South Wales Daily News

Persons born in spring are said to have a more robust constitution than those born at other seasons. A Madagascar correspondent tells of 400 pine- apples being bought and delivered for a school picnic there for one doll&r-48. The proportion of married people to single ones is seventy-five to J one thousand (including children V

QUEENSBERRY LIBEL CASE. OSCAR WILDE PROSECUTES. TRIAL OF THE MARQUIS. UNIQUE CORRESPONDENCE. DEFENDANT PLEADS HE WAS JUSTIFIED. I Tha suit of Oscar Wilde and the Marquis of Queensberry was down in on Wednesday's list for trial at the Central Criminal Court, before Mr Jus- tice Collins and a common jury. The words of the indictment charge John Sholto Douglas with maliciously publishing a defamatory libel of and concerning Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde. The general public and the members of the Junior Bar were very early in attendance, and not only was ail sitting room taken up, but the passages of the court were so blocked by the crush that ingress and egress was a matter of great difficulty. Sir Edward Clarke, Q.C., Mr Mathews, and Mr Travers Humphreys had been retained for the prosecution Mr Carson, Q.C., Mr C. F. Gill, and Mr A. Gill were counsel for the defence, a watching brief for Lord Alfred Douglas (the son of the defendant) being held by Mr Besley, Q.C., and Mr Monckton. The plaintiff arrived at half-past 10, accompanied by his solicitor, and took a seat in the of the court immediately in front of Sir Edward Clarke. Immediately afterwards the jury answered to their names, but I it was not until 20 minutes to 11 that silence was called for the entrance of the learned Judge. Lord Queensberry at once surrendered to his bail and was conducted to the dock. His Lordship seated himself, but obediently to the attendant's request advanced to the front and stood with his arms resting upon ledge. The Clerk of the Court having read th« indictment charging the defendant with having published a defamatory libel of tbe plaintiff upon a card addressed to him, I Lord Queensberry replied, Not guilty," and added the further plea The libel is true, and II was published for the public benefit." SIR EDWARD OLARKE'S OPENING ADDRESS. For the prosecution, Sir Edward Clarke then opened. The libel, he said, was upon a visiting card containing the name of Lord Queensberry, and it was a matter of very serious moment, becauso it imputed to Mr Oscar Wilde the gravest offence with which a man could ho charged. But a far graver issue was raised hv the plea that the libel was justified, and that Mr Oscar Wilde had for a considerable period solicited certain persons (whose names were mentioned in the pleadings) to oom- mit indecent practices. The learned counsel traced the plaintiff's career at Trinity College, Dublin, and subsequently at Magdalen College, Oxford, his marriage with a daughter of the late Mr Lloyd, Q C., and his later literary and artistic career. He detailed the plaintiff's social connection with the sons of the defendant and with Lady Queensberry, who some years ago obtained relief from the marriage tie owing to misconduct on the part of the Marquis. Touch- ing next on the introduction of Mr Wilde to Lord Queensberry by Lord Alfred Douglas at the Cafe Royal, Sir Enward called the attention of the jury to a personage not hitherto mentioned This was a man who had been given some clothes by Lord Alfred Douglas, and who alleged that in the pockets he discovered four letters addressed to Lord Alfred by Mr Wilde. Whether the man had fouud or stolen them was a matter of speculation. This person came to Mr Oscar Wilde, represented himself as in distress and as wanting to go to America, and the plaintiff gave him JB15 or £20 in order to pay his passage. He then handed toplaintiff the letters. Tothoseletters he (Sic E. Clarke) did not attach the slightest im- portance. As was generally the case the important latter was retained. While Mr.OscarJWilde's play A Woman of No Impoitance was In prepara- tion, what; appeared to be to some extent the copy of a letter was handed to Mr Tree, the actor, with a request to give it to Mr Wilde. After this another individual called on the plaintiff and offered ban the original, but he eaid No," he bad a copy which he looked upon as a work of art and did not want the original. Plaintiff looked upon the letter as a sort of prose sonnet, and told the man that it would probably appear as a sonnet poem. It did so appear in a critical magazine edited by Lord A. Douglas and called The Spirit Lamp. The learned counsel read a letter opening with the woids My own boy,—Your sonnet was lovely, and it is a marvel. That most red-rose-leaved lips of yours should be matter the muaic of song rather than for the madness of kissing." The writer suggested that Lord Alfred, beingakmein London, sliouldgo to Salisbury "and cool your hands in thegay twilightof Gothic things," The signature was always Wich undy- mg love. yours, Oscar." The words of the letter did appear extravagant to those in the habit of reading commercial correspondense. (Laughter.) But it was merely an expression of poetic feeling. It had no relation whatever to the painful sugges- tion now made. On tbe production of the plain. tiffs play, "Thelmportance of Being in Earnest," Lord Queensberry was refused admission and his money returned.because he brought to the theatre A BOUQUET OF VEGETABLES — (laughter)—and the jury might have their doubts whetherllJsLordship was responsible for his actions. The learned advocate dealt at someleugth with the suggestion made against plaintiff because of his connection with certain literary productions, and as showing his real feeling. As to improper publications, he instanced the fact that the plaintiff the instant he saw a production called The Priest and the Acolyte" wrote to the editor of the magazine protesting against ita continued appearance. As to Mr Wilde's Pic- ture of Dorian Gray," it was simply idealising reality in the sense of harmony and beauty. Sidney Wright, the porter of the Albemarle, deposed to handing Lord Queensberry'# post- card;to Mr Oscar Wilde. OSCAR IN THJt BOX. The plaintiff himself then entered the witness- box, and assuming an easy pose with his arms resting on the rail, he answered the questions of his leader in a firm, deliberate voice. He me the man Wood, who had the letters referred to, at the rooms of a tailor, and Wood said a man named Allen had stolen the letters from him, but they had been recovered by a detective. Plaintiff told him he did not consider the letters of anj importance. Wood said he had been offered JEM for what witness described as "his bsantifi'l letter to Lord Alfred Douglas." His reply was, I never received so large a sum for a prose work so short in length." That letter formed the basis of a French poem, afterwards published and signed by a young French poet, a friend of his own. Passing from various inter- views with Wood and another person named Tyler, witness described a scene with Lord Queensberry in his library. He told defendant he supposed he had come there to apolo- gise for the letter he had written about plaintiff and his eon. Defendant replied that the letter was privileged, adding that plain- tiff and Lord Alfred had been kicked out of the Savoy Hotel at a moment's notice, and that thoy had been blackmailed, and that plaintiff had taken rooms for defendant's son in Piccadilly. These statements were perfectly untrue. THREATENED WITH A THRASHING. He asked defendant, Do you seriously accuse your son and me V Lord Queensberry answered, I do not say that you ar it, but you look it." (Slight applause in court.) The learned Judge: I will have the conrk cleared if there is the smallest repetition of disturbance. w itness completed Lord Queensberry's answer —" I do not Bay that you are it, but you look it, and you pose at it, which is just as bad. If t catch you in a public oaf4 agaiu with my son I will thrash von." Plaintiff replied, 1 don't know what the Queensberry Rules are, but thd Oscar Wilde rule is to shoot at sight." He then ordered the defendant out of his house, saying to the servant, This is the Marquis of Queensberry, the most infamous brute in London. Never allow him to enter my house again. If he t attempts it, send for the police." He was not responsible for the publication of "The Priest-and the Acolyte" in the Cameleon Magazine. He; disapproved of and expressed his disapproval to the-editor. There was no truth in the state- ments of defendant contained in the pleadings. WORSE THAN IMMORAL—BADLY WRITTEN. Mr Carson began his cross-examination by asking plaintiff whether he was not something over ?. the age which he had given in his eiamiuation-in-chief. He now said he was born on the 16th October, 1854. In addition to his house in Chelsea be had rooms in St. James's-place, and Lord A. Douglas had visited them. Ho regarded the Priest and Acolyte as violating ail the artistic canons and as being disgusting twaddle, but he had never pubhcly dissociated himselffrom the Cameleon in which it appeared. Was the Priest and Acolyte immoral t- It was worse, it was badly written. (Laughter.) The learned counsel took plaintiff through a series of questions on his "Phrases and Philoso- phies," contributed to the Cameleon. Wickedness is a myth invented by good people to account for the attracti venss of others. Do you hold that to be a safe axiom?—Witness: Most stimulating. (Laughter.) You think anything that stimulates thought is good, whether moral or immoral ?—Thought is neither one nor the other; thought is intellectual. Counsel called attention to a criticism of Dorian Gray in the Scots Observer, in which it was; described as set in an atmosphere of moral corruption," and asked plaintiff whether he regarded that as a suggestion that Ins work pointed to a certain grave offence ?—Witness Some might think it so, whether reasonable or not. NOT CULTURED ENOUGH. Mr Citrsou In your introduction to Dorian Gray," you say there is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are either well or badly written ?—Plaintiff That expresses my view. Has Dorian Gray a certain Only brutes and illiterates would so regard it. Do the majority (if people take up the pose you are giving M 1-1 am afraid not. I am afraid fchty are not cultured enough. Mr Carson Not cultured enough to draw dis-, ti notion between a good book and a bad book ?— Witness (loftily): Oh, certainly not. (Laughter.) Mr Carson (quoting from a copy of Lippincot, a second copy having been handed to the learned Judge) read the author's description of his first meeting with Dorian Gray," and asked, Do you consider that description of the feelings of a man towards a youth just growing up as proper or improper ?"—Plaintiff I think it is the most perfect description possible of what an artist would feel on meeting a beautiful personality. Mr Carson Have you ever felt the feeling of adoring madly" a man some years younger than yourself ?—Plaintiff I never ave adoratIOn to anybody except myself. (Laughter.) May I take it that you have never felt the sensations which you/there describe?—No; I borrowed from Shakespeare's sonnets. Mr Carson You have written an article pointing out that Shakespeare's sonnets have a certain tendency ?—Plaintiff On the contrary, I wrote objecting to the shameful perversion by Hallam, the historian, and a great many French critics. Certain questions as to a French novel referred to in plaintiff's Dorian Gray were ruled out as irrelevant. Mr Carson returned to Dorian Gray," and in a long passage hit upon the phrase, Why is your friendship so fatal to young men ?"—Plaintiff I do not think any grown person influences another grown person. Further questioned, he said his letter to Lord A. Douglas was written from Torquay, where he was staying, and Lord Alfred was at the Savoy. Mr Carson You say, Your slim gilt soul walks between passion and poetry ?"—-Plaintiff It is a beautiful phrase. (Laughter.) The letter is unique. (Renewed laughter.) AN EXTRAORDINARY LETTER. Mr Carson Listen to this second letter of your own to Lord A. Douglas :— Dearest of all boys,—Your letter was delightful, and it was like red and yellow wine to me, for I am sadly out of sorts. You must not make scenes with me they kill me-t,hey wreck the loveliness of life. I cannot see you so Greek and gracious, distorted by passion. I cannot listen to your curved lips saying hideous thing's to IDe. Don I; do it, you break my heart. I must see you soon. You are the divine thing I want, a thing of grace and enius. but I do not know how to do it. Sh£.J1 I come to Salisbury ? There are many difficulties. My bill here is S49 for the week. I have also a new sitting-room over the Thames for you. Why are you not here, my wonderful boy 1 I fear I must leave. No money, no credit, and a heart of lead.—Ever your own, OSCAR. Plaintiff (with a lofty ail) An extraordinary letter. Everything I write is extraordinary. (Laughter.) Mr Carson You do not pose as being ordinary ? Plaintiff (with a gesture of contempt): No. Is that a. love letter ?—Itis a letter expressive of love. Cross-examination continued Wood was a young man who had held a clerkship, and was in a different social position. He had been asked by Lord A. Douglas to help Wood, and supped with Wood at a cafe on the night of his intro- duction. On one occasion he gave Wood £2, but not for an object suggested by the learned counsel. He never misconducted himself with Wood at his house in Chelsea while his (plaintiff) wife and children were away. BKMARKABLK STATJTMKNTS. When Wood brought those letters to him he thought he came to levy blackmail. My suggestion to you is that instead of giving him JB16 you gave him £30. Did you not give him j65 the following day 1—Yes. (Sensation.) Did you have a champagne farewelllunoh with the man who levied blackmail ?—Yo« he con- vinced me he had no bad intention, and that the letters had been stolen by other persous. Was it then you gave him the JE5 ?—Yes. Why ?—Because be saidJSIS would land him penmiess at ew York. Did you not thmk it strange that a man with whom you had lunched in a private room should seek to levy-blackmail ?—Perfectly infamous. Cross-examination resumed He knew Wood as Alfred," and two other men named Allen and Taylor were also known te him. Allen was known "to him by reputation as a blaokmailer and nothing else. He gave Allen 10s to show his contempt." (Laughter.) After Alien came Clyburne, who also consulted him about the letters. He was also kind to Cly- burne and gave him 10s. (Laughter.) He told CJy- burne he was afraid ho was leading a dreadfully wicked life. Clyburne said, There's good and bad in all of us," to which he replied, You are a philosopher." (Laughter.) Is the discovered letter the only one that a sonnet was written about ?—I should have to go through a great deal of modern poetry before I could answer that. (Laughter.) Did you become foud of the office boy to-a firm of publishers in February, 1892 ?—No. Was it a young man of 18 employed in the shop ?—Yes. Was he a handsome boy?—He had an intel- lectual face. Did you ask this lad to dine with you a.t the Albemarle Hotel ?—Yes. Was that for the purpose of an intellectual treat?—Well, for him, yes. (Laughter.) Did you dine alone ?—No, a gentleman was present. (Plaintiff wrote tbe name.) Counsel closely questioned plaintiff as to what took place while the lad was in his company, and plaintiff appealed to tha learned judge to protect him from the ignomy of being obliged to answer detail after detail, seeing that he denied aT. Did you ever give him any money ?—Yes, en three occasions. First, £ 4-; secondly, a railway fare to Cromer, where my wite and I ware staying; on the third occasion, £5. Did you present him with cdpiesof your works? Yas. With the inscription, To Dear Edward ? "— Yes. Did you become friendly with a lad who sold newspapers, but who was a loafer, at Worthing ? (Laugh ter.)—Y es. Was he a literary character ?—No. He and another youth assisted two fishermen to pull down the boat I and Lord A. Douglas were using. We took the youths for a sail. Was Alphonso literary ?—No; he was a pleasant kind of creature. (Laughter.) No familiarity ever took place ? Did you give Alphonso sums amounting in all to £15?- PI aintiff (emphatically): Never. You gave him a cigarette case, a book, and your photo 1—Yes. Counsel held up a walking-stick, amidst laughter, and plaintiff said he gave it to Alphonso. He took the same bay to Brighton and gave him a blue serge suit. It might have been that their bedrooms at the. hotel communi- cated. Mr Carson had not concluded his examination when, at a quarter to five, the court adjourned. Lord Queensberry was again admitted to bail.

ATTEMPTED MURDER IN LONDON. CONDITION OF THE INJURED GIRL. SUICIDE OF THE ASSAILANT. Upon inquiry onWednesday at St.Bartholomew's Hospital regarding the condition of the young woman Mary Rider, who was shot on Tuesday night near the General Post Office, Aldersgate. street, City, the Press Association was informed that her condition was fairly satisfactory in spite of the great loss of blood and severe shock to the nervous system. Spiers, who shot the girl Rider, was found by the police early on Wednesday in Highbury Fields, where he was lying dead with a revolver near him. Tha body has been identified by Detective-Sergeant Denning. A bottle found under the body had contained carbolic acid and the would-be murderer took poison before shooting himself. Among his fellow workers Spiers bears tbe reputation of being a quarrelsome man.

DIED AT A DINNER, SUDDEN DKCEASE OF AN ALDER- MAN. Alderman Joseph Shepherd died suddenly on Tuesday while at the anrmal dinnerofthe Banbury Friendly Societies Medical Association. He had just made a speech when he slipped off his chair and expired from heart disease. He was vice- chairman of the Board of Guardiaus and known in the Oddfellows Order all over the kingdom. Ho h ad been Mayor of Banbury.

AGRARIAN VOUTRAGE IN IRELAND, On Tuesday night John McGuinness, station- master at Crusheen on the A thenry and Ennis Railway, was sitting in the kitchen with his family when a number of shots were fired through the window. He is in possession of a farm through having outbidden the former tenant.

STRUCK THE LONGSANDS. RESCUE OF A NORWEGIAN CREW. Early on Wednesday the Harwich lifeboat put out in leply to signals of distress from the Hook Lightship, and wasfollowed by the tugMerriman. The tug returned, having on board eight men, the crow of the Norwegian schooner Finqnil, Lyngor, from Borven to Fecamp, with ice. The men were picked up floating in the ship's boat. The vessel on Tuesday struck the Longsands during a thick fog and rapidly filled, when the crew took to the ship's boat.

DEATH OF A CONSUL. PARIS, Wednesday. —M. Oben berg, the Argen tine Consul m Paris, died at his residence yesterday.— Reuter.

-= There are on an average two hundred carrier pigeons officially kept in every German fortress. CARDIFF PURE ICE AND COLD STORAGE COM- PANY (LIMITED).—COLD STORAGE for all sorts of Provisions, Game, Fruit, &c.. at LOWER RATES THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN GREAT BRITAIN. ICE Supplied in any quantity, from 561b and upwards, at Low Price?.—SPECIALLY IMPORTANT to BUTCHERS and MEAT SALESMEN Order all your Frozen Meat out of Shipments which have come direct to Cardiff by Refrigerating Steamers. You will thus be sur.' of meat in I' AR BETTER CONDITION and MUCH QUICKER DELIVERY than from Lon- don or Liverpool.—Write for Price Lists of Meat to Mr If WOODLEY, Aurent for Plate and other Companies, I COLD STORES, CARDIFF also to MESSRS SAN- SIN ENA and CO., Cold Stores, CARDIFF.—Write for Prices of Ice and Rates for Cold Storage to Neale and West, Managers. Telegrams—-Ice Com nnv. Cardiff. 1418

I ALLEGED BRUTALITY BY POLICEMEN. THE DEATH IN SWANSEA GAOL. CONSTABLES CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER. I BEFORE THE PONTYPRIDD j MAGISTRATES. I At tbe Pontypridd Police Court on Wednesday | "before the Stipendiary (JdrIgnatiusWilhams). Alderman W. H. Matthias, Mr Wm. Williams, Mr T. Jones, Mr Edward Llewellyn, and Mr James Roberbs-the three police-constables, Thomas Thomas, George Perkins, and Wm. j Evans, appeared in answer to the charge of manslaughter preferred against them in oonnec- tion with the recent death of Mark Morris, a j collier, of Tylorstown, whilst undergoing sentence in Swansea Gaol. Mr Powell, of Neath, prose- I cuted, and the constables were defended by Mr Arthur Lewis, barrister (instructed by Mr James Phillips). At the outset of the proceedings Mr Powell srated that he thought the case would not all be heard in one day, and on this Mr A. Lewis said it would be,convenient for him under the circum- I stances if they could agree to adjourn at 4 o'clock. This was agreed to. Mr Powell then suggested that it would perhaps be better to try the three defendants together in order to save time, though be had separate evidence. The Stipendiary If you have a joint indict- ment you must have a joint attack. Mr Powell: My case is this: that the three defendants were hammering away at the man at one and the same time. Mr A. LewIs: Your Worships will see, as I have been able to gather from the coroner's depo- sitions, that there was a wide distinction with regard to the evidence against the respective defendants, and really the question is this whether the prisoners will be injured by the cases being taken together. Although appearing for them I do not think I ought to ask the Court to prolong the inquiry to the extent to which it be prolonged if they are taken separately. The Stipendiary It may be the duty of the Court to discharge one or two of the prisoners if the case is not made out against them, and then their evidence will of course be taken by the defence. SPEECH FOR THE PKCSECDTION. Mr Powell, who said he appeared on behalf of the relatives of the deceased, then opened the case. The facts, he snid, were few and simple. On the night of the 14th February the deceased was in the Bridgend Hotel, Pontygwaitb. There was a row going on between a man named Rees and an old man, who was described as a fisherman. The deceased man, Mark Morris, took the part of Rees, and subsequently Thomas, the policeman from Pontygwaith, came into the hotel and ejected the man who was fighting with Rees. This man left his hat behind, and the deceased picked it up and took it out to the door. At the door he handed the hat to the policeman Thomas, who said Thank you." Just then Perkins, who was stationed at Wattstown, and the other policeman came along, and asked the deceased wljat lie meant by interfering, and told him to go home. Deceased said be would not, and was going to have another drink. Perkins then began to push him about the pavement, whereupon the deceased said to him, It's all very well pushing me about here, but if you will come down below the bridge I will do well for you." Perkins then said, J" Do you mean to threaten me 1". and followed this up by striking the deceased. The other policemen then came up, and Thomas struck the deceased a blow with his fist. The three constables then got him on the ground. but the deceased managed to get from under them. They then went some distance lower down below the bridge, opposite Mr Morgan's, grocer's shcp, and here it was that the three constables tried to handcuff the deceased. The latter asked thell1,and repeated it several time", Tell me wbat I have done and I will come with you; if not, I defy you to take me to the station to-night." The constables then failing to handcuff him seized him, Evans taking hold of him by the neck and hammering him with his truncheon until the blood spurted over Thomas's head and into Evans's face. Perkins and Thoic-is also struck the deceased blows on the head with their truncheons. Ha (Mr Powell) would tell the Bench fraukiy that there was a. distinction in the cases. There was undoubtedly a concensus ot evidence as to Evans and Perkins having struck the deceased on the head, but no record of Thomas. There was not an agreement of opinion. Some of the witnesses said that he struck the deceased on the bead with his truncheon and some said he struck him with his fist. But he (Mr Powell) put his case upon higher grounds than upon the mere fact of the three men having struck the deceased. They were all acting in concert and in agreement, aud there was no doubt that the constables had no right to attempt to arrest him at all. He (Mr Powell) would prove that the deceased was perfectly sober. Moreover, the police had certainly no right to handcuff or to use their truncheons upon him, and no right in any case to hit him about the head. AUTHORITIES ON HANDCPFFINF. Mr Powell here proceeded to quote authorities with regard to handcuffing, showing that there should be special reasons before constables should indnlge in it. The Stipendiary Ps it your contention that the handcuffing was illegal, and that the injury was caused in the course of handcuffing. Mr Powell I go further than that, namely, that they were committing an illegal act in hand- cuffing, and that if the deceased resisted he was perfectly right in resisting. Mr Powell then went on to cite the law with regard to the use of truncheons, showing that constables were not expected to ose them save to protect themselves from injury or to prevent a prisoner escaping. If, be went on to say, these constables were aotin together, even though it was not absolutely clear that Thomas did not actually strike him, still it was a matter of law that they were acting togetber, and that Thomas was aiding and abetting. The Stipendiary Do you suggest that if the police were handcuffing, which you suggest is illegal, that Thomas or any other person would be liable for anything which was done in the course of handcuffing ? Mr Powell: Not in the course of handcuffing itself. I put it that Thomas held the deceased whilst Evans hit him on tbe head with hie truncheon. The Stipendiary: Supposing Thomas was holding him for the purpose of their puttmg the handcuffs on the deceased—that he would be liable even though he disapproved of the others hitting deceased on the head ? Mr Powell I shall prove that Thomas was really a party to the whole transaction by the expressions he used. The Stipendiary The man met his death by being hit upon the head. Mr Powell went on to say that there was no reason for arresting the deceased, no reason for handcuffing him. and no reason for striking him with their truncheons. It was a most outrageous thing for the police to have done. There were three constables and also a fourth constable near by to one man, and they ought to have been enough to take the deceased, had he been the moat powerful of men, without resort to handcuffs, and certainly without resort to their truncheon?. He would bring conclusive evidence to show that the deceased did not strike the police or use any violence towards them. There were two points perfectly clear—one, that the man had died from the effects of blows on I the head. The medical evidence was clear on this point, because the whole of the other organs of the body were absolutely sound, and the man died from coma, produced by inflamma- tion of the brain. It was also clear that two, it not three, of the men struck the deceased about the head, and if he could prove these facts he submitted he should have made out a prima facie I case, and the prisoners should be committed to take their trial. WHAT WITNESSES SAY. Morgan Llewellyu, collier, 25, Madeline- terrace, Pontygwaith, was the first witness called. On the 14th February he was standing at the door of tho Bridgend Hotel in the locality. He heard a row inside between John Rees and a fish seller. The deceased, Mark Morris, took Rees's part. He then saw a policeman come ill. The officer (Thomas) took hold of the fish vendor and ejected him. The deceased took out the hat which the fish vendor had left behind, and gave it to Thomas, who said, "Thank you." Perkins and lOvans were outside. Perkins asked, Wh-.it are you interfering in our business for f Mark Morris replied that he was not interfering at all. Perkins thereupon seized the deceased and shoving him along remarked, Go home." Morris then exclaimed that he was not drunk. Perkins pushed him farther on until he was over th? bridge, which was about 25 yards from the hotel. The deceased Perkins to follow him lower down the road, as he (the officer) could do very well with him while he had two constables with him. Perkins then said, Will you threaten me like that, you • *Dd struck him on tbe head with his truncheon. Before striking him Perkins had tried to put the handcuffs on him. Evans afterwards struck him on the head when they were by the corner ot the batcher's shop new the bridge. The deceased then fell to the ground, and Perkins and Evans fell upon him. The officer Thomas dia nothing but help to put the handcuffs on hun while he was on the ground. The deceased rolled from underneath i the officers and got P.O. _^horI12f then muck tha deceased with his fist. Tlje officers at I that time failed to handcuff him. rerkins and Evans then shoved the deceased along tbe road I and beat him with ther truncheons. Near Mor- gan's shop the deceased asked— I WHAT HAVB I DONE I'll go with you." The conversation was in The deceased called out for hi* mother and sister, and witness and a earn. panion went for them. Oa returning, witness noticed them trying to handcuff him again. Evans and Perkins struck the deceased again with their truncheons, and Thomas was endeavouring I to put the handcuffs on, and also struck him with j his staff. W ltness saw blood on the deceased's I face and skull,and also saw blood on P.C. Evans'* j face. The blood had spurted from deceased's bead. The blood on Evans's face was produced by h blow which he had given to the deceased. He noticed Evans's band under the deoeased's chin while he was striking him with the other fist. The deceased said, You got my blood on you." The deceased's sister came up and put her arms round her brother's neck, The sister requested the police to go away and not to abuae the deceased. About 10 minute* later the police went away. The deceased was sober. He did not strike the police at all.-noi attempted to do so. CROSS-EXAMINATION. Cross-examined by Mr Arthur Lewis Witnesi was not inside the Bridpend Hotel. He had been at Mrs Thomas's coffee tavern, bat be was not there when the row in the street began. The fight in the hotel took place in the bar. He could see the fight from the doorstep. Rees and the fish seller were both old men. The deceased Cook John Rees's part, and knocked down someone who was kicking the old man aboti, The deceased was a friend of Rees. He did not know who the man was that the deceased knocked down. The deceased interfered because a drunken man was kicking about the two men that were fighting. He did not know that the deceased had sustained an injury to his head at work. He did not know that the deceased was violent, nor had be beard that he (the deceased) had been convicted and imprisoned. On that particular night ha was not sure whether the amps near the bridge were out. The shops near the place were open. and light came from thea. He was Quite sure that Thomas used his truncheon before he (witness) went for the de- ceased's mother and sister. The three constables were holding the deceased when he returned to the spot. He saw Thomas and Evans strike a blow each when he oame back after fetching-the mothsr. THREE DIFFERNT ACCOUNT*. Mr Arthur Lewis Did you swear before the coroner that Thomas had not got his staff oat,and, in answer to Thomas, he did not hit him at all ?— I can't remember. The Stipendiary Yon have given three different accounts of it. This is what I have got down When ho came back Thomas was trying to put the handcuffs on and Evans and Perkins were striking him." Mr Arthur Lewis Do you mean to stick to that?—Witness: I saw Thomas strike Hthe deceased. Mr Arthur LewIs: Did you see one of; the eonstables struck by one of the crowd T—Yes. Further cr oss-examined witness said he did no see the deceased biting Evans's thumb. Thedeceasad broke one of the handcuffs in wrestling with the constables. He did not say at Swansea, before the coroner, that the deceased exclaimed, If you come down here I will —— do for you." He saw altogether about ten blows struck on the head by the officers. The deceased's head was very much bruised. He saw Evans strike a bard blow After he (witness) had been fetching the mother. That was the most severe blow of all. He saw no blow struck by the deceased. He did not see deceased strike Perkins under the chin when bit name and address were asked for. W itness saw the deceased at the railway station when the handcuCs were on him. He was not violent then. Up to that night he had been told that the deceased had been a total abstainer for six weeks. Albert Lewis, collier, also gave evidence. Sarah Morgan, wife of Thomas Morgan, grocer, of Pontygwaith, said she remembered the night of the 14th February. She heard a noise outside her shop. She opened the door and saw chtee policemen—she knew Thomas—coming down, with Morris walking in front. They came opposite the shop and stopped opposite the window. She heard Morris say then, "I am not going, because you can't say what I have done" (in Welsh). The three policemen then rushed upon him and took him up against the wall, when they began using their truncheons. She saw more than one of them using his truncheon at the BUntS time, but could not say which of them it was. While Morris was against the wall he didn't attempt to hit the police. Cross-examined by Mr A. Lewis: Witness said the policemen had their backs to her. There were not a great many people about, say 30 I people and 40 children. They were all standing round watching what occurred. She saw the constables using their staves and heard Morris groaning. She could only identify Thomas at that time. She knew him because he lived ia the place. Her daughter was Miss Janet Morgan, but ber (witness's) consent had not been asked. (Laughter.) By the Stipendiary She did not see Thomas using his taff. Re-examined by Mr Powell: Witness said she paw more than one constable using a trunohean, but could not say who. She did not see more than two constables using their staves. John Wiltshire, the next witness called, said he was present a.t the Bridgend Hotel on the 14th of February. He saw the row in the hotel, aad corroborated the evidence previously given as tc the circumstances. He saw Perkins shove the deceased, aud heard the latter say, You can do very well now that you have got two or thre< people backing you up.' Morris then said some- thing, but witness didn't hear it, whereupon Perkins said, "If you threaten me like that, yon. ——, I'll show you." Perkins then struck Murric a blow with his fist. He also saw the struggl* below the bridge. The constables had Morris 08 the ground, and were beating him. He heard Morris say something in Welsh, but he (witness) didn't understand it. When opposite Mrs Morgan's shop he saw the three constables strike Morris with their staves. He saw Evans strike Morris a particularly savage bJowon the bead, the force of the blow making the blood spurt up into Evans's face. Cross-examined by Mr Arthur Lewis The witness denied having made oertsin statement* before the coroner, as shown in his depositions. At this juncture the Stipendiary said it seemed quite Ciear that a row was going on at tht Bridgend Hotol, and that the police were quite justified in removing Morris. This, however, WM quite a different thing from striking Morris on the head with their truncheons. Witness, continuing, said he saw Morris struck on the head about 10 times by the oonstebles. The constables were hammeriBg-on the deceased's head for a considerable time. Questioned by the Stipendiary, witness said he 'I certain that he saw the constable Thomas strike Morris with hIS staff. Janet Morgan, daughter of Mrs Morgan, grocer, said she saw the struggle between the police and Morris. She corroboratad the evidence of previous witnesses as to what Morris said, and as to the police having used their truncheons. She also heard the crowd calling on tbe polios not to kill him, but to let him go. When Svans 8tnrok tbe blow which made the blood spurt oat. sbe| saw that Evans held Morris by the throat with his left hand. ? Mr Powell informed the Bench that he had other witnesses he could call to speak as to the deceased's sobriety. The Stipendiary There is no necessity fat that. There is no doubt that it was the duty ot the police to move this man Morris. He had been previously convicted of disorderly oon- duct, and had shown a disorderly disposition that evening. Continuing, the Stipendi ary said he supposed the doctor would not be able to prove whether the blow which caused the spurt ot blood was likely to have been the blow which was the cause of death. Mr Powell pointed out that there were two clott 1 of blood on the brain. i Mr A. Lewis said they had now only to deal J with tbe medical evidence, and at this stage be thought he was justified in askine the Bench j whether they thought that a case had been made I out against Thomas as distinct from the othet 1 two prisoners. The question was whether, in tbe i event of the conflicting evidence with regard ti Thomas, there would be any probability of a jnry convicting him. The Stipendiary You cannot ask that, because though the jury may probably not convict Thomas, there is evidence to go to a jury. They might dismiss the first witness s evideaot altogether, as he had given four dfferent accounts of the transaction. Then they came to tht evidence of the man Wiltshire, who had clearly i said that he saw all three constables strike Morns, and he had nfterwards declared that he saw Thomas strike Morris on the head with his staff, Under the circumstances, he did not swe how thej could withdraw the charge against Thomas. Mr A. Lewis said there might be a scintilla of evidence as affecting Thomas, but he thought they ought to consider the broad principle as tc whether, in the face of the facts, any jury in their senses would find Thomas guilty. That, be thought, ought te be their guiding principle, fot it was rather hard to put a man upon bis trial upon a scintilla of evidence. The Stipendiary There is no reason to with- drnw. Wiltshire got a little bit confnsed as tc what Morris said to Perkins, but otherwise h< seemed a very straightforward witness. i Mr Arthur Lewis Of course, you will bear tbf whole of the facts before you come to the con- I clusion that you will commit for trial at all. < The Stipendiary: If there is strong evidenot i the other way, I do not see why we should relj upon the evidence of Wiltshire. The case was then adjourned until t" morning, at 11.30.

RATIONAL SUNDAYS IN CARDIFF. BOATING AT THE ROATH PARK. At the meeting of the Cardiff County Gooooil on Monday, Councillor Beynon Harris will submit the following motion -— That witù a. ie to. a.ffording a. C<lunter att- tie meSr^nction T'iraWe Uiat this Council tfxperi- II bSi^.ifrno^ thec Uie of 5!«a-th Park Lake <n 1 of Mav to th^vf ?n-r as and from the 1st daj m sive and tw ,i y of Octob-r next, both incta- m ration nnv •extra cost (if any) which the Corpe- 9 rent to 1,1 ^sequence be met by an enhanced M benefit vi? Iv, y t hose who wiu derive Uie pecuniae 9 Benefit, viz., the proprietors of the boats. R

Sir John Tennie., in his youtb, was passionate^ jf ond of fencing. in a bout with a friend the foil I entered one of his eyes and entirely destroyed 1 his sight. I 11 Tliu THIRD VOLUME is a first-class sensa. m tionai story, wholesome, thrilling, and full of move. m nient, by Fergus Hums. Now appearing in the GsrdtJ m 1 ■i vines and South WaietWeekly hewn 11 ABBRGAVENNY. — Entries close on Monday, April oth, for the Grand Annual Eisteddfod to be httj on Easter Monday, the 15th inst. £ 300 in Prim.—P < < O. Evans and tJy. Pryer, Ron. Sees. fBSt t t i

WALES IN LONDON. MtOit OUR LONDON WELSH CORRESPONDENT, j LONDON, Wednesday Night. To-night a London Welsh meeting of protest against the Disestablishment Bill **6 held in the Holborn Town Hall, under the presidency of Lord Emlyn, who was sup- ported on the platform by Lord Halsbury, Lord Kenyon, the Desin of Norwich, Prin- 2ipal Owen, af Lampeter, Mr Stanley Leigh- ton, M.P., the Rev. G. Hartwell Jones (Nutfield), the Rev. Killin Roberts, Mr W. ludor Owen, Mr B. Francis Williams (Recorder of Cardiff), Mr P. P. Pennant, Mr I D. Jones Lewis (i-South Wales Circuit). The hall was fairly full, but it was evident before the close of the meeting that there was a large number of Nonconformists and disestablishers present, whom a strong "my of Defenders utterly failed to prevent from giving constant expression to their objections. It is the misfor- tune of Church Defence organisers that shey always fail to meet Welshmen on their own ground. With one or two notable exceptions the speakers at the Holborn meeting showed a deplorable lack of know- ledge of Welsh argument, Welsh feeling, tnd Welsh aspirations. Lord Halsbuiy made some egregious blunders, but, like a practised debater, by a ready quip or a frank Jxplanation more than once retrieved his irror. Mr Francis Williams was much less successful, and his personal references to Welsh members, particularly to Sir George Osborne Morgan, whose Welsh, he sug- gested, was limited to "cwrw da or" Jawl arioed," evoked hot protests and cries of Shame. In his peroration, he ieclared that neither Satan, nor the Libera- tion Society, nor Mr Asquith could prevail igainst Welsh Churchmen if they fought e., with the zeal of their fathers of old. The Dean of Norwich was equally unfortunate with his references to the "mendacious audacity of Mr Lloyd George and the Chinese juggling of the Liberal Govern- ment, which were again hotly resented. The 3ne success of the evening, judging from an inpartial standpoint, was the speech of Principal Owen. Thoroughly zealous in defence of the Church of his adoption, and knowing Wales and Welshmen as few Church Defence orators know them, he irgued the case from his point of view with lact, good humour, and, it must be con- fessed, great effectiveness. Canon Owen must have heartily sympathised with the lomplaint made later by Mr Pennant that the Chureh in Wales suffered greatly "from he ignorance of its friends."

CABINET COUNCIL. A Cabinet Council was held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday in Downing-streec. Lord Rosebery irrived before 10, alighting at the garden entrance 40 his official residence. He still looked pale, but much better than last week. Lord Spencer and Mr Fowler were again absent, but all the other Members had arrived by 11 o'clock, except Mr John Morley, who was expected later. The meeting lasted only half an hour. The Press Association states that though one ar two minor matters were before the Cabinet, she principal subject of deliberation was the Speakership. The Press Association adds that it is able to state authoritatively that Ministers irrived at a definite decision on this subject, and will make known their choice within a few days. Ministers, however, desire that for the present the name of the gentlemen selected by the Government shall be kept secret. No official intimation is authorised as to the result, but there is every reason to believe that the delibera. tion increases the probability that Mr Gully will be nominated with the support of the Govern- ment for the position of Speaker. It is probable that no further Cabinet meeting will be held mtil after Enster.

OUlt MONETARY SYSTEM. MR BALFOUR ON BI-METALLISM. Mr A. J. Balfour, M.P., speaking on Wednes- day at the annual meeting of the Bi-metallic League at the Mansion House, said thsre was the cause of a stable and uniform standard of value, and he believed that the be,-it means of attaining that object was by bringing into common circulation the two great mediums of exchange, whiou had served mankind from the earliest times, and which never co-iid be displaced without world-wide It was absurd to say our present system of currency, even in regard to internal cor;»nerce, could not be improved, but at a Jlne when we were dependent on foreign nations for very bread, and when, if we were cut off from the rest of the world, bankers, merchants, and operatives would be involved in common destruction, it was the height of folly to attempt isolation in regard to the medium by winch our common transactions with other nations were liquidated. He believed the common sense of nations would not long tolerate such a state of things, but that the time was not far distant when this reproach to our common civilisation would be brought to an end, and some medium of exchange introduced in international transactions Jess destructive to settled industries and less embarrassing to mer- chants than our present absurd system.

SENSATIONAL INCIDENT ON THE GHEA T WESTERN. TRAVELLING ON ROOF OF RAIL. WAY CARRIAGE. A SEAMAN'S MAD FREAK. The mad freaks occasionally indulged in by Bxuberant seamen on reaching port after a lon voyage are almost too common to call for atten- tion. In former daya they used to have a penchant for hiring cabs and riding ou the roof, a dan- gerous piece of pleasantry even when confined to this class of vehicle; but on Wednesday a seaman, who gave his name as Wil- liam Walter Coombs, and who on Wed- nesday received his discharge from his ship in Swansea, contributed an even more reck- Jess performance, to the astonishment and horror Va ?«n{T Passetlgers who travelled down to ,1,™ t'ie train which arrived from Swansea f T.ore. 8 p.m. Itappearsthat shortly after lea v- drf_uantnsr,,nfcGoombs, who had evidently been .,ln £ conceived the foolhardy idea of elirrib- A the window of the railway oarriage 2 roo[- The tram was travelling at i m'les an hour; nevertheless he • 1 the feat in safety, and was occupy- «»?rio»i>r°iniln8.nfc Posltion on the roof of the form S fi t,'a,n drew alongside the plat- ,e Cardiff Station. Several ladies in the next coinpartuient of the carriage were nonduri* 'UCh L terrified *t the man's roof whilst the moved about the were mormmi- • i was m »<*«», and they woumX^B y expect,,1K t0 hfiara fall» wh»ch On reach^L n nt/«fvghtful and sudden deafch- Un reaching Cardiff he was promptly brought to Wthe b^rnn^perllr US posltion and handed over P.° who have d«tained him If Jo dan^Ir '!|'u"kenntisss and exposing him- hf wfs o« 9°ombs ^d the station officials that he was on his way to the Bute Docks, presumably to join another ship.

TO-OAY^S WEATHEn^.Sft A.M. TO-DAY'S FORECAST. FOR ENGL AN T) S-IV., AND SOUTH WALES. Northerly winds, moderate; fair; colder. GENERAL.—Rain or sleet showers are likely to be felt in most places, followed by a decided fall of tem- psrature frost in many places. GENERAL FORECASTS. The following forecasts were prepared last nigM at the Meteorological Office at eight o'clock Districts— •• Scotland,N.| North-westerly winds; very L Scotland, E. J- cold in the morning fair j- England, N. K .J as a whole. «• ll d^oun^.i Wind varying north-west to a Eng a (Lon 1 DOrfch f»ir and cold after; and Channel)!; aome fain to'night- •-Scotland, W. Eagh N. W., J-Same as Nos. 0, 1, 2. § ^North Wales J !« 'and, N. 1 Northerly winds, moderate «• Irelaad, S. f fair colder.

gjf* their wars the British have won the avera*e °* eighty-two per cent, of the '\I&

LEAVING SALTA AT LAST. JABEZ TO BE HANDED OYER. A Pall Mall Gazettee Buenos Ayres telegram stated that Jabez Balfour, who is still at Salta, would be handed over to the British authorities on Wednesday. It is expected he will start im- mediately for Buenos Ayres, virtually in the custody of Inspector Forest. A later telegram to the same paper from Buenos Ayres states that the speoial train was ready at Salta at daybreak to bring Jabez Balfour there, but the correspondent could not ascertain if he had left. A tremendous cyclone had destroyed all the telegraph wires, and it was impossible to obtain any information as to what is happening at Slta. JABEZ LEAVES SALTA IN CUSTODY. JBUENOS AYRES, Wednesday.—A despatch from Salta announces that Jabez Balfour has left there for Buenos Ayrqp in custody.—Reuter. NO NEWS IN LONDON. The Central News says up till Wednesday evening no news had reached London of the actual starting of Jabez Balfour for Buenos Ayres. There are only three trains a week between Salta and Buenos Ayres, and the journey occupies about 60 hours. Some months ago, on the order of the Federal authorities, Balfour was taken from the Salta Prison to the railway station for conveyance to the capital, but arrived after the train had gone and before the departure of the next train. Two days later his friends had managed to procure a writ of habeas corpus, 'with the result already known. If Balfour should now be deported promptly he might be taken to Buenos Ayres in time to be put on board the Royal mail steamer Danube, arriving at Southampton about the 27th instant. The next Royal mail steamer to leave will be the Thames, a very fine vessel, which leaves Buenos Ayres on the 18th direct for Southampton, where she will arrive about the 7oh of May. It is understood that Balfour will have a military escort from Salta to Buenos Ayres.

WITH THE BARBAROUS TURK. ATTACK ON A FRENCH DRAGOMAN. CONSTANTINOPLE, Monday.—While M. Koult, son of the first dragoman to the French Embassy, was recently riding a bicycle on the road to Muslak, at Constantinopas, he was attacked by two soldiers, who maltreated him and attempted to rob him of his money. The two men have been arrested and handed to the mili- tary authorities to be tried by aCourt Martial. The officer of the corps ot Guards near the scene of the assault, who refused to investigate tha matter, will receive a disciplinary punishment. A further despatch from Tokat, in Asia Minor, concerning the reported assault on some Jesuit fathers at that place, reduced the affair to the fact that a number of Mussulman children threw stones at the house of the Jesuits and broke a few windows.—Reuter. EXCITING STRUGGLE WITH AN ARMED OFFENDER. CONSTANTINOPLE, Wednesday. An exciting occurrence took place in the Taxim-square at Pera at 6 o'clock this afternoon. A man was being pursued by the police, when be fired a revolver several times in the air. Mr Terrell, United States Minister, who was passing at the time in his carriage, attended by a cavass of the Legation, immediately alighted and seized the man. The latter thereupon drew a knife, and endeavoured to stab the Minister. The cavass, however, interposed and held the man until the arrival of the police, who conducted him to the station.—Reuter.

CUBAN INSURRECTION. REBELS GAINING. HAVANA, Wednesday Morning.—The excite- ment here is intense. The insurgent forces are growing rapidly, numbers of rebels having succeeding in landing upon the island. The Spanish forces upon being landed have been hurried into the interior, their ultimate destina- tion not being disclosed. Nearly one thousand of the fresh troops are already sick and many deaths have occurred. There were sixty-six fresh cases eÇ -yellow iever yesterday, tha majority of those attacked being newly arrived soldiers.— Central News. BRITISH VESSEL FIRED ON. NEW YORK, Weduesday.—A New York Herald telegram from Kmgstonsays:—ASpanish gunboat off Caps Maysi, Cuba, has fired upon, boarded, and examined the papers of the British steamer Ethelred, bound from Boston to Port Antonio.

FRANCE IN WEST AFRICA. JEALOUSY OF ENGLAND. PARIS, Wednesday.—A telegram from St. Louis, Senegal, states that Samony some weeks ago occupied the town of Kong. The Sappel, commenting on this news, says .—Samony is the tool of the British at Sierra Leone. It complains that when M. Chautemps recalled to the coast the leader of the Monteil column and five of the companies composing it he was really abandoning to Great Britain a country conquered by France.

FRANCE AND MADAGASCAR. THE ACCIDENT TO A TRANSPORT. MESSINA, Wednesday.—The steamer Brink- burn, which has on board the sections of the river gunboats intended for service in Madagascar, sailed hence to-day for Malta with the 10 French offioers sent out with her, in order to repair the damage sustained in the collision with the British steamer Alvah in the Straits of Messina on Friday. The Alvah still lies in a dangerous position, and threatens to become a total loss, the salvage operations being attended with great d i ffioul fcy. —Reuter.

ELBE DISASTER LITIGATION. FURTHER DELAYS OF THE LAW. ROTTERDAM, Wednesday.—The action brought by the Nord Deutsche Steamship Company against the Scotch steamer Crathie in respect to the Elbe disaster was resumed here to-day. Mr Van Raalte, counsel for the Nord Deutsche, again argued for the payment of damages to his company. Counsel for the Crathie demanded another postponement for eight days, which was granted by the Court.

HOME RULE IN SWEDEN. INCREASING DIFFICULTIES. CHRISTIANIA, Tuesday.—The Lefb Union in the Storthing decided unanimously at a meeting held this evening to reject M. Michelet's proposal to take part in the formation of a Ministry of Affairs. The basis of :the proposal was the post- ponement of contentious questions, and that the Consular and Diplomatic Budget, including the amount required for theLegation at Vienna hould be adopted as m 1892. At 10.30 M. Michelet communicated the answer of the Left Union to the King, who returns to-morrow to Stockholm. —Renter.\

AMERICAN ELECTIONS. REPUBLICAN VICTORIES. NEW YORK, Wednesday.—The municipal elec- tions in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and several other States have resulted in Republican victories. The elections have, however, been complicated by many local issues, and therefore afford no clear indication of the tendency of national politics.— Reuter. CHICAGO, Tuesday. — Mr Swift (Republican) has been elected mayor of this city by a decisive majority. For three years past Chicago has had a Democratic mayor. —Reuter.

DR. CORNELIUS HERZ. STILL WANTED IN PARIS. PARIS, Wednesday.—It is announced that a warrant has been issued requiring Dr. Cornelius Herz to appear before the Chamber of Correc- tional Appeals on the 15th prox,—Reuter.

TREACHERY OFA RUSSIAN GENERAL. EIGHT YEARS IN SIBERIA. VIENNA, Wednesday.—Telegrams from Kis- chenfcw announce that the Russian General Gregorieff has been found guilty of the charge of selling military secrets to Austria. He was sentenced to eight years' hard labour in Siberia.— Central News.

The consumption of boot-blacking in England in a recent year amounted to the value of 2560.000. CADBCBT'S COCOA is certified to be Absolutely Pure and to rank among tbe most perfect of prepared Cocou- The Analyst. 1170b

CHITRAL EXPEDITION. I ADVANCE OF THE BRITISH. HARDSHIPS OF THE TROOPS. DIFFICULTIES OF TRANSPORT, JELLALA, April 2nd.—The 2nd and 3rd brigades of the Chitral Expedition arrived here yesterday, having made good marching over indifferent country. The 1st brigade camped last night at Lundkwar, about six miles off. The 2nd brigade were under orders to march at four o'clock this morning en route to the Malakand Pass, which General Low is anxious to secure before the tribesmen of the district have time to gather in force if they enter- tain hostile intentions, but rain had fallen violently through the night. The camp was saturated and everything in it, and the start was deferred until eight o'clock. At that hour the head of the column moved off, General Low and the headquarter staff accom- panying the 2nd brigade. They had scarcely got away from camp when the rain descended again in a. deluge, flooding the whole route. The work of transport under such conditions was well-nigh impossible. The supplies of the 3rd brigade werA requisitioned for the advancing column, and the stores sent forward in carts. The vehicles are to be used until the mountainous paths I are reached, when the loads will be transferred to pack animals, but the ponies broke down under the strain in face of the storm, the roads became blocked, and it was 1 o'clock to-day before the Iqat transport cart left camp. It will be im- possible for this baggage to reach Dargar, the camping ground, to-night. territory extends as far as the village of Shergurb, about six miles from this place. Dargar is about 10 miles farther on, and is some ) four miles from the top of the Malakand pass. Owing to the very hurried advance, the time was insufficient to bring up all the necessary transport from India, and both ad- vancing columns are labouring under the greatest difficulties. Indeed, the forwarding of baggage and stores will be far the most arduous work of the campaign. The troops are marching oa a very reduced scale, so far as actual carrying weight is concerned, in order to make the better marching. Pack bullocks, mules, and donkeys are being hired as fast as possible, but the numbers in this district are limited, and owners, seeing the urgency of the demand, are holding I oui for exorbitant rates. If all three brigades hurry on as fast as they have hitherto done, it will be well nigh impossible to push up supplies for so large a foroe with sufficient rapidity to keep pace with the ad- vancing columns with the scanty transport now available. The telegraph lines have been extended as far as Shergurb, where a body of sappers and miners have been working some days at road making in preparation for the advance. The 38th Bengal Infantry are marching in here to- day, and the East Lancashire Regiment are like- wise coming on from Mowshera. Reports from native sources assert that the Swatis have been building sangars or crosswalls and obstructions on the mountain side, from which they can roll rocks down upon an advanc- ing force. These, it is stated, are beyond Dargai, and between it and the summit of the Malakand Pass and the road beyond Dargai is very steep and difficult. The first lighting, it is believed, will take place near there on Wednesday or Thursday, if the Swatis really mean opposing the British advance. General Low anticipates that there will be fighting in the pass, and for that reason elected to accompany the 2nd brigade. The 1st brigade is to-day marching from Lundkwar towards the Shahkot Pass, and thence into the Swat Valley. If the 2nd brigade meet with no strong opposition in the Malakand Pass both brigades should unite at Alavand, the capital of Swat, on Friday, even allowing for bad weather. After the junction of the forces at Alavand the Swat river would be crossed, and the forward march resumed,Central News. ARRIVAL AT THE MALAKAND PASS. DARGAI, Wednesday.—The Znd Brigade of the Chitral Relief Expedition arrived attheMalak- land Pass, one of the entrances to the Swat Valley, yesterday evening. The guides forming part of the brigade were sent forward, and made a. reconnaissa nee. They soon came upoa a num- ber of Swatie, but after firing a few shots retired, and rejoined the main body, Reuter. The Central News says :—No official news has been received at the India Office in reference to the Chitral expedition, or the fate of Lieutenants Edwards and Fowler and their 50 men. There is but the faintest hope that they can have held out successfully against the overwhelming odds, and if they are safe they probably owe their lives to the mercy of their enemies. The Chitralis are not ferociously bloodthirsty. JeII!¡}, the cusp from which the 2nd brigade started for the Malakand Pass on Tuesday morning, is si tuated about 30 miles north-east of Peshawur. Aladand, capital of Swat, where the 1st and 2nd brigades are expected to form a junction after forcing Malakand and Shahkot passes, is a small town of about 300 houses. The sungara which the Swatis are building in the Malakand Pass are mostly low walls, built of loose stones, and about three feet six inches high. To-day's telegrams from the correspondents at the front show that Sir Robert Low is impressed with the necessity for rapid movement before the tribes have time to gather. An effectual blow at the outset would probably deter the Swatis from preaching a holy war, and thus lessen the danger upon the British line of communications.

INVASION OF CHINA. LI HUNG CHANG'S CONDITION. PEACE NEGOTIATIONS RESUMED. SIMONOSBKI, Wednesday.-—Li Hung Chang's condition is remarkably good, and, save for the fact that the bullet is still in his head, he may be considered as restored to his normally good haalth. Last evening he resumed the negotia- tions for peace with the Japanese Envoys, and another meeting of the plenipotentiaries has been held to-day.—Central News. SHANGHAI, Wednesday.—The latest despatches from Formosa report that there has been no further fighting there, nor have the Japanese sought to bombard any other fortified places on the coast. It is believed here to be the intention of China to surrender the island to Japan as one of the conditions of the terms of peace. Authorised information from Simonosaki states that com- munications are again passing in a business sense between Count Ito and Li HUUK Chang, and that the prospects of peace still appear promising.— Central News.

NEWFOUNDLAND CRISIS. HELPING THE IMPOVERISHED COLONY. Further correspondence relative to the New. foundland financial crisis was published on Wednesday as a Parliamentary paper. A request on the part of the Colonial Ministers that the Imperial Government should assist the still solvent savings bank and thus materially lessen the probabihty of further distress was refused for the same reasons which precluded her Majesty's Government from acceding to the application for guarantee of the Colonial bonds. While awaiting the arrival of Sir Herbert Murray, the Relief Commissioner, who sailed on the 21st ult., the Colonial Government were authorised to draw upon the Imperial Government up to £5,000 for temporary relief of urgent cases. The sum of £15,000 was also placed by her Majesty's Govern- ment to Sir Herbert Murray's credit with the Bank of Montreal, and instructions issued to him that his decision in the disposal of all funds will be final.

SHOE TRADE STRIKE. SENTENCE ON A DISORDERLY STRIKER. On Wednesday a finisher named Boulton was sentenced at Leicester to six hard labour for assaulting the police and smashing a plate- glass window in Arthur's Boot Palace on Tuesday night. He was drunk at the time. BISHOP OF PETERBOROUGH'S GOOD OFFICES. The Bishop of Peterborough on Wednesday offered his good offices with a view to the termi- nation of the dispute, but negotiations are now suspended till to-day's conference. Itis feared this may fail to effect a settlement.

SEVERE STORMS ON THE SPANISH COAST. CADIZ, Wednesday.—Severe storms continue to prevail herG, causing damage afloat and ashore. Several small vessels in the harbour have foundered. -Reuter.

"THE THIKD VOLUME" is a first-olass sensa- tional story, wholesome, thrilling, and full of Move- ment, by Fergus Home. Now appearing in the Cardif Times and South Wales W**klv Newt.

MR ASQUITH AT NOTTINGHAM. WELSH DISESTABLISHMENT QUESTION. ABLE DEFENCE OF GOVERN- MENT POLICY. TORY MIS-STATEMENTS EXPOSED. NOTTINGHAM, Wednesday. This evening Mr Asquith was the principal speaker at a great meeting in the Mechanics' Hall, under the auspices of tha Nottingham Liberal Union, the chair being taken by Mr Arnold Morley, M.P. The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said with respect to the question of Disestablish- ment, the case of Wales was stronger than that of Ireland. Some people never learnt lessons from history. Experience of the Colonies and Ireland showed that when a Church represented only a minority of the people, if that Church had any vitality in it at all, separation from the State tended to expand and increase the Church power for good. (Cheers.) Should the House of Lords throw out the Welsh Disestab- lishment Bill he did not think that such action on their part would definitely defeat the hopes and aspirations of the Welsh people. (Cheers.) A postponement of the question-while it would add to the strength of the determination of the Welsh people to have an application of the principle of religious equahty-would also foster and promote the force of public opinion all through the country that the time had come when the power of the House of Lords to thwart and oppose the declared will of the people must be pl1 an end to. (Loud cheers.) A resolution of confidence in the Government wa" adopted with enthusiasm, and with only two dissentients. Mr ASQUITH, whose rising to reply was the occasion of much cheering, 'ollowed by the singing of For he's a. jolly good fellow," said they were met to-night under favourable auspices. The record of the present week would show thfit when it came to an end that the House of Commons hxd fasenbed to two of the most important legislative proposals which had ever been submitted to Parliament. He referred to the Welsh Disestablishment Bill, and on Friday night the Irish Land Bill, as-they understood, would be carried without any divi- sion. It was not surprising that these undeniable facts should be found some- what unpalatable to their political op- ponents, A long time ago their opponents had dug the grave of bhe Liberal party—(laughter)— and in these latter days their opponents had been busy Larrangin for the funeral of the Liberal Government. (Laughter.) But the latter had exhibited what must be to the Tories very un- congenial symptoms of persistent vitality, (Cheers and laughter.) With respect to Welsh Disestablishment, the Government would not have been justified in allowing the present Par- liament to expire without plaoing before it some definite scheme to give effect to the long delayed expressed wish of the bulk of the Welsh people. Could anyone say now that a definite scheme for Disestablishment and Disen- dowment had received the approval of the House of Commons, the question stood where it did 12 months, or even six months ago ? (" No.") He asserted on the contrary, that it was a landmark in the history of a great reform. Their opponents said, if you are so confident, why don't you dissolve V (Laughter.) He wondered how many dissolu- tions there would have been during the last three years if they had responded to every invitation of that kind. (Laughter.) He supposed that when the Welsh Disestablishment Bill reached the House of Lords and met the fate of other measures the question would be again asked, Why don's you dissolve?" Why, it they were to act upon the proposition that whenever the House of Lords and the House of Commons differed from each other upon a measure of first-class importance it was the duty of the Administration to have a General Election, Parliamentary Government with a Liberal majority in the Lower House" instead of being a continuous preaess, would be nothing better than a series of dislocated spasms. It was also said, If you do not dissolve on each measure, you should dissolve on all." So they intended to do, but they meant to chose their own time—(cheers)—and they did not mean to choose a time until they had placed before the House of Commons and the country those measures to which they sought to give effect. He was not sure that they would in any better position when they did dis- solve and when they got a majority in the next House of Commons, because the latest Unionist logic got rid of aH majorities. They said, If you have got a majority in favour of all your measures, it does not mean a majority in favour of any one of them in particular." (Laughter.) There was no majority ever Known which by this process of cutting and carving could not have been dissected out of exist- ence. The position of the Government, however, was clear in the matter. They had no control over and no responsibility for the action of the other branch of the Legislature, but so long P« they had the confidence of the House of Com- mons, so long would the Government go on until they completed the task entrusted to them. The Conservative view was that Disestablishmenb was sacrilege, and Disendowment spoliation. But first and foremost they of the Liberal party drew the broadest and deepest distinction between the Church and the Establishment. The Church was a spiritual body which neither kings nor laws could create or destroy. (Cheers.) But the Establishment was a set of legal inci- dents. To say that Disestablishment was s'icriligious was an abuse of terms which rested upon a confusion between the Church which no one professed to attack or assail and the Estab- lishment which, relatively speaking, at any rate, was a creation of yesterday, and which had always depended upon the will of kings and of Parliament. They were told that Disendowment was spoliation. Endowments were compulsory and voluntary. The tithe, which constituted the great source of revenue of the Church in Wales, was a form of endowment which the State alone could create and take away. As to voluntary endowments by pious founders, he asserted for them that they were in the strictest and truest sense of the word national property. They were given at the time when the State and the Church were co-extensive, at a time when the Church might be said to have been the whole community. When a man at that time gave property to the Church he was giving it to the community —(cheers)—aud no one would be more sur- prised than some of these pious donors whose memory was so irrelevantly invoked could they be summoned from their graves and told that these gifts of theirs were to be treated as the inalienable property of a comparatively small religious denomination, whose doctrines and ceremonies were vitally different to anything known in the days of the pious donor* themselves. (Cheers.) Attempts would be made to represent the measure as though it was intended by its authors as the first step towards the Disestablishment and Dis- endowment of the Church of England. (Cheers.) There was a large number of those who supported this measure who believed it would be a very good thing for the Church of Eugland if ahv-were disestablished and disendowed, but there was also a considerable number who supported the measure, and who, in his judgment, were per- fectlv righb in supporting it, who did not hold that view because in Wales the Established Church was the Church of a very small minority of the people. As to the proposed census m Wales, he said he would rather be guided by tbe opinions of the chosen representatives of the Welsh people. Passing on to the other subjects, he said so long as the Government possessed the confidence of the House of Commons, so lonG" they would proceed to redeem the pledges they had given and when that hour arose they would not be slow to appeal to the country. He ex- pressed satisfaction that the boot strike showed a prospect of soming to an end, and hoped the method of settling trade disputes by strikes would soon become as obsolete as the ordeal of trial.by battle. (Loud cheers.)

THE NATIONAL BANK OF WALES. In the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice on Wednesday, before Mr Justice Vaughan Williams, counsel appeared in support of a motion for the issue of a writ of attachment, against a gentleman whose name was not mentioned in court. Counsel stated that since the motion was last before his Lordship, there had beefi negotiations between the representatives of the National Bank of Wales and the trustee and liquidator. An agreement had been come to compromising all matters in dispute between the bapk and the respondent. The registrar had given higsanction to the agree- ment, and under the circumstances no order was asked for on the motion. His Lordship assented.