Wrexham Guardian

New Season's Teas, choicely blen■> i i flavour, at C. K. Bicssox and Co's Fa-n ? i ™ Stores, 14, High-street, WrexW A ne Meuiccl profession are i-.nv oi-d.^ <" •; ,-v. Loc^a Essence m thousands of cases, became It'^S more nutritions ana flesh forming element* otuer beverage &nd is preferable to the thick strrohv Cocoa ordinarily sold. When you ask for Oa Cocoa .Essence be sure that you get it, as >]•-<» often push imitations for the sake of extra pre •■. t1 r to the Queen. Paris depot: 90, Faubourg St.' Huiiot? I presume this last bequest was lost «•]■„„ ri i, bank stopped payment suine years ago. j

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Teas Coffees, and general Groceries are supplied at merchants' prices by C. K. BRNBON and Co., 14, High- street, Wrexham. 71 Printing of every description can be executed at the < shortest notice and upon the most reasonable terms at the Guardian Office, Wrexham.

WREXHAM EASTER VESTRY • MEETING. The Easter Vestry Meeting was held on Monday last. Present:—The Vicar (who presided), Revs. M. t H. Shelton, Griffith-Jones, Lloyd-Williams, J. Jenkins, Meredith Hamer, and J. Dixon (Vicar of Berse), ] Messrs. Thcmas Williams and William Williams t (Churchwardens), Dr. Williams, and Messrs. T. B. e Acton, Evan Morris, Howel Davies, Hugh Davies, J. E. Edisbury, Edward Smith, VV. Jones (Island Green), John Jones, R. Roberts, W. Garratt-Jones, J. k Houghton, J. B. de Turner, — Vaughan, LI. Davies, C. K. Benson, R. J. Sisson, D. Johnson, G. B. Jones, J. Jones, S. T. Baugh, J. B. Murless, junr., Walter i Jones, G. Bradley, J. Beale, E. Lewis, J. H. Bancroft, S. Jones. R. Lloyd, Y. Strachan, Richards, E Humphreys, J. Bury (Vestry Clerk), J. Wallis, Potter, &c. THE ACCOUNTS. Mr. JOHN BURY presented the statement of accounts, which showed a balance of £77 9s. lid. due to the churchwardens. The balance due to them that day twelve month v,'as £ 57 5s. 4d., showing a deficit on the year of about l20. The VICAH said the next duty was the election of churchwardens, and under ordinary circumstances he felt that it would have been his duty to relieve Mr. Williams of the labours he had discharged for so many years faithfully and efficiently, and to his satisfaction and the satisfaction of tÜe parishioners, but in view of the balance-sheet he had no alternative to asking Mr. Williams to again act as his representative for another year. He felt that he could not with good in fact with no grace at ail, ask anyone to act as his repre- sentative whose first duty would be to put his hand into his pocket and pull out £77. So he thought that so long as the congregation were satisfied to allow the ex- penditure to exceeu the income, Mr. Williams and him- seif must, like the Siamese twins, remain inseparable. Mr. JOHN LEWIS thought that before the Vestry proceeded to the eJectionot churchwardens they should deal with the deficit. They would, he thought, do well to consider whether they could not economise the ex- penditure in some manner—(hear, hear)—so as to pre- vent tiie balance increasing. As it was the only oppor- tunity they had of discussing the matter together, it would be advisable to consider if retrenchment could not be practised in the forthcoming year. Mr. HOWEL DAVIES asked whetner the expenditure had increased, or the receipts fallen off ? Mr. T. WILLIAMS said the expenses were the same, and had been kept as low as possible, but the receipts had materially fallen off. Mr. JOHN BcRY said the expenditure had been less by £27 than in the corresponding period of last year. The expenditure of the corresponding period was ;E:¿25, against 1\J8 this half. In answer to further re- marks, Mr. Bury said the offertories for the correspon- ding period was £::08 14s., this half only £144. If the offertories had kept at the same amount, there would have been no balance due to the churchwardens. The subject dropped without any steps being taken. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Mr. GARRATT-J ONES moved the re-election of Mr. Overton as churchwarden. Mr. T. B. ACTON seconded. Mr. EVAN MORlUS proposed the re-election of Mr. Win. Williams, Kliosudu, and testified to the great amount of time and attention he devoted to his duties. Mr. C. X. BENSON seconded. Mr. WALTER JONES proposed the re-election of Mr. J. Oswell Bury. Mr. J. B. MURLESS seconded. Mr. BENSON moved that Mr. Railton Potter be elected as warden, and spoke of the great interest he took in the Church, and the efficiency with which he had performed the duties which had fallen upon him during the year as a sidesman. Mr. E. SMITH seconded. The VICAR said Mr. J oira Bury had told him that Mr. Oswell Bury wished to retire if any one else was put forward for the post. They had now four nominations 1 for three offices. Mr. J. BURY assured the Vestry that Mr. Oswell Bury wished to withdraw in the event of any other per- son being nominated%for the post. s Mr. LEWIS thought it would be a pity to disturb existing arrangements, especially as Mr. Oswell Bury was not present. 1 Mr. W. J ONES said he should stick to his nomination, and thought they could not have a more efficient 1 warden than Mr. Bury. He was the most efficient they had had for along time. (Hear, hear.) He further 1 thought it would be unfair to throw the responsibility ( of the heavy debt upon a new churchwarden. Mr. LEWIS thought it would not be unfairness to the new churchwarden but rather to the old one. He c' suggested that Mr Potter's name be withdrawn. Mr. BEsoN said he did not nominate Mr. Potter in ( any spirit of opposition.. ( The VICAR uore testimony to the efficiency of Mr. O. Bury as warden, and also added that he took great inteiest in their little iron church in Hightown, and 1 showed a iiberality in regard to it to a greater extent j than most were aware of. He did not say this to iniiuence the vestry, but he felt that he must bear s testimony to the efficiency of Mr Bury. t Mr. BENSON felt that Mr Potter had been very efficient, but he would withdraw the name rather than there should be any opposition. 1 Mr. LEWIS would like to see Mr. Potter a warden, but then if a new warden was elected now, and he 1 choose to say "I won't be responsible for the debts of any late warden" the old warden would have no chance s of repaying himself the money lie had laid out. Mr. Potter's name having been withdrawn the other c nominations were put to the meeting and carried unanimously. j In electingthe sidesmen Mr. Garratt-Jones nominated Mr. T. Brown (hosier), and Mr. T. Williams Mr. Ezekiel Mason. Most of the old sidesmen were again f elected the new list being as follows :—Messrs. Hugh Davies, B. Turner, Sandon, R. Potter, J. Jones (auction- v eer), J. Glascodyne, J. Davenport, Heywood, Garratt- T J ones, H. B. Murless, E. Mason, and T. Brown (the last a three being new). j THE CHARITIES ACCOUNTS. t J Mr. JOHN BURY then laid before the Vestry the statements of the accounts of the charities known as t Lady Jetferies, Joshua Hughes, and the Wrexham ?■ Charities. 11 The VICAR said the usual returns from Berse Drelin- cohrt were not there owing to a misapprehension on the ° part of Mr. Dixon, who thought the accounts were to be made up from January to January instead of from Easter to Easter. The accounts, however, wouid be t: made up immediately and audited, and would be laid w before the next V estry. The other accounts were all in order and had been prepared as required. Mr. LEWIS asked how the accounts compared with a last year ? f". The CLERK replied that the expenditure was very much the same and rarely varied. Now and then, how- ever, the rents varied slightly. j* THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.—DEPUTATION TO THE VESTRY, a T Mr. BUIW said he had received a letter from the jj Town Cl.rk asking the vestry to receive a deputation of h the Town Council with reference to an application v respecting the late Joshua Hughes' Eund. He had left r; the letter at home, but it merely stated that a deputa- s< tion would be present. a Mr. JOHN JONES said he was present as one of the If deputation and he asked their indulgence whilst he laid r before them a resolution which had been adopted by 1 those whom he represented, in reference to the Grammar it School and Joshua Hughes' charity. He rose with much g timidity and threw himself upon their indulgence be- cause he was unaccustomed to snare in the deliberations p of Vestries, and the sound of voices there in council b made linn start at the sound of his own. But he would supply further arguments than these upon which to 0 claim their indulge;ce. The Wrexham Grammar" School had no organic constitution, whatever govern- n ment it had, or lias in suspension, must have emanated p from the parish Vestry. The parochial government of p Wrexham was the only government in existence when b the Grammar School was formed. He ventured to think" that the land which was once waste was enclosed by the e churchwardens, the then only existing power of the u town. He hoped he should not seem ostentatious when he reminded them that in 1775 that land was waste and the spoils of the chapel adjoining, which was destroyed £ by tne ri ters of those days, were thrown into a pit, g which lay, it was supposed, upon the site of the Grammar £ School, and was called Lamb Pit." The fact that the ancient house is now the property of the churchwardens h was some confirmation of that speculation hy him. But v be this as it may, he thought they would all agree with t him that the present condition of Wrexham Grammar 0 School was anything but creditable. It. had no govern- t ing body, no trustees, and the worst of all, there v were no pupils—if one, it was only one. This was a crying evil—(hear, hear)—and a disgrace to them all—(hear, hear)—and undoubtedly called for some v efforts towards its resuscitation. These eJzorts were c being made, but, up to the present, they had been con- s fined to the membcxs of the Town CounciL An ap- t plication had been made for a scheme for the government c of the school. Th<ftfie who were unacquainted with the a technical nature of the word scheme would forgive him, a and those who were would forgive him also, if he offered t a word of explanation as to what a scheme meant. It e was pretty much like a code of laws for the government a of the Grammar School. Some six or seven years ago € there frequented Wrexham a gentleman who was an assistant commissiener of their Endowed School Com- 1 mission, and his name was Mr. Hamnnjad. Mr. s Hammond, with some others, of whom he was one and ( Ñlr. Lewis anoth1::r, set to and composed .:¡), scheme. t He had a copy of that draft in his possession, and he ( would just run through some of the marginal readings f by way of describing to them what kind of a, scheme ( was then contemplated. The governing feedy was 1 prescribed, and some of the members were to be ex f officio, some representative, four were to be nominated by the Council and two by the School Board, and the } rest were to be co-qptative. These co-optative govern- ] ors were to have been named when the sch-aaie was c. matured, and they were afterwards to have been elected, by the governing bedy itself. Then the scherse went I on to prescribe the duties of £ he master, duties of governors, choice of clerk, keeping of minuteslUld ac- j counts, in whom the property was vested, certain laws I for the internal government of the school, the property ] and buildings, the control of the r&sster by the govern- 1- ing body, declaration that the head master should hold ] no other appointment than that of head master, and i that it should be a disqualiifcation -t» him if he held a ( benefice having the cure of souls. It also provided for 6 scholarships, small in. value, and in & schedule was 1 d escribed the property which it was contemplated to ( appropriate 'to the fnads of the schoeJs. Well, the t scheme came to nothing. s Mr. LEWIS Will you read what it was then proposed to take as augmentation ? Mr. Joxm; sail the schedule contained a description of the property, which it was agr.ed should, by the consent or the owners, form a fund for the Grammar School. He then read thr ugh the names of the y property which he would be of the approximate yeany value of ±220. Continuing, he said it was not • contemplated to embrace in the present scheme any of ? the property which he had enumerated, but they thought there was one fund belonging to the parish of 3 Wrexham which they might lay gentle hands upon— (laughter)—and divert co the maintenance of the Grammar School, and that was the "dole" money, knoun as Joshua Hughes s charity. They were all very familiar with mis charity, and, tnerefore, he need nut teii them much about it. Indeed, much he did nut know, but he had a vague opinion that Joshua Hughes was a West Indian merchant, who died in the middle of the last century, leaving a Jump, f loney, about £2,000, the interest of which was to be give" away in gifts to the deserving poor of the parish. Well, the moi ey I was invested in consols, and the principal amounts to ;1-:2,748, and the interest is 1:H2 a year. It was invested in tne names of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, Sir Robert Cunliffe, Air. FitzHugh, and the Rev. George Cunliffe, and the trustees were the Vicar and the Churchwardens of the parish. He received an ano-^v- mous letter that inorninj, which rather astonished him. It charged him with attempting to there with a design of robbing the poor of the parish of Wrexham. He must confess that this came upon him with some astonishment. He was not conscious of having any un- kind or unfriendly feelings towards the poor. He was poor himself. He knew what it was to be poor, and he knew v, hat it was to be surrounded by the poor. His sensibilities had never been blunted by mxury, and he could feel as keenly for tne poor as any man living. But he thought dole money, of ail others, was the worse form of chanty. (Hear, hear.) It tended to pauperise, and, as far as he understood, it was especially accepted by paupers, or rather these were especially in receipt of it. But it tended to pauperise people to cultiva+e them into an expectation that they were to havg dole money from where it would. He thought also that money spent upon young people, i" the education of young people, was better spent than in the giving of gifts t, old people. For instance, £100 1 spent in the insurance of a young man was a better in- vestment than in the life of an old man. He would re- mind them also that about twenty years ago a large lawyer's bill was incurred in the re-investment of this money, which necessitated the suspension of the interest] for several years. Nobody seemed the worse for this. s He did not hear that the poor considered themselves < robbed at that time, nor would they, he thought, if they j diverted this money for the purpose for which they ( asked. There was another argument. No man had a ¡ vested right in it. Whatever right anyone possessed was very remote and a very contingent one. No man 1 there hoped to enjoy it. They would not lay them- selves out to come there some day and ask for this 1 money. No man would feel that he had any vested in- J terest in the money. He never got it but by the adverse .s visitation of fate or fortune. They would say that if no i man was certain of it, there was a right to it possessed < by the poor. But it was the poor very abstractedlv. 1 He knew that often the money had gone where it was never intended to have, and had got into the hands of ( some loafing son-in-law. He had not come there with any dogmatic views on the subject. He was simply f there to invite discussion about it, and he hoped that discussion would be carried on amicably, and if the ] decision of the Vestry was against the proposal, well, they would put up with it in good humour. But let] him remind them that this Wrexham of ours, which ] they were so fond of toasting at their dinners, and the rest of it, had never received much good from such. They had churches and chapels in abundance, and God forbid that that observation should be taken to t mean any disparagement of those institutions. (Hear, i hear.) But they were sadly in want of those institutions which cultivated the ingenuous heart and 1 softened the manners. (Hear, hear.) No town more so. And whilst they were greatly in want of those institu- i tions, the members of our churches and chauels were ( cultivating zeal at the expense of knowledge. Know- 1 ledge derived from such institutions was the handmaid < of religion, and such as any man shows the better for. < How in reading the lives of great men, passing a it were through the galleries of British worthies, did 1 they come upon the fact that this great man and that f reat man made his first start in the grammar school of t his native^town? (Hear, hear.) Of whom could that be 1 said in Wrcxham ? One instance only did he remem- ( ber, and that was Pennant, ubiquitous Pennant, who t was educated by the master whose name was recorded « upon a wall of that church. But in no other instance t could they point to any man, in literature, poetry, arts, 1 war. or even in divinity a.,d Wales, if she had been t prolific in anything had been so in divines, and not one c instance couid thev point to and say, "That man was educated in the Wrexham Grammar School." Well, ] that school was a disgrace to them. (Hear, hear.) Whatever may come of it he hoped that from that day ( at any rate a better state'of things would come about, and they would awaken to a necessity which would re- 1 dound to the future good and benefit of the school. (Hear, hear, and applause.) He concluded bv moving* ( tne following resolutionResolved that the dole c money, known as Joshua Hughes's charity, shall, on c the completion of the scheme now being applied for a the government of the Wrexham Grammar School, c become part of the revenue, and be appropriated to the s support and maintenance of the Grammar School. That the Charity Commissioners be authorised to include it a in such scheme as part of the revenue aforesaid, and that it be an instruction to the trustees, or the govern- t ing body of tne said charity, to make for uch purpose c or use any assignment of such charity as may be J necess;-try. 1] The VICAR asked what difference there was in the ] scheme now before the Commissioners and the old one ? 3 Mr. JOHN JONES said they had simply asked the h commissioners to send them down a model scheme, such t a one as would apply to the guvernin ■; of the school. o They sent down the scheme which was now being h "manufactured" for Denbi-h Grammar School. He d had glanced through it and he thought it was a fair one, c and one which would apply to their schools. It was' however, pretty much like the old scheme, and there d was no reason why the original one, and which met a with the approval of those who were in the habit of p associating with him, should not be resuscitated. r, Mr. Sissox thought the scheme one which was likely n to be useful, and he would, therefore, second the resolu- tion. n Mr. EvAN MORRIS said as it was necessary that all o they did there should be done in a regular manner, he w should like to ask if there was any scheme at present in force or whether the Commissioners had been down to consider any scheme. It appeared there was no governing body, and, therefore, there was no one to whom tuey couid sanction a diversion of the charity. He thought it would be very premature to pass a resolu- tion which would be taken to the Charity Commissione) s with the remark "If you will give a scheme to deal with this school, here is a resolution giving a sum to he devoted to the purpose." He thought it was beginning jc at the wrong end: At the next vestry they may COllE c< and propose to deal with another charity, and, after a cl time, by these abstract resolutions, all their charities, it which had been given for a specific purpose, would be 1 diverted from one channel to another. In addition. ;v' they were dealing with what the power of Parliament P' alone could deal with, viz., the charities of Wrexham. s< There was a good deal of sentiment in what Mr. Jones C1 had said—he had brought out the sentimental idea beautifully—and with that he agreed, and he would be a,' very giad—if Mr. Jones had been on a platform to t! raise money for the school—to have given him a sub- scription. But they were now asked to vote money to u a school which was doing no good and which had no governing body. He thought the conversion of this money must be decided by the Charity Commissioner-. He should like to hear what the Vicar had to say about it, and also what the present position of the Grammar School was. The VICAR asked if Mr. Morris objected to the b principle of Mr. Jones' resolution or only believed it to a: be premature. y Mr. EVAN MORRIS said he objected to the principle of the proposed transfer in itself until the whole scheme 1. was before them and they knew what chari'ies it might be necessary to ive to the Grammar Sch ol to c< put it on a better foundation. If this money would not 13 put the Grammar School in a better position it had better remain where it was. He did not think that sum would make the school worthy of middle class education, and therefore its diversion would be simply h useless. (j Mr. JOHN JONES said he had avoided talking IT shop." but at that stage he could not but remind them that according to the Endowed Schools Act 18ti9 the governing body of any dole money may appropriate that money to the maintenance of an endowed school. Well the governing body of Joshua Hughes' dole money tl he took it, was the parish Vestry, for the churchwardens, ], who were the trustees, held office under tne direction of i, the Vestry. He thought that dispensed with one portion t] of Mr. Morris's difficulty. His next seemed to be this, that they had come there with an abstract resolution, J whereas they ought to have come with a draft scheme. s: Well, if they liked, he had a draft scheme, and if the g. VeKtryapproved ot the scheme drawn up six or seven u years ago under the direction of a body of gentlemen 11 competent to handle the subject, then there was the TJ scheme. But would it not be a novel thing to invite 1' the Vestry, a popular body like that, to discuss the 11 details of a draft scheme ? They simplv asked them to P allow t. e absorption into the funds, which the scheme sought to govern, certain monies of which they were trustees. They were not asking for the money in a: y event. As soon as there was a scheme there would be a governing body, and he hoped to see Mr. Evan Morris one .«f the governors. (Laughter). b Mr. T. B. ACTON thought the observations of the Vicar j' I' brought them back to the position from which they had slightly wandered. There were, he thought, two questions to consider, tirst of all the principle of the v tranMer, and then, whether they were premature in ( considering it now. He did not think Air. Jones cared for a compliment from him. but he thought nothing 1 t could have been done with better taste or spirit than I what Mr. Jones had done in bringing that matter be- t fore them. (Hear, hear.) And those who knew him" s would say that it came with appropriate fitness from c him. It did seem to him that in a question of that im- 1 portance it would be well to delay a little in making i arrangements in the matter. There were questions in- volved of great moment. It was a question of great 1' moment whether the wishes of the donor of the charity c were to be disregarded, whether the dole made for a particular purpose, should be appropriated to another ( purpose. These questions which should be de- C liberate!7 .-considered. For his part, if they were ab- s solutely ir.ee to deal with the matter, the reasoning of Mr. Jones was, he thought, almost unanswerable. But. 1 in dealing with a matter of that sort they must remember they had to do with popular opinion. There may be a 1 strong feeling upon this question and it would be well therefore, if they adjourned the consideration of the] question until it had been a little more fully ventilated, s because it would be umlertunate for the Vestry to pass I a resolution which wcJold.be the subject of popular agita- 1 d tion, and if it were said that the Vestry had done whal would be called robbing the poor. He begged to move thai n the consideration of the matter be deferred until the e Michaelmas Vestry, and he hoped that something would ■r he done to resuscitate this school, (liear, hear) He e oid feel most emphatically that with all their toasting e and boasing to one another, they were behind inteliec- t 11 tually, especially when he saw what was bein done in i other towns ii- founding scholarships, and how the lead- y mg citizens encouraged and fostered these grammar f schools. They should not be behind hand, and it was a crying reproach to them that the leading. townsmen, who wished their sons educated at a public school, should have to send them to distant towns. It was not creditable to them, putting themselves forward as the leading town in North Wales. (Hear, hear). He hoped most heartily that the discussion of the subject would inaugurate a new era. and that they would all do what they could to revive this old school and make it worthy or the town. (Hear, hear.) The VICAR said he should deprecate any time being mentioned. Mr. EVAN MORRIS seconded the amendment. Mr. Acton nor Mr. Jones wished more than he did to see the Grammar School improved. His remaiks were in no way intended to oppose any efforts in that direction. Any efforts to revive the school would meet with his hearty support, but he wished to have the matter well- considered before they took money from one use and appropriated it to another. Mr. JOHN JONES said he hoped the matter would not be adjourned indefinitely. The VICAR said he thought if the Council would take up the matter energetically and adopt some scheme, it would considerabljT lessen the time. Mr. J. JONES said this matter had been brought before the Council by a letter from the Department calling their attention to the smallness of the school. (Laughter.) Dr. W ILLIAMS said he regarded the discussion of the matter at a future time as leading people to believe that the Vestry would be willing to divert money from the donor's wishes, and he should be exceedingly sorry to find that any Vicar or Churchwardens having power over the charity should be found willing to sanction its diversion. He coulu never vote for its diversion for any use apart from the donor's wishes. He suggested that the matter be adjourned sine die. Eventually Mr. John Jones withdrew his resolution Mr. Acton's amendment then became a motion, and Dr. Williams's suggestion became an amendment. Mr. LEWIS th n rose, and said he was very anxious to hear the opinions of as many present as possible before saying anything himself. He had given great attention > to the subject, and he thoroughly agreed with all the I feelings given expression to in reference to the miserable state of the school, and the Vicar, as well as most present, knew that he had tried many efforts to improve it during the past 15 or 20 years. He must, however, refrain from saying all he felt upon the subject, as he should regret to give pain to anyone for whom he had personal respect. With reference to the general question he thought he may say lie had spoken to only one gentleman, and heard nothing but what had appeared in the papers, as to the subj ect being brought forward that day. He should strongly object to the passing of any resolution that day. It was so important in its results in a collateral way, and directly so important in its effects, that it Dug-ht not to have been brought there without due notice. He should be sorry for anyone to go away with the idea that it was in the power of the Vestry to dispose of this charity, even if they did a. proposed. They could do nothing of the kind. this was a public trust, the property was invested for a specific object, and that object had not failed. This was net like a case of money having been left for the use of Christian pri- soners in Turkey, &c., which had been inoperative for a hundred years. This was a scheme actively in opera- tion for the best possible kind of relief, viz., the sick and i idigent, and decayed housekeepers of the parish of Wrexham. (Hear, hear.) They all knew when the time of its annual distribution came round how many applicants they received for testimonials. Therefore, it was not to be supposed that the charity would be diverted from its present channel. And it must be borne in mind that it is in the power of any parishioner of Wrexham to test the right of the diversion of any charitable fund from its legitimate and usual channel. Therefore, let no one go away from that Vestry sup- posing that if they carried such a resolution that the fund should be applied to facilitate the means of educating the rich and well-to-do inhabitants of Wrex- ham, that it would be carried out. They could do nothing of the sort. It could only be used as an instruction to the Charity Commissioners to get them to propose and enact a scheme which afterwards may have the sanc- tion of Parliament in one of their Consolidation Bills, but further the vestry could not go. He qui. e agreed that it was desirable that the matter should be freely discussed. There were other objects as well as this one which he hoped would be discussed at the next Vestry. It was proposed by the Commissioners under the oid scheme that the funds now applied in support of the Church schools—the Tenter and the Beast Market .Schools—should be diverted in aid of the Grammar School. He admitted at the time this was mentioned that this would only be applying what was now used for the education of the poor for the education of the better classes. He could not say that it was an entire alteration of the application of the fund, but he thought this should be brought prominently before them for dis- cussion, for it was a very grave question whether they should entirely denude those schools. Mr. JOHN JONES said it was not contemplated to absorb this fund. Mr. LEWIS said then of course that brought them to the point whether they were not discussing a matter crude and unsettled. It had been proposed that Lady Jeii'eries' money should be appropriated, and now they heard that Joshua Hughes' charity was to be appro- priated. He tl ought what had been elicited from] Mr. Jones showed how desirable it was that they should 1 have some scheu e proposed and brought forwa- d before] they were called upon to vote away any parochial funds to be approprirted to the use of the school. (Hear, 1 hear.) These v ere all matters which required further discussion and he was prepared to have the matter dis- cussed a-ain, but not to go any further. After some further remarks as to to the scope of the discussion and the date of the meeting, Dr. Williams's amendment (that the subject be adjourned sine die) was put and onlv five voted for it. It was then decided by resolution that > he whole subject be again brought be- fore a special V. stry to be called on the 17th June. Mr. JOHN was about to lay the accounts of the new window be ore the Vestry but the meeting was of opinion that th's was a subject it had nothing to do with, and immediately broke up. ]

WREXHAM CHARITIES. c TO THE EDITOR OF THE GUAHDIAX. ] DEAR SIR.—As the vestry meeting has been ad- s journed for two months in order to give ample time to consider the question of appropriating Joshua Hughes's charity to the Grammar School scheme, I have thought it would be well to place the various bequests before I your readers, without note or comment, just as they ap- ( pear in the report of the Charity Commissioners, issued t some 35 or 40 years ago. Possibly some of our modern chroniclers will fill in, from that time to the present, t any further information respecting the manner in which t these bequests have been dealt with, so that a thorough ventilation of the subject will be the result.—Yours faithfully, j J. F. EDISDBURY. A Wiexham, April 19, 1879. ( GRAMMAR SCHOOL. ] Valentine Broughton's Charity.—Valentine Broughton, E by'his last will, dated June 16th, 1G03, gave, granted, C and devised (inter alia) unto Richard Bavand and ] Joshua Filton and their heirs, for ever, all those i messuages, lands, tenements, and hereditaments, lying and being at Bersham, Esclusham, and Broughton, 1 county Denbigh, upon trust, that the said Richard Bavand and John Filton, or their heirs, should, within one year after the testator's decease, by some good and ] lawful conveyance in the law, to be made at the cost of s his executors, convey to the Mayor and citizens of Chester and their successors for ever, all the said s messuages to the several uses thereafter expressed-that ( was to say, that the said Mayor and citizens and their ( successors should, out of the issues and profits thereof, levy and raise yearly for ever, the sum of jE6 13s 4d., for ( and towards the maintenance of the schoolmaster for ] the time being, in the town of Wrexham, county Den- j high, for the education of youth in good erudition and < learnin: there, and 1:3 6s. 8d. more yearly, for ever, for r the better maintenance of the singing men and í quiristers in the Parish Church at Wrexham aforesaid. I And his will and mind was, that if thereafter there should be no singing men allowed in the church, the ( sahl £3 6s. Sd. should, from time to time, come to the use and benefit of the said schoolmaster for the time t being, who should from time to time teach gratis twelve !j poor scholars, to be allowed by the churchwardens of J the said Parhh Church for the time being. And his ] mind and will was, that the said sums should be paid ( at two feasts in the year, viz. at the feast of St. ( Miehael and of the Annunciation, or within twelve days next after emuing, by equal portions. j There are no earlier accounts of a Grammar School c than this to be found, nor is it known whether this] bequest was the origin or merely an augmentation. The 1 property charged with the payment of this sum belongs 1 to the Corporation of Chester. No part of it is, or ever has been, paid to the singers of Wrexham Church. The whole is received by the master of the school about < October, from the cashier of the Corporation of Chester, i Given Charity.—A Mrs. Gwen Eyton is said to have left a house, garden, and croft in Wrexham Fechan, the rights thereof yearly for schooling poor boys of the parish of' Wrexham, and then in the posses- sion of William Jones, Esq. This seems to be merely a < charge upon some property, situated as above, now belonging tn Mrs. Bennion, who pays an annual sum of ? to the master of the school when he sends for it. It is due on Mid summer Day. Mr. Ralph Weld formerly left £100 for education. This has been laid out with other sums in the purchase of lands, as will be herein- after shown, and per annum are paid to the master 1 of the school by the churchwardens, as trustees for the eytate purchased. It is due Lady Day. These three 81G1" at present constitute the whole of the master's salary. There is, however, a good house and school. room, built about 1810 by subscription. These may be worth about £25 per annum to him. They are situated in Chester-street. He teaches six boys pratis, reading writing and accounts; he has taught some of them Lathi, but not lately. He is allowed to receive as ma.ny scholars besides (either boarders or day boys) as he can procure on his own terms there were formally a num- ber of these. The present master, the Rev. John it J Kendall, was appointed the 23rd July, 1S13. He nro it duced an agreement of that date made etweenthe Verj ie | Rev. W. D. Shipley, Dean of St. Asaph, and the Vicai d J of Wrexham, and the four Churci) wardens on the on. e part, and himself o the other part, reciting certain g gifts of Lady Jeffreys to the schools and his appoint- > ment to the Grammar School, and that it was agreed n to give him £()2 pr annum out of the said gifts for I- reaching twenty poor children of the said parish in r Greek and Latin, reading, writing, and accounts, the a chridrtn not to be under nine or exceeding fourteen I, years of age, to be appointed by the Vicar and Church- l, wardens; and the agreement was to be dissolved upon t either party giving to the other six months' notice of a e wish to determine be same. In consequence of this t clause, the Vicar aid Wardens, about 1827, called upon i the master to give up the salary, which was applied to t the purpose of education in another quarter, as will be i shown hereafter. The reason of this seems to be that for some cause or other the Grammar School here, as frequently elsewhere, was graduallv going to decay. The present salary even, with be addition of the house and schoolroom, seems more than equivalent to teaching > six boys merely, as before mentioned, and it seems i reasonable that the number shou.d be increased to ten. The,e boys pay no entrance fee, and they find their own books. • FEEE SCHOOLS. Lady Dorothy Jeffreys' Charity.—Dame Dorothy Jeffreys, of Acton Park, county Denbigh, widow, by her will dated 3rd October, 1728 (among other things;, after taking notice that her late daughter, Margaret Jeffreys, by her will, d ited 30 Ji September, 1711, did bequeath to the poor of the parish of Wrexham the sum oi tIOO, and also the su n of JMO for the schooling of poor children, she charged her real estate with the legacies thereafter mentioned. Among which she gave and bequeathed to the parish of Wrexham tne sum ot £ 400 (over and above the said legacies bequeathed by her daughter), to be raised within six months after her decease, and laid out at interest on land security—and the interest thereof applied for the teaching and instruct- ing and putting out apprentices such and so many poor children ot the parish of W rexham, in such manner as her sons-in-law, John Robinson, of Gwersyllt, Esq., and Philip Egerton, of Acton, Esq., and their heirs should direct and appoint, and, in default thereof, in such manner as the Vicar and wardens for the time being of the said parish of Wrexham, should direct and appoint. Then comes a list of the tenancies and rents, the value of which is hereinafter shewn. « Until very lately a great part of the charities in I NVrexiiaip- left "to the poor" were misapplied in aid of r the rates by the overseers. One-third of the proceeds of their estate,, therefore, were so applied and two-thirds given to the schools, being intended for something like an approximation to the monies left to each invested in the purchase. A better state of things, however, exists at present, as will he shewn hereafter in mentioning those charities which are limited entirely to the poor. The proceeds of this estate, after deducting the trifling charges as above, are applied to the purposes of education, to which are added other sums taken by the Vicar and Churchwardens in the exercise of their dis- cretion from charities left to the poor. Boys' Seliool.-This school is held in a poor room, f■ rmerly a barn, situate in the Beast Market, it was given for that purpose by Sir W. W. Wynn, Bart. It is old and out of repair. The Master, Ralph Taylor, is yearly superannuated, and he does not possess that authority necessary for the prosperity of the school. He is bound to teach an unlimited number of boys- sent to him by the Vicar and wardens—reading, writing and accounts gratis. They are chosen from the parish at large. Thursday is the day appointed for receiving applications by the Vicar, and if he approves of the child he certifies it to the master. The average number was stated to be 100, which is far below what it ought to be in a populous town like Wrexham. This was stated to be owing to the joint deficiencies of the master and schoolroom. He has a salary of £ 60 a year paid to him quarterly by the Vicar, he-has no other endow- ment. The boys pay no entrance, and books are found them out of the charity. They are allowed the usual holidays at Christinas and in harvest time. No pirt of these funds have ever been applied in apprenticing, the fee paid with apprentices was stated to be very high in this town and neighbourhood, and it was not con- sidered, by competent persons, the most beneficial mode of applying the charity. School.—This school was built by subscription in 1816 or 1817, and in that way entirely supported until the pe-nod when the master of the Grammar School was called upon to give up his salary as reported under that head. This school consists of one large and commodious room with a house adjoining for the use of the mistress. In 1S27, finding this useful school de- the mistress. In 1827, finding this useful school de- clining for want of funds, and the above school falling away with the aid of funds, the Vicar and Church- wardens availed themselves of the clause in the Rev. Mr. Kendal's agreement and called upon him to re- linquish his salary, after due notice given, which was done. This sum of t60 has sirice been paid to the managing committee of ladies who superintend this school. The mistress (Mrs Pritchard) has a salary of £ 40 a year in money, and the remainder is applied towards the expenses, in repairs, coal, candles, &c. This school is carried on upon the national system. The girls are taught reading, writing, and sewing. The numbers are unlimited, but they are recommended by the Vicar and committee. The average is 80. The children pay a penny a week, which goes to a fund for providing materials for sewing, &c. This school was stated to be going on well. Although the estate pui chased with the legacies of the Jeffreys' was the origin of these schools, still it will be seen that at the present reduction of rents the proceeds of that alone will not pay expenses of the two schools. Recourse has been had therefore to certain other charities belonging to the poor, and which will be fully mentioned hereafter. Then comes a summary of the consolidated charities as follows (including small bequests):— £ s. d. Margaret Hughes (rent charge) 0 6 8 Maurice Jones 2 0 0 Gerrard Barbet (lands). 7 0 0 Elizabeth Jones 3 0 0 John Hughes 124 0 0 Jane Eyton 22 0 0 Consolidated charities (1st purchase) 16 0 0 Ditto ditto (2nd purchase) 30 0 0 J3204 6 8 I I Down to the year 1830 this large parish, containing I 11 townships, and from 12,000 to 14,<J00 inhabitants, ] was united for parochial purposes, and a person called the general overseer was appointed for the whole, part, of whose duty consisted in receiving the produce of the above charity estates, then producing a much larger in- come, and carry them to the account of the poor's rates. ( In 1820 the parish was divided, and each township has i since maintained its own poor and has a separate over- ] seer. In that year a meeting of the Vicar and Wardens ] was held with some of the principal inhabitants for the 1 purpose of investigating the nature and origin of the charities, and of having them applied as such, and the Vicar and Wardens were considered trustees for this f purpose. About this period the parish had contracted 1 debts to the amount of about £ 1,000 before the separa- tion into townships for parochial purposes had taken place. On the 23rd April, 1832, an order was made in ] Vestry that all debts due from the parish, be immedia- tely paid, rateably according to their amount, out of ] the surplus rents of the charity estates. In con- sequence of this order, the whole of the said rents 1 were applied to pay such parish bills as were 1 contracted prior to September, 1830 (when the above division of the parish was made), and then 4 still outstanding with the exception of £ 60 a year paid < out of them towards the support of the National School, j in consequence of the failure of one of the tenants of < Lady J effrevs' estates, left for the purpose of education, 1 and without which the school could not have been carried on. 1 The principal Dart of these debts were discharged by 5 Easter, 1834, with the exception of a few small bills, to 1 meet which there was more than sufficient in hand. For i this purpose the said rents received down to this period ( were appropriated. On the 13th May, 1836 (there being a surpi us of rents in hand amounting to £508), an order] was made in vestry for its appropriation. i The following are some of the principal items com- f prised in the above order, viz. :— £ 38 to the infant school, being ordered to be yearly paid thereto, and kIS to discharge some expenses incurred and owing to the treasurer; C25 to be distributed amongst the Sunday schools of the town—one-half to those of the Established Church, and the other half to the other schools of the town; a sum of S50 to be paid to the treasurer of the ( Wrexha.m Dispensary, to be laid out at the discretion i of the medical officers for the relief of the poor patients brought there from the town and a further sum of £ 60 ■■ paid to the same persons for similar purposes in favour ? of poor persons brought frnm the several townships. f These two sums were not to be added to the general 1 funds of the establishment, but were to be expended in ( providing them necessaries and additional comforts. 1 A sum of 240 was also applied to the Sunday Schools r of the country townships. Several other payments i were made which reduced the surplus to an incon- siderable balance—and under existing circumstances 1 perhaps the above applications were judicious—and as ] favourable to the poor as could have been expected. being a sort of compromise between the ratepayers and ( those who had been the means of rescuing the charity J estates from misappropriation. For this great credit is due to the Rev. George Cun- liffe, Vicar of Wrexham—and those gentlemen who 1 supported him in overcoming the many obstacles which c lay in the way. At the period of the enquiry, Sep- 1 tember, 1S36, all the parochial debts, which it was in- i tended to pay by means of the said charity funds, had been discharged. ] For the future it was stated to be the intention of the < trustees to apply i'20 a year from the rent toward keep- ] ing up the boys' and girls' schools, as they require, accord- j ing to the present mode of carrying them on, £ 120 a year; and the estates purchased with Lady Jeffreys" monies for their support, now produce only £ 100 per ( annum. The residue after paying repairs, &c., it was 1 contemplated, should be applied for clothing to the < poor of the uarish. As there has yet been no distri- j bution since the proceeds of the lands have been vested in the Yicar and his Wardens, it is hoped a system will be established such as to give satisfaction to all the reasonable inhabitants of the place—steering clear equally of party, political, and sectarian feeling, and one that shall be binding on the trustees of each year. The Church warden being of course supposed to change annually it was recommended that once a year, about Christmas, the trustees having ascertained the avail- able surplus, should call a meeting of the parishioners and place a written statement of the income and ex- penses and the balance in hand, and then let a discussion take place of the most beneficial mode of applying the money. Joshua Hughes' Charity.-This parish contains no copy of the will of this person. The following appears on the benefaction table in the Church. With a benevolent feeling for the indigent poor of his native town (Wrex- 0- ham), Mr. Joshua Hughes, merchant of Jamaica, by "y dated Jan. loth, 1S12, bequeathed to the parish ir oi Wrexham, the sum of £ 2,000 t > be put out at interest ie by the Churchwardens, and t e interest arising there- n from to be yearly divided equally amongst six of the t- poorest houekeep rs of the said parish—which sum d after deducting legacy du: y on the same was in- ir vested in the pu Lc funds in trust for the said parish in 11 the names of Sir W- W. Wynn. Bart. Sir Foster Cunjifie, Bart. and Simon Yorke, —leaving n £1,800. This legacy seems to have been paid by the 1- eocecutors in 1814, and was soon aferwards invested in a the Three per cent. Consolidated Bank Annuities th« a amount of stock i< Is. 101. The annual net s dividend amounts to r82 8s. 9d. and is received bv the 1 Wardens yearly, about Easter. The Wa-dens are' con- ) sidered the sole trusties of this Charity. Their 2 usual plan of applying it is to rec ive a t petition from applicants (three from town and three ? from country townships), with recommendations f-om some principal inhabitants, stating their circumstances, 5 &c., and then the wardens, or a majority of them, select I six, whose claims appear the strongest, each of whom is s given the sum of If the merit", of more candidates than are to be chosen appear equal they are eiected by lot. It is not considered binding to select ji&lt the oejects from town and half from country, nor ha? it be- n strictly adhered to—it depends much upon circumstances. The same persons do not receive it again. It was formerly given twice a year, bv which means twelve persons partook of it, but it was after- wards thought that the words of the will should be strictly adhered to, and it was changed to the present mode. Ann Roberts's Charity.— Ann Roberts, late of Wrex- ham, widow, by her will, 1815, gave and bequeathed a sum of £100. the interest thereof to be divided bv the churchwardens annually upon Christmas Day, among ten poor widows of the parish. The legacy duty and a sum of paid on account of some expenses It,ft £8i) for this object. This money was deposited by the executors in the bank of Messrs. Lloyd, Wrexham, on the 17th April, 1819, where it still remains. The interest, £4 5s., is paid at Christmas to the wardens, who select ten widows from the parish at large.*

CONFISCATION OF CHARITIES. TO THE EDITOR OF THE GUARDIAN. SIR,—It is very seldom that I attend the Easter Vestry, but I was led thither on Monday last, and I don't know wnether I was more astonished than amuseo. at the wonderful way in which Mr. John Jones and Mr. Actun with one accord, and I was going to say with one voice denounced the present government of the Gram- mar School, and with their remedy for improving not only its government, but its income. I have heard of philosophical Radicals, but I don't think I have ever before met philosophical law- yers. I therefore ask your indulgence for & small space in your valuable journal to examine the philosophy of your two local jurists. Mr. Jones, in very high sounding terms, refer- red to the deplorable condition of our Grammsir School-without pupils, without funds, without management, or anything that was good, and also without the name of a single great man who had been educated there—and then dilated upon the advantages to be derived from a good Grammar School where a high-class education could be obtained, and facetiously alluded to the jovial inhabitants, who are fond of toasting the good old town, for allowing such a state of things to exist. In all these remarks Mr. Acton more than agreed, reiterating them in more high- sounding terms than Mr. Jones, and I am sure those present expected that these two gentlemen possessed of so much philanthropy, would con- clude by putting down a good subscription as an incentive to oth i-s to provide the funds to remedy all the existing evils, and to make the Grammar School an institution after their own hearts. But alas wo were doomed to disappointment. It was all philosophy. No money was put down, nor was any suggestion made that the present generation were to be asked to provide the means for the desired improvements of the Grammar School. No, that would not be true philosophy. V, the legacy to the poor of Wrexham, left by that benevolent gentleman (Mr. Joshua iiughes) of a oast generation, was to be taken from those whose welfare and comfort the benefactor had thought of, and was to be applied to the educatinlib of the well-to-do classes of the present o-ener"+ion That was true philosophy. If, however thi- :is legal philosophy it is not equity. It is not just; it is not charitable; and I am surprised that the proposition was not negatived at once, and not allowed to hang over for two months to be dis- cussed at hole-and-corner meetings all over town. If this chanty is allowed to be confiscated what, I would ask, is to prevent all the ohe; charities sharing a similar fate ? I don't know who the legal advisers to the Trustees ot the Wrexham Charities are, but I hope, after the remarks of Mr. Jones and Mr. Acton, tlu-t their opinion will be given on the proposal at jr jouITled Vestry. It is a matter of the ore:;test importance that this proposal to confiscate thi* good charity should bo fully considered" be cause. as was pointed out at the Vestry" if the benefits of it are taken a way from the rJOor, no other charity belonging tutlie town will be safe from the spoilers hands.Yours obediently April 15th, 1879. P-VRr.snioim.

DENBIGH GRAMMAR SCHOOL. Under the new scheme it was necessary for the Court to apnoint a pitman to represent them on the Board of Governors of the above school, ;md at the re- quest of the Court Mr. C. S. Mainwaring agreed to act. JUSTICES' CLERKS' SALARIES. The CHAIRMAN mid thr t the fees paid to the Court by the clerks to the justices in the county for the quarter amounted to £305, whilst the salaries for that tenl) were £291. The CLERK of the PEACE suggested that they could not ascertain the exact difference made by the recent change in the law until they had a year's reurns before them THE GOVERNMENT OFFER FOR THE GAOL A PROTEST. A letter was read from the Home Office to the effect that the Secretary of State had recommended the sum of £600 to be paid to the justices in respect to the cells in the County Gaol. The sum which the justices had thought due to them was £6,000. The CHAIRMAN was afraid that they would not get any more, as they had done the same thing with many other cou' ties. Mr. JOHNSON said they were either entitled to the £6,000, the value they put on the property, or nothing. Mr. W. D. W. GRIFFITH thought they ought to know the grounds upon which the Government refused the claim, of the Court. Mr. R. G. JOHNSON We ought not to quietly submit to this. The CHAIRMAN They have very nearly acted in the lame way in Cheshire, Gloucestershire, Devonshire, and ether counties. Mr. CUNLIFFE: I am afraid that we are in their hands, and that we cannot do anything. Mr. JOHNSON Clearly, under the terms of the Act, we are entitled to £6.000 it is clearly shuffling with us. They had better have taken the cells and given us nothing. In reply to a Justice, the letter was again read, and the clause of the Act as to the payment for the cells. The letter made certain allegations against the par- ticular condition of the cells of the gaol, one being that the windows of some portion of them were so placed as to facilitate commvnication but that, as the Home Office desired to deal liberally with the countv of Denbigh, they fixed that be paid for the surplus accommodation. Mr. W. D. W. GRIFFITH thought they should protest against it. Mr. P. H. CHAMBRES considered that under the cir- cumstances they had better accept the money. The COUNTY SURVEYOR said, in reference to what was said about the female cells, as regarded communication, &c., when the alterations were made, the female gaol was allowed to remain as it was, it being considered that the cells were quite sufficient for all purposes, inas- much as the prisoners were employed generally in the wash-houses and were hardly ever in their cells. Mr. GRIFFITH Didn't we build all these extra cells by the express orders of the then Government. The CLERK of the PEACE replied that they had not. There were too many built by seven or eight. Denbigh- shire had been treated in the same way as all other counties. Carlisle had been treated better than any other place because it was in a better form. and the whole building was of value to Government. He saw a case in the papers the other day in which a certain county had so many extra cells, and all the Government offered for them was The CHAIRMAN said they must either accept the monev or seek an interview with the Home Secretary on the subject.. Mr. W. 1). W. GRIFFITH proposed, and Mr. R. G. JOHNSON seconded, that they accept the money under protest. The CLERK of the PEACE said he could not publish a record like that. Mr. CHAMBRES and other Justices thought they ought to accept the money with a good grace. Government could throw up the gaol and leave them to it. The CLERK of the PEACE Why in Gloucestershire they asked £28,000, and Government offered them only £5 a cell for a. few cells. Mr. CHAMBRES moved, and Captain BEST seconded it, that the money be accepted. This was carried by two votes. Eventually, however, it was agreed on the suggestion of the CHAIRMAN, that the question should stand over till next sessions; the Clerk of the Peace to write to the Home Office expressing the hope that the Court wou.d receive a still more liberal offer. ANALYST'S REPORT ADULTERATIONS. Mr. J. J. BANCROFT, Ruthin, the county analyst, reported that he had analysed certain packets of matter sent to him which it was thought contained poison, hut nothing of the kind was found therein. He mentioned that he believed that adulterations both in food and drugs took place in the county. Several Justices remarked that he told them the same thing every time, and they paid him £2 2s. for it. The WARDEN of RUTHIN Well he cannot do any- thing else unless the cases are brought to him. Mr. MAINWARING He cannot go out and get cases. He (the speaker) thought that the spirits at the small public houses ought to be analysed more than anything else. A JUSTICE thought that they should in certain cases take the opinion of a really first-class man in Liverpool or elsewhere, and that could be done now easily as it wa not necessary for him to attend to prove cases, his written report beimr quite sufficient. He would not give much for an analysis unless by a first-class man. Tue CLEliK of the PKACE said the as stated above, was something given to a woman for a certain purpose, and it was thought that it contained poison but it was not found. Mr. GRIFFITHS and others thought it would have been better to send a thing of that kind to a iiist-rate man at Liverpool. A long discussion here ensued on the general subject, and as to the necessity of taking up prosecutions for adulteration of food especially. MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS. In reference to a communication from the Town Clerk of Wrexham as to permission to remove the Russian gun to the new Barracks, it was stated that the gun was a gift to Wrexham by the Government; and j that the Court had nothing to do with it, though they thought its removal as wished was desirable. The CLERK of the'PEACE mentioned that the whole of the accounts as regards the sraol were closed satisfactorily. The other business was formal. j [Before Mr. THOMAS HUGHES and a full bench of Justices.] THE NEW HIGHWAY DISTRICT AT CONWAY. The Court was engaged some length of time in reference to opposition to the formation of a new high- way district which was decided upon at the last sessions and the particulars of which was published recently in the Guardian. t i Mr HIGGINS instructed by Mr. W. Davies, of Holy- well, opposed the formation of the district, and argued that the confirmation of the order must be made also by the county, out of which the new portion was taken, and further that the removal of two of the plac s named would require three separate orders to make it It seemed that the Carnarvonshire Justices had taken action, but the question had dropped for a time. Mr. HIGGINS, after much argument, said, in reply to the Bench, that he had a very strong case on the merits as well as the technical objections. The CLERK of the PEACE expressed the opinion that the section relied upon by Mr. Higgins bore a different 1 construction, and he held that a district was not dissolved as argued by Mr. Higgins, by the removal of a parish from it. An order was only needed with regard ] to the new district. Mr. HIGGINS stated that the ratepayers of Llanelian objected strongly to the change. Eventually it was agreed to adjourn the confirmation of the order till the next sessions in order to ascertain what the Carnarvonshire justices would do in the matter. Mr. HIGGINS thought that would be the best plan, and he could reserve his remarks and evidence on the subject until it came up at the next Sessions. ———— Before Mr. OSBORNE MORGAN, M.P., Q.C., sitting as deputy chairman, and Colonel Humberston. THE DENBIGH WATCH STEALING CASE. Sarah Dorken (26), pleaded guilty to having stolen from Thomas Keene, a traveller, a silver Geneva watch valued at 30s., he having whilst in drink to her house in Henllan-street, for an improper purpose.—She was sentenced to 3 months' hard labour. James Lloyd and Lloyd his wife, were charged with receiving the watch knowing that it was stolen. The jury after a long enquiry acquited James Lloyd, but found Mary Lloyd guilty, and the Chairman in sentencing her to 6 months hard labour said she had evidently been worse than the woman Dorken, who took the watch, for the facts of that case well illustrated the truth of the adage, that if there were no receivers there would be no (or very few) thieves. MONEY STOLEN AT WREXHAM. Edicard Jones (46), mason, pleaded not guilty to steal- ing £6 in money, the property of John JFalkner of Wrexham Regis, in whose house he and his wife had lodged 2 years, the wife having acted as housekeeper. Mr. Higgins prosecuted and Mr. Roberts defended. It was shown that the prisoner had access to the room where the money was kept and although he had be n without meney for weeks previously, was, after the date of the robbery spending money freely in drink, and had asked the landlord of a public-house to keep about £4 for him, which he declined to do. Prisoner was described by Sergeant Jones as an idle loafer. The Jury after returning from along deliberation found him guilty, but recommended him to mercy on the ground that the prosecutor kept his money very loosely. THE CHAIRMAN said that not mueh heed could be paid to that recommendation because prisoner had already ha.d two terms of penal servitude for felony, and there- fore the highest sentence that could be passed upon him was 7 years penal servitude, and to that term he was sentenced. Ex-Deputy Chief Constable Bradshaw w had come ever to prove the previous convictions of the fellow had a nice looking album in his care containing prisoner's photo and a brief sketch of his career, as well as the photos of some notable personages in the same walk of life, but prisoner pleaded gailty to his former convic- tions and so saved the trouble of producing the Ii pretty album." This concluded the business.