The Aberystwyth Times Cardiganshire Chronicle and Merionethshire News

THE CAMBRIAN RAILWAYS. (A tkort repovt of the folloioing meeting appeared last week.) The twelfth half-yearly meeting of the Cambrian Rail. ways Company, adjourned from the meeting held Pro formd at Oswestry on the previous Monday, was held "Il the 3rdinst. in the Board-room of the Company's Offices, Oswestry. The Right Hon. Earl Vane, chairman of the Board of Directors, presided there was a large attendance of proprietors, including Messrs R. D. tryce, deputy chairman, David Davies, J. Falshaw, H. 4artside, the Hon. R. C. Herbert, J. W. Johns, G. H. toxdale, J. A. Mann, directors; G, Lewis, secretary, G. P^en, engineer, E. Elias, traffic manager, A. Walker, locomotive superintendent; Henry Rawson,Robt. ML wen, Robert M'Lean, John Robinson, Samuel Fernyhough, J1- A. Fynney, John Rowland, W. H. Dawson, Manches- ter; A. H. Phillpotts, London; Swinton Boult, R. H. Jjesbitt, Liverpool; T. Antrobus, Macclesfield; J. W- Jrouncer, R. Dawes, Shrewsbury; W. W. E. Wynne, O. S. Wynne-, Peniartb; W. Jones, Meredith, D. Howell, Jlarpoles Lloyd, Morgan, Gillart, Jones, Davies, Jones, Willlarm, R. Jones, D. Jones, Machynlleth; Edward Jones, Jones Ellis, Griffiths, Dolgelley; Paddock, Llles- tn.ere; Parry, Knockin; Str&usburg, M'Andrew, London; Ppldeu, Lancaster; Yearsley, E. R. Morris, Abraham Howell Jones, C. E. Howell, Welshpool; Jones, Carnarr- Davits, Llandinam; Morris, Hatrer, Hay ward, Llanidloes; Powell, Llandinam; Powell, Newtown; Gnf- fiths, Xilanymynech; Jackson, Middlewiclr; EL. Jones, John Morris, B. Roberts, Corney, Saunders, John Thomas, Oswestry; Pusrh and Farmer, Madeley. On the preposition of Earl VANE, the seal of the com- pany was affixed to the several registers of shares and stocks. The half-yearly report, which we subjoin, was c°nsidered'as read:— Your directors submit the aocourits to the 31st December, which are framed in accordance with the Regulation of fvulwavs Act, and the special Act of the company, passed in 1868. I'M arbitrators appointed tinder the last-mentioned Act f^ade theiv sward on the 5th day of November last, based upon the two half-yearly accounts ending respectively the 31st Decem- Per, 1883, and 30th June, 1869, and awarded that as and from the 1st July/iato, the net surplus of Vhe common fund mentioned in the Act of 1868 should belong'to the Coast and Inland Sections espectively in the following proportions, that is to say, 65.48 lIer centum to-the Inland Section, and 34.57 per centum to the oast SeetiaD. The division of such common fund has therefore "I!en made accordinly. The proceedings in Chancery for the "ettlement of the priorities under the Act of 1S68 are still pend- It is confidently expected that the Vice-Chancellor's order Mil be settled within the next few weeks but we have reason J? believe that the litigation will not be thereby concluded, and ;hat an appeal will be lodged against such order. Mr Abraham ■Sowell, who has been the solicitor of the company since its Jtiginai incorporation, has resigned has appointment; and *tr Henry Christian Corfield, of Ne. 6, Victoria-street, Westminster, has been appointed bis successor. During •he past "half-year two vacancies were created in the direc- tly of ttie Coast Section—one by the resignation of Mr A. H. f hillpofets, and the other by the lamented death of Mr Williams, *-P. "The remaining directors of the Coast Section, under the towens vested in them by the Act 'of 1868, filled up two such i^cancies by the election of Mr Charles Holland and Mr G. H. ^°X(lale, both of Liverpool, but the Board "regret that the former lentleman Zied before taking his-seat at the board. The direc- tors "rfetirihg by rotation at the present'meeting are—Inland, David Davies and Mr James Falshaw. The Coast proprietors Mil have -v,o elect a director in place of Mr Holland, deceased. The autlitor now retiring by rotation is Mr W. E. Revell, and he ?9ers hir.iself for re-election. The directors have no desire to J^terferc in this matter, which belongs exclusively to the share- ^oldfei-s, but they suggest for their consideration whether it is jjecessas'y to employ two gentlemen in the audit of the accounts, ■^e several accounts (with the exception of the security ac- quit) with Mr Savin, as lessee and contractor, and with Mr ?^vir.'s inspectors, have, with the assistance of Mr Quilter on febalf of the inspectors, and Mr Price (of the firm of Price, r*olyland, and Waterhouse) on behalf of the company, been Mjusted, and effect is /jiven to that adjustment in the accounts submitted. The Board are of opinion that the salary of secretary should be increased £ 100 per annum. The traffic o^tunis show a general increase, which we have every reason to ^lieve will continue. There is an increase in the expenditure Hiring the past half-year as compared with the corresponding f^lf-year, but this is attributable to the relaying of a longer por- S°n of line on the IrJand Section to renewing a portion of the ^°ast line; to a hea vy slip near Harlech; the accident at Carno, *M-the repair and i mprovement of bridges. Earl VANE said—The report of the directors having been •^ken as read, J. have to move that the report so con- ^dered as read b<3 received and adopted. Before putting motion to th e proprietors, I should wish to refer, in a brief word? to what has taken place since I last had honour of presiding over a meeting of shareholders in *uis company, I believe, from what I have heard, that a 80raewhat erroni aous statement, or erroneous idea, has pre- ^iled in the n linds of many who have not, perhaps, fol- ^he circu instances of the case quite so minutely as thers,that up on a previous occasion when I had the JtoQour of presi ding here we were as a board of directors ^oouring undo r a motion which was made at the meeting Ore we, conv eying a- vote of want of confidence in the directors of thi s company. Whatever erroneous ideas may *^ve been fori aed with reference to that vote of want of Y°Hfidence, I ish it to be distinctly understood that when last presided here I distinctly informed all those who J^re present f ;hat the vote of want of confidence in the P°ard of direc tors which was moved by, I may say, an elated portion of the shareholders at Crewe, must be CQnsidered as unconditionally rescinded and I was most 44Xions to con vey to all those whom I addresed on that ^c&sion that: 1 pledged myself, as chairman of the board, jt no future o >urse of proceeding unti} tli^t vote of wan.t ?* Confidence: in us had been rescinded. Consequently, I t that whs tever reports, rumours, or ideas may have spread "V ith reference to the vote of want of confi- ^eHce, I hope it will be distinctly understood that that v°te of want ()f confidence was rescinded, totally, wholly, d entirely i vithout conditions. (Hear, hear.) After that \'ote of want of confidence was rescinded, a resolution was Massed appoir iting a committee of gentlemen to report to the Board wi th reference to its reconstruction, or as to any iterations v.hich they might think fit to make in the ?ePreseirtati< m at that Board; but I wiph it to be distinct- ly Understo* id that that resolution was passed totally Respective of and without any condition, and would Jeyer have been passed, and we should never have agreed its being passed, unless the vote of want of confidence in the directors had been unconditionally withdrawn. Well, {fciitiemen, ta go back to bygones—and I will say that it 18 not my wish to go back to bygones, for I wish that they epe closed for ever, and I would that we could enter on a Ilew ern-a year ago I proposed to enter on a new line of NlieV -ztfd--xipon a new line of proceeding; that we should Sacriiiee our private animosities, our private jealousies, and (Private feelings; that we should .endeavour, as far as possibly could, to malie mutual sacrifices in order to Promote the welfare and prosperity of the undertaking we ?ave in our hands; but I grieve to say that we are in no -position than we were a year ago, and I would certainly -take upon myself the credit of saying that if I Could have persuaded the shareholders to' have entered "'itù me into a unanimity of feeling and a unanimity °* interest, by sacrificing, perhaps, some prior rights or Vantages for a time, we should have gone on rejoicing in course. (Applause.) I mentioned at the last meeting P^r which I presided here that I thought I could see a Wght light in the horizon, and that I entertained a hope the dawn of prosperity for the company would soon Corne time when we might, by some means or other, j^tive at what I thought must be the gseat aim of all of us, the welfare and prosperity of the shareholders and the J*e]l working of the lines. I regret to say that those hopes We Bot-been realized; and that we find ourselves at the end of another year more deeply involved in difficulties, ?nd at the same time having lost, out of our resources, a quantity of money in lfcw, litigation, and quarreling. 'Hear, hear.) A committee—a Reconstruction Committee, E14 I may call it—having 'been appointed,* and having reluded my further observations by saying that committee was appointed unconditionally as to the ^ote of want of confidenoe in the Board—X will etideavortr, 'however feebly alid however imperfectly I PlaY express myself, to give an outline of the proceed- ings which took place with reference to that committee. **e adjourned for a month, and it was understood rthat We were to hold our meeting at Crewe, and that the remittee were to meet us on that occasion. Upon the appointment of that committee, I received from -the chairman, Mr Rawson, an invitation to become a mem- er of it; and I candidly confess that at the moment I thought that I might by my presence upon that Recon- "tmction Committee, have been of some use in endea- vouring to promote unanimity between the committee and the Board-(hear, hear)—and if I bad acted on my judgment I should have joined that committee-- ihear, hear); but since th« proceedings of that committee ~fan only congratulate myself, and I can also return my 'hanks to those with Whom I consulted, asd who advised ,to the contrary, that 'I was not bound up with that n Committee at all. I told the chairman of he committee that I must decline being a member of it, and 1 heard no more oi the Reconstruction Committee ^Btil our next meeting at Crewe. On my going to Crewe, P^eviocsly to the meeting of the -shareholders, I received ? Oiesgage from Mr Rawson, saying that he wotfld wish to ;^ye a private interview with me. I must say that it jWick me with some surprise that a month had elapsed the iime the Reconstruction Committee had been S&iointtfd, and that to my knowledge, and in the firm be- my colleagues at the Board, no meeting oi' that tnnùttee had taken place from the time it was appointed "ttil within ten minutes of the commencement of our pro- edings' at.Crewe. Mr Rawson placed two resolutions in p y hand, with -the expression of a request that I would JJdeavour to support them to the utmost of my power the Board. The first resolution was—" That at a feting of the Cambrian Railways Committee, appointed 27th day of October, 1869, held this day (Nov. 24th), sJfas resolved, on -the proposition of Mr Boult and Mr i,hillpotts, acting on behalf of the Coast interests, that name of Mr Charles Holland, of Liverpool, be sub- ?Jtted for election this day by the Coast directors as a ^Qiber of the Board of Directors of the Cambrian v^lways Company, in placex>f Mr Phillpotts, resigned." answer to that was plain. I went before the Board, J1*! iold them that that was tfye first resolution. You l Uat understand that the question of Mr Holland being ^ected was one for the Coast directors only. Captain ^hns and Mr Mann were the two Coast directors present. only suggestion made was by Captain Johns, who that he had not the slightest objection to Mr Hol- being elected as a Coast director; and that his only 8 was' ^iat as -David Williams was an old di- ^tor of the Coast line, in common courtesy he should d an opportunity of saying whether he objected 4 C, r Holland or not. This was a very simple argument, lisis alt the next Board meeting Mr Charles Holland, who tr since been taken, from us, was elected ncmine eon- V^lCmf £ to the post of director. The next resolution on tL Paper placed in my hands by Mr Rawlins was to effect, and it had been concocted certainly in not Coijj6 than twenty minutes, for whatever their private q%.tlinications might have been, the committee had not ^th P y met f°r at *east one m°nth from that time, tne exception of one occasion upon which the par- fr>8ai6ntcai7 (lriesti°n arose—"It was resolved, on the pro- n° ,^r Rawson, Mr M'Ewen, and Mr Robinson, •°oalt and Mv Phillpotts concurring, that the name fa of Mr S. E. Bolden, of Lancaster, be submitted for election this day by the Inland directors as a member of the Board of Directors of the Cambrian Railways Com- pany, in place of Captain R. D. Pryce, who is hereby requested to resign. The committee beg to intimate that a further reconstruction of the Board will, in their opinion, be needful. Signed, HENRY RAWSON, Chairman." Mr Rawson expressed a wish that I would endeavour, as far as I possibly could, to follow up the second resolu- tion, and to make the Board consent to it. I returned to the Board, and placed before them the resolutions. The Coast directors of the Board refused to interfere; the rest of the Board considered that it was a most in- vidious, and I must say insulting thing, to expect that when a gentleman is sent by a certain number of the constituency to represent their interests, he out of the whole lot is to be expressly told to go to the right about. I confess that I felt my position, although an independent one, still in this case a very difficult and onerous one; I felt deeply the support that I had received from Captair, Pryce as my deputy chairman, and that in every way, to tlle best of his ability, and with all honour and good feeing, he had supported the interests and the welfare of the whole company and having Worked with him from the moment that I became a member of the Board myself, I felt it impossible for me to say to the deputy chairman, to whom I owe so much, that he must resign; but I left it to the Board to decide, and the Board were unanimous in saying that Captain Pryce's services were great, that the company was indebted to him, and that they utterly de- clined to lose him. (Applause.) During the time that he has been deputy-chairman of this railway, in my unavoid- able absence, and, in fact, previously to that, I do not think I could mention any member of the Board who has discharged his duties towards this company with such energy and assiduity as the deputy-chairman, Captain Pryoe. (Applause.) And yet he is the man whom the committee desired to expel, after ten minutes' or a quarter of an hour's consideration before the meeting at Crewe. It seemed as if they had thrown the names into a hat, and that the first namt that came up was that of Captain Pryce, the deputy-chairman of the company, whose only fault, I believe, consisted in his having spoken—and I stopped him in doing so—with rather too much disrespect 'Of those gentlemen who fancy that they may ride rough- shod over the Cambrian Railways. (Applause.) I was bound to support my deputy-chairman—(hear, hear)—and I am thankful to say that I am supported by the majority of the Board. Following upon the resolution of the Re- construction Committee, Captain Pryce rose up in his place at the meeting of proprietors, and stated, as far as I can recollect, that he owed his place to a constituency, and that when that constituency told him he was to go he would go, but that he would not be ousted by any section or any packed meeting. I wish to avoid anything offensive in my language, and therefore I hope that if I may say any- thing in the excitement of the moment that may be con- sidered offensive, it may not 'be put down to anything be- yond a wish to put things in a proper light, and not to a desire to be offensive to any gentleman present. (Hear, hear.) That meeting is one to which I am sorry to have to revert, because it is the only meeting of the Cambrian Railways Company, during the many years that I have 'sat in this chair, that I should wish, if possible, to forget —(applause)—for upon that occasion, not having expressed one word of anger, hatred, malice, or nncharitableness, I felt, when I left the room and dissolved the meeting, that I had been most unjustly, most unworthily, and most dis- gracefully insulted. I leave that subject, and go on to the next. I dissolved that meeting in fact, if I had been paid for it, I would not have remained one single hour after having been informed that my conduct was un- worthy of a nobleman and a gentleman. (Cries of Shame.") You are probably not aware that when, as chairman of the Cambrian Railways, I move in certain circles in London, our conduct is criticised. It is criti- cised in the Houses of Parliament. When one goes into one's place, there is asked, How are you getting on with the Cambrian Railways? You seem always in law, in litigation. Cannot you arrange your differences; cannot you do this, cannot you do the other?" You are a by-word, as a railway, in every committee-room of the House of Com- mons. Heaps of friends of mine, who have served on these committees, have told me in the committee-rooms, You are cutting your own throats you are looked upon as a perfect by-word in the committee-rooms of the House of Commons you are looked upon as a perfect nuisance before the House," Then I go on a little farther, and I find that in every portion of society I am asRed as to the Cambrian Railways, "What are you about?" Do you think that my position—although I have been talked about as being an absentee, and being away from my duties as chairman of this company-has been a peaceful or a quiet one ? Letters have been addressed to me from people in my own neighbourhood in North Wales, from widows, orphans, clergymen, and people of every sort, who have placed their R600, C500, P,400, or R300, the whole of their little all, in this concern, and they turn round and say, We would never have done it if we had not seen you there and, seeing you at the head of the affair, we thought it a prosperous one." And what do you suppose my feelings are day after day? I lay the letters before Mr Lewis, our secretary, and ask him, What am I to do with this case ?" and Mr Lewis says, "God only knows what you are to do." The money is gone, and gone for ever. Many such letters I have re- ceived from my own neighbourhood, Machynlleth; and do you suppose that I don't think over these things? I may be laid down with illness, and my absence may be compulsory, but these letters come and yet for the last two years you have been cutting your own throats you have been quarreling with yourselves you have tried to throw dirt upon your Board you have never allowed your Board to work honestly, comfortably, and successfully together; and by not supporting us you have brought us to such an extremity that we are really cut to pieces. If you had angels for a Board of directors, and a seraphim for a chairman, it would be utterly im- possible to put things straight if you go on as you have hitherto been doing. (Laughter and applause.-) Another word, gentleman, with reference to the Reconstruction Committee. I think that if it had not been for the last letter which came from the chairman of the Reconstruction Committee, things might have had a more peaceable and a more satisfactory end. Upon my word and honour, I could have forgiven the committee if it had not been for this last offence. (Laughter.) Mr Phillpotts may smile, and take his notes but the last circular, I think I may say, is somewhat too bad. This is the last letter that was written On behalf of the committee appointed on the 27th of October last, and in answer to your letter of the 13th ult. I have to request that your directors, with the exception of the Right Hon. Earl Vane and the Hon. R. C. Herbert, will place their resig- nations in the hands of the chairman of the half-yearly meeting convened for the 28th instant, the same to be at the disposal of that meeting; or, if legal difficulty arises, such directors to comply with the requisition of such meet- ing.—I am, sir, yours truly, HENRY RAWSON, Chairman." Without wishing to say anything offensive in any way, as I said before, I think, gentlemen, this is without ex- ception the cleverest thing that has been enunciated by the Reconstruction Committee. It displays an amount of talent which I only wish had been plated in better hands. (Much laughter.) "I have to request," the letter says, "that your directors, with the exception of the Right Hon. Earl Vane and the Hon. R. C. Herbert, will place their -resignations in the hands of the ch&irman of the half-yeaiiy meeting." Why, the committee, could not hope to turn us out they could not have turned out Mr Herbert and myself if they had wished. But just let us inquire a little further what they have "gone and done," and that is where I say they have been clever. (Laughter.) They have got proxies from people in my county. But those unfortunate people in my county do not know that you cannot turn Mr Herbert and Lord Vane out, and when some of these people send their proxies to the Reconstruction Committee, they say, It is all right; turn out every man- jack of them Lord Vane is there, and Lord Powis's representative is there, and all will be-right." (Laughter.:) Although it is a difficult position to be placed in, I shall be happy to answer any question with respect to the man- agement of the railway generally; but in the extraordinary position in which we are placed, after consulting with my friend Mr Herbert, as the only two gentlemen who, by the kind permission of the committee, are allowed to remain, merely and for the sole reason that they have not the power to turn us out, I shall leave to every individual member of the Board the opportunity of stating to you, fairly and honestly, their own views. If I am asked my own opinion about the committee, I would say that I think that it certainly has been an extraordinary com- mittee that it has met under most extraordinary cir- cumstances, and that it has produced most extraordinary results. As to Mr Herbert and myself, as a .sort of isolated portion of the Board, they may grin at us, but they cannot touch us. (Laughter.) I should be very sorry to see the Board changed; I should be very sorry to lose the services of those with whom I have served, and with whom I have had the pleasure of serving. At .our meetings the real business has been rather put out of the question by the quantity of private discussion and animadversion that has been started. I will now, there, fore, observing that the clerical error to which Mr Mann adverted at a former meeting has been rectified in the accounts, proceed to move, That the accounts of the company for the half years ended respectively the 31st December, 18G8, 30th June, 1869, and 31st December, 1869, and the report of the directors to this meeting, be and are hereby adopted." Captain PRTcE-Y ou have heard his lordship's opinions; and I will now give you my views, and a simple narrative of facts as to what actually took place, His lordship came to mi., at Oswestry, before the meeting of October 27th, and his words, as far as [ can recollect them, were these— "Pryce, these Manchester people seem inclined to rescind the vote of want of confidence, on certain conditions." I said, "What are those conditions?" His lordship replied, "I really cannot tell you; they don't seem hardly to know themselves; but one is, that no discussion shall take place to-day." I said, "My lord, I hope you will not consent to that or any other conditions; I hope that you will have either an unqualified rescinding of the vote or have it con- firmed." His lordship went into the chair, and told you several times that he would have an unqualified and un- conditional withdrawal of the vote of want of confidence. And yet the committee can publish this circular. With regard to the resolution of October 27th, the facts are ex- actly as his lordship has stated them to be. In the first instance it was proposed that three Inland proprietors and three Coast proprietors, with his lordship as arbitrator, should form the committee. We retired into another room, and saw that a trap had been laid for us, and would not allow his lordship's name to be brought forward, far we felt that we should be morally bound by any committee that had the sanction of his lordship. When the vote had been unconditionally withdrawn, it would have been com- petent to his lordship to dissolve the meeting, and there an end of it. The committee, self-constituted, had no power whatever. That is my opinion, and that is the opinion I shall always hold and maintain. At Crewe, on November 25th, the committee held their first meeting, although appointed a month, and proposed two resolutions to the Board. One was accepted; one personal to myself was rejected. I ssk whether this meeting thinks that the Board should submit to the dr^teft of this committee? If the committee had shown chettis'elres really anxious to benefit the property of the, to propound any pohcy-if they had mad a investigation or hteld ftfty meetings—the Board have been too glad to co-operate with them but -are we bound to accept the crude proposals '.nade by that committee after the way in which thy have acted towards us? You must recollect tha*, the Bofcrd of Directors are the tras- tees, by A^c of Parliament, for the whole property; that undef that. Act of Parliament we have great powers ana gr-eat responsibilities; and are we to delegate those powers and. responsibilities to a self-constituted and irre- sponsible, committee? I say, No, gentlemen; a thousand times >,o. If we ate to abdicate and to act in that sort of way wfe should deserve to'be blamed by all the owners of the. property. We know BOW what the committee really V?ant; the cat is out of the bag; they want power—they want to eject the directors, and to get into our places. (Laughter.) You may laugh, but I know it is the fact. How was this exodus to be effected? It is a very pretty little game- The directors were, as it were, to have walked out through the front door, and then those who were ready to swear allegiance to the committee were to be allowed to sneak in through the back door. (Laughter.) The gentlemen "Who form the Inland section of the com- -.u mittee are on the brink of a precipice. If the Inland shareholders do not try to get men of ability and character to assist us on the Inland Board, they will be doing a most disastrous thing to the property of the Inland section. (Hear, hear.) There are two vacancies, and they have the power of electing two men. I do not hesitate to say that if they fail to re-elect Mr Davies, they will do a thing they will regret hereafter. They ought to go down on their knees to Mr Davies and thank him for what he has done. (Laughter and applause.) Mr FYNNEY—It is only the Egyptians who do that. (Much laughter.) Mr MANN believed the committee to be actuated by a sincere desire to benefit those interests which they supposed themselves to represent. The question whether the com- mitee had acted judiciously or injudiciously had no real bearing. The real question was, whether each individual at the Board was not honestly bound to place his resigna- tion in the hands of this meeting. (Hear, hear.) It ap- peared to him that there were many reasons leading to the conviction that they were so bound. He could not shut his eyes to the fact that a very large proportion of the voting proprietary had not sufficient confidence in the Board, rightly or wrongly; that the directors were all present on October 27th, when the resolution was passed appointing a joint committee of Coast and Inland pro- prietors, with the avowed object of reconstructing the Board; and, thirdly, that a resolution had been passed by the Board that they would give effect to the requirements of the committee. Mr DAVID DAVIES said his reign, happily, was at an end that day: and he was not, therefore, affected by the question whether he should resign or not-he had come to the end of the chapter; but the resolution at Crewe had pressed very much on his mind. He did not believe in Mr Mann's resignation, for that gentleman knew he was so valuable that the company could not do without him, and that as soon as he resigned he would be put back again in his place. There really was a conflicting interest between the two sections if they put more trains on the Coast than the traffic would justify, they must be run at a loss to the Inland section. Mr RAWSON said there had been a great deal of discus- sion, that might possibly have been spared, with regard to the rival interests of the Coast and Inland sections. They all regretted the unfortunate differences that existed; and the great object in the appointment of the committee was, if possible, to get the Board to reconcile its differences and bring them into a fair, just, and equitable form for arrangement. It was clear that that object had not been attained by the present Board, and under present circum- stances. He moved:— That this meeting postpones the consideration of the report and accounts until the question of the future constitution of the Board shall have been disposed of. Mr PHILLPOTTS seconded the amendment. The motion and amendment were submitted to the meeting, and Earl VANE declared that upon the show of hands the amendment was lost. Mr RAWSON demanded a poll, whereupon Earl VANE admitted that with the firoxies held by Mr Rawson the amendment was carried. Applause.) At the request of Mr PHILLPOTTS, Captain JOHNS said the proxies in favour of Mr Rawson were :— Inland Z745,570 Coast 378,238 Guaranteed 49,380 Totml 41,173,188 For Earl Vane:- Inland £ 197,353 Coast 215,800 Guaranteed 115,782 Total £ 528,935 Neutral:— Inland £ 657,333 Coast 590,082 Guaranteed 169,748 Total 91,417,162 Mr RAwsoN-There is certain stock held by the com- pany. Have you polled that ? Captain JOHNS- Yes, for Lord Vane— £ 30,000 Inland, and £ 175,00J Coast. Mr RAWSON said that his next resolution was the fol- lowing :— That this meeting approves of the letter addressed to the Board on the 17th ult. by the chairman of the committee ap- pointed on the 27th of October last; that such committee was fully empowered to re-construct the Board, and to take any steps for that purpose which they thought propet; that the directors on the occasion of the appointment of such committee, by deliberately concurring in the terms of the resolution then agreed to, came under an express compact with the share- holders, and therefore so far as they were concerned their only function as a Board in this matter was to give effect to the requests of this committee; that those directors who have refused to carry out the undertaking they deliberately entered into, have by that act justified the want of confidence in them, and that this meeting now reiterates the opinion of a former meeting of shareholders, that the Board as at-present constituted is not entitled to, and does not possess,"the con- fidence of the shareholders. Mr M'EWEN seconded the motion. The resolution was negatived on a show of hands, whereupon a poll was demanded, and it was then admitted that Mr Rawson and his supporters had the majority. On the proposition of Mr PHILLPOTTS, seconded by Mr SWINTON BOULT. Mr William M'Andrew, of London, was elected by the Coast proprietors a Coast director of the company, in the room of Mr Charles Holland, deceased, on the understanding that Mr M'Andrew's seat was at the service of the committee. An explanation was given that Mr M'Andrew would succeed the late Mr Chas. Holland; that Mr Davies and Mr Falshaw would remain at the Board for the present; and that the three directors who had not placed their seats at the disposal of the committee were Captain Pryce, Captain Johns, and Mr Gtwrtside. It was proposed by Mr STRAUSBtrRG, and seeonded by Mr J. H. JONES, that Mr David Davies and Mr Falshaw be re-elected directors and those gentlemen consented to place their seats at the disposal of the committee but it appearing that a legal difficulty existed, Mr RAWSON moved and Mr J. ROBINSON, seconded an amendment, that the election of two Inland directors be postponed to the adjourned meeting, to be held on the 31st instant. The amendment was carried by Che proxies. The following resolution was proposed by Mr ROBINSON and seconded by Mr SWINTON BOULT That the committee chosen by the special meeting of the 27th October last be and hereby are requested to take such steps as they may consider necessary in furtherance of the objects for which they were appointed. That this meeting do stand ad- journed to Thursday the 31st March, then to be held at the Crewe Arms Hotel, Crewe, at two o'clock p.m. and that a copy of the resolutions passed this day be sent to each of the share- holders of this company. Mr EVAN POWELL (Newtown), advocated the meetings of the company being held at Oswestry, and he moved an amendment, which Mr T. HAYWARD seconded. Mr RAWSON strongly urged the convenience afforded to the Manchester and Liverpool proprietors by the meetings being held at Crewe. The proxies carried the resolution, and the meeting was formally adjourned to Crewe at two o'clock on Thursday, March 31st. On the proposition of Mr SWINTON BOULT, seconded by Mr FYNNEY, the best thanks of the proprietors were ac- corded to the noble Chairman for his able and affable con- duct in the chair. Earl VANE in acknowledging the compliment conveyed to him by acclamation, remarked that he was happy to find that upon this vote the proxies were not against- him. The meeting, which had occupied nearly five hours, was then brought to a dose, at a quarter to seven o'clock.

At the Birmingham town council onTuesday a resolution in favour of the Government Education Bill was passed. The health of the Right Hon. John Bright is still gra- dually improving, and he hopes in a week or ten days to go to Llandudno. John Donough who murdered John M'Grath in Liver- pool on Christmas Day, has been apprehended. He was before the Liverpool magistrate on Tuesday and was remanded.

ABERYSTWYTH. PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION.—In the list of successful candidates at the recent preliminary examination for soli- citors, we are happy to see the name of Mr Hugh Hughes, of Aberystwyth. Mr Hughes was a private pupil of Mr Jones, Jasper House, Aberystwyth. MR FORSTER'S EDUCATION BILL. A meeting was held on Monday evening last, at the Congregational Chapel, Portland-street, Aberystwyth, for the purpose of considering the Government Bill on Education. The attendance was good, considering the stort notice which had been given of the meeting. THE MAYOR (John Matthews, Esq.) presided, and on rising, his worship was received with applause. He explained the provisions of the Bill, and felt thankful to the Government for bringing forward ths measure. He remembered the time when it was not thought advisable to educate the poor, and there was a notion that they could be governed better by being kept in ignorance but in his opinion before a country could be governed justly, the people should be educated. Education in America and in many other counties was far in advance of this country. The Bill introduced by the Government, upon the whole, was a valuable one, but there were clauses in it which were very objectionable, and rather than have the Bill passed as it was he would prefer not to have any change at all. The committee appointed at the late conference, to watch the educational movement on behalf of the Welsh Alliance, had met at Llanidloes and examined the various clauses which were objectionable to the Non- conformists. The Rev. A. GRIFFITH, LL.B., honorary secretary of the Welsh Alliance, referred to the fundamental principles in the Bill for which the Welsh Alliance fought, pointed out the objectionable clauses in the Government Bill, and dwelt upon the system of education in Germany and other countries. He urged that secular instruction and Bible teaching carried on together in the same school, aided by the State and supported by rates, and the children compelled to attend, could never be carried out with advantage. He objected that the town councils and vestries should act as school boards. In England, no doubt, the Established Church would gain a monopoly, as churchmen were numerous and influential there, and would secure majorities at the town councils and- vestries. He ridiculed the idea of giving to the majority at these boards the power to send a policeman to compel children to attend school. The so-called conscience clause in the Bill was a most miserable thing. The poor man dependant upon his superiors would be found to be very reluctant in disobeying the influential persons who were members of the town council or vestry. This clause, in his opinion, was a most "rotten thing." The nonconformists of England and Wales were being aroused daily to petition Parliament against the school boards and the conscience clause, and a deputation from different parts of Wales was to wait upon Mr Forster on Wednesday, accompanied by the liberal members of the Principality. The intention of the Welsh Alliance was to get the objectionable clauses amended; if the Government refused, to pray that the Principality might have one year's grace before the Bill should be carried, in order to consult the feelings and opinions of the vast number of non- conformists of Wales; and if Parliament should refuse to concede to that prayer, to ask the Government to have the kindness and justice to exclude the Principality from their Bill altogether. (Applause.) The Government had exempted Ireland from the Bill and why did they so? because they would not dare to include it. Then why should Wales be included in the Bill ? A law that would not equally apply to the whole of the empire was not a just and satisfactory law. (Cheers.) If it were left to the majority at town councils and vestries to decide what church should have the prerogative as regards the education question, the education of Ireland would be handed over to the priesthood. (Hear, hear.) The Rev. JOHN WILLIAMS moved the following reso- lution :—" That this meeting, whilst it approves of the general scope of the Government Educational Bill sym- pathizes with the efforts being made by the Welsh Edu- cation Alliance to procure some alterations in the Bill, and promises to support these efforts by sending a petition to Parliament." Mr Williams spoke in Welsh in support of the resolution. He was in favour of many of the provisions of the Bill, but there were also clauses in it that required serious consideration, such as that giving power to town councils and vestries, as school boards, to decide what creed or tenet should be taught to the children, a clause which in itself was perfect nonsense. A Churchman, a Wesleyan, a Baptist, and a Uunitarian, might each wish to have his child educated in his own tenets, and under a proper national system he would haVe fthem taught by his own clergyman or minister out of school hours. Under the Government Bill one of the four would have his tenets taught in the national school, while the others must withdraw their children from the teaching thus imparted. The evil was becoming more obvious still, when it was remembered that compulsion was established without disestablishing sectarianism. The ratepayers should have the power and control over the school boards. He strongly objected to any religious teaching attended with comment by those who imparted it; but he should not like the Bible to be marked out as a book to be kept from the schools; that would convey a very bad impression upon people's minds. Mr Williams in conclusion referred to the educational system on the Continent. The Rev. WILLIAM WILLIAMS, of Borth, seconded the resolution, and it was carried unanimously. The Rev. DAVID THOMAS, Wesleyan minister, proposed- That this meeting cannot but express its strong convic- tion that religious education had better be left to the Christian church, and hopes that the deputation about to wait upon Messrs Gladstone and Forster will succeed in inducing them to admit this principle into their Bill." Mr Thomas said the resolution expressed his own feelings, and he dwelt with much eloquence upon the work the Christian church had done in imparting moral instruction to the masses. Let the Government teach secular education, and the Christian church would take care of the religious training of the children, aided by the Sabbath school. (Applause.) Their duty was to make their voices heard and their influence felt concerning this point. The con- stitution of the school boards as set forth in Mr Forster's Bill was very objectionable, because it would make every parish a scene of religious squabbles from one end of the year to the other. (Applause.) The Rev. JOHY SAUNDERS seconded the resolution, and proceeded to answer the question—What effect the Bible had on young children at school. He thought the effect was very little indeed when reading, writing, and arith- metic were taught, what effect could the formal reading of a chapter from the Bible have on the child who craved after the long school hours to go and be free with his play- mates ? He could say that it was since he had left school that he had taken interest in and felt the influence of the Bible—(hear, hear)-but he should be sorry also to see the sacred book taken out of the day schools of this country. The resolution was carried unanimously, amid applause. The third resolution, as follows, was moved by the Rev. A. GRIFFITH, LL.B. That the mayor be requested to hold a town's meeting to take into consideration the whole of the educational question, as early as possible.—It was seconded by Mr W. H. ROWSE, North-parade, and adopted. It was announced that the Mayor (John Alatthews, Esq.) and the Rev. Arthur Griffith, secretary of the Welsh Education Alliance, had been selected to represent Aberystwyth in the deputation to wait on Mr Forster and the Premier. A votes of thanks to the chairman brought the proceed- ings to a close.

COMPARISON OF THE WORKING EXPENSES of this Line with those of neighbouring Lines for the Half-year ending 31st December, 1869. PER CENTAGE ON GROSS RECEIPTS. "o — £ « Si NAME OF COMPANY. II i II t3 1 !J I "E? £ s H •|w 3 3 CAMBRIAN: g ° Ordinary Maintenance 16,42 Renewal of Line 7'06 *23*48 11^26 5'23 11-35 10-02 61-34 Mid-Wales 16*07 21 06 3 21 14'88 13-40 68*62 Brecon and Merthyr 19-80 5-53 13-41 9.67 64-77 Great-Western 9*02 11*88 4*48 13*97 7'92 47'27 London and North-Western 8-97 11'5,1 S-67 13*66 9*39 47*20 •Correspondingperiod in 1868.. 17*73 11*21 4*84 12*72 16-34 62*84 1868. The Cambrian Other Charges" consist of 5'18 General Charges 4'17 2'16 Law Charges., 1*43 Parliamentary Expenses. '61 2'55 Compensation for Accidents '75 '57 Compensation for Losses I .w '95 Rates and Taxes 1*09 1'02 Government Duty '84 1'53 Mileage and Demurrage '59 1'45 Loss on Sale of Two Ballast Engines '93 General Interest 16.34 10-02

t WELSH EDUCATION CONFERENCE AND DEPUTATION TO THE GOVERNMENT. (From our own Reporter.) The interest that is felt in the Government Education Bill by the people of Wales was shown in the large and truly representative conference held on Wednesday at the Westminster Palace Hotel, London. The members of the Executive Committee of the Welsh Education Alliance had been requested to meet, first of all, on Tuesday even- ing, when a committee meeting was held, and then again on Wednesday morning, to have an interview with a number of hon. members, chiefly representatives of Welsh constituencies, with reference to Mr Forster's measure. The conference in the morning was to be followed by a deputation to Mr Gladstone and Mr Forster in the after- noon so that enough of work was cut out for the commit- tee. The members of the committee, as we have said, mustered exceedingly well, and both North and South Wales were adequately represented, though the latter dis- trict was the stronger in the number of its delegates. From North Wales came, amongst others, Dr Edwards, of Bala, and from the South, Dr Rees, of Swansea, the Rev. Sonley Johnstone, the Rev. Mr Tilly, Mr Corry, of Cardiff, and the Rev. Mr Lance, not t) mention here other familiar names, which will be found below. Amongst the members of Parliament present at the conference we saw Sir John Ramsden, the member for Newport, which Welshmen are fond of considering part of the Principality, Mr Henry Richard and Mr Fothergill, the members for Merthyr, Mr Vivian and Mr E. M. Richards, the repre- sentatives of Glamorganshire and Cardiganshire, Mr Watkin Williams, the learned member for the Denbigh Boroughs, Mr Jones-Parry and Mr Richard Davies, who represent Carnarvonshire and Anglesea, and also Mr Miall, M.P., and Mr Illingworth, M.P. Amongst the letters received were communications from Mr Osborne Morgan, M.P., and Mr Holland, M.P., the former of whom was prevented from attending by the death of a relative, and the latter by a prior engagement. Other hon. gentlemen were present, we believe, but escaped our notice. Mr Morgan Lloyd was called to the chair on Wednesday, and after he had opened the proceedings two forms of a proposed memorial to the Government were submitted to the meeting, which wisely preferred the shorter document. After this Mr HENRY RICHARD proceeded to describe the amendments to the Government Bill, which had been agreed upon at a meeting of nonconformist M.P.'s, but before he did that he caused some amusement by stating that Mr Forster told a number of hon. gentlemen who waited upon him on Monday that his Sunday reading had been a report of the Aberystwyth Conference, which, the right hon. gentleman added, proved very profitable reading. The amendments described by Mr Richard commence by striking out the power which the Bill gives to inspectors to examine in religious subjects. Then a provision is added to the effect that no scholar shall be required to be present at any re- ligious instruction or observance, except at the request of the parent, thus reversing the present form of the con- science clause, and making it, the nonconformist mem- bers think, much more effective. In reply to a question as to whether the request must be made in writing, Mr Richard said it was originally proposed to put it in that shape, but subsequently it was considered that a difficulty would arise in some cases. The amendments go on to pro- vide, after the manner of the well-known Irish regula- tions, that religious instruction or observances may take place before or after the ordinary school business, a notifi- cation of the time appointed for such instruction or observances being placed in the schoolroom. The effect of this would be that religious instruction might take place, say twenty minutes before the commencement of the school business proper, and parents who objected to send- ing their children might keep them at home for twenty minutes. All that has been mentioned refers to existing schools which may come under the operation of the Act. With regard to the new schools it is proposed to enact that no religious formularies or catechism should be taught in any school supported by a local rate. In reply to Mr Sonley Johnstone, who pointed out that there was no provision to prevent the extension of schools aided by parliamentary grants, Mr Richard said it was believed that the Bill would gradually bring all schools under its provisions, because it was not likely that any other schools would long continue to com- pete with those supported by local rates. Mr Johnstone contended that the principle on which they objected to the teaching of religion at all in rate-aided schools also applied to those assisted simply by grants, because grants and rates alike came out of the pockets of the taxpayer; but to them Mr Miall replied if they aimed at carrying out their principles to their legitimate extent they must only be content with the abolition of State Churches, the hon. gentleman's argument being that the wisest policy was to aim at what they could get, and not at all they thought ought to be. Mr Johnstone was not satisfied with Mr Miall's answer, and further pointed out that the Bill invited the extension of the present system by allowing twelve months for further school accommodation to be provided. In reply to some further questions with respect to the action of the members on the question of refusing to allow any assisted schools established after the passing of the Act to teach religion, Mr EVAN RICHARDS said he thought it would be placing the Welsh members in a false position to ask them to say what they would do under certain circumstances that might arise in the discussions on the Bill. He thought the majority of the people of Wales had confidence in the honest intentions of the members to do all they could to carry out liberal principles. At the same time there were matters of detail in which it would be unwise to bind them by a hard and fast line. The hon. member strongly felt that they must not endanger the Bill by asking too much —by requesting Government to reconstruct it; or, depend upon it, they would have no legislation at all. Mr WATKIN WILLIAMS took the same view. The danger, he said, was, lest in trying to get all they wanted they lost everything. Wales was placed in a peculiar position on some of the points which they considered im- portant; the people of the other parts of Great Britain did not go with them; and so they might injure their own cause by pressing too closely those points. If the Bill were passed in its general outlines he should regard it as a step in the right direction, and it might lead eventually to all they desired. If they were to insist upon amendments which went to the heart of the Bill, the whole thing might be put off, and the country launched in a bitter conflict for eight or ten years. The hon. gentleman remarked that he agreed with Mr Miall, that they would not get to the heart of the thing until they dealt with the State Church and religious monopolies, and concluded by expressing his concurrence with the opinions which had been expressed, but again cautioning them against wrecking the Bill. Mr JOHNSTONE, as an illustration of the necessity for guarding very carefully against sectarian education, said he was recently talking to a conformist clergyman who did not uSe the church catechism, and who said -he could teach the children the doctrines of the Church of England by giving them lessons in the Bible and for that reason some of the clergy were willing to give up the catechism, and to accept the limitation that only the reading of the Bible should be permitted. Mr Johnstone's intimation that even the permission to use the scriptures was dan- gerous to religious liberty, brought up Mr Henry Richard again, with the remark that he was afraid the Aberystwyth resolutions precluded the discussion of that question, for they stated that they did not impose orex-elude the reading of the Bible." The hon. gentleman went on to say that Mr Forster could not understand the logical consistency of the Aberystwyth resolutions, one of which declared that education must be secular, while another put it in the power of the school boards to impose the reading of the Bible J Mr Johnstone was proceeding to characterize the way in which the clause respecting Bible-reading crept into the resolutions, but the Conference appeared to consider that the point hardly admitted of discussion at this meeting. It was explained, however, that the resolution was directed against the right of Parliament to interfere one way or the other as to the reading of the Bible, and that another resolution provided that no religious instruction should be given before, during, or after school hours. Passing on to another point, Mr Johnstone protested against the use of schoolrooms for the purposes of preach- ing to which Mr Richard replied that he thought nothing in the Bill gave power to use schoolrooms as places of worship. On this Mr Johnstone said nothing in the Bill prevented it, and it was done now; and Mr Richard agreed that, if necessary, the Bill ought to be altered to meet the view expressed by Mr Johnstone. Adverting to a point that had been raised before, Mr GEE then suggested an amendment to the effect that the present powers of the Committee of Council on Educa- tion for jnaking grants for the erection and support of new denominational schools should cease from the passing of the Act. The effect of the amendment, Mr Gee explained, would be, that grants made to schools after the passing of the Act would fall under the general provisions of the Bill. The fact was, Mr Gee said, they put no faith in the Committee of Council; he did not mean as it was at pre- sent constituted but they had suffered enough from it in past times-a remark which was received with signs of approval. The proposed amendment, which was sub- mitted to the meeting as one for the consideration of the members of Parliament, was then put by the chairman and agreed to. After a suggestion that the minutes of the Committee of Council ought to be incorporated with the Bill, Mr Gee recalled to the consideration of the meeting the question of using schoolrooms as places of worship; and Mr Miall gave an explanation-which, it will be ob- served, Mr Forster subsequently confirmed—of the views of the right hon. gentleman in framing the clause referred to. It was, simply, that rooms used as day schools might also be used as Sunday schools, as many were at present. Mr Gee replied that cases of that character were very rare, and it was desirable to diyest the government schools of any sectarian associations. He moved an amendment to be submitted to the members for their consideration, and the meeting endorsed it without any dissentient voice. The question of compulsion was then brought up by Mr Tilly, who objected to the provisions in the' Bill, and especially to the power given to compel children to attend denominational school. As to the conscience clause he had not a particle of confidence in it. Mr Richard said the Birmingham League bad placed amendments on the paper for the election of school boards by ratepayers, and by the ballot, and no doubt the nonconformist members would support them. The Rev. Mr Davies, of Cardiff, moved that the Welsh members be requested to support those amendments. Dr Rees seconded this, and said the constitution of vestries was such in Wales, that the elec- tion of the school boards by the ratepayers by secret voting was absolutely essential to the maintenance of free, un- sectarian education in Wales. Mr Johnstone pointed out that the amendmeut was really a concession to the Alliance by the Birmingham League.^ Mr Vivian thought the compulsory power only applied to schools constructed under this Act, but went on to say that in districts where there was sufficient school accommodation, the denomin- ational schools might be adopted; which elicited from Mr Tilly the remark that the latter part of the hon. gentleman's observations contradicted the first. The Board might afford assistance to denominational schools and compel children to attend them. He thought it would be better to build new schools than to allow that. Mr Vivian remarked that where there was sufficient school accommodation there would be no school boards and no compulsion; and in reply to this the opinion was ex- pressed that school districts should be provided all over the country. Mr Johnstone strongly insisted that compulsory power should only be allowed in case of undenominational schools. Mr Richard pointed out that Mr Johnstone's suggested amendment would make the amendments which he (Mr Richard) had mentioned of not the smallest use. Those amendments had been framed to protect the children as far as possible. The hon. gentle- man here elicited a laugh and a cheer by saying he had to leave for the House, where a vote was expected on the question of church rates in Scotland, which he was sure they would not wish him to miss. A conversation then arose, with a remark from Sir John Ramsden, as to the deputation to Mr Gladstone, and it was arranged that Mr Vivian should introduce the depu- tation, and that Mr Richard should support him, and ex- plain the objects of the Alliance. After the members had retired the committee remained for some time discussing the memorial which was to be presented and other matters, including finance, in connection with which Mr Johnstone stated that funds were needed and ought to be provided. One'gentleman suggested that as many of the members had subscribed largely to the Birmingham League, that body should be asked for x contribution of 21, 000, but the suggestion was received as a joke, and the subject was left in the hands of the Finance Committee appointed at Aberystwyth. THE DEPUTATION TO MR GLADSTONE AND MR FORSTER. At four o'clock the deputation met at the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, but they had to wait a short time until another deputation, consisting we believe of nearly 500 persons, from the Birmingham League, had retired. In addition to Mr Gladstone and Mr Forster, Earl De Grey and Ripon was also present. Mr VIVIAN introduced the deputation, and in doing so referred so the confidence which the members of the deputation felt in her Majesty's Government. Mr HENRY RICHARD was the next speaker, and he took occasion to refer to the active exertions of the members of the deputation in securing the election of the Welsh liberal members who had helped in some humble measure to instal the present Government in office, where they all hoped they would long remain. The hon. gentleman then referred to the peculiar position of Wales, with its large preponderance of dissenters, and proceeded to point out that what the Alliance objected to was, first, the prin- ciple of concurrent endowment which was introduced into the Bill, and remarked that the conscience clause afforded no real protection. The other matters to which Mr Richard referred were the sectarian strife which would be caused in the election of Boards under the present Bill; the objection felt to the use of schools for the purposes of worship and the great necessity that the Board should be elected in the way proposed by the Alliance, the rate- payers. After Mr Kennedy, of Newport, had read the memorial, Mr Gladstone asked a few questions, and then Dr Edwards, of Bala, and Dr Rees, and other gentlemen addressed Mr Gladstone and his colleagues, setting forth the points which have already been given in our report of the conference. In the course of the proceedings Mr Gladstone asked for an explanation of the term secular and unsectarian education," which was rather ingeniously explained by Mr Gee as meaning unsectarian in manage- ment and secular in education-a definition accepted by Mr Gladstone as perfectly clear and logical." Mr Forster explained that the Bill did not intend to sanction the use of schoolrooms for the purposes of worship; that it was thought it would be convenient to allow Sunday Schools to be held there; a proposal to which some of the deputation objected on the ground that the Government schoolrooms should be dissociated from all sectarian associations. Mr Gladstone promised that the views of the Alliance should receive the careful attention of the Government, and the deputation withdrew. win The following were amongst the gentlemen present at the conference and (with the exception of Mr Miall, and Mr Hugh Owen) at the deputation -Mr H. Vivian, M.P., Mr H. Richard, M.P., Mr Love Jones-Parry, M.P., Mr E. M. Richards, M.P., Lord Hyde, M.P., Mr E. J. Sartoris, M.P., Mr E. Miall, M.P., Colonel W. Edwards, M.P., Mr R. Davies, M.P., Sir John Ramsden, M.P., Mr Watkin Williams, M.P., Mr Illing- worth, M.P., Mr Simons, Newport, the Rev. J. W. Lance, Newport, the Rev. N. Thomas, Cardiff, the Rev. Dr Rees, Swansea, the Rev. Dr Edwards, Bala, the Rev. F. S. Johnstone, Merthyr; the Rev. A. Tilley, Cardiff, the Rev. J. Kennedy, Newport, the Rev. D. Edwards, Newport, Mr Hugh Pugh, Pwllheli, Mr J. D. Williams (hon sec. Merthyr Committee), Mr W. Sharp, Merthyr, Mr W. J. Gabe, Merthyr, the Rev. A. Jones Parry, Liverpool, Mr Hugh Owen, London, the Rev. O. Davies, Llangollen, Mr T. M. Williams, Liverpool, Mr S. Davies, Manchester, Mr Morgan Lloyd, Mr Hugh Edwards, London, Mr Morgan Jones, London, Mr J. Jenkins, M.A., Temple, Mr N. Buckley, Plas- kynaston, Ruabon, the Rev. A. Griffith, Aberystwyth (hon. sec.), Rev. J. Waite, Cardiff, Mr J. Corry, Cardiff, Mr W. A. Daniel, Merthyr, Mr T. Gee, Den- bigh, Mr W. Evans, Menai Bridge, the Rev. D. Rowlands, M.A Bangor, the Rev. J. Davies, Cardiff, the Rev. Rees Griffiths, Cardiff, &c. [A longer report of the proceedings will appear in the Oswestry Advertiser of Wednesday next.]

MR FORSTER'S BILL.—THE WELSH EDUCA- TION ALLIANCE. A formidable opposition is growing up against some of the clauses of Mr FORSTER'S Education BilL When the measure was at first unfolded, its great merits, generously recognized by conservatives and liberals alike, almost con- cealed its defects, though those defects were pointed out at once by members of that large and influential party which is pretty adequately represented by the Birmingham League. There are, at least, two serious blots on the Bill- the permissive character of its compulsory provisions, and its support of what is likely to prove a very troublesome element ef denominationalism. The method of electing School Boards is also made a strong ground of objection- as it is contended that all the ratepayers should exercise the educational franchise," and that the choice should not be left to town councils and select vestries. Other minor defects are pointed out, but it is on the three which we have mentioned, and especially on the first two, that the battle will be fought. The interest that is felt in the question is shown by the large and excited meetings held in various places, particularly in Wales. At Carnarvon, Bangor, and Menai Bridge, Chester and Shrewsbury, and many other places, the principles of denominationalism and permissive compulsion have been emphatically con- demned, and in some cases meetings convened for an opposite purpose have ended in the defeat of the conveners, and the triumph of what, for the sake of convenience, we may call the principles of the League. As far as the Principality is concerned, at any rate, there can be no mistake about the strong feeling which exists in favour of universal compulsion and unsectarian schools, and the executive committee of the Welsh Education Alliance are doing good service by the action which they have taken in this matter. We regret very much the language they have employed, because it seems to us unjust to represent the Bill as no real approach to a settlement of the important question of education," and we are quite sure that the committee will do more towards accomplishing their own purpose by thankfully accepting the measure as a great advance and directing all their energies to induce Mr FORSTER to improve it in those directions which we have indicated. Still, the religious question so very seriously touches the interests of the Principality, that it is well to make Mr FORSTER acquainted with the feeling which prevails, through the deputation appointed to wait upon him to-day, and also to elicit an expression of opinion by the agency of public meetings. The conscience clause is made a great deal of by the thorough-going supporters of the Bill, but a greater sham than a conscience clause in many cases could not be conceived. For all sorts of reasons which we cannot stop to discuss, a vast number of parents will never avail themselves of the imaginary pro- tection of the clause, and Government schools, supported out of the public money, will be seminaries of sectarianism in one form or another. We do not say that the rates will be employed by rival denominations to convert juvenile churchmen into dissenters, or juvenile dissenters into churchmen, because children generally adopt the religion of their parents, and not of their schoolmasters; but a very real grievance remains, that parents have no sufficient guarantee against thp inculcation of dogmas which they believe to be erroneous, by the State and rate-paid teachers. Another objection, perhaps still more cogent, is grounded on the fact that the election of school boards, or of the bodies that are to elect school boards, will have imported into them such an element of religious bitterness as will seriously threaten the peace of towns and parishes. If this Bill should pass, to take a local illustration, we can hardly expect that a liberal non- conformist will be allowed to enter the Council unopposed, as is the case in Oswestry this week. At present, in some towns at least, men are chosen councillors because they are good men of business and useful citizens, and not because they are liberals or conservatives, churchmen or dissenters; but who expects a continuance of this fortu- nate and sensible condition of things after the passing of Mr FORSTER'S Bill ? The evil which threatens in this direction is so very serious that the liberal party, we hope, will bend all their energies to obtain some alteration that will, at any rate, save us from the great misfortune of periodical religious contests through the length and breadth of the land. Troubles and difficulties of other kinds will arise from the permissive character of the com- pulsory clauses, which are also open to the objection that Parliament is far more capable than a town council or a parish vestry of saying whether parents should be com- pelled to feed their children's minds as well as their bodies. We appreciate the argument that legislation should not run in advance of public opinion, and that opinion in some districts may be more enlightened than in others but the real question is whether the country at large is in. favour of compulsion, and that point Parliament alone can decide. The difficulties in the way of working the per- missive clauses will be very great. They will begin at the Board, where, after a long and angry discussion, a bare ma- jority, pehaps, will declare in favour of compulsion, and they will appear in far more formidable dimensions amongst the parents, who will kick against the arbitrary decisions of Mr JONES or Mr ROBINSON, when the law of the realm would have commanded their obedience. A daily contemporary asked a very telling question when he enquired what the parents who were fined in one parish for not sending their children to school would think and feel, when they saw the children of the next parish allowed to grow up in ignorance, or rather-as the matter would present itself to the aggrieved parental mind-to earn a little more beer money by frightening crows! The per- missive clause will not bear the light, and must go, if the Bill is to be worthy of the Government and satisfactory to the nation. We can speak all the more frankly on these points because we accept Mr FORSTER'S measure so thankfully as a great advance in the right direction and we hope to see it accepted in the same spirit by all parties —the League, the Union, the Alliance, and the whole country-while at the same time a vigorous effort is made to improve it by the supporters "of unsectarian and com- pulsory education. It will interest some of our readers to know that a conference which has taken place between representatives of the Birmingham League and the Welsh Alliance has resulted in combined action between the two bodies, for the former, in their publication for this month, say-" The officers have much pleasure in stating that the Welsh Educational Association is now working in hearty sympathy with the Lea,-ue.Oswestrq Adrtrtlzer.

LLANILAR. PETTY SESSIONS, FRIDAY.—Before G. W. Parry, Esq., James LoxdaJe, Esq., and Lewis Pugh Pugh' Esq. Bata. The poor and highway rates for the parishes of Llanddeiniol and Blangwyryfon were signed and ordered to be collected. Keeping Dogs without Licence,—Thomas Jones, of Cyfie, near Devil's Bridge, farmer, was summoned by Mr Hickox, supervisor of excise, for the above offence. The defendant kept two dogs, but could only produce a licence for one of them.—He was fined 25s., including costs. Poo?' Ra tes. -James Williams, John Morgans, ofPendre, and Morgan Jones, of Tanygraig, all of the parish of 'Irl Ystradmeurig, were respectively summoned by the over- seers of the parish for non-payment of poor rates.—They were all ordered to pay in default, warrants to be issued. Deserting Service. --Mary Thomas, a young woman, was summoned by Mr Ebenezer Williams, of Broncaradoc, for leaving his service.—It was ordered that that the contract should be annulled on the complainant paying lis. 6d. wages due, and the defendant paying the costs of the summons.