South Wales Daily News

BIRTHS. MARRIAGES. DEATHS No#,W,v f Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 18 each, i, Mt exeeeding to woràp. and 6d for each extra 10 xcordt. DEATHS. JOHN.—December 30th, at 9, Romilly-road, Barry, Gladys, youngest daughter of K and M. John v deeply regretted. Funeral Saturday, 2.30 p.m., for St. Andrew's. 530 LAWRENCE On 31st ult., suddenly, Alexander Law. rence, of 138, Donald-street Roath (Photographer, at 80, Queen-street). Funeral Thursday, at 3 p.m. Friends please accept this the only intimation. 607 MATTHEWS.-At Pontyclun, January 1st. Rebecca, the beloved wife of John Matthews, smith. Funeral on Saturday, at 3 o'clock. 524

UNITY IN PRINCIPLE AND METHOD" IT was 10D17 ago pronounced as a taunt against Christians of all creeds that the attraction of repulsion is more potential amongst them than the attraction of cohesion. A similar indictment has been preferred against political Liberals by the Tory foe whilst the Celtic people have been stigmatised by their enemies as the bom heritors of the curse of dissension and disunion. There is a show of truth in each taunt to those who are content with a surface view of men and things. Men and women of deep convictions, and strong earnestness of purpose, are under special temptation, from which they ought carefully to guard themselves, to exalt the secondary and the immaterial into the primaryand the essential. This is but the outgrowth of an abounding vigorous faith, and needs careful and close pruning lest it should work mischief to the cause the faith-holder desires to promote. Abundance of growth in a tree is n&t neces- sarily the earnest of an abundant fruit crop. Unsightly excrescences are oftentimes but life bursting out in the wrong direction, fIolthough oftentimes they are the signal of diseaso. Vice itself has been pronounced to be only virtue run to seed virtue going in the wrong direction, which has developed into evil by not being severely pruned back in time. The power of self-restraint is a grand virtue in human character. Men and women need to differentiate between the necessary and essential, and the indifferent and immaterial. If they would but do this there would be less dissension and severance in this world of ours. Men more frequently ex- communicate their fellows because of differences on non essentials, than of antagonism on essentials. An upright and devout life is infinitely more important than an orthodox creed. Nevertheless, the creed- holder will anathematise the man of honest life for not seeing eye to eye with him in dogma. We believe in the doctrine of com- promise on all non-essentials, and on all methods of action, so long as the governing principle ia held sacred, and the final end secured. Man preached CHPigT in Apostolic days from other motives than those of a great Apostle nevertheless, he cared not to dispute about the matter so long as CHRIST was preached. Men may proclaim Liberal opinions from other convictions, and influenced by other motives, than those of the South Wales Daily Neics, but we make no inquisition into that matter so long as Liberal principles are inculculated, and Liberal success ensured. We believe those views to be sound in ethics and impregnable in policy, and their outcome is unity amongst all those who hold the same common principle of political faith. We commend them, therefore, and commend them earnestly, to thoqe membarq of the South Wales and Monmouthshire Liberal Federation and of the Cymru Fydd Society who will meet in Cardiff to-morrow to discuss a common basis of political action. The object of the Federation and of the younger Society is, we are satisfied, the wider diffusion of Liberat'opinions and the success of Liberal candidates at the polls. In view of such weighty and paramount objects as these, individual preferences and individual opinions as to persons or methods should instantly give way to the ultimate good of the common cause. Indeed, unduly to press individual opinion on matters of procedure or method would be not only an imprudence but an imper- tinence, and a breach of loyalty to political Liberalism which could not be too severely reprehended and condemned. We have not an atom of belief that any individual member who will be present at the meeting to-morrow will offensively press his own views, so as to imperil the unity of purpose and of effect which is essential in South Wales and Monmouth. shire at the present time, and more than ever essential and necessary now, if we would make successful head against the common political foe. For that Tory foe is now abnormally active, persistently and aggressively active and is evidently very abundantly supplied with what is called the sinews of war." SOLOMON affirmed thet money was a defence but it is vastly more than that; ic is an effective means of attack as well. From all quarters of South Wales and Monmouthshire have reports reached us of the supernatural activity of the Tory enemy. Tory gold has been plenti- fully subscribed in England for a orusade in Wales on behalf of Toryism and the State Church; and the Tory coffers are swollen, almost to bursting, with the abundance of donations. And they need depletion. Outsiders have been transported into many districts of South Wales and Monmouthshire to proclaim the Tory crusade against Welsh Liberalism and Non- conformity and native recruits have been tempted to enlist under the Tory standard, persuaded by the oogent reasons which recruiting sergeants know so well how to use. In the face of such a foe difference of view amongst Welsh Liberals would be a crime against political loyalty, and a sin against political principle. If the Liberals who will meet to consult and deliber- ate in Cardiff to-morrow, will only listen to the counsel of an old book-and we are assured they will-that such should esteem others better than himself, then compromise will be the g< Turning principle, and unity in effort as well as in principle and aim will be assured. Experience should guide deliberation, and those who have struggled on hard-foughten political fields should teach us how political battles are waged and won, and then, let the General Election come when it will, Liberal success is sure. Hackneyed as the quotation is, it conveys a sound truth': Tis not in mortals to command success but we'll do more, SEMTKONIUS, we'll deserve it." Unity in aim and effort will deserve success, as well as win it.

WELSH D1SESTABLISHMENT AND I THE ENGLISH ELECTORATE. SOME two or three days ago, in an article in these columns, we endeavoured earnestly to impress upon the South Wales and Mon- mouthshire Liberal Federation, and upon he Liberal members of South Wales and Monmouthshire, the imperative and pressing necessity of deputations from Wales being forthwith sent into the large and repre- sentative English constituenoeies to show them the righteousness and the equity of the Welsh Disestablishment move- ment. The ignorance of large sections of the English electorates concern- ing Wales and Welsh Dissent and Noncon- formity, and Welsh political and ecclesiasti- cal opinion, is immeasurable and abyssmal, and they are consequently duped and misled as to the merits of Welsh Disestablishment by every political quack and pretender who professes to have knowledge of the question but has not. Hence arises, as we contended, the pressing necessity of sending competent Welsh delegates into these constituencies to counteract the mischief which is being done by theee pretentious advocates of ecclesi- asticism and Toryism. We have now been informed, somewhat indirectly, and by what COLERIDGE calls a circumbendibus, that the Federation has not been at all remiss in duty, but has used every endea- vour to secure efficient and competent volunteers to go as delegates into these English constituencies, but that they have all with one accord made excuse. If this be true-and we have no reason whatever to doubt the accuracy of our informants' statements it is symptomatic of a feeble and sickly con- dition of political therapeutics in our midst. It is not after such fashion, and by such troops, that political victories can be won. They were not won after such half-hearted methods in the past; and most assuredly they will not be won by such methods in the future. Political indifferentism had better retire into private life and make way for political workers earnest in. conviction and effort. We suppose, however, that we have still the Welsh members to fall back upon. They owe a duty to Wales and to the Welsh Disestablishment movement which they cannot neglect without grave and serious responsibility. The English constituencies need to be enlightened on the justice of the Welsh Disestablishment demand, so that the Welsh Bill might pass through the House of Commons with a compact and sufficient majority. Who will volunteer to under- take the work ? Of course it is not expected, and cannot be expected that those who undertake the task should have to pay their own necessary expenses. These expenses will be borne by the Federation. The work is waiting to be done; the necessity is instant and pressing. Who will do it 1 We shall return to this subject again.

GLAMORGAN BUILDING SOCIETY. In our issue of Tuesday we published certain Parliamentary returns in connection with local building societies. The figures were given in such a form as to be liable to misapprehension. It was stated that M regards the Glamorgan Building Society there was a deficit of jBMO. Thia is altogether erroneous. So far from the Glamorgan Society showing any deficit its state. rnsnt of accounts shows a surplus unappropriated of £ 2,331, and the society was never in a more prosperous condition than it is at present, the profits for the past year being even higher than those of 1893.

NEW MAGISTRATES FOR GLAMORGANSHI RE. The following gentlemen, by virtue of their election as chairmen of their various district councils, have been enrolled on the commission of the peace for the county of Glamorgan, and were duly swora at the Epiphany Quarber Sessions now sitting at the Town-hall, Cardiff Mr John 0. Meggitt, Barry. Mr W. L. Morris, Penarth. Mr M. E. Roberts, Briton Ferry, Mt G. G. Morris, Glynoorrwg. Mr A. Sidney Gardner, Neath, Mr Buckley, Bridgend.

THE HRKAT (lurr. FOR CORNS.—Muadayt« Viridine-Still further testimony. A Chemist writes :— Will you send me a. bottle of yourvirldinel It is for my own use. I get plenty of corn cures of the same colour, but none of them appear to equal yours. Ne one ousht to say his corns are incurable until ne has used Viridine." Thousands have been cuTed, mfl"t of whom had suffered for over 50,y«ars. Bewaieof mitations. Sold in bottles Mj'byjpost Is 2d, by the proprietor, J. Monday, Chemist V High-street Cardiff and a^l Chemists *079

GLAMORGANSHIRE. The Epiphany Quarter Sessions for the county of Glamorgan were resumed on Wednesday at the Cardiff Town-hall. CROWN COURT. [Before His Honour Judge GWILYM WILLIAMS.] DESTROYING A THRESHING MACHINE AT ST. LYTHAN'S. Frederick Wiikins, a labourer, aged 18, and William Yeates, a youth of 14, were indicted for malioiously breaking a. threshing machine at St. Lythan's, the property of David Thomas, on the 17h of November last, doing damage to the amount of £60. Both prisoners pleaded guilty to the indictment, the elder saying that he did it out of misehief, whilst the younger said that he did not know whose machine it was, and Wiikins had asked him to light afire in it, and he helped to raise the stack. It was Wilkins who broke the top off. Super- intendent Giddings,in reply to the Chairman.said that nothing else was known against the prisoners, who had been drinking at Tumble. The Chairman, in passing sentence, said the prisoners had pleaded guilty to a charge the maximum punish- ment for which was seven years' penal servitude. It was a serious offenoe to destroy machinery, and tbe law looked upon it as such. Having regard to the prisoners' ages he was prepared to take a lenient view of the case, and the sentence upon Wiikins would be six calendar months. Yeates seemed to have acted under the advice and control of the elder prisoner and would be sentenced to seven days' imprisonment. THE LOUGHOR RIOTS. MAGISTERIAL NSGLUCT STRONG KEMABXS BY JVpOTC WILLIAMS. The five prisoners oharged with unlawful assem- bly, disturbance of the public peace, and with damage to a certain house in the occupation of Edward Ridley, at Loughor, were called into the dock, having been bailed on committal, but for a considerablo time the indictment against them could not be proceeded with owing to the faot that, save the chairman, no other magistrates wera present. The Chairman strongly commented on this absence on the part of his colleagues, pointing out that th",re had been also considerable delay in getting through the business of the Second Court owing to the same cause. The vice- cbairman, Mr O. H. Jones, who presided in the Second Court, at this juncture entered the Cown Court and consulted for some time with the chairman, who subsequently apologised for the unavoidable delay, and said "It is necessary to have another magistrate to sit with the chair- man. We have been relying upon the attendance of other magistrates, who are always anxious to have their names put on the commission of the peace, and who seem to consider that that is all that is required of them. I cannot help speaking in very strong terms of the conduct of gentlemen who have been placed in a position of trust which entails certain duties to allow them to go by default rather than take their fair share in them. I hope this will be rectified in future by arranging in a proper manner that there shall be a rota of magistrates, whose duty ft will be to attend the sessions. This is not the first time one has had to complain of delay attending the administration of justice on accouut of the absence of magistrates. I hope the Press will take notioe Of it, so that possibly some of the magistrates may read my remarks and take them to heart. We are wanting to do the work, but we cannot go on because there are no other magistrates." Subsequently, his Honour went on to say I think we had better go on the vice-chairman says he willsit for the present." Shortly afterwards another magistrate arrived —Mr Phillips, of Monmouth, who was in attend- ance also the previous day, and to whom his Honour's remarks could certumly not apply—and the vice-chairman (Mr Jones) was then enabled to go back to the Second Court. The oase against the five prisoners was then, proceeded with, their names being John Gower (the younger), William Rees, William Edwards, Isaac Harry, and Henry Harry. Mr Rhys Williams proseouted (instructed by Mr Howell, Llanelly); and Mr Benson and Mr Plews (Ill- structed by Mr R. T. Leyson, of Swansea), defended. In opening the case, Mr Rhys Williams said it was a most serious one, and would ocoupy the court) for some time. To trace its history it was necessary to go back to the 2?th of November last year. The assizes were then being held at Swan- sea, and in one case the Glamorganshire Bank recovered £1,000 and costs against two persons at Loughor, named Richards and Owen. The prosecutor in this Case gave evidence for the bank. The fact of the bank being success- ful in recovering this money had led to a great deal of ill-feeling between the inhabitants of Loughor and Mr Ridley. When the latter left the court at Swansea he was threatened by someone, and on the 7th of Decem- ber a crowd came to his house at 10.30 in the evening A good deal of noise was created, stones ware thrown, and every pane of glass in the house except one was broken. Prosecutor estimated the crowd to number 70 or 80 persons, and he saw them go round from the front to the back of his premises. He went there to try and drive them away, when someone hit him above the knee with a stone, and he identified William Edwards as the man who threw theatont.. Fro secutor then retreated to the house, and the crowd followed him and broke every atom of fur- niture. They smashed the pictures and forced open all the doors and windows. They dragged him into the street and hit him aoross the legs with an iron instrument called a salamander." They did him all the injury they could, and he was able to identify the prisoners in the dock. The prosecutor, who was then called into tbe box, said he now lived at Llanelly, but on the 7th of December last was conneoted with a tin-plate works at Loughor. He corroborated the opening statement of Mr Rhys Williams with regard to the attack upon his house by the prisoners, as to the damage they did to the place and furniture, and the injuries they had inflicted upon him. After the assault he said one of them remarked, have finished him; we had better go now." Some of the stones thrown were flag- stones. There was about a ton of them in the kitchen, and hundreds of stones in the other rooms, Henry James Ridley, son of the prosecutor, gave corroborative evidence, saying that he also was struck several times whilst endeavouring to defend his father. Detective Gill gave evidence that he went to Ridley's house on the 8th of December and found all the windows broken in front of the house save one, the sashes also being damaged. At the back the kitchen window was broken, the sashes and all being destroyed. On the table in the kitchen he found some pieces of flag stone, one of which measured lBin. by 14in. and about 4m. thick, and another about a foot square. Other stones were lying about the floor. He found some crockery- ware and lamps broken, and also some furniture and pictures which had been destroyed. He found stones in every one of the rooms except the two back bedrooms. There was not a ton of loose stones in the house, but about a couple of buckets full. Abel Christmas Davies, medical practitioner at Gowerton, being next called, said he went to the prosecutor's house at 12.30 a.m. on the 8th of December. He found the prosecutor ii* the kitchen with a cut on his forehead, a clean cut, which might have been caused by a poker. He also complained of pam in the left hip, though there was no bruise there. He was laid up in the house for six days. Mr Benson, in defence, said he did not intend to justify the action of the crowd who surrounded prosecutor's house on the day in question. He did not intend to dispute what the prosecutor bad said about the damage to his furniture, to his house, and to his person but everything outside that he was going to dispute, and to see that the prisoners were'not convioted for something which they had not done. He went on to show that the disturbance occurred on a dark night, at 10.30, and there was no question that the prosecutor was afraid and excited. He would prove by evi. dence which they must accept that, to take the first case, William Rees could not have been thereat the time. He would show by evidence that the prisoner must have been picked out either by some genuine mistake or by wilful malice on the part of the prosecutor Ridley, and that everyone of tbem were able to show that they had no part in what took place that night. William Itees, he said, was a fireman at a neigh bouring colliery, and that evening was down the pit from before nine o'clock until after 12 o'clock, seeing that the working places were in order for the colliers, the lamps were trimmed, Ac. Rees therefore could hot possibly have taken part in the disturbance. He would show that the man Gower was at home, and that Wm. Edwards was at the Globe Inn, and from there had to convey a rre.=isage to a man a considerable distance away. With regard to the two Harrys, he said Isaac was at the Globe Inn with Edwards till 10 o'clock,and afterwards went home and Henry was at the Cross Keys, and just saw the disturbance from the outside of the crowd as he was going home. A large numbea of witnesses were oalled who gave evidence in corroboration of Mr Benson's state- ments, the evidence adduced going to prove a complete alibi in the case of each of the prisoners charged. Summing up the case Mr Benson said there had been no independent evidence to connect either ot the prisoners with the wrongs which had been undoubtedly inflicted upon the prosecutor. He also pointud out that none of the prisoners had any family connection with the two defendants who had lost their case at Swansea, against whom the prosecutor had given his evidence, and therefore they had no possible motive for acting in the manner suggested. Mr Rhys Williams then summed up very effectively on behalf of the prosecution and at the conclusion his Honou. informed the jury that he could not do justice tothe various points to which he desired to call their attention that evening, owing to the latenest of the hour, but he would' endeavour in his sum- ming up to-morrow (Thursday) morning to assist them to arrive at a proper decision. The Court then adjourned. SECOND COURT. (Before Mr O. H. JONES, Mr LEWIS WILLIAMS, and Dr. TAYLOB.) HOUSK BREAKING AT DIN All POWUI. Wm. Owen, a labourer, 64 years of age, was indicted for breaking into a dwelling-house in the parish of St. Andrew's, Dinas Powis, with intent to commit a felony, on the 19th Nov. Mr C. H. Downes conducted the prosecution, the prisoners being unrepresented. A verdict of guilty was returned by the jury, and Owen was sentenced to gaol for six months. STEALING A PONY. Two youths, a haulier and hawkef respectively, named Arthur Henry Christie and Fredk. Daniels, were indicted for stealinga colt belonging to Wm Bromley Edmunds, at Eglwysilan on Decembet 6th. This case was called, and it Was found that the orosecutor was missing and otbie witness# i,| }. "II!" ,< "< were absent as well. Mr P. Evans, who con. I ducted the prosecution, decided to proceed, although the instructing solicitor was not present. The Chairman threatened to dis- allow the costs of the proaeoution when it was found that none of the witnesses were in court. Eventually it was discovered that the police had one in oustody,and the case proceeded. After hearing the evidence of two witnesses the Chairman, in summing up, said he did not think they could convict on the evidence, and directed J the jury to find a verdict of not guilty. Christie wa.s accordingly discharged. Frederick Daniels, who on the other hand pleaded guilty, was sent to gaol for four ca endar months. The costs of the prosecution, with the exception of the two witnesses who attended, were disallowed. NOT GUILTY. A plea of not guilty was made by George Stock- dale, a fireman, of Barry, to a charge of stealing on December 11th, at Cadoxton, a gold watch and chain, belonging to James Grant, a. fitter, living at the same place. Mr Sankey prosecuted, and the prisoner defended himself. The prosecu- tor was at Stockdale's house, and he alleged that whilst there his watch was stolen. A police- sergeant found the watch in prisoner's possession, and the defence was that he was taking care of the watch for the other man. Prisoner was found not guilty, anddischarged accordingly. FALSE PRETENCES BY COLLIERS. Hugh Jones, a collier, was indicted for unlaw- fully attempting to obtain 3s lid, the money of the Penrihwceiber Colliery Company.Limited, by falsely pretending that two trams of coal had been cut by him at Llanwonno. Prisoner pleaded guilty. Mr S. T. Evans, who prosecuted, explained that the prosecution was taken up by the workmen themselves in order to put a stop to this growing practice. The defendant altered the numbers on the coal trams, thereby getting them entered to his credit. Prisoner was sentenced to six imprisonment with hard labour. Mr S. T. Evans prosecuted in a. similar case against John Davies. Prisoner pleaded guilty, and was santenced to one calendar month's im- prisonment, he having already been in gaol three weeks. A FRAUDULENT COUNTY-COURT OFFICIAL. David Williams (53), an ex-certificated distress bailiff, was indicted ior having, on September 11th, at Cadoxton, obtained by false pretences the sum of £ 116s,the moneys of Lewis Alexander Rogers, with intent to defraud. Mr S. T. Evans, M.P. (instructed by Mr Belcher), prosecuted on behalf of the Treasury, and Mr C. J. Jackson (instructed by Mr Arthur Rees) defended. A witness was called to prove that the prisoner held a. certificate from the county- court judge as a distress bailiff, and this was cancelled on November 10th last by the judge. Rogers, the nominal prosecutor, stated that he lived tormerly in Angelina-street, Cardiff, and his wife left the house while he was away. When he returned he lived with his wife at Barry. The prisoner came to their house there, and was paid the rent, plus 7s 6d expenses, upon production of a warrant signed by Mr Jones, the landlord, giving the prisoner instructions to collect the rent. Mr Jones, the landlord, deposed that the prisoner asked him tor a distress warrant, which he did not give him. His clerk applied for payment of the rent through the county- court, and it was. not until then that he knew that the money had been previously collected by the prisoner.—The jury retired, and after an absence of half an hour, returned a verdict of guilty, with a recommendation to mercy. Prisoner was sentenced to two calendar months' imprisonment. FALSE PRETENCES AT BRITON FERRY. Henry Phillips (31). labourer,and Riobard Mor. gan (31), fireman, were indicted on a charge of obtaining by false pretences two half-quarters of tobacco, one bottle of pickles, one bottle of sauce, and other articles, valued at 10s lVad, theproperty of Thomas Thomas, with intent to defraud at Briton Ferry. Mr S. T. Evans prosecuted and Mr C. H. Glascodine defended. Phillips pleaded not guilty Morgan's plea was guilty. The evidence was to the effect that both prisoners visited prosecutor's shop, Morgan asking for some stores for the ship Bulo, of which he alleged his father, Mr Richard Morgan, was captain. Phillips said that it was all right, that the old man had plenty of money, and upon that representation he allowed them to take the articles. He had, however, received no money for them. The captain of the Bulo subsequently turned out to be Nicholas Blake, who was now called and stated that neither Phillips nor Morgau had any connection with tho schooner. Phillips, who had been previously convicted for felony, was sent to prison for three months, and Morgan for two months. The courb then adjourned until Thursday morning.

MONMOUTHSHIRE. The Epiphauy Quarter Sessions were held at the Shire-hall, Usk, on Wednesday, before Mr S. C. Bosanquet (chairman of quarter sessions) and Sir Henry Jackson, Bart. (vice-chairman); and amongst the ofchar magistrates present were Messrs E. J. Phillips, D. A. Vaughan, A. A. Williams, E. Grove, Arthur Evans, W. Peeler, jun.. and Col. Mansel, Major Lister, and Major Griffin. THE GRAND JURY. The following gentlemen were sworn on the grand jury:—Messrs L. Pritchard (foreman), Albert W. Blake, A. Davenport, J.C. Gwatkin, E. A. Johnson, R. F. King, S. Morris, R. Price, W. H. Rosser, and Henry Lippett, Abergavenny; C. J. Fox, W. Hitcheox, and W. Jones, New- port W. Sandbrook and R. Davies, Pontypool; J. Harrison, A. Jones, and T. Morgan, Ebbw Vale; J. Howells, Tredegar N. Jenkins, Bish- ton and D. Jones, Pontnawynydd. — Ths Chairman briefly charged the grand jury. NEW MAGISTRATES. Messrs H. M. Davies, Blaenavon C, Voyce, Usk; T. Dutfield, Magor; and D. Bowen', Abercarn, qualified as magistrates by virtue of their being chaiamen of district councils. MAGISTRATES SELECTED TO ACT AT RIOTS. The Clerk read a letter from the Local Govern- ment Board calling attention to a report dealing with the relationship between the civil and military authorities in oases of riot, and suggest- ing that the court should appoint a body of magistrates to accompany military forces in case of riot or anticipated riot.—The Chairman sug- gested that the list of magistrates appointed at the last court to act under tho Lunacy Act should be taken and appointed and this was agreed to. NEW PRISON VISITORS. The visiting justices to H.M. prison at Usk were re-appointed, and Mr Ii. Humphreys, of Usk, was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the Rev. W. Bruce. The following were re-appointed visitors to the Cardiff Prison -0;>1. Morgan, Col. McDounell, Mr E. J. Phillips, and Mr J. G. Williams.—-The county licensing committee were also re-appointed, with tho exception of Mr C. B. Holland, Ebbw V &1., who has left the district. The vacancy was filled by the election of Dr. J. D. James, of Blackwood. THB PLAGUE OF VAGRANTS. I The Chairman, in accordance with notice, proposed a resolution that, in vie^ of the great increase in vagranoy throughout the country, the court urged on the Local Government Board the necessity of energetic steps being taken to lessen the evil.—Alderman Grovo seconded the motion, and it was agreed to.—It was suggested that tht board in London should invite the boards of guardians and other local bodies to confer together as to the best means to be adopted. TRIAL OF PRISONERS. FALSE PRETENCES. Frederick Rodgkiss, labourer, pleaded guilty to obtaining 2s by false pretences at Goytre, and was sentenced to two weeks' imprisonment. SHOPBREAKING AT NEWPORT. Thomas Tresider, miner, pleaded guilty to breaking into the shop of Pasoal Ber- nasconi, ship chandler, Newport, and steal- ing £31. No evidenoe was offered on a second charge of breaking into the shop of Chas. Collier, Newport, and stealing a cheque- book and other articles. This was man who got away by road to Cardiff, but was stopped and interrogated in Newport-road, Cardiff, by the police, who recovered the whole of the money. prisoner was ssntenoed to six months' imprisonment. STEALING A CALF. Thos. Fitzgerald, cattle drover, Cardiff, was tried for stealing a oalf, the property of Ell Saunders, Cardiff, dealer at Newport, on the 12th December. He acknowledged a prior conviction for receiving stolen tobacco at Cardiff, and was sentenced to four months' imprison- ment. STOLE A NEIGHBOUR'S PONY. Thomas William Long, butcher, Cardiff, was found guilty of stealing a pony, belonging to Mary Ann Probert, grocer, Maindee, Newport, and acknowledged previous convictions. He borrowed a pony from a neighbour who carried on a milk business, and rode to Cardiff, where he sold it. He was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. A BRUTAL FATHER. George Thomas (60), roll-turner, ;Blaenavon, was found guilty of cruelty to two of his little- girls duriug a period of six months. Prisoner beat his children oruelly both before his wife died and since that date. His defence was that he did not chastise them more than was necessary. The police said that prisoner had lost time at work through drunkenness. The Benoh sentenced prisoner to four monthsl imprisonment, and ordered the eldest child into the custody of a married stepsister, prisoner to contribute to her maintenance.

■■ I" II ■' jp.il).11^ r WELSH GOSSIP. Penar's article on Iolo Morganwg has attained world-wide celebrity. It has been reproduced in the American Drych. There is an American Morien. He is the Rev. Morien Mon Hughes, Ph.D., who is a well-known Welsh minister in the States. The only Welshman included in the Christmas honours is Sir Samuel Griffith, late Premier, and now Chief Justice of Queensland. Th jDrysor/a, which is within four years of celebrating its centenary, is showing its sustained vigour by adding eight pages to its size from January onwards. Some people have to go far afield to meet their fate. In Niles, Ohio, Mr John L. Harries, late of Morriston, was married the other day to Miss Gwpn Davies, late of Pontardawe. Mr D. C. Evans, of Cwmavon, and formerly of Dowlais, has received and accepted a eall to Nazareth Welsh Baptist Church, Bryncethin. Mr Evans will commence his duties there at onoe. The Welsh Americans are moving to erect a monument in memory of Professor Richard H. Williams, Baltimore, a well-known singer and musician, who died four years ago in the 39th year of his ag". The death is announced of the Rev. Spencer Williams, the son of the late Rev. David Wil- liams, a WesUyan minister at Liverpool, which took place at his residence at Plas-tirion, Camber- well, Melbourne. Cynonfardd is interesting himsalf with collect- ing subscriptions for the relief of the Rsv. Richard Richards, an Independent minister, who is in indigent circumstances and afflicted with ill- health, and is now resident) at Swansea. Mr David Evans, of Cleveland, Ohio, a native of Bowlais, has been promoted to be chief engineer of the great company of the American wireworks. Mr Evans has risen through sheer force of talent and perseverance, and has had few educational advantages. Mr S. M. Saunders writes to say that he is not, as stated in this column yesterday, the author of the Welsh Idylls now appearing in the Britith Weekly under the nom de-plume of Parry Owev." Mr Ivor Bowen, the well-known barrister of the South Wales Circuit, is the author of an eminently useful work on the Building Societies Act, 1894, which comes into operation this year. Mr Bowen is the son of the Rev. D. Bowen Jones, the chairman of the Welsh Congregational Union. AU candidates for matriculation at the Welsh University must send in their names on a form of entry, which will be supplied by the Registrar on or before Tuesday, May 21st, 1895. All candi- dates muet send a certificate to show that they will have completed their 16th year by October 1st. 1895. Mr T. E. Ellis, M.P., attended the council of which he is a member at j&ala, and evidently intends to take a regular interest in the pro- ceedings. He has presented the council with a. minute-book, the inscription on which is in the Welsh language. This is how loan Arfon—the father of Mr R. A. Griffith, the North Wales secretary of the (Jymru Fydd League sang to the first of January :— Hen ddydd gwyl anwyl ini—yw'r Calan Er coledd campwri; Dydd gynal, dydd geni Miloedd o'n blynyddoedd ni. In reference to the little controversy that flickered in this column with regard to the relative value of an Oxford and a London degree, a corres- pondent stinds us the following from Twm o'r Nant's poems, which shows the waggish bard's opinion of Oxford men. Mae Graddan yn nysg Rhydyclen Nas dichon pawb eu dwyn Llabysfciaid, Hoi a bustych A theirw crych eu crwyn. A biography of Hiraethog, together with many of his letters to the Amserau, which appeared about 50 years ago over the nom de plume" Sen Ffarmwr," has been issued in parts. Oneof these parts, by "Scorpion (Rev. J. Roberts, Llanrwst), is declared by Daniel Owen, the author of Rhys Lewis," to contain the best, purest, and the most idiomatic Welsh extant. Taking the 12 counties of Wales, and exclud- ing Monmouthshire, we find that the number of acres under cultivation has grown from 411,482 in 1893 to 423,488 in 1894 while the pasture land has decreased by 15,602. The number of horses has increased by 162 cows have decreased by 43,608 and sheep increased by 2,689. This seems to show that Welsh farmers are beginning to use the land more for fat stock" purposes, and less for dairy produce. Cynalaw has received the following reply from the Rev. D. Phillips to the "rhyming post- card" which he sent him :-— Am Bethel Briton Ferry Rwyf finau yn bwriadu, Yrail ddydd Sul o'r flwyddyn Os byw a gweddol fyddaf Dod atoch mi ymdrecbaf, Er tywydd oer y gauaf A rhew ao eira gerwin, Mr Phillips is in his 83rd year. A strong Churchman, who has been staying some time in Anglesey with a clerical friand, thus speaks of bis experiences in Mõn. Mam Cymru":—" Tho Church here is in a truly deplorable condition—a worldly and ill-behaved squirearchy, and a peasantry more absolutely alienated than even in Merioneth." If Church- men would only take the trouble to ascertain the facts for themselves on the spot, and not take them at second-hand, this would be the report that would be presented from every county in Wales. The Young Walet Magazine, a threepenny monthly, which appears on the 12th of this month, is likely to mark an epoch in the history of Welsh nationalism. Mr Ernest Rhys has contributed a soul-stirring article on Owen Glyndwr's Grave," while the contributors will include Professor Anwyl, Mr Lloyd George M.P., Mrs Wynford Philipps, Mr Llewelyn Williams, Mr D. Samuel, M.A., Mr William Jones (Oxford), and the Rov. Richard Hughes, B.A. The editor is Mr J. Hugh Edwards, of the University College, Aberystwyth, and the publisher is Mr J. Gibson, ef the Cambrian News. The Rev. Hugh Price Hughes had an interest- ing experience abroad. He had been a great admirer of M, Paul Sabatier's "Life of Francis d'Assissi," and while on a visit to Assissi in Italy he heard that M. Sabatier was staying at the same hotel as himself. No sooner did he learn this than with the" Life It in haud he sought and madu the acquaintance of M. Sabatier. Soon the two became very friendly, and the historian of the Forward Movement" of the Middle Ages ex. pressed his deep interest in and appreciation of thej"Forward Movement" which forms so distinct a characteristic of the present time ia England and Wales, The following epitaph, supposed to have been written on the original headstone over Dolly Pentraeth's grave, of which there was no trace long before the orecöion of the monumenb by Prince Luoien Boneparbe referred to in this column on Monday, will be interesting to our readers. We append literal translations of the epitaph in Welsh and English. Th-t epitaph is said to have been composed by a Mr Tomsoij, aq engineer by profession, and a'native of Truro* Dolly died on Dscomber, 1777 CORNISH. Coll Doll Penbraeth caush a deau, Marow ha kledyz ed Paul plea, NRo ed an egloz gan pobel bras, Bes ed eglos-hay Coth Dolly es, WELSH. Hen Doll Pentrafth cant a dwy, Fu farw achladdwyd ymmhlwyf Paul, Nid yn yr eglwys gyda phobl fawr, Oitd yn y fonwent mae hen Dolly. ENGLISH. Old Doll Pentraeth one hundred and two, Deceased and buried In Paul parish, too; Not in the oburch with people great, But in the churchyard old Dolly is. It has been the lot of but a few to sucoeed so many noted divines as the Rev. H. M. Hughes, Enezer, Cardiff. Although, whit. at Aberyst- wyth, he took honours in English at the inter- mediate arts examination of London JUni- vera iky, he gavo up pursuing a degree to respond to an invitation to succeed the famouit Griffith Caerg-ybi. Thence he removed to Grove- street Chapel, Liverpool, where his predecessors bad been the Revs. William Nicholson and Hiraethog; and lastly, to Ebanezer Chapel, Cardiff, whose pulpit has been successively occu- pied by Revs. Lewis Powell, D. Jones, B.A., J Moroan Evans, Alun Roberts, and Cvnofifaftld,

P.1 I. ..11,1 HJUMHIMJI JIJI.HI.P J —I—» NEWS IN BRIEF. Bread is very expensive in Buenos Ayres. No fewer than 10 bishops died during 1804t Handel composed the Messiah" in two days. The Underground Railway cost £500.000 a mile. Thunder can be heard at a distance of Mine miles. The average height of the clouds frem the earth is one mile. Fairs, although dying out in England, flourish everywhere in France. Scientists predict that in a century there will be no disease not curable. The cultivation of grapes in France gives employment to no fewer than 23,000,000 persons. The first lottery mentioned in our history took place at the western door of St. Paul's Cathedral in 1569. The average European woman's life is shorter than the man's, but over two-thirds of the can. tenarians are women. An old rubber boot was dragged up in Tangier Sound, Maryland, last week. with 52 young oysters on the outside of it and a large toad m the inside. According to Principal Williams, of Edin- burgh, the danger of tuberculosis spreading among human beings is very much greater from the milk than the flesh of oows. Four railway companies—the Great Western, the Great Eastern, the S^uth-Western, and the North-Western bring into London about 20,000,000 gallons of milk every year. The Bishop of Rochester will be entitled to take his seat in the House of Lords when Parlia- ment meets. The next vacancy on the Episcopal Bench will be filled by the Bishop of peter- borough. The Brazilian National Observatory at Rio Janeiro is to be moved from its present position at Morro do Castello to a better situation near Petropolis, on the other side of the bay, 500 feet above the sen. Fruits, to do their best work, should be eaten either on an empty stomach or simply with bread -n3ver with vegetables. In the morning, before the fast of the night has been broken, they serve as a natural stimulus to the digestive organs. The Institution of Civil Engineers, which was established on the 2nd of January, 1818, and in. corporated by Royal charter on the 3rd of June, 1878 for the general advancement of mechanical science, now consists of 6,660 members of all classes. Baren Hirsoh writes to the United States Bureau of Immigration that the stream ot destitute Russian Hebrews will 'be diverted from America to the Argentine Republic, where there is plenty of room for them, and they will bo welcome. A committee has been formed in Amsterdam for the ereotion of a monument to Thomas fc Kempis, at Zwolle, where he did at the age of 91, July 4tb, 1471. The committee invites an international competition for sketches of the proposed monument. The epidemic of burglaries in Brooklyn has had some amusing results. One nervous woman who lives in rather lonely state on the Heights' has an alarm clock that awakens her once an hour during the night, so that she can keep hex ears open for housebreaker?. It has been ordered that no newspaper corre- spondents or artists are to be allowed passages in any vessel sent out with French troops to Madagascar. The order applies to the French as well as to the foreign Press. Any naval of military officer or soldier who may be discovered furnishing work by pen or pencil to the papers will be severely punished. Mr John R. Wigbam, M.R.I.A., president of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, has invented a new lighthouse light, and has brought it ex- perimentally before the scienoe department of the Royal Dubliu Society. In may be briefly described as a method of making the light of revolving lights continuous instead of, as at psesent, recurrent after intervals of darkness A son and heir was born the other day to Mr and the Hon. Mrs Bailie of Doohfour. Mrs Bailie is a daughter of Lord Burton, and the staft and foremen at Messrs Bass and Company's brewery at Burton were each presented with a bottle of champagne, and the workmen and boys received a quart and a pint of strong ate pec. tivuly, with which to drink the baby's health. The appearance of the serial novel at Printing House-square is surely a sign of the times. A serial is, it seems, about to be made a feature of the Times weekly edition. The novel selected is by Mrs M. E. Francis, who is known for her Story of Dan," and J; North-country Village." It is entitled "A Daughter of the Soil," and, as indicates, deals largely with country life. The great annual Russian military manoeuvres, which had to be abandoned last year owing to the illness of the late Czar, wilt be held next autumn near Smolensk. The plan of operations will be specially interesting, as reproducing the situation during the famous campaign of Napoleon in 1812. Now, as then, the main object of the Russian forces will be to drive back the invading enemy. The movements should be interesting. The late Robert Louis Stevenson retained his fondness for excessive indulgence in cigarettes to the last, and smoked his last tobaooo handle a very short time before his death. From 100 to 1150 paper cigarettes a day was his requirement. When he started on a slow sailing vessel from England for Samoa he carried 200 boxes ol cigarettes with him, and then, fearing that he might run short, had a large reserve supply of tobaeoo and paper. Sir Arthur Sullivan remains in town, at any rate until after the Lyceum production of "EHae Arthur." For this he has contributed an over- ture, entr'actes, and incidental music, and some of it, particularly that in the lake scene, is reported to be very beautiful. It is now rather doubtful when his Ivanhoe will be produced in Berlin, but the Carl Rosa people hope to get the new version before the public at Liverpool by the third week of this month. The arrangements of the Royal Commissioners on Horse Breeding for the year 1896 have been sanctioned, and they involve very little ohangc from those which were in force last yur. The annual show will be held on Tuesday, March 12, and two following days. Four premiums of £15G; each are allotted to district F, consisting of South Wales and the counties of Gloucester, Hereford, Monmouth, Stafford, Salop, Warwick, and Worcester; and three premiums of the same amount to district G, which includes North Wales, Cheshire, and Laneasbire. Madame Patti will start on her German concert tour next Wednesday, spending a couple of days in London en route, and giving her first concert in Berlin on the 18th. Thence she goes to Dresden on the 22nd, Leipsio on the 26th, and Vienna on the 29th, proceeding forthwith to Nice to sing Violetta Juliette, Rosina, andLuoia at a series of representations commending Feb. 4. By early in Marsh she will be back in England. Two concerts have ba*n arranged for in London in the sumtfaer, when Madame Patti will in ati probability increase her Wagnerian repertory. The Russian Volunteer Fleet steamer St. Petersburg, which recently arrived in OdeaM from the Far .East, had just entered the harbeui of Singapore when the news of the late death reached the commander and the ship's com- pany. The commander at once sought out the English chaplain, the only clergyman in the place, and begged him to come aboardaad solemnise ? funeral service for his late Majesty. Tho Anglican clergyman readily acceded to the request, and the service was performed on board, the Russian vussel, in the presence of a devout congregation. Steinitz, the famous choss-player, says H u The secret of chess might be described aa a just balance of mind." All great thinkers "have more or less been great chess-players. Buckle, the great English historian, was, perhaps, as fins a chesS-plaj er as England ever knew, although he never played in public. So were Voltaire Mid Diderot in France, and Frederick the Great to Germany. Both Moltke and Bismarck were fin. players, although the Emperor could give them pawns and beat them. Curiously enough, Napoleon could not play at all; he did not under- stand the game, and was very much chagrined at his inability. "Chess may be described," he n. tinued, as mental athletios; it is the gymnasium of the mind." This story of a well-known bishop (says Truth}, which reached me the other day, seems good enough for publication. If if, be true I fear it can hardly be n6W, but as Christmas is the season for "chestnuts," perhaps it may ba allowed to pass :—" The bishop was one day examining a batch of deacons for priest's ordow. After the theoretical part of tbe examination, he said to them Gentlemen, you have passed a most excellent examination in theory; I should now like to see you do something practical, I shall go into the next room and peraoaate sick man. You will come in one by one, address me as a sick parishioner, and say something com- forting." When his lordship had retired, the candidates were in some confusion, and nobody cared to begin; bub at last a mad Irishman volunteered to be the first. He entered the study, and approaching the bishop, who was lying with a. woe-bygone air on a sofa, he thus addressed him, "Oh, Anthony, Anthony! Thedhrinb again Shure it will be the death of ye Tura from your evil ways before it's too/late, And be a man This is said to have been the last timif that the bishop held a practical «xamioafcifliv% <

PRISON A "HAVEN OF REST." All Newport Police-court on Wednesday Henry Hhayer was called up from the cells belów, Shayer is a London tramp who prefers anything to werk, and for the last month has been journey- ing from casual ward to casual ward, and on Monday night he struck Newport, and finding that winter had at last appeared he determined to lay up." Accordingly, when his clothes were given to him on Tuesday morning he tore them into fragments, and when Superintendent Crane looked in and saw what had happened he coolly told the officer that he wanted to go to prison to get rest as he was tired. On the way to the police-station he told the policeman that he wanted a spell," and that the last time before his olothes up he was sent to Wandsworth Gaol for two months. Superintendent Crane told the Courb that Shayer had to be provided with a now outfit, including boots, at the expense of the ratepayers. The Mayor, in passing a sentenoe of 14 days' imprisonment, expressed the hope that Shayer would come out of prison with a better view of things.