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DINNEH AT THE KING'S ARMS…

, SOIREE AT THE MEMORIAL HALL.

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SOIREE AT THE MEMORIAL HALL. A very successful Soiree was held at the Memorial Hall, on Monday evening, under the auspices of the Women's Liberal Association and the Liberal Ciub. The arrangements were carried out by a joint committee representing the Association and Clut; and to the energy of this committee the success of the entertainment is mostly due. At seven o'clock, the large company present sat down to an excellent re- past, to which they did full justice. Shortly after eight o'clock the Rev. James Charles took the chair, supported on the plat- form by Mr. Gee, Mr. Prys Jones, Mr. Richard Jones (Brookhouse), Mr. Boaz Jones, Mr. Willi,i,nt Price (the Secretary), &e. The Chairman, in his opening remarks, said that those present were greatly indebted So the ladies and gentlemen who had undertaken the preparation of the capital supper they so well enjoyed. Suchameetingof Welshmen, undersuch circumstances, abundantly proved that the na- tional spirit is still alive amongst them. The national spirit did not recognise one sect, or one class of the population alone—it embraced the whole nation, and stimulated the life of the people (cheers). When Rome was at the zenith of its fame, a large number of the peo- ple were slaves, and this was one reason for its subsequent decline and fall. If a nation meant to succeed, and progress, perfect equali- ty would have to be recognisetl between man and man (applause). St. David's Day was a Welsh day. In saying this, he had no wish to speak disparagingly of the English nation, nor any other nation but he was bound to say that John Bull's greatest mistake was his fai- lure to recognise the claims of the masses (hear, hear). John Bull wanted to keep the nation down; he wanted to keep Wales down: but the Welsh nation, he was glad to say, would not tolerate such a position, but fought hard or its emancipation in a religious, social, and Political sense (loud cheers). Everybody that ^thVvelfare countrymen at heart hn? e ""fortunate strike at Bethesda, *»o».ev^n resulted in one great and per- En»Hok goo.d~~it had opened the eyes of the re £ L!Valt,10n to the hlSh qualities, and their- proachable character of the Welsh quarry. man (loud cheers). It was stated in the House of Commons that these quarrymen were spending their money but if he had been a member of Pa,rliament-and perhaps he ought bo have been (laughter)—he would have asked their accusers to point out even one class of people who had contributed more handsomely feowards religious and educational objects than the poor quarrymen of Bethesda (loud cheers). If their money had been ill-spent, their accusers would probably have said nothing; but because they had supported chapels and colleges, there were men to be found, even in the Houses of Parliament, who were graceless enough totaunt them with the fact ('shame'). Wales had a history of which it might well be proud. It possessed famous poets, and excellent litera- ture. They ought to look forward, because golden age of Wales was yet to come (cheers). Christianity brought into the world the means of elevating man, and this, for the first time, had been diffused1 through the Welsh revivals. Now, there was another awakening—an educa- tional awakening (applause). The mind of the nation had been awakened, and Wales bid fair to become yet one of the foremost in the cul- ture of learning (loud cheers). It was now time to attend to the claims and rights of the masses; the classes had received their full share (hear, hear). The day would come when every father would be a king, every mother a queen, every daughter and son princesses and princes, and every true man a lord (loud applause). The Corn Laws, the Enfranchisement Act, and the Education Act of 1870, were measures for the people. One party, at present, endeavoured to destroy the latter for the benefit of a class ('shame'). Were he asked what should be the aim of the nation in these days, he should say the Elevating of the masses (cheers). Wales was greatly indebted to the people, because its great men had arisen from amongst the people, and the great men of the future would also spring from the same class (applause). Mr. Gee, who spoke in English, said he de- sired to call attention to the great mistake which was made by many of their English friends when they supposed that the Welsh people were crying 'Wales for the Welsh.' There was no greater mistake possible. They were very glad to see their English friends, and to hear them speak their own language; but, at the same time, they thought it was not too much to ask their English friends who come to live amongst them to master the Welsh lan- guage (hear, hear). In some of the European Universities, professors were only allowed to retain their chairs on the condition that they made themselves masters of the language of the country within two years (cheets). If they could not do that they were expected to vacate the chair, and give place to better men (laugh- ter and cheers). He did not maintain that that should be exactly the case with English residents in Wales; but he did maintain that if they studied their own interests, as well as those of the country in which they lived, they would master its language (cheers). Mr. Gee then referred to the success of Welshmen abroad, and concluded by urging the people of Wales to work shoulder to shoulder, so as to make their mark upon this country and upon the Parliament of this country (applause). Mr. R. Prys Jones spoke on the educational value of the Welsh language. English Govern- ments had done their best to destroy the Welsh language; and the spirit lay under the recent appointment to the Chief Inspectorate of Schools for Wales (hear, hear). He sincerely hoped that everyone present was able. not only to speak, but also to read and write. Lord Bute recently said:—'For a man to confess willingly that while able to speak, he is unable to read and write it, is to confess that he is only a boor.' If they were unable to read and write Welsh, they were all boors (loud laugh- ter). The knowledge of two language culti- vated the mind, expanded the intellect, and strengthened the faculties. This was the opin- ion of the chief educationalists of the world and Wales should always do its utmost to ob tain the introduction of Welsh into the day schools (cheers). Subsequently Mr. Richard Jones, Brookhouse, addressed the meeting, quoting at length from the works of the vrellknown poet I Alun.' Mr Gee moved, and Mr. Boaz Jones seconded, the following resolution, which was unani- mously passed:— 'That this meeting emphatically protests against the provisions of the Education Bill which has been introduced by the Government, inasmuch as it is evidently intended to weaken, and eventually to destroy, the Board Schools which at present exist, and to make it almost impossible for new Board Schools to be formed, particularly in the Rural Districts, where they are so much wanted.—And it is also intended to bolster up the Church of England, and to strengthen Roman Catholicism, and to place Free Education and Nonconformity under great disadvantages all of which objects are intended to be secured by making an additional grant to the Voluntary Schools by the Treasury —leaving the Board Schools entirely in the same position as at present, That, in the opinion of this meeting, it is also positively unfair and unjust to the race- payers to grant public money to any purposes without efficient public control.' During the meeting, songs were given by the folJowing :Mrs. Evans and Master Evans (Portland Place), Miss Lily Price, Messrs. T. R. Williams, It. G. Jones, Meirion Jones, Jos- eph Roberts, and Edward Jones. Miss Whee- way and Miss Jennie Price gave a pianoforte duett. Mr. Salusbiiry, with his usual kindness, was the accompanist. A vote of thanks to the chairman brought the meeting to a close.

.. DENBIGHSHIRE INFIRMARY.

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THE CHARGE AGAINST A FOOTBALL…

ECCLESIASTICAL INTELLIGENCE.

[No title]

DINNER AT THE CROWN HOTEL,