The Welsh Coast Pioneer and Review for North Cambria

Conway Rural District Council. THE monthly meeting of this Council was held at the Clerk's office on Friday morning last, Mr R. Ellis presiding in the absence of the chairman, j who has gone away to recruit his health. There were also present Messrs J. W. Raynes, John Jones, and Hugh Owen, together with Mr T. E. Parry (clerk) and other officials of the Board. Water Supply. The Surveyor (Mr L. John) said, according to j their instructions, he invited quotations for three or four water tanks for Penrhynside, and found that they would cost about £ 4 each. They would be made of cast iron and capable of holding about 400 gallons each. Mr John Jones, Llandudno, proposed that rather than not have the work done successfully, the sur- veyor be given power to place five tanks if he found it was necessary to do so. Mr John said he thought the fixing of these tanks would prove a great benefit in the summer time as it would enable them to have a permanent supply of water. Mr Jones's preposition was then seconded by Mr Raynes and carried. Extension of Sewer and Water Mains. The Surveyor produced plans and specifications | for the extension of the sewer and water mains at | Penrhynside, which had been deferred for some time, and after consideration a committee was appointed to consider the matter and report thereon. Lower Penrhyn Sewer. The Surveyor urged the Council to have this scheme completed before the end of the summer, and he further stated that already some of the property-owners were threatening the Board with proceedings for damage to their property owing to the iiuisail e. A question was asked by Mr J. Jones as to whether a reply had been received bearing upon the Council's application to borrow £ 1,200 for the drainage of this village. The clerk (Mr T. E. Parry) intimated that the Local Government Board had informed him in their letter of 27th February, that they had no power, either by a provisional order or otherwise, to give the Rural District Council authority to borrow money for the parish of Penrhyn beyond the limits fixed in the Public Health Act of 1875, and in consequence the Board could not give their assent to the present application to borrow £ 1,200 for the purposes of a scheme of sewage for the parish. They also at the same time enquired what course would be adopted under the circumstances. A letter had also been received from the Parish Council pointing out that no time should be lost in carrying out an adequate scheme for the proper sewerage and water supply of the parish. A new sewer would be required, and as their borrowing powers were not sufficient for that, they ought to have made application for money at the same time as for the sewerage scheme of Penrhyn. Mr Owen Rowland, treasurer to the Board, had written to enquire what steps had been taken in order to obtain a loan to pay back the advance he had made to the Penrhyn parish. As the amount had been outstanding for some time, it would be necessary to enquire of the Local Government Board the best means of solving the matter of interest. Mr John Jones pointed out the seriousness of the matter, and thought the attitude of the Local Government Board, judging from their letter, made it more so. Six hundred pounds was the extent of the borrowing power of the Penrhyn parish, and that sum would not be sufficient to do the work. At the present time there were about 50 houses at Lower Penrhyn, and in another year they could reasonably expect that from twenty to thirty more would be erected. At the present time all the sewerage from these houses was drained into a cesspool near to them, and when this pool got too full there was nothing to prevent it flowing into the adjoining fields, and from there into the brooks close by. It was a matter of the greatest importance to have the sewerage put right, and unless this be done at once he feared that they would have to face legal proceedings. The Clerk said he had received a letter, through the chairman, from Mr Chamberlain, solicitor, Llandudno, on behalf of the property owners in Lower Penrhyn expressing the wish that the Board would commence the sewerage scheme without further delay. In reply to a question, Mr Parry in- formed the Board that they had the power to borrow £ 6oo, and that when this sum had been expended there would be no difficulty in getting another £ 600. If it became necessary that the Coun- cil would anticipate the power, and borrow from the bank, as Mr Wm. Horton had guaranteed the interest on any overdraft. It was stated that some of the tenants had already left the place on account of the present state of things which was disgraceful. and it was doubtful whether that CounciT were not in a degree liable for any action which might be 1 brought against them by people who had suffered any loss through their neglect. The Clerk, Mr Parry, said Mr Chamberlain's attention had been drawn to the fact that the re- maining borrowing power of £ 600, which they had, had already been exhausted. Mr John Jones said the company who held the adjoining land for golf links were threatening them with proceedings unless they did something soon, and that -Mr Horton had also expressed to him a similar intention. After the matter had been further discussed, it was proposed that a deputation be formed to inter- view the Local Government Board on the matter, and as it was thought it would be advisable to ask Mr Horton to be present at the conference with the Local Government Board, it was decided to ask that gentleman to accompany Mr John Jones and Mr T. E. Parry (the clerk) to London to discuss the subject with the Board. Ventilating Shaft. The Surveyor said he had received a letter from Mr David Ellis, asking for' permission to do away with a ventilating shaft near where he was erecting some property. The Surveyor produced plans of the alteration, which was explained, and, on the proposition of Mr Raynes, seconded by Mr John Jones, it was decided to allow him to do away with it. Proposed Bakehouse at Penybont. The Surveyor said that in company with Mr Hugh Owen they had inspected the place, and had j been promised that proper plans should be de- posited showing the alteration. In reply to a question it was stated that if at any time the smoke became a nuisance, they wouid have power to stop I it. The proposed alterations were agreed to. j Bwlchgwyn Cottages, Talybont. As it was stated that notices served on the trustees of the above property had not been com- plied with, and that the drains were in a disgraceful state, it was decided to give the trustees 28 days' notice to have the nuisance removed. Plans had been deposited by Mr John Jones, Dinarth Hall, of proposed buildings on the j estate at Penrhynside, and the Surveyor recom- ] mended that they be passed subject to the road leading to and at the back being made wider. Mr W. E. Davies, of Penybont, also had de- posited plans, which the surveyor approved of subject to slight alterations, and it was decided that the Council ratify these, provided they are in consonance with the byelaws. Plans at Penybryn, Llanbedr, were also ap- proved. Mr John Jones said he thought it would be a great help if a committee were formed to go through plans with the surveyor, as it would then give the Council more time, and plans would be examined more minutely. Mr Raynes, Mr Hugh Owen, and Mr John Jones were elected as a committee for this pur- pose. Correspondence. A resolution was received which had been passed by the Llysfaen Parish Council object- ing to the Rural Council borrowing money at the expense of the parishes for paying the Cow- lyd Board's claim for the new water main. This matter was discussed at some length, and Mr John Jones said he thought it was inevitable to borrow the £1,103 to meet the claim. He pro- posed they pass a vote of sympathy with the parishioners of Llysfaen. The matter was ulti- mately carried, Mr Raynes being the only one dissenting. The Local Government Board sent a letter in- forming the Board that certain surcharges made by the auditor last year would be allowed, but hoped the Council would in future see that their expenditure did not exceed the income, as the Board could not allow these frequent payments of interest to be made. Mr John Jones said he thought it was very proper that the revenue of each year should be sufficient to meet all the expenditure. The Clerk said that the amounts due to the Council from the various local authorities were only about £400 deficient on this year's accounts, which, in comparison with former years, showed a great improvement.

Bankruptcies in the Chester and North Wales District, 1899. THE number of petitions filed in the Chester and North Wales District during 1899 was 66 by debtors, and 23 by creditors, upon which 85 receiving orders were made, and there was [ receiving order made upon a petition presented late in 1898. The receiving orders were distributed in the district as follows :—Chester Court, 13 Bangor Court, 51 Wrexham Court, 13 Portmadoc and Festiniog Court, 8 total, 86. This is an increase in the number of cases of 13 over 1898, but is 3 less than the number in 1897, which was the largest number recorded in any year since 1888. In all the 1899 cases orders of adjudication were made. In one case, however, the receiving order and adjudication orders were rescinded, the creditors being paid in full. In one other case the receiving order and adjudication have been annulled and a proposal for composition was accepted by the creditors, and is being distributed by the official receiver. Out of these failures 76 of the estates have been left in the hands of the official receiver for administration and in 10 cases non-official trustees were appointed by the creditors. 99 statutory meetings of creditors were held in the district and about 91 public examina- tions were conducted, besides eighty-two pre- liminary and twelve private examinations under section 27. The public examinations of five of the debtors were adjourned siiic die, two on the ground of the debtors' failure to comply with the require- ments of the court and 3 through the debtors having absconded. But in one of these cases the public examination has been reopened since the close of the year, owing to the debtor having returned and surrendered himself. In two cases warrants were taken out for the arrest of the absconding debtors, and they were arrested under such warrants, but were released upon proper ecurities being given for their appearance for public examination and due observance of the orders of the court. There has been an increase of one in the number of debtors applying for their discharge. In 1898 ll debtors applied, but last. year there were 12. Eleven conditional orders were made, and in one case the discharge was suspended for two years. Seventy-five dividends were declared during the year, and these were made up as follows :— Sixty under 5s. in the £ 11 under 10s. in the £ 2 under 15s in the and 2 of 205 in the £ and 4 per cent. interest. A large number of the dividends under 5s in the £ were dividends which went to increase previous distributions, and in one case the total dividend paid was brought up to 20S in the £ and 4 per cent. interest. The official receiver obtained his release in 80 cases during the year, and 14 estates in the hands of non- efficient trustees were closed, but these figures in- clude several bankruptcies which occurred in previous years. There were 2 prosecutions during the year. In the one the debtor was charged and found guilty under section 31 of the Bankruptcy Act, 1883, of obtaining credit for £ 20 and upwards without informing his creditors that he was an un- discharged bankrupt, and he was bound over to come up for judgment when called upon and in the other the bankrupt was and found guilty under the Debtors Act, 1869, of not disclosing his pro- perty to the official receiver and trustee, and of making false statements in regard thereto, and he was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. The official receiver has appeared in 15 motions and applications ii: the Court. There appears to have been a decrease of 6 in the number of private deeds of arrangement with creditors registered in the district during the year, and in 5 of these cases bankruptcy supervened. There have been no orders made during the year for the compulsory winding-up of any limited liability company under the Act of 1890. The trades and occupations of the debtors were divided as follows Grocers and provision dealers 13 Farmers 11 Licensed victuallers 9 Labourers, quarryinen, &c. 9 Builders and contractors. 6 Tailors and drapers 5 Boot and shoe dealers 2 Lodgrng-housekeepers :2 Baker's confectioners 2 Schoolmasters, &c. 2 Coal merchants 2 Plumbers 2 Coach-builders 2 Miscellaneous 19 Total. 86

—— A gentleman named Eley Emlyn White, re- siding at Earl's Court, London, on Tuesday shot a young lady with a revolver and then blew his brains out. From wreckage washed ashore it is believed that a large steamer which was wrecked off Yar- mouth, Nova Scotia, about a fortnight ago, is the Planet Mercury, belonging to Liverpool. I —— THE Mayor of Carnarvon on Thursday per- formed the ceremony of formally opening the new swing bridge across the mouth of the Seiont at Carnarvon, which has been constructed to take the place of the old Aber ferry. There was a large gathering and much public interest was taken in the proceedings. While a proces- sion was passing through Castle-square a team of horses bolted and knocked down Mr Norman Davies and a number of children, without, how- ever, seriously injuring any of them.

St. David's Day. Enthusiastic Banquet at Colwyn Bay. 4 4 Echoes from Ladysmith." A Message from the Queen. "Historic" Reminiscences of the Patron Saint. [BY OUR OWN REPORTER.] THK anniversary of St. David, the patron saint of Wales, was enthusiastically celebrated at the Imperial Hotel, Colwyn Bay, on Thursday even- ing. Echoes of the relief of Ladysmith, which news early in the morning had almost sent the town mad with delight, penetrated into the ban- queting chamber, in the shape of a Royal mes- sage from the Queen, who thanked her loyal inhabitants for their congratulations upon the relief of the garrison. This great honour, for which we had to thank that most energetic of hon. secretaries, Mr R. Booth, aroused tremen- dous scenes of enthusiasm. The dinner almost constituted a double event. Indeed, the war element was at fever height all through the evening. Herr de Mersey's beautiful military band played "The Absent-minded Beggar," "Soldiers of the Queen," and other martial scores, and these songs were also sung during the toast list. With the exception of Mr Jen- kins' capital speech resuscitating many interest- ing facts concerning his wonderful career, poor old St. David was very much on the shelf the rest of the evening. The speeches were warlike in tone; some of the toasts were the same, and the conversation was full of military topics. From sixty to seventy guests sat down to dinner in the coffee room, transformed for the occasion into a cosy banqueting chamber. The walls were decorated with Union Jacks, while the numerous tables sparkled with the gleam of sil- ver and glass. Shortly after seven o'clock the president (Mr George Bevan, J.P.), took his seat, and amongst the company were the fol- lowing Mr G. P. Jenkins (vice-president), Dr M. Venables Williams, Dr Brooks, Mr Amphlett, the Rev M. Hughes, Mr H. N. Sulivan, Mr John Roberts, Councillor Hugh Hughes, Capt. F. W. Stubbs, Capt. J'. A. Dew, Mr P, ey Hignett, Mr W. R. Hands, Councillor Thos. Byrne, Mr Daniel Allen, Mr W. Earp, Mr Edwin Jones, Dr Lord, Dr Wood, Mr A. Lalande, Mr Lace- man, Mr Croydon, Mr F. Nunn, Mr Cartwright, Mr F. Booth, Mr Bryan Warhurst, Mr Sheffield (Rhyl), Mr Robert Williams, Mr William Jones, C.E., Mr J. Jones (postmaster), Mr W.Jones (N. and S. Wales Bank), Mr Evans Hughes, Mr F. J. Holmes, Mr Edward Allen, Mr Dockray, Mr Jones (painter), Mr Arundale, Mr Owen Wil- liams, Mr Tom Homan, Dr Dibbs, Mr Darling- ton, Mr J. Eaton, Mr Wallace, and others. The following is a copy of the menu: — SOUP. Clear Mock Turtle. FISH. Boiled Salmon. Parsley Sauce. Fried Fillets of Sole. Anchovy Sauce. ENTREE. Sweetbreads with Mushrooms. Saute of Kidney. JOINTS. Roast Lamb. Mint Sauce. Roast Beef. Boiled Chickens. York Ham. SWEETS. Rhubarb Tarts. St. David's Pudding. Macedoine Jellies. Lemon Cream. Compote Fruits. Cheese. Salad. DESSERT. The catering at the Imperial Hotel is too well known and appreciated for me to enlarge upon the details of the dinner. The complimentary remarks paid to Mrs Lowe by the president at the close of the proceedings were proof that the visitors thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the.r surroundings. After a prayer from- the Rev M. J. Hughes the business proper commenced. Letters from Absentees. MR J. HERBERT ROBERTS, M.P., ON ST. DAVID'S CELEBRATION. Mr Booth said he had received the following leltter from Mr J. Herbert Roberts, M.P. :— "10, Buckingham Palace Gardens, "London. "My dear Mr Bevan,—Let me thank you very warmly for the invitation to preside at the St. David's cLnner on Thursday next. Unfortun- ately, however, I made engagements for that evening some time ago which prevent me leav- ing town. I need hardly say that should such a similar invitation be accorded to me on an- other occasion, I shall be glad to avail myself of it. (Applause.) "These gatherings in memory of our patron saint, I believe, answer a useful purpose. They promote a spirit of brotherhood, and tend to sink any differences of cp.n.on. in the desire to promote the common good of Wales—r( ap- plause),—and Colwyn Bay, by its position and prospects, is destined, I am sure, to play a dis- tinguished part in the development of this spirit. I hope you will have a very successful gather- ing, and that it may be a marked expression of a determination on the part of all well-wishers of the town to carry into its public life those qualities of courage, wisdom, and self-sacrifice, which are invariably associated with the charac- ter of St. David.—I am, yours very truly, "J. HERBERT ROBERTS." Letters were also read from the Rev J. Grif- fiths, Mr J. Brock, Mr D. Gamble, and the Rev M. J. Hughes, the latter, however, succeeding in getting to the dinner after he posted his letter. The Relief of Ladysmith. MESSAGE TO THE QUEEX, AND ITS REPLY. Mr Booth: Gentlemen, this morning I took upon myself the liberty of wiring to Her Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria—(great laugh- ter)—in the following terms—(laughter) :—"To Her Most Gracious Majesty. Queen Victoria, Windsor Castle, Colwyn Bay send loyal congratulations upon the good news of the relief of Ladysmith, by heroic Buller, received on St. David's Day.—R. Booth, hon. secretary Patriotic Fund." (Cheers). I beg to say that I received the following reply:- ,Wi. iidsor Castle. "(Message handed in at 4-35 p.m., received at 5-2 p.m.). "R. Booth, Colwyn Bay,—The Queen thanks inhabitants of Colwyn Bay for their congratula- tions upon relief of Ladysmith, "PONSONBY." (Cheers.) Mr Booth said this was the first telegram that had ever come into Colwyn Bay from the Queen. He had two copies of the telegram, which he would sell at 2s 6d each. (Laughter.) Every- body must'nt speak at once. (Laughter). Mr Byrne: The chairman, of course, must have the first chance. After the bargains were settled, Mr Booth said telegrams exchanging fraternal greetings had passed between the company sitting at dinner in the Castle Hotel, Bangor—(applause), and a Welsh telegram was also received from a gather- ing of Welsh students assembled at Edinburgh. The toast list was then proceeded with. The "Queen." Amid intense silence, the President arose to propose the toast of Her Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria." As a rule, the loyal toasts are dismissed with a few sterotyped words, and the "musical" accompaniment. On this occa- sion the company listened with unusual interest to the chairman's remarks, which seertied to convey more than ordinary meaning and signi- ficance. He said the grand nobility of character shown by Queen Victoria in the fierce light which beat upon the throne had won the admiration of the whole world, and the love and devotion of her subjects of every race, of every class, and of every creed. (Hear, hear.) Her Majesty's de- votion to duty during her long reign had been nobly reciprocated in the past few months,, by the devotion and loyalty which her colonies and some. and bought the rest from three boys, her subjects had shown in rallying round the flag to DEFEND HER MIGHTY EMPIRE against the attack of her foes. (Hear, hear.) During Her Majesty's long reign the strength of her throne had been firmly established, not be- cause of Her Majesty's invincible armies, or her. magnificent fleet which rode upon the stormy billows of the sea, but because of the intense love and affection of her subjects, and by the pure and unselfish life she leads. Never once had the people of England looked in vain to their Queen for sympathy, and in many cases practical sympathy. Her throne was firmly established in the hearts of her people, and in the words of the poet, "Her throne is broad- based upon her people's will." Amid the cheers which followed the conclu- sion of this happy little speech, every man rose to his feet, seized his glass, and drank with fervent expressions of loyalty. Then the room was filled with the strains of that soul-stirring refrain, which is never heard at home or abroad by Englishmen without a thrill of emotion. That night the feeling seemed intense, and never has the grand old anthem been rendered with more fire and enthusiasm than on that memorable occasion. "The Prince and Princess of Wales," &c. The Vice-president (Mr G. P. Jenkins) pro- posed the health of "Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, and all the Royal Family." The speaker said that the Prince was always to the fore in every good movement for the amelioration of suffering humanity. (Ap- plause.) The Princess of Wales was an ideal woman, and the embodiment of everything that was good and noble in life. (Applause.) The toast was concluded by a hearty render- ing of "God Bless the Prince of Wales." Mr Bryan Warhurst and Mr Winter contri- buted a pianoforte duet, "Zampa," an item which was much appreciated by the company. "Our Brave Generals." The President said he desired to introduce a toast not on the programme, and that was the health of Lord Roberts, Lord Kitchener, "good old Buller "-(cheers),- General Macdonald, Lord Dundonald, and the other generals. The toast, it is needless to remark, was drunk with enthusiasm. Mr Cartwright sang "Soldiers of the Queen. A "National" Toast. Mr Mulligan (Rhyl) next proposed the health of the "Cymry." He said it was a toast which would be received by Welshmen in all parts of the world with enthusiasm. In the commercial world Welsh people played a prominent part, and some of them were amongst the most pros- perous people in England. In the art and science professions Welshmen had attained great distinction. The fame of Inigo Jones, whose magnificent buildings were to be found in the Conway valley, had spread throughout the United Kingdom, and who had not heard of Byrne Jones, the distinguished painter? Ap- plause.) The company then sang with great gusto the Welsh National Anthem, "Hen Vviad iy Nhad- au." To Mr John Roberts was allotted the task of responding, and right well did he carry it out. In a speech, teeming with interesting remini- sences, he traced the last 150 years. In that time the population had grown from three- quarters of a million to nearly two millions, which would probably be the figure at the end of the present century. In 1837, "Queen Victoria ascended the throne, and it was an undoubted fact that Her Majesty had Welsh blood in her veins from one side of her parentage. (Cheers.) Seventy-two years ago there was no main road. the mail coach going under the woods en route from Chester to Holyhead. Wales was for- tunate in her public houses and buildings. They had a National University, and they had a special Act all to themselves, called the Sun- day Closing Act. (Laughter, and "Oh! oh!") They had intermediate schools also. England was quite jealous because she had no Sunday Closing Act (laughter) nor intermediate schools. The Welsh nation was MAKING ITSELF FELT throughout all parts of the world. There were colonies of Welshmen in India, America, South Australia, and Patagonia. Welshmen naturally loved their own country first, and England se- cond. They were a nation with a distinct language, so they could not be blamed for their national pride. At the same time they were blended in unity and in loyalty to the British Empire. (Applause.) The Immortal Memory of St. David. THE HISTORY OF THE SAINT. Mr G. P. Jenkins (National and Provincial Bankl proposed the toast of the evening, "The Immortal Memory of St. David." It is hardly necessary to say that he rose to the occasion. Mr Jenkins is a speaker of no inconsiderable power, and he contributed a most interesting resume of the career of the great patron saint. At times the company was moved to merriment; then the utmost solemnity would prevail when the speaker recounted the Saint's wonderful work and marvellous powers. He said, as a Welshman he naturally felt very proud of their great patron saint, and that, being his anniver- sary day, he (the speaker) felt sure that the com- pany would allow him to recall to their memories a few of the salient points in his noble career. St. David flourished in the sixth, century, and, hwever much they might differ in their opinion as to whether they were living in the 19th or 20th century, it was an indisputable fact that the man whose memory they were honouring