend to be brief with each subject, and will endeavour to compress my "thinkings" into as small a space as possible. The subject that first of all deserves attention is, the sus- pension of the Habeas Corpus Act, so far as it regards Ire- land; and it cannot but strike the most cursory observer, that whatever be the speed of the Parliamentary train on or4- dinary occasions, that on the present one, it was an express train," at full speed; at the same time, we cannot bin grieve that the cause of the unusual stir in the legislative asBimbly was to restrict the liberties of the subject, and not to extend them not that I disapprove of the course pursued by minis- ters, on the contrary, I am willing to concede that nothing else under the circumstances could be done; it was, in fact, the only measure that could save Ireland from bloodshed, and the horrors and terrors of civil war; but mark the con- trast between the eagerness and promptitude with which a coercive measure is hurried through the House, and the op- position which at every step assails and retards the progress of any substantial measure for reform; need I bring proofs forward ? I presume not; as the records of the present ses- sion will sufficiently testify. Look at the Jews' bill look at the bill for the repeal of the navigation laws; look at the reform measure promoted by Mr. Hume; look at any and every measure calculatcd to benefit the mass of the people, and you will see with what a flood of eloquence they were each and all overwhelmed, and finally rejected, by either of the two Houses. The contrast is too palpable to be over- looked and it is to be hoped that the people of England and Wales will ponder upon it, and treasure it up for some future occasion, when honourable gentlemen present themselves again before their constituents and request the favour of their suffrages. While on the subject of the passing of the coercion act, I cannot refrain from mentioning with pleasure the severe cas- tigation given by Sir Robert Peel to Feargus O'Connor, for his tirade against th3 "proHigate press" of England. Sir Robert, notwithstaii ding the compliments of the renowned Feargus, spared him not, and told him plainly that, in his opinion the most profligate press in England was that with which he himself, as proprietor of the Northern Star, was connected; which paper recommends the most disgusting ,,u ?- and atheistical works for the perusal of its readers; works which Sir Robert would not, from his respect to the House, name. Feargus O'Connor richly deserved to be thus pub- licly exposed, for who has applied so many coarse, vulgar, and brutal epithets to the whole newspaper press of England as he and that without any exception all are alike venal and guilty, except the identical one of which he is sole owner and proprietor. Amongst others, not the least remarkable event, in the month of July, was the consecration of the Roman Catholic Cathedral, St. George's Fields, London this magnificent structure, in point of external beauty and internal decoration, is without a parallel among the Roman Catholic places in the United Kingdom it is calculated that it will seat 3,000 per- sons. On the 4th of July, the ceremony of its consecration took place, with all the pomp and magnificence that usually take place on such occasions in Roman Catholic countries a magnificence that we in Britain, unaccustomed to such scenes, can form no idea of; there were no less than six foreign prelates present on the occasion, who took part in the ceremony, dressed in all the gorgeousness of full canonicals, and presenting to the eye a most imposing spectacle. The occasion of all the above pomp and grandeur has led me to reflect upon the motives that have induced the promoters to be so lavish of splendour and pageantry, which seem to be the following Dr. Wiseman, who is the chief director of the English mission, and the very numerous staff of clerical functionaries, all devoted to their calling, who are under his control, are, and not without success, attempting to captivate the attention of the upper and the lower classes of society- the most unthinking part of the community they are con- tent to leave the middle class, comparatively speaking, alone at present, as they think that if they succeed with the other two classes to any considerable extent, the middle class will ere long follow their example. The Romish college at Tre- meirchion, Flintshire, is but a branch of the above mission its intention, of course, being to convert the inhabitants of Wales to their religion. I am no alarmist, neither do I be- lieve that any very great success will attend their labours amongst the people of hen Walia; but at the same time, I would wish to impress upon the minds of all those who are labouring in the cause of Protestantism, whether as minis- ters, preachers, Sunday-school teachers, that they will have now a more subtle adversary to contend with than any that they have hitherto had the Romish religion, notwithstanding its professed unity, is very pliable; it accommodates itself to the prejudices of the Hindoos in India, and the Chinese in China and wherever it plants itself, it labours incessantly to bring the mind of the inhabitants of that place under the subjection of the priests, and that without arousing, their prejudices if possible; so we have, need to be upon our guard, in order that we may watch their stealthy, but not less steady, move- 'i ments; those that have devoted themselves to the task are all, no doubt, well qualified to undertake the duties of the mission, and with all the aid that unlimited wealth can add; as money has often before now been of eminent service in converting multitudes to the Romish faith, there is no doubt but that it will be attempted as a means to gain the same object in Wales. Now that the Council of Education has done what nag predicted by those who opposed Government grants in aid of education, there is no doubt but that they will, heedless of the No Popery croaks of the Wesleyans, and others, who wished to share the spoil amongst themselves, avail themselves of all that can be got; by which means the voluntaries of Wales will be compelled to pay towards aiding teh Catholic priests inpromoting their religious views. What a comfortable reflection for those who have aided and abetted them they cannot say that they were ignorant of the con- sequence of their receiving Government aid; for were they not over and over again told, that in that case, the admission of the Roman Catholics to participate in the grants could only be delayed; it was impossible, on any equitable prin- ciple, to exclude them and admit others, while they contri- buted their quota to the general fund from which all grants are taken. As a specimen of the unchanging spirit of Romanism (whatever change in form may take place), the appeal to the House of Lords, reported in the last number of the PRINCI- PALITY, is, as I think, a conclusive one. There we see priestly influence exercised over two helpless nuns in the Blackrock convent, who were literally compelled to assign their rights in the estate of their deceased father to the superiors of the convent, in conformity with their vow of obedience; when at the same time, if vows were law, their vow of poverty would prevent them from possessing any right to assign. It is almost a pity that the appeal was dismissed upon mere technical grounds, as there was great anxiety manifested to know whether, assignments, signed under such circumstances, were valid and legal or not; but their lordships did not touch upon that point; but if the lawyers alluded to by the Bishop of Cork, as being in his family, wish to try again, we shall no doubt bo satisfied upon that subject; it is, however, pre- sumed that the exposure and obloquy attendant upon the present occasion, will effectually prevent them from attempt- ing again to grasp the "filthy lucre," which they so covet- ously wished for. Your's, &c-, T. M. Liverpool, July 31st, 1848.
(Selected for the PRINCIPALITY.)
(Selected for the PRINCIPALITY.) THE WIDOW. WHO does not love the widow, With her brow of silent care, And deem some gentle memory Of the past is lurking there ? Though a brightness like the sunshine O'er her placid features play, There's a grief within her bosom That can never wear away. Her spirit may be joyous, As the spirit oft will be, Though tossed upon the stormy waves Of life's tempestuous sea; Her eye may be as summer bright, And music in her tone, But little can she reck of life, Wiien passion's hope is gone. Go, enter yon lone chamber, Where the dying sufferer lay, Ere death had touched his victim With the finger of dccay- And, oh how many agonies Around the heart will cling, While bitter streams of memory From disappointment spring. Speak kindly of the widow, then, And soothe her brow of care, With gentle words remember her When bowing low in prayer For God, whose care is over all, Loves not the widow less, And He will bless the hearts of those Whose hearts the widow bless. FREEDOM.—Nature's life, nature's impulse, nature's joy, is freedom.—CHANNING. MAN'S NATURE.—A man's nature runs either to herbs or weeds; therefore, let him seasonably water the one and destroy the other.—BACON. MALICE.—Malice is a bad guide. As soon as a man feels its influence, he may be assured that he is possessed by a devil, and is making an ass of himself.—SPECTATOR. UNCERTAINTY OF Succrss.-Of the uncertainty of success, we have examples every day before us. Scarcely can a man turn his eyes upon the world, without observing the sudden rotation of affairs, the ruin of the affluent, the downfall of the high; and it may reasonably be hoped, that no man, to whom the opportunities of such observations occur, can forbear apply- ing them to his own condition, and reflecting that what he now contemplates in another, he may in a few days experience himself.—DR. JOHNSON. EDUCATION.—There is no office higher than that of a teacher of youth, for there is nothing on earth so precious as the mind, soul, character of the child. No office should be regarded with greater respect. The first minds in the community should be encouraged to assume it. Parents should do all but impoverish themselves, to induce such to become the guardians and guides of their children. To this good, all their show and luxury should be sacrificed. Here they should be lavish, whilst they straiten themselves in everything else. No language can express the cruelty or folly of that economy, which, to leave a fortune to a child, starves his intellect, impoverishes his heart. There should be no economy in education. Money should never be weighed against the soul of a child. It should be poured out like water for the child's intellectual and moral life.—DR. CHANNING. HINTS FOR WIVES.—If your husband occasionally looks a little troubled when he comes home, do not say to him, with an alarmed countenance, What ails you, my dear?" Don't bother him he will tell you of his own accord, if need be. Don't rattle a hailstorm of fun about his ears either-be obser- vant and quiet. Don't suppose whenever he is silent and thoughtful that you are of course the cause. Let him alone until he is inclined to talk take up your book or your needle- work (pleasantly, cheerfully, no pouting—no sullenness), and wait until he is inclined to be sociable. Don't let him ever find a shirt-button missing. A shirt-button being off a collar or wristband has frequently produced the first hurricane in mar- ried life. Men's shirt collars never fit exactly—see that your husband's are made as well as possible, and then, if he does fret a little about them, never mind it; men have a prescriptive right to fret about shirt collars. COMPARATIVE INFLUENCES OF SLAVERY AND FREEDOM.—The effect of slavery on the intellectual, moral, and religious con- dition of the free population of the south, is not so obvious perhaps at first- sight. But a comparison with the free states will render that also plain. All at:empts at the improvement of the humbler and more exposed portions of society, the pe- rishing and dangerous classes thereof, originate in the free states. It is there that men originate societies for the reform of prisons, the prevention of crime, pauperism, intemperance, licentious- ness, and ignorance. There spring up education societies, Bible and peace societies, societies for teaching Christianity in foreign and barbarous lands. There, too, are the learned and philoso- phical societies, for the study of science and art. Whence come the men of education who occupy the pulpits, the professors of law and medicine, or fill the chairs of the professors in the colleges of the union? Almost all from the north, from the free states. There is preaching everywhere. But search the whole southern states for the last seven-and-forty years, and it were hard to show a single preacher of any eminence in any pulpit of a slave-holding .state a single clergyman remarkable for ability in his calling, for great ideas, for eloquence elsewhere so cheap-or even for learning ? Even expositions and commen- taries on the Bible, the most common clerical productions, are the work of the north alone. Whence come the distinguished authors of America? the poets—-Bryant, L mgfellow, Whit-, tier; historians—-Sparks, Prescott, Bancroft; jurists-Par- sons, Wheaton, Storey, Kent? Whence Irving, Canning. Eluerson? whence all the, scientific men, the men of thought, who represented the .nation's loftier consciousness? All from the free states, north of Mason and Dixons's line.! Few works of any literary or scientific value have been written in this country in any of tlil, sI-Lve state few ever get reprinted there. Compare the works which issue from the press of New Orleans, Savannah, Charleston, Norfolk, Baltimore, with such as come from Philadelphia, New York, and Boston-evon frorn, Lowell and Cincinnati; compare but the booksellers' stock in those several cities, and the difference between the cultivation of the more educated classes of the south Had north is apparent at a TARRY NOT.—He that Waits for an opportunity to do much at once, may breathe out his life in idle wishes; and regret, in the last hour, his useless intentions and barren zeal. -Joii-isoN. MAMMON WORSHIP.—Gold is the only power which receives universal homage. It is worshipped in all lands without a single temple, and by all classes without a single hypocrite.— REV. J. HARRIS. HUMAN ERRORS.—It is not so much the being exempt frrai faults, as the having overcome them, that is an advantage to us it being with the follies of the mind as with the weeds of a field, which, if consumed a id destroyed upon the place of their birth, enrich and improve it more than if none had ever sprung there.
-_---------------Illelmtous…
Illelmtous EntclKacncc. ——^ NEW WESLEYAN CHAPEL, PILLGWTEXLLY, NEWPORT,—lathe afternoon of Tuesday the 8th instant, the foundation-stone of a new Wesleyan chapel was laid at Pillgwenlly by Master Webb, in the presence of a large concourse of people. A very impressive ad- dress was delivered on the occasion by the Rev. Mr. Jones. The weather proving unfavourable prevented many attending that wished to be present to witness the ceremony. CARDIGAN QUARTERLY MEETING (INDEPENDENTS). —On the 26r.h and 27th ult., a quarterly meeting was held by the Inde- pendents at St. Mary's chapel in this town. The following ministers took part in the services ;-The Revs. T. Rees, Maenygroes S. Thomas, Newport; E. Lewis, Bvynberian W. Jones, Giyn O. Thomas, Talybont; D. Hughes, Trelech; D. Rees, Cardigan (Baptist); J. Thomas, Bwlchnewydd; S. Griffiths, Horeb A. Jenkins, Brynmair; D. Bateman, Fishguard J. Davies, Mynyddbach; and Daniel Davies, minister of the place. The congregations ware numerous and crowded to the last. The ser- mons were considered good, the hearers were pleased, and many, doubtless, much edified by them. ABERGAVENNY—SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE GOSPEL IN FOREIGN PARTS.—The Rev. Mr. Vernon, Secretary to the So- ciety for the Promotion of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, preached in St. Mary's, on Sunday morning the 6th instant, and at Trinity church in the afternoon. On the following Monday, at noon, a public meeting was held in the Town Hall, over which F. H. Wil- liams, Esq., presided. The Venerable Archdeacon Williams spoke to the first resolution, and in a most able speech in a very clear and succinct style, laid before the meeting the various ope- rations of the society and when speaking of India, he reproved the Government in terms of well deserved censure for their lllilaerahty towards those honoured men of the Baptist Missionary Society,- Carey, Marshman and others, who, to save expulsion from India by the Governor General, were obliged to make their head quarters at Serampore, a Danish settlement and indeed, the first Protestant bishop he said was not received by the authorities in India with the respect due to his rank, bat at night like a parcel of contraband goods. The Rev. Mr. Harper, of Cardiff, spoke Oil the occasion. The deputation gave at full length the operations of the society in every part of the world, and dwelt largely on this being the only Protestant Missionary society in England for nearly a century, it having been established in 1701 but at the same time mourned over its supinenessfor nearly the whole of the last century. He spoke of the energy put forth by the priests of the Roman Catholic church in disseminating their peculiar tenets, in terms of high commendation, and hoped that English Protestants would not blame Roman Catholics for entering upon the Missionary field and scattering Catholic doctrines, if tlisy themseloes refined to go and occupy it. Notwithstanding the general excelie: cy of his address, there was unhappily in some, parts of it a tinge of "that which greatly derogated from the holiness of its character. He did not give it as his own opinion that such was the case, but he said that some of the clergy in the diocese ofToronto had reported that the greatest opponent to' their usefulness was the Popish, priest, and next to him the Dissenting teacher! WESLEYAN METHODIST ASSOCIATION. The Annual Assembly of this body held its sittings in Lever- street chapel, Manchester. The Cannexionai Committee met on Thursday the 20th of July ult., for arranging the stations, and for other preparatory business. The assembly was opened on Wednesday the 2Sth, at nine ■ o'clock. The Rev.Henry Breeden was chosen president, and the Rev, Robert Eckett, secretary, bath by large majorities, and thanks* were tendered to the retiring president and secretary, the itev. R. Eckett and the Rev. John Peters. The sittings were from nine o'clock to half-past twelve, and- from half-past two to half-past five, and were open to members of the denomination, as spectators, on showing their society tickets. The reports from the circuits were, in many instances, highly en- couraging, and an increase in the aggregate number of members in the connexion, amounting to upwards of 700 in Great Britain, was announced. Services were held in Lever-street chapel, daily at five o'clock in the morning and at seren in the evening. A lovefeast was held in Lever-street chapel on Sunday after- noon, and was attended by a large number. The services generally have been well attended, much interest has beer. manifested, and delight and profit experienced. On Monday evening the Rev. Ira Miller was publicly received into full connexion as an itinerant preacher. The ex-president's address followed, founded on 2 Tim. ii. 15. and was one of the rev. gentleman's happ:est efforts. On Tuesday evening the members of the annual assembly cele- brated the Lord's Supper together, in which they were joined by a, large concourse of communicants. The business of the assembly terminated last week. THE WESLEYAN CONFERENCE. One of our correspondents, whose letter, though dated on Wednesday, did not reach us till Friday morning, writes as follows Very little has been done in Conference since last Thursday. The Stations have engrossed almost the whole time." A loyal address to the Queen was unanimously adopted by the Conference. Our former report of the result of the inquiry made on 1\1 On-. day evening into the number of members in Society, requires a word or two of explanation. As before stated, the decrease in Great Britain was found to be 51S, and that in Ireland of 1,491, but the decrease of 2,852, on the mission stations, was but apparent: the real decrease is but 865, as 1,897 of the. members have now been transferied to the care of the Confer-. cnce in Canada; which, however, in its turn, accounts for the, increase in that portion of the Connexion. The total number- of members in the Weslevan Church is-- In Great Britain 338,861; In Ireland 23,642 In Missions 97,451. 459,454 Decrease durinz 1847-8 4,861 One of our correspondents, writing on Saturday, says "There has been much conversation, and the difference of- opinion appeared great, on the course to be pursued by the Conference in its educational measures—a few opposing all Government support, and others objecting strongly to the. Z? building of a Normal, School on the expensive scale proposed by the Board of Education, and by means of a grant from the Government. On the motion, however, being put from the. chnir, an overwhelming majority sided with the committee; and so soon as circumstances will justify the measure, the Wesleyans will put themselves still more completely under the yoke of Government, by receiving a large portion of the public money." A resolution passed the Conference, that application should be made to Government that the duty on building materials should be taken off when used for Wesleyan chapels, that in this respect the Wesleyan Church may be on the same footing as the Established Church. Exception was taken by several ministers in, the Conference, to a paragraph in the draft of the Pastoral Address, favourable to the union of Church and State. Among the dissentients was the Secretary of the Conference, who observed, that if the mi- nisters were pretty much of one mind, the societies were not, on this matter," The report of the special committee, appointed to .consider whether the book-room, could issue a series of cheap publica- tions, showed, that, in their opinion, it was not safe or desirable except in a very few instances, to attempt this. An experi- ment is recommended of a cheap: issue of Watson's "Life of Wesley," and his Conversations.for the Young." An edition of Mr. Wesley's Sermons, in three volumes, at 2s. 9d. per vol., is preparing. The important motions of which notice had been o-iv-cnant the use of the liturgical service at Conference, on Government grants, and Missionary purposes, and on the right of Wesleyan ministers to act freely and according to their own judgment in the Church and State controversy, were, we are sorry to learn, withdrawn movers of these motions not having had any op-' portunity to introduce them until near eleven o clock on Fri- day, As it was understood that the Conference was to close. at noon, it would have been an injustice-to the momentous. points involved in the motions, to enter upon them at that hour. It is to be hoped that they are not abandoned. The Conference closed its sittings at half-past one o'clock on Friday. morning. The next assembly of this body will be 'Chester,—Patriot of Monday.
MR. WILLIAM CHAMBERS AND MERTHYR…
hawkers, who, by the bye, are mostly from the land of cakes, are I suppose not. so generous as to give their tea away after all, but somehow or other contrive to get paid for it, and thus tiiis specious political economy turns out of very little value. Mr.' Chambers pertinently asks (query impertinently), why the employers take so little trouble to cultivate human- ising feeling's in their men, and give them neither libraries nor reading-rooms P This again is reckless assertion. More than fifteen years ago Sir John Guest set a library on foot, and several able lectures were delivered by some of his agents upon various scientific subjects, and it has continued with more or less success in existence ever since. There is also a very good public library in the town of Merthyr. Bat that the place has not been wholly so ignorant as is generally surmised, it may be mentioned that a philosophical society was established here in the year 1805. It numbered about sixty to eighty members, and they possessed a very excellent reflecting telescope, a pair of globes, a compound microscope, an equatorial, and other instruments. Some of the members, though working-men, became, through their own unaided exertions, considerable mathematicians and astronomers, and of general information upon other sciences. This was not a very low state of education for those days. At the conclusion he falls athwart one of the iron masters, who, he says, makes upwards of a hundred thousand pounds annually by his work, and is reckoned as worth a couple of millions of money. So ends my chit-chat on Merthyr Tydfil. In the opinion of the greater part of your readers like myself, his chit-chat will be deemed, I doubt not, a great luniD of unvarnished prejudice, of miserable twaddle. Men like Mr. Chambers ought to know that it is a piece of arrant impertinence in any man to pay a place a visit like lie did, ignorant of the language and the customs of the inhabitants, and to hash up an article full of reckless assertions like this is. A man, be his judgment as correct as it may, should endeavour to obtain a more correct data for it, than what can be seen by staring through the window of his inn, or asking half-a-doaen questions to some ignorant workman. In conclusion, I might say of the article as Sheridan said of some book, that what was new in it was not true, and what was true was not new." Your's obediently, TUDUR ALED.