The North Wales Times

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH. HOUSE OF LORDS. LORD Salisbury made a statement, in reply to a question by Lord Dunraven, upon the policy of Great Britain and the other Powers in refer- ence to Crete. The Government felt, he said, that it was not convenient or desirable that they should abstain from informing the House so far as they could do, of the policy which they were anxious to press, and which they thought our allies agreed with us in pursuing. As the best form of placing the House in possession of the actual facts of the moment, his Lordship read the following telegram, which was sent on Wednesday night to the Powers through our Ambassadors Inform the Government to which you are accredited that Her Majesty's Government propose to make the following public declaration of the policy which they are prepared to pursue, which they believe would be in accordance with the views of their allies :—1. That the esta- blishment of administrative automony in Crete is, in their judgment, a necessary condi- tion to the termination of the international occupation. 2. That, subject to the above pro- vision, Crete ought, in their judgment, to remain a portion of the Turkish Empire. 3. That Turkey and Greece ought to be informed by the Powers of this resolution. 4 That if either Turkey or Greece persistently refuses, when required, to withdraw their uaval and military forces from the island, the Powers should impose their decision by force upon the State so refusing.' Lord Salisbury drew attention to the words 'when required,' and said it did not followcertainly in the case of Turkey—that all the troops could be with drawn immediately. Mere questions of police would prevent such a result as that. On the other hand, it was evident that eventually the withdrawal of the Turkish troops was a neces- sary condition of administrative automony, and therefore the Turkish troops would ultimately be withdrawn, except so far as they might be kept-as in the case of Samos, and for many years in the case of Servia-simply as an indication of sovereignty. The Greek troops, he imagined, would be required by the Powers to withdraw at an earlier date. He L believed, after much intercommunication, that this was the course that the Powers desired to take, but he could not go further until it was known npon each point of detail what their position was. But if these principles, which he had ventured to lay down, were recognised by the Powers, as he believed they would be, as the principles animating their policy, it was not possible that the present state of things in Crete could indefinitely continue. The Earl of Kimberley, having regard so the gravity of the subject, said he preferred to re- serve his observations until he had had time to consider the matter. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. Balfour made a statement identical in terms with that made in the other House by Lord Salisbury. Sir W. Harcourt said he was sure the Hoase would feel the extreme gravity of the announce- ment, affecting as it did the relations of this country, not only in the present but in the future, with all the Powers of Europe, and with the Governments of Turkey and Greece. He asked for facilities to discuss the proposals, and suggested that they should be considered the following day. Mr. Balfour thought that the Supply rule ought not to be interfered with, seeing chat there had already been two motions for the adjournment of the House to discuss the Cretan question. Sir W. Harcourt then suggested Monday, and Mr. Balfour promised to communicate with him on the subject. Asked by Mr. Channing if it was true that Turkish troops sallied from Canea last Sunday to attack the advanced positions of the Cretan insurgents or to defend positions held by Turks, Mr. Curzon replied that according to the information the Government had received, no sally took place. Sir H. Havelock-Allan asked the Govern- ment to take steps to stop the supply of provisions and munitions of war to the Greek forces and Cretan insurgents. Mr. Curzon replied that the British admiral having instructions to act in concert with other naval commanders, no separate' orders could be sent to him to act independently of ;his colleagues. Mr. Channing asked who gave the signal for the bombardment of the Cretan position. Mr. Curzon replied that the signal was always given by the senior naval officer, and he was the Italian admiral. In answer to Mr. H. Roberts and Mr. H. J. Wilson, who asked whether the Turks, en. couraged by the action of the allied squadron, had been firing on the Cretans, who had not replied, fearing that they might be again shelled by the fleet, Mr. Curzon said the only information the Government possessed on this point was that throughout Monday desultory tiring continued from the south of the town, and that on Tuesday fighting was going on on both sides of Suda Bay. It was clear that this information applied to both combatants. Mr. Goddard asked the Under Secretary whether his attention had been called to the statement that the Turks opened fire on the Cretans while they were picking up their dead and wounded. Mr. Curzon replied that so far as his infor- mation went the statement was incorrect. No wounded were seen. The admirals, he added in reply to Mr. Dillon, offered to send ashore medical assistance to tend the wounded, but the Cretan commander would not allow them. In answer to Mr. Labouchere, Mr. Curzon said that, so far as the Government could gather, the position taken up by the insur- gents on the heights commanding Canea must have been between one and two miles from the walls of the town. Asked by Mr. Channing if the insurgents had artillery, Mr. Curzon said he thought so. It was from the fear that they were going to plant that artillery in a position which would command the town that the action of the fleets the other day took place. Answering Mr. Dillon, Mr. Curzon said the insurgents had taken up a position at the Convent of the Prophet Elias, and the fire ot the squadron obliged them to haul down their tag, He did not know how many were killed or wounded. He did not think it was at -111 cer- tain that the Convent of the Prophet Elias was fired on, or that any of the nuns were killed. Mr. Curzon informed Sir G. Baden-Powell that the Governor of Sierra Leone recently visited Monrovia and discussed the question of increased trading facilities with the Republic of Liberia. Steps had since been taken with regard to the issue of licenses to trade with ports Ðf non-entry. He also received assuran- ces that British vessels should not be fired upon. Answering Sir E. A. Bartlett, Mr. Chamber- lain said a law had been introduced into the Volksraad, but he had no information that, it had been passed. In any case the British sub- jects in the South Africa Republic were secured by the Convention, which Her Majesty's Government had declared their intention to maintain in its integrity. Mr. Curzon, replying to questions by Mr. Dillon and Mr. Maclean, said the object of the special mission which the Government had decided to send to King Menelik was to assure the. King of the frieadly intentions of Her Majesty's Government, to endeavour to pro- mote amicable political relations, and to settle certain questions which had arisen between the British authorities in the Somali Coast Protec- torate and the Abyssinian Governor of Harrar. Mr. Brodrick, in reply to Sir W. H. Houlds- worth, said the Manchester volunteers would be supplied with the Lee-Metford rifle during the next financial year, and as soon as possible after the 1st of November next. On the order for Committee on the Volun- tary Schools Bill; the Speaker stated that a number of the proposed instructions to the Committee were out of order. The only one that was in oyder at this stage was one by Mr. Lloyd-George. Mr. Lloyd-George then rose before the House went into Committee to move—" That it be an instruction to the Com- mittee that they have power to insert clauses in the bill with a view to making provision for ensuring adequate representation of local authorities or parents on the management of the schools in receipt of the aid grant." 11 Mr. Courtenay Warner seconded the motion. Mr. Balfour opposed the instruction, as be did not think the House could touch with advantage the management of Voluntary schools without being in the greatest danger of destroying their voluntary character. Mr. Acland expressed regret that Mr. Balfour had not seen his way to accept the instruction. After a prolonged discussion, in which the instruction was supported by many Liberal LTaionist and Conservative members, Mr. J. Morley moved the adjournment of the debate, Mr. Balfour moved the closure, and after several divisions the instruction was rejected by 270 votes to 134.

J FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH. j' HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. Curzon, answering Mr. Flynn, read a telegram from the British Consul at Canea to the effect that no fire had been exchanged ) between Greek and Turkish troops on the western front since Sunday. On the southern front Christians and Mussulmans had had some desultory skirmishing. He gave some details of the military situation. In answer to Mr. Bryn Roberts, who asked whether, in or about November, 1895, one of the great Powers of Europe made a proposal to Great Britain to enter the Dardanelles and seize the Sultan, and if so, what reply was made by the Mr. Curzon said no such pro- posal was made to the Government. ) Mr. Bryce said the question was taken from the speech of M. Hanotaux, and asked if it was correct. Mr Curzon said he did not understand that M. Hanotaux said anything about a proposal to Her Majesty's Government. Replying to Mr. Bryn Roberts, Sir M. White Ridley said he had seen lihe statement which appeared in the 'Manchester Guardian' of the 23rd inst.. that the Vicar general of the Pro- vince of Canterbury in the recent proceedings at Bow Church on the confirmation of the election of the Bishop of Peterborough omitted the decree to proceed. The statement was correct The forms used at the confirmation of a bishop, and of which the decree to proceed formed part, should certainly not be altered without proper authority, and but for a momentary inadvertence would have been strictly followed in the present case. He was informed that the omission of the decree would not effect the validity of the confirma- tion. Answering Mr, Schwann, Mr. Ritchie said he was not prepared to appoint a Select Commit- tee to inquire into the working of the patent laws. Asked by Mr. T. G. Bowles whether it was true that eight million dollars out of the fifteen and a half million dollars awarded by the Geneva Tribunal on the Alabama claims still remained undistributed in the hands of the United States Government, and whether there was any prospect of that Government offering to repay the amount remaining un- claimed after all claims for compensation had been satisfied, Mr. Curzon read the answer given by Mr. W. H. Smith to a similar quesb- tion in 1891, to the effect that it would be con- trary to the engagements taken by this country in the treaty of Washington of 1871 for Her Majesty's Government to request the return of the money. The House went into Committee of Supply on the Naval and Civil Service Supplementary Estimates. On the vote of £ 5,775 to pay certain excess expenditure on contract vessels under the Naval Defence Act of 1889, Mr. E. Robertson said that, considering the Estimates were framed seven years ago, and amounted to over X-10,000,000, it reflected She highest credit on all concerned that the excess was only 95,77.5. Mr. Macartney added that the total expen- diture in connection with the Naval Defence Act was over X25,000,000, and there had been an actual saving of over £2,000 on the £1,000,000 of shipbuilding in the Government dockyards, and a saving of S20,000 in the estimate of E2,400, 000 for armaments. On a vote of £ 40 for the Mint, Sir M. Hicks Beach stated that the experiment was about to be tried of dulling the colour of farthings before they were issued, so that they might not be confounded with half-sovereigns. On the vote for 912,938 for salaries and ex- penses of the Irish Land Commission, atten- tion was called to the recent appointments to the Commission, and Mr. Flynn moved the re- duction of the vote by £ 5,000. The amendment was negatived by 188 votes to 81. On the supplementary vote for public edu- cation in England and Wales, Mr. Channing, to call attention to the claim of necessitous school boards under section 97 of the Act of 1870, moved a reduction of the vote. Sir J. Garst said that, so far as the Commit- tee were concerned, they had come to the con- clusion that they could not entertain applica- tions for more than the year's arrears recog- nised in the circular of 1881. The amendment was negatived, and a number of other votes were passed. The House adjourned a few minutes after nine o'clock.

MONDAY, MARCH 1ST. HOUSE OF LORDS. A discussion took place on the Christchurch Inclosure Allotments Bill. Lord Hobhouse opposed the second reading on the ground that it was against the policy of Parliament, as de- clared by the Commons Act, 1876, to pass a private bill to enable the sale and enclosure of fuel allotments. These enclosures, he remark- ed, required to be strictly watched, not only in the public interest, but in the interest of the cottagers residing in the immediate neighbour- hood. The Lord Chancellor stated that the bill was promoted by the Attorney General, and that the matter had already been the subject of a great deal of litigation. If this litigation was el further prolonged the whole subject-matter of the bill would be swallowed up in costs. The House divided, and the second reading was carried by 58 to 24. A bill to regulate the transfer of Church patronage, introduced by the Archbishop of York, was read a first time, and the Manchester Ship Canal Bill was read a second time. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Mr. Curzon informed Mr. Bryce that an in- quiry had been made as to the truth of the statement that Turkish transports carrying Turkish troops from one part of the coast of Crete to another had been escorted by British ships of war, and the British Admiral replied that no such incident had occurred. In answer to Mr. Labouchere, Mr. Curzon said the British Admiral had been instructed to send a full report of the bombardment of the Cretan position by the international fleet, but he thought he had been able to give the House, from the telegrams he had read, a sufficiently clear account of the proceedings on February 21st. It did not appear that any Turkish war vessel took part in the bombardment. No Turkish troops had sallied from Canea since the occupation of the town by the Powers. Replj ing to Sir E. A. Bartlett, Mr. Curzon said a squadron of four ships of the allied fleets had been sent to the towns on the coast of Crete;, where there were beleaguered garri- sons or populations, and two ships had gone to Selino. Colonel Vassos had promised the Admirals to send Greek officers to Candamos of Crete^ where there were beleaguered garri- sons or populations, and two ships had gone to Selino. Colonel Vassos had promised the Admirals to send Greek officers to Candamos to assist in obtaining the relief of the beleagu- j ered people. Mr. Dillon, who had on the paper a notice, on going into Committee on the Civil Service Estimates, to call attention to the policy of the Government in relation to the insurrection in Crete, said he desired to withdraw it. Sir W. Harcourt said it had been his inten- tion to move the adjournment that afternoon upon the statement made on Thursday as to the policy of the Government on the Cretan question. It had only just come to his know- ledge that there were technical difficulties in the way of that proceeding, and he asked if they could be removed, and the explanation which, he understood, the Government were desirous of making might be made the follow- ing day. Mr. Balfour said that if Mr. Dillon withdrew his notice there would be no objection to taking the debate next day. A brief discussion afterwards took place as to the desirableness of altering the Standing Order which enable any member, by placing a notice of motion on the paper, to prevent any debate on the subject to which his notice of motion ref ei s. Mr. Ritchie, answering Sir E. Gourley, said circumstances had occurred in connection with the dispute between the North-Eastern Railway Company and some of its servants which led to the hope that the dispute might be settled without any mediation on the part of the Board of Trade. Mr. Long, in answer to Mr. Bigwood, said there was great force in the recommendations of the Departmental Committee in regard to the stamping of rabies by exercising directly the powers the Board of Agriculture pos- sessed under the Diseases of Animals Act, and he was considering some of the practical ques- tions which the adoption of the recommenda- tions would involve. Mr. Curzon informed Mr. P. O'Brien that the Government had not entered into communi- cation with the United States Government or any of the great European Powers concerning the disturbed state of Cuba. Answering Mr. Massey-Mainwaring, Mr. Balfour said it was a fact that the Hertford House collection of objects of art had been bequeathed to the nation by the late Lady Wallace. Mr. Macartney informed Sir H. Vincent that the principle on which the Admiralty orders were given was to take goods of British and Irish manufacture in preference to similar goods of foreign manufacture. The House then went into Committee on the Voluntary Schools Bill. Mr H. Lewis moved to postpone clause 1, on the ground that the Committee ought to know precisely what was done with clause 2 before considering clause 1, because clause 2 provided only statutory safeguards for the maintenance of voluntary subscriptions, and its fate would materially modify the attitude of the com mittee towards the first clause. The amendment was rejected by 244 votes to 94. Mr. Lambert proposed to restrict the pro- posed grant to I necessitous' voluntary schools. The amendment was defeated by 276 votes to 104. Mr. S. Evans moved an amendment to leave out the word 'voluntary' and substitute the word 'iinsectarian.' He said he also wished to insert the words and British.' t The amendment was rejected by 272 votes to 102. Mr. Ellis Griffith proposed that the act should apply only to Voluntary schools in ex- istence at the passing of the act. The amendment was defeated by 227 votes to 88. By 237 votes to 82, the Committee rejected an amendment proposed by Mr. Ellis Griffith who desired to confine the grant to Voluntary schools in school board districts. Mr. Perks proposed to limit the grant to Voluntary schools which gave free education. Mr. Balfour, after some debate, moved the closure, which was carried by 273 votes to 105, The amendment was then rejected by 276 votes to 102.

TUESDAY, MARCH 2ND. HOUSE OF LORDS. Lord Kimberley referred to the statement recently made in the other House by the Premier, of our Cretan policy. It appeared, said Lord Rimberley, that it had been irrevoca- bly decided by the Powers that under no cir- cumstances should Crete return under the direct domination of the Sultan of Turkey. But he believed that it would have been wiser and safer to have joined Crete to Greece. The powers might have decided on autonomy in principle, but they bad decided upon no machinery by which it could be carried into effect. If, under those circumstances, they were summoning the Greeks to retire from Crete, great difficulties might ensue. He was filled with alarm by what Lord Salisbury had said respecting the Turkish troops. For these treops to be left in control after the Greek troops were withdrawn would prolong the present state of things. It seemed to him absolutely necessary that there should be organised rule in the island before the with drawal of the troops, and, further, that the withdrawal of the Turkish and Greek troops should be simultaneous. Lord Salisbury said that he had nothing to add to what he had already said, and the policy he explained by reading a telegram on Thursday night, had, on the whole, been ac- cepted by the Powers. But he was compelled to add a word in reservation, because it was right to say that that part of his statement which referred to the withdrawal of the Turkish troops had not been received without considerable demur on the part of many of the Powers. But the point he had mostly to defend in their action was their decision that Crete should not form part of the Hellenic Kingdom. That was not, he held, doing any violence to Crete. Before this crisis arose we had no evidence that there was, on the part of the Cretan population, as a whole, a desire to be united to Greece. If he were to decide this question in the interests of Crete alone, with- out any other considerations, he should still say that it was a rash, hazardous, and, possibly, an unjustifiable step to force Crete into a union with Greece at a moment when it was impossible that a sober and deliberate deter- mination of the people could be ascertained. There was no feeling he had found more strongly prevalent among the Powers than that if the enterprise of Greece, which they stigmatised as illegal, were allowed to result in the attaining of great territorial advantage to the Greek Government, the example would spread and the hre of civil war would be lit where now there was peace; and all believed that if the fire of civil war was lit upon the Continent of Europe and in the Turkish Em- pire it would not be civil war alone with which they would have to deal. The domina- ting feeling of the Powers was one of sym- pathy with the Cretans, but that if it was to be a question whether the arrangements which had gone on were to continue with only slight and gentle amelioration, or whether the whole of Europe was to be plunged into civil war, it was their duty to maintain the existing state of things until they could see a safe and peace- ful issue from it. He believed a combined re- presentation had been addressed to the Porte stating that the withdrawal of the Turkish soldiers must be a necessary consequence of autonomy, and ought to be conducted as judi- ciously as the conditions of the country per- mitted. The proposition to remove them im- mediately seemed to him to be not practicable. He had not the slightest objection to any of the great Powers occuping Crete, but it would be a rash act to withdraw the Turkish troops, which were the only safeguard against disorder, and to put nothing in their place. To go into further detail would be inconsistent with inter- national courtesy, but there was one point that they were resolved upon, and that was an effective autonomy in Crete; and by an effec- tive autonomy he meant an effective withdraw- al of the arbitrary power of the Sultan, which had not hitherto succeeded in procuring the well-being of his Christian subjects. That was the main object they had in view when the Powers resolved that Crete at present was not to form part of the Hellenic kingdom, and if Greece upon that point chose to take issue with the Powers it must abide by the result. The subject then dropped, and the House ad. journed. HOUSE OF COMMONS. Sir M. Hicks-Beach, in reply to Mr. W. F. Lawrence, said it was not desirable to vary the design upon the coinage at short intervals of time. The present coinage was the result of the recommendations of a Committee which sat in 1891, and he believed it was generally considered satisfactory. The attempt of a special coinage in 1887 was by no means so successful as to encourage a fresh attempt of the same kind. The sixtieth year of the Queen's reign would be commemorated by the issue of a medal. Mr. Brodrick, replying to Major Rasch, said infantry recruits were scarce at present, and some relaxation was made in the requirements. Asked by Mr. S. Smith if he would brinv in a bill to obviate the difficulties at times caused to the police, and the hardships to some prisoners, by rearrests at prison gates for similar offences previously committed in a different country or jurisdiction, Sir M. White Ridley said he had considered the possibility of remeding the hardship by means of legisla- tion, and he was consulting the judges on the point. Mr. Long informed Mr. Stephens thai1 cir- cumstances had recently occurred pointing clearly to the necessity for the issue of a muzzling order for dogs applicable to the whole of the metropolitan district. Mr. Chamberlain stated, in answer to Mr- Mr. Chamberlain stated, in answer to Mr- S. Smith, that no information had reached him I to the effect that slavery still continued in the New Hebrides. If he wcire furnished with evidence of such a state ot things he would take action immediately against any British subject concerned; but it must be remembered that the New Hebrides was not British terri- tory. Asked by Mr. Verney whether the Govern- ment proposed to introduce a bill this session dealing with the superannuation of school teachers, Mr. Balfour said the matter had been considered by the Government, but they could not introduce a bill until the educational legis- lation, pending or promised, had been disposed of. Sir W. Harcourt moved the adjournment of the House in order to call attention to the declarations made by the Government on Thursday last of their policy on the Cretan question. He said the first question he desired to ask was whether the assent of the other five Powers had been given to the proposals of the Government in the manner and form in which they were at present, or had a modification been made. He asked that because immediately the policy of the Government in Crete was pub- lished there were demonstrations of a charac- ter which certainly were not signs of very cordial assent in other quarters. In order to make it clear what were the explanations he specially desired to receive from the Govern- ment, he would like to state the propositions upon which his questions were to be founded. First of all, he affirmed that the present situa- tion—the insurrection in Crete, the interven- tion of the Greeks, and the intervention of the Powers by force of arms-had been the direct result of the entire failure of the arrangement of last autumn. That arrangement was founded upon the worn-out idea that they could reform Turkey, leaving Turkey to be the engine and instrument to carry out those reforms. He observed with satisfaction that the Govern- ment sec autonomy in the first place, because that showed that the principle of bhe policy of the Government was the practical expropria- tion of Turkish rule trom the island of Crete. Everything depended upon the completeness of that expropriation, and the question was how far and how completely this proposed autonomy got rid of the Turkish rule which had been the cause of all the evils. He hoped the Govern- ment had arrived at the conviction that there was no reform possible in Crete except on the condition of practically and substantially re- moving the Turkish authority and rule in that island. If they had goji so far, they had made a great advance in th of the Eastern a great advance in of the Eastern Question. He would like to know what form of autonomy the Government proposed, and he had yet to understand the grounds upon which the Government were opposed to the annexa- tion of the island by Greece. What was to be the fortune of Greece? Without hesitation and without reservation he said that the deliverance of Crete was due to the Greek King and the Greek people. Mr. Curzon, in reply, said there were three points in the recently issued Blue-book which it was essential that the House should grasp. The first was that throughout the period which the book covered, namely the earlier and mid- dle portion of last year, the policy of the Government was devoted to the thorough ✓re- construction of the government of Crete, to the mitigation of the authority of the Sultan, and to the imposition of necessary reforms. The second was, there was no doubt that the scheme of reforms was received with more than content by both sections of the population of Crete: and a third point was that by that scheme the Powers assumed a joint responsi- bility for the present and future of Crete, which they had ever, since been discharging, and which was the explanation of the basis of their conduct at this moment. The policy of the Government had been characterised through all this time of trouble by loyalty to the obligations which they had entered into with the other Powers of Europe, which they had conscientiously discharged, and to which they were not going to be faithless; and by regard to the future of the island itself. As to the nature of the autonomy it was proposed to give Crete, by autonomy the Government understood that the effective authority for the internal government of the Sultan should cease to exist in Crete-that there should be a Gov- ernment in Crete, but that it should not be the Government of the Sultan. The Government, added Mr. Curzon, still found it impossible usefully to consider proposals for enforcing the retiremenc of Greek troops until the Powers had made up their minds what should become of Crete. Mr. Courtney, [while thinking that Lord Salisbury's policy was in many respects alto- gether admirable, said the question was what was to be done if the moral suasion of the Powers was unable to induce Greece to retire from Crete. In that event the question would seriously arise as to whether the United King- dom must not retire from the Concert of Europe. They must nob lead the other Powers to believe that they and the country would support Lord Salisbury in an act of war against Greece. After speeches by Mr. Balfour and Mr. Mor- ley, Sir W. Harcourt withdrew his motion.

THE NEW WELSH SHERIFFS. The following is the official list of High Sheriffs for Wales for the ensuinf year, picked by the Queen at a meeting of the Privy Council held at Windsor Castle on Fliday Anglesey Mr. William Thomas, of Tregar- nedd, Llangefni. Breckonshire: Mr. Stuart Williams Morgan, tf Dolgoed, near Brecon. Cardiganshire Colonel William Price Lewis of Llysnewydd, Llandyssil. Carmarthenshire Mr. William Joseph Buck- ley, of Penyfai, Llanelly. Carnarvonshire: Mr. Lloyd Warren George Hughes, of Coedhelen, Carnarvon. Denbighshire: Mr. Thomas Williams, of Llewesog, Denbigh. Flintshire: Mr. James Liebig Muapratt, of Bron Haul, Rhyl. Glamorganshire: Mr. Godfrey Lewis Clark, of Talygarn. Merionethshire: Mr. Edward Owen Vaughan Lloyd, of Rhagatt, near Corwen. Montgomeryshire: Mr. John Lomax, of Bod- fach. Penbrokeshire: Mr. Clement John Williams, of Penally. Radnorshire: Mr. Walter de Winton, of Maesllwcli Castle, Glasbury.

RHYL. PLEASANT EVENING. On Thursday evening a very pleasant and largely attended gathering was held in con- nection with the Hope of Rhyl' Good Templars Lodge, in Christ Church Lecture Hall. Mr. F. L. Rawlins presided, and Mr. J. Stanford, of Wrexham, gave one of his po- pular musical and elecutionary entertain- ments. RHUDDLAN CRICKET CLUB BALL. A very successful and largely attended ball was held on Wednesday night, in aid of the funds of the Rhuddlan Cricket Club, in the grand Pavilion. Deft hands had con- verted the spacious hall into a brilliant ball- room, with the aid of flags, plants, prettily designed curtains, and other articles of orna- mentation. The company numbered about 120, and included parties from Denbigh, Ruthin, St. Asaph, Rhuddlan, Abergele, Mostyn, and Rbyl, and 5 the light fantastic toe' tripped merrily to excellent music, dis- coursed by Mr. Hazelden's Quadrille Band up to an early hour in the morning. Mr. W. Conwy Bell (captain of the club, and chair- man of the committee), and Mr. J. D. Asher, acted as masters of the ceremony, Mr. R. C. Enyon as treasurer, and. Mr. W. E. Jones, Rhuddian, as secretary. THE WOMEN'S HOME.—ANNUAL MEETING OF SUBSCRIBERS. On Thursday, the annual meeting of the subscribers and donors of the Rhyl Women's Convalescent Home, was held at the New Board Room, Morfa Lodge. Mr. P. H.Chambres presided, and there we re present Col. C. S. Mainwaring, the Rev. Dan Ed- wards (vicar of Rhyl); Captain Keatings, Mr. Sam Perks, Mrs. Perks, Mr*. P. H. Chambres, Miss Mannix, and Mr. John Bayliss, secretary. The vicar of Rhyl pre- sented the 27th annual report of the com- mittee, which they considered a very satis- factory one. During the season, 544 pa- tients had been accommodated—414 nomi- nated by subscribers, donors, and life governors; and 110 admitted without no- minations. As usual, the great majority of the patients were from the Midland Counties, viz., 269. From Birmingham there were 102; North Wales, 80; Crewe, 18 Chester, 21; Shrewsbury, 14; Wolverhampton, 20; Lan- cashire, 18; London, 2—the total shewing a decrease of 33 on the previous year. The patients received great benefit during their stay, and expressed appreciation of the value and usefulness of the institution. Several alterations had been effected during the year. The committee had great pleasure in recommending that the thanks > of the meeting be given Miss Lawrie (matron), Mr. John Bayliss (secretary), the honorary offi- cers, and all who had rendered services, and sent presents to the institution. The finan- cial statement was submitted, showing re- ceipts, balance in hand at commencement of the year, R389 9s. Id.; annual subscriptions, £ 417 18s.; donations, -4225 13s.; from box at the Home, 7s. lid. payment by patients, £ 421 7s.; interest from bank, X9 16s. Sd. interest from consols, £ 74 8s. 8d.; sundry sales, Xi 16s. The expenditure amounled to on the institution (including £ 138 7s. 3d. for alterations), -9228 19s. 7d.; for provisions, X421 Os. 10 b rates, insurances and salaries, C234 17s.; cheque books, 12s. 6d., leaving a balance in bank of S505 18s. 7d., less 18s. 2d. due to the secretary. A letter was read from Colonel Mesham, Pontruffydd, apologising for non-attendance, and another from Mr. Henry A, Jackson, of the Midland Telegraph Football Challenge Cup Association, conveying to the meeting the appreciation of that association of the work of this institution, which, like the Men's Convalescent Home, was deserving of hearty support. The association ha,d only nominated one patient last year, but great good was done in her case. Votes of thanks were passed to the committee, the honorary medical officer, dentist and chaplain, (all of whom were re-elected); to the matron, the secretary, and to the chairman, for presiding at this meeting. THE AFFAIRS OF AN AUCTIONEER, At the Bangor Bankruptcy Court on Fri- day, before Mr. Registrar Glynne Jones, John Thomas Daniel Evans, of 3, Churton Terrace, and Station Chambers, Rhyl, auc- tioneer, house agent, and valuer, came up for his adjourned public examination. Mr. Gamlin, solicitor, Rhyl, appeared for the bankrupt, who stated, in reply to the official receiver (Mr. Ll. Hugh Jones), that he had no interest in the firm of J. Arthur Evans and Son, but that the business be- longed exclusively to his father. It was true that there was a bank account in that name, upon which he (the bankrupt) drew, but that was by the authority of his father. Do you see that the heading on this note- paper (produced) is 'J., Arthur Evans and Son ?' Yes. And underneath it are the names of the partners, in the usual way- J. Arthur Evans and J. T. Evans 7' There is no partner at all.—But it is there ? Well, I don't know what construction you put upon it. I was not a partner at all. Questioned as to his dealings with his father, the bankrupt stated that he owed his father £1,017 Is. 6d., for money lent, and on the 10th April, 1896, shortly before the bankruptcy proceedings, he gave a mortgage for the greater part of this amount, because he felt it to be his duty to do ao. The Official Receiver: You felt he had a superior claim to other creditors ? The Bankrupt. By all means. Replying to Mr. Gamlin, the bankrupt stated that he attributed his present posi- tion to his having invested in land in Rhyl. The land was situated in the best part of the town, and land adjoining it, which had been purchased at the same auction, bad since been sold for nearly three times the price given for it. When the bankruptcy pro- ceedings were taken against him by Gordon, the money-lender, he was negotiating a mortgage of £ 5,000, which would have en- abled him to clear off all his liabilities, with the exception of his father and father-in- the exception of his father and father-in- law, who were willing to wait; but, although the security had been accepted, the matter fell through in consequence of the bank- ruptcy proceedings. With regard to his transactions with the Liverpool accountant, to whom reference had been made at the previous court, he said that gentleman was fully aware of the value of the land. The examination was closed. A CHILD SCALDED TO DEATH. Mr. R. Bromley, the Coroner for Flintshire, held an inquest on Monday, on the body of John Simcocks, aged two years, the infant son of Thomas Simcocks, carriage fitter, 6, Morfa Bach, Rhyl, who died on Sunday morning, at the Children's Hospital, from the effects of scaids sustained on Friday morning. Mr. T. S. Foster, Bee Hotel, was foreman of the jury, which consisted of Messrs. Fred Wallis, A. Clarke, Alfred Shepherd, David Jones, Robert Roberts, Richard Conwy Roberts, Roger K. Hnghes, Frank Sarsons, G. Hopkins, Andrew Williams, Thomas Jones (Cambrian House), Robert Thomas, and J. O. Jones. Elizabeth Simcock, the mother of the child, gave evidence of identification. She went on to say that about seven o'clock on Friday morn- ing, her daughter came to her bedroom, and. 0 p

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3RD. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The House met at two o'clock when the consideration of the Voluntary Schools Bill was continued in Committee. The discussion of the amendment, moved by Mr. Lloyd-George on Tuesday night, to leave out the wordB in the aggregate' in the first clause, which provides that the grant to the Voluntary schools should not exceed in the aggregate 5s. per scholar, was resumed. The amendment was rejected by 157 votes to 79. Mr. S. Evans moved to amend the section by making it read that the amount to be paid by Parliament should not exceed the sum per scholar contributed by voluntary subscriptions for each school in each year, and in any event should not exceed 5s. per scholar. After some debate, Mr. Balfour moved the closure, but the motion was not accepted by the Chairman. A little later, however, Mr. Carson moved the closure, and the Chairman accepting the motion it was carried by 266 votes to 109. On a further division the amendment was rejected by 296 votes to 96. Mr. S. Evans then proposed an amendment to reduce the amount of the grant from 5s. to 4s. At half-past five o'clock, when several mem'- bers rose to continue the debate, Mr. Balfour moved the closure, a motion which was accepted by the Chairman and carried by 291 votes to 124. On a further division the amendment was re- jected by 320 votes to 94. Mr. Balfour then moved the closure upon the remainder of the sub-section and part of sub-section 2, comprising the first eleven words of the sub section-namely, The aid grant shall be distributed by the Education Department.' The Chairman accepted the motion, stating that he had satisfied himself that it did not cut out a single amendment of any substance. Nearly three pages of amendments which fol- lowed were out of order. The closure was carried by 280 votes to 111, and a further division was talc cm that the words named by Mr. Balf our stand part of the bill. This was carried by 2S2 votes to 105, and the House adjourned.

LLANDUDNO. DISTRICT COUNCIL. DIAMOND JUBILEE SUGGESTIONS. On Friday evening, an adjourned meeting of the council was held, Mr. T. W. Griffith (chairman) presiding. In view of the Light Railway Commis sioners' inquiry at Colwyn Bay on Tues- day, and the ultimate object of the promo- ters to extend the system through Llandud- no, Mr. Marks gave notice to move at the next monthly meeting that Mr. A. H, Preece, who has already been engaged to carry out a scheme of electric lighting, combined with a refuse destructor, be directed to include in the scheme an electric tramway system, so that the profits, if any, be devoted to the rates. Several suggestions were received as to celebrating the Queen's Reign. Mr" Archer Thomson, headmaster of the Intermediate Schools, wrote urging the erection of suitable school buildings. Mr. F. Vincent Walker, on behalf of the Cricket Club, of which Lord Mostyn is pre- sident, wrote that the club intended having a grand bazaar next August, and after clear- ing off the debt, the committee were willing to devote the balance to a public recreation ground. Another suggestion was that a fund for the support of a nurse to attend the sick poor would be desirable. After discussion, it was agreed that the chairman should call a public meeting on March 2nd, to take the opinion of the towns- people as to what form the commemoration should assume, Mr. Silcock, of Bath, the architect for the new municipal buildings, was present to confer as to the possibility of reducing the estimated cost of the work from X13,000 odd to < £ '10,000, the original sum proposed to be spent. Mr. Silcock was disinclined to amend his plans, on the ground that such a course would greatly detract from the utility and appearance of the building. Eventually the matter was deferred to the next meeting.