Welsh Gazette and West Wales Advertiser

NOTICE.-This column is devoted to better thoughts for quiet moments. Can the wiles of Art, the grasp of Power, Snatch the rich relics of a well-spent hour These, when the trembling spirit wings her flight, Pour round her path a stream of living light. KOGERS.

Summer Song. Sine-! sing me a song that is lit for to-day, SUI me a song of the sunshine, a warm sweet lay. Blue larkspur, and bold white daisies, and odour of ■Rrpathe • breathe into music a summer-day tunc> Learnt of the bloom-heavy breezes and hgof Full of the scent, and the glow, and the of LOUISA S. BEVINGTON.

• ♦ Uses of Recreation. Recreation is intended to the mind as whetting is to the scythe—to sharpen the end of it-whicb otherwise would grow dull and blunt. He t er Ce, that spends his whole 5 ™ ever whetting, never mowin0 hi g y 8 and his steed starve; as, contrarily, he that always toils and never recrea es s ever never whetting—labouring much, to little purpose. As eood no scythe as no edge. Then only doth the work go forward when the scythe is so season- ably and moderately whetted that it may cut, and so cut that it may have the help of shaxpemng^ HALL.

+» Folly and Fear. Folly and Fear are sisters twain; One closing her eyes, The other peopling the dark inane z, With spectral lies.

Usefulness. Give fools their gold, and knaves their power, Let fortune's bubbles rise and fall; Who sows a field, or trains a flower, Or nlants a tree, is more than all. UR piains WHITTIER.

— Life. What is my life 1 Any human lifes ? A mysteiy: s> cloud dark, yet edged with light, like the outside 'of heaven with wavelets of overflowing glory; like a great mav-be,a possibility, a destiny, I ghost which may darken into a fiend or brighten into an angel. I cannot tell what my life is. it is so much, so little it is a killing pain; it is a maddening joy. a delirious gladness, and a very pit of horror. So strange it slopes up to heaven like an easy hill, then suddenly breaks off, and lo I I must come down again, or fall into mist, into gloom, into death, On goes the many-coloured dream, and still on, like an endless cloud. DR. JOSEPH PARKER.

—+- Grief. The first thing to be conquered in grief is the pleasure we feel in indulging it. There is but one pardonable sorrow-that for the departed. This pleasing grief is but a variety of comfort; the sighs we heave are but a mourniul mode of loving them. We shed tears when we think of their departure, and we do so. too, when we think on reunion with them, and our tears at both times are not very different. That which is past, how- ever, should be submitted to with perfect sub- mission. It is as foolish to complain of a loss which has been sustained, and which loss cannot be remedied, as to regret that we have not wings, or that we cannot pay a visit to the moon. RICHTER.

A Materialistic Age. What might be called a fit of materialism, like periodic insanity, seems every now and then to take possession of men. Just at present the fit is ■on fhe ruling idea seems to be to get as near--to. the earth as possible. Science leads the way, blowing the ancient pipes of Pan, and philosophy, religion, literature, civil and social life follow, rlnnrine- their way towards the "dust of the earth whence they came. I have no fear but that this temporary insanity will pass. lhe world will come to itself, and perhaps to atone for its folly and madness will rush to the other extreme of mysticism and sentimentalism. For one look into the history of human thought and morals is enough to convince one that the earthly craze is, and must be, of short duration. We have a spiritual constitution. It always has asserted, it .always will assert itself to the end. My only fear is that during this materialistic lunation some of us may lose our bearings and "while it is certain that the great world will in time swing back to ancient and true order, we, the unfortunate indi- viduals, may never come to ourselves. Or, to change the figure, the battle must be fought out- the victory is assured; but unless we are properly armed and instructed, we may be left dead on the field, or bring away wounds for life. It is said that'in the treatment of insane and idiotic children the great aim is to get them to look up. They put their playthings oil the stairs above their reach. As soon as one of them begins to look up they have hope of him. So when men have lost their spiritual sanity, and go grovelling on the earth, z, saying to a stock, Thou art my father," and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth," the only hope is to endeavour to get them to lift up their heads; to engage their thought heavenwardi There never was a greater demand than just at present for lifting up the thought of men to the great spiritualities that hold their eternal course of beauty and order above the world. REV. J. H. EcoB, D.D.

♦ The Nature of Devotion. In devotion there is this great peculiarity—that It is neither the work or the play of our nature, but is something higher than either—more ideal than the one, more real than the other. All human activities besides are one of these two things—either the mere aim at an external end, or the mere outcome of an inner feeling. On the one hand, we plough and sow, we build and navigate, that we may win the adornments and securities of life; on the other hand, we sing and dance, we carve and paint, that we may put forth the pressure of harmony, and joy, and beauty breaking from within. Mechanicai toil terminates in a solid product, graceful art is content with simple ex- pression; but religion is degraded when it is reduced to either character. It is not a labour of utility; and he who looks to it as a means of .safety, to ingratiate himself with an awful God, and bespeak an interest in a hidden future, is an utter stranger to its essence; his habits and words may be cast in its mould, but the spark of its life is not kindled in his heart. When fed by the fuel of prudence, the fire is all spent in fusing it into form, and the finished product is a cold and metal mimicry, that neither moves nor glows. Nor is religion a simple gesture of passion; and to class I ,it with mere natural language, to treat it as the rhythmical delirium of the soul, working off an irrepressible enthusiasm, is to empty it of its real meaning and contents, and sink it from a divine attraction to a human excitement. The postures and movements and tones which simply manifest the impassioned mind are content to go off into space, and pass away; they direct themselves no whither; they have no more object than a con- vulsion they ask only leave to be the last shape of a feeling that must have way; and, be the inspiration what it may, they close and consum- mate its history. But he who prays is at the beginning of aspiration, not at the evaporating end of impulse; he is drawn, not driven; he is not painting himself upon vacancy, but is surrendering himself to a Presence real and everlasting. If he flings out his arms, it is not in blind paroxysm, but that he may embrace, and be embraced; if he cries aloud, it is that he may be heard; if he makes melody of the silent heart, it is no soliloquy flung into emptiness, but the low-breathing love of .spirit to Spirit. Devotion is not the play even of the highest faculties, but their deep earnest. It is, no doubt, the culminating point of reverence; but reverence is impossible without an object, and could never culminate at all, or pass into the Infinite, unless its object did so too. In every case, we find that the faculties and susceptibilities of a being tell true, and are the exact measure of the outer life it has to live; and just as many and as large proportions as it has, to just so many and so great objects does it stand related; so that from the axis of its nature you may always draw the curve of its existence. Human worship, there- fore, turning to the living God, as the infant's eye to light, is itself a witness to Him whom it feels after and adores it is the image and shadow of heavenly things;" the parallel 0 chamber in our nature with that Holy of Holies whither its incense ever ascends. JAMES MARTINKAU.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-THURSDAY. The Speaker took the Chair at three o'clock. The attendance of members was meagre. Mr. BRODRICK (Under Foreign Secretary) in- formed Sir E. Gourley (R., Sunderland) that no statement could yet be made as to the re- assemblance of the Anglo-American Commission, or ihe differences alleged to exist between the American and Canadian members. Mr. BRODERICK, answering Mr. Provand (R., Glasgow, Blackfriars), said it was the case that, within a few days of the signing of the recent rail- way agreement of April 28th between this country and Russia the Russian Minister at Peking made a demand on the Chinese Government for a con- cession for a branch Railway from a point on the Trans-Manchuria Railway to Peking, so as to con- nect Port Arthur with Peking, and the demand was refused. Papers on the subject could not yet be laid before the Foreign Office vote was dis- cussed next week. Mr. DILLON (U. Mayo, E.) asked and obtained leave to move the adjournament of the House to discuss a definite matter of urgent public import- ance, hamely, the holding of disorderly and riotous public meetings in Belfast, causing the greatest danger to the public peace, and the fear that the proceedings would be renewed owing to the inac- tion of the authories. The religious authorities, he said, which had caused the previous disturbances, were announced to be repeated on Sunday and Monday next, and on Monday there wai to be a Nationalist demonstration, and a counter-demon- stration had been organised for the purpose of creating a riot. He asked that steps should be taken to preserve the peace. Mr. J. OSBORNE, seconded. Mr. G. BALFOUR (Secretary for Ireland) said the Government and the Belfast magistrates were alive to their responsibilities, and would take proper precautions. The hon. member's inter- position in the character of a supporter of law and order would not make the task of the Belfast authorities any easier. The motion was rejected by 125 to 73. The House went into Committee of Supply. On the Vote of £ 5,522,885 for the Post Office, Mr. STEADMAN (R., Stepney) drew attention to grievances of Post Office employes, and moved a reduction of the Vote by Z100, in order to demand an inquiry into those grievances. The men had no confidence in the Committees that had been appointed, because they were not represented on them. General LAURIE (U., Pembroke Boroughs) called attention to the insufficiency of the staff and want of accommodation at Pembroke Dock. They held that it was not an unreasonable thing that the delivery of letters should be so drawn up that the postmen should not be over two hours delivering letters in a street of continuous houses. The de- partment regretted that the staff was undermanned, and when they were asked to increase the staff they pleaded that there was no accommodation for an increased staff. When they were asked to increase the accommodation, then they replied that the matter was under consideration, and they hoped some day or other to provide it. The reply was so vague and unsatisfactory that he had no other means of calling attention to it except in Committee and by placing on the paper a motion for the re- duction of the Postmaster-General's salary, and unless the answer of the Secretary of the Treasury was satisfactory, he should feel bound to press the motion. He moved to reduce the vote by £50. Mr. HUMPHREYS-OWEN (R., Montgomery) suggested that the Treasury could hardly find a better investment of public money than by increas- ing the postal and telegraphic facilities. In his part of the country, where agricultural depression was not so heavily felt as in the eastern counties, everybody knew that if they wanted to induce the population to settle in the country, almost the first thing to provide was postal and telegraphic communication with the rest of the world. He hoped the right hon. gentleman would commune with himsels and would persuade himself that better facilities should be afforded. Mr. HANBURY (Financial Secretary to the Post Office) said the points that had been brought up were not new, They had been discussed over and over again. The postal officials had the fullest right of combination and a right of access to the Postmaster General, the only limitation being that deputations should consist of bona-fide officials of the department and not of outsiders. With regard to letter boxes on mail trains, it would be necessary to place them in charge of Post Office officials, and that could not be done unless it was justified by a considerable amount of business. On a division the amendment was rejected by 158 to 107. The Vote was agreed to as was several others; and progress was reported. HOUSE OF COMMONS. -UTONDAY. LORD KITCHENER AND THE SOUDAN CAMPAIGN. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE MAHDI'S BODY. SPEECHES BY MR. BALFOUR, SIR H. C. BANNERMAN, AND MR. MORLEY. The House then went into Committee of Supply, and the Queen's message in regard to the grant to Lorcf Kitchener of Z30,000 was read by the Clerk at the table. Mr. BALFOUR then said Mr. Lowther, in the earlier hours of last September the whole country was in a mood of anxious, if hopeful expectation. It was known that the long drama of the Soudan, extended over sixteen years; was visibly and surely drawing to a close. That drama is one on which we cannot look back with unmingled satisfaction. It has been marked by some great disasters, by some barren successes, by one tragic event which has stamped itself indelibly on the hearts and memories of the people of these islands (hear, hear). And a question connected with this great drama was. Of what character will be the final catastrophe ? We knew that the enemy whom he had to meet was far superior to us in numbers, that in point of courage and daring they were not inferior to any fighting troops that the world has ever seen (hear, hear),—that they fought with the great advantages accruing from the fact that they were in their own country and that we were divided from our military base by many miles of country and great difficulties (hear, hear). The question, therefore, which we asked ourselves, not without some pardonable anxiety, was whether the superior arms, superior organisation, and the superior strategy of our forces would enable us to bring this long contro- versy to a final and triumphant issue. The fact that the midday sun on the 2nd September saw finally and for ever the power of Mahdism crushed (cheers),—was due above all other things to the genius of the man whom we desire to-day to honour and to reward (cheers). I hope that no gentleman will this afternoon allow the course which he proposes to take on this vote to be warped or modi- fied by any view he may entertain upon the policy of the Government in advancing from Wady Haifa to Khartoum. On that policy sharp differences have divided us in the past. No man will by the vote he gives to-night in any prejudice the views he may take upon these broad questions of policy. Those who would withhold from a successful General his merited reward, not on the ground of military incompetence or incap- acity, but on the ground that he was carrying out a policy of which they disapproved, are in effect saying to him and the gallant soldiers who sup- ported him: You have endured hardships, you have faced death, you have gone on an expedition where defeat meant instantaneous destruction or a slavery compared with which instantaneous destruction would have by far the more happy lot. All this you have done. You have done it with courage, with patience, with perseverance. You have done it to the best cf your ability. We are proud of the skill you have shown. But you have done it in a cause of winch we disapproved, and because we disapproved of it, therefore we with- hold from you the reward which on other grounds you have so nobly and so justly earned (cheers). There is, therefore one question, and one question only, before the Committee on the present occasion —a question of military merit,—and I would ven- ture to say that on this question the country has long made up its mind, and has months ago come to an authoritative decision. My mind goes back to the great banquet held at the Mansion House in the early days of November, in which Lord Salisbury, Lord Rosebery, and the right hon. gentleman, the member for Monmouthshire, all vied with each other in giving lavish praise to the hero of Omdurman (cheers). Exploits, which are praised alike by Lord Salisubry, Lord Rosebnry, and the right hon memberjfor Monmouthshire seem to me to be exploits to which there can be no objection (laughter). I don't know where the, objection is to come from if these three gentlemen are agreed. Other generals, and those some of the greatest history records, have done their great deeds with an army ready to their hands. Lord Kitchener bad in part to create the army with which he worked for he was one of those eminent organisers who from the very beginning made the Egyptian army ll I ly what it is from what it was in the time of Hicks Pasha; and as other generals have shown thei: skill in using to the best advantage their line of communication. We must not contemplate the services of Lord Kitchen merely as the victor at Atbara and Omdurnam. He combined the organisation of victories with the carrying out of the military operations by which victory was ultimately secured. He organised victories and he won them, and of these two great feats the organisations is perhaps the greater (hear, hear). I beg, therefore, to move— That a sum not exceeding £ 30,000 be granted to Her Majesty to be issued to Major General Lord Kitchener of Khartoum, G.C.B., K.C M.G„ as an acknowledg- ment of his services in planning and conducting 11 1 the recent operations into the Soudan" (loud cheers). Sir H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN, who was received with Oppositions cheers, said I rise for the purpose of saying, on my own behalf and on the part of my political friends, that we fully share the estimate of Lord Kitchener's services which expressed in his conduct of that long series of operations which culminated in the capture of Om- durman and the occupation of the Upper Nile. Lord Kitchener deserves all the honour that has been conferred upon him by his Queen and country, and he deserves the grateful recognition of this House (cheers). But when we speak of Lord Kitchener, it will, of course, be understood that we do not imply that the merit is all his. In passing this vote we shall be giving expression to our grateful recognition and admiration of the services of those, whether his own countrymen or the Africans, who fought and endured with him and the distinguished officers who advised and assisted him (cheers). And I would go further, and say that we ought to include them in our warmest gratitude, and give them a larger share of the tribute of praise than is sometimes given to them (hear, hear). I would gladly stop here, but we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that there are some reasons to be adduced for not passing this vote in the full measure that is proposed, and perhaps it is only right, although the right hon. gentleman had, and has, with great propriety from his point of view, hesitated to anticipate objec- tions which may be raised, that I should refer in anticipation to these objections. (Cries of Oh," and cheers). There is the disentombment of the remains of the Mahdi, and their dispeisal under circumstances which involve ignominy upon his memory. (Cries of Hear, hear.") I believe there has been no wavering in the judgment of the British nation upon this matter from the first day till now. The news, when it was received in this country, struck us all with a shock of something like horror. We could hardly believe that such a thing had been done. It was a breach of sound policy, of good feeling—(cheers)—and of good manners. I recall a picture of John Leech, where he represents a fine lady sitting in her room, and her child, a little girl, complaining of the conduct of her brother, says, Mamma, isn't he wicked ? He's swearing." My dear," says the fine lady, "it is worse than wicked. It is vulgar" (cheers and laughter). I believe that is a sufficient illus- tration of exactly the sort of feeling we have. War is war, and war means carnage in any case, but war conducted between savage tribes, or against savage tribes, means excessive carnage, and probably retaliatory carnage to an extent which must be abhorrent to every civilised mind. The only justification for our being in that region of the world at all is that we bring to them, slowly and lamely it may be, and in circuitous ways, civilisation and peaceful development. Let it be an instruction to all our officers, while leaving them perfect freedom of action, that they should conduct their operations as nearly as possible according to the rules of civilised warfare. I be- lieve I have dealt imperfectly with the case, because I cannot anticipate what may be said either in attack or in defence on the matter, but I have at all events laid down some general con- siderations, and I conclude by saying that from these general considerations I see in no criticism that has been applied to this vote anything of such proportions or of such gravity as could be set against the undoubted claim of Lord Kitchener to our grateful recognition, and I therefore shall cor- dially support the vote (cheers). Mr. J. MORLEY, rising amid Radical cheers, said With much that has been said by the First Lord of the Treasury and my right hon. friend I am glad to find myself in very considerable con- currence. The First Lord of the Treasury said in September we were watching the close of the Soudan drama which has attracted attention and often absorbed it for so many years. I wish—and it is the only remark I would make on that aspect of the matter-I could believe that we have seen the fall of the curtain on the five acts of the Soudan tragedy (hear, hear). But to-night, and here I come to the second point in which I am in absolute agreement with the right hon. gentleman-is not the occasion that we can justifiably, in my opinion, enter upon considerations of policy in any aspect whatever. Whatever we may think of the policy Lord Kitchener was the instrument—the able and powerful instrument-of a policy which was im- posed on him by the Government of this country and by this House. Therefore, whatever view we take of that policy, it need not and cannot stand in the way of our appreciation of his military merits (cheers). Upon the question of military merits it would be ridiculous for me to offer any opinion, and I do not propose to do so. I hope the House, which after all is a place that loves fair play, will believe that to nobody can it be more disagreeable than it is to me to use any language or to take up any attitude which may seem, as the First Lord of the Treasury said, to deprive an act of grace of some of its graciousness. But there are other things to think of besides graciousness. The topic to which my right hon. friend began by referring was the destruction of the tomb of the Mahdi and the exhumation and destruction of the Mahdi's remains. The House, judging from the impatience shown in some quar- ters at the introduction of this topic, appears to have forgotten what my right hon. friend reminded them of-the extraordinary feeling of shock and disgust which was aroused in every quarter (some ministerial cries of No," and opposition cheers). Hon. gentlemen who say "No" forget that the right hon. gentleman has so eloquently in no quarter was there more disgust more vividly expressed than in the quarter below the gangway. I will not argue this matter in a way which will offend anybody, but hon. members will recognise that upon this House there is no responsibility, among all those that weigh upon us, that weighs more heavily than the responsibility of supervising y I and keeping a strict and vigilant watch upon what is done by our agents and officers (hear, hear). I rember years ago an eminent public writer said that a Government ought to support its agents in 'difficulties always, in error sometimes, in crime never (hear, hear). I am not going to argue that I would describe this particular transaction as criminal, but I do regard it as one of; those errors which a wise and good man may accidentally fall into, but against him this Hoese is called upon hy its most supreme duty to register an emphatic and formal protest (opposition cheers). I do not belong to the school—if school there be-which would deal out honours and emoluments to good public servants:with a grudging and parsimonious hand, and I certainly am not one of those who are inclined to make no allowance for men called upon to take great decisions in moments of emergency. The Committee will agree that there are military acts which no plea of political necessity can justify. Let us look at this plea of political necessity. The first authority quoted is Lord Cromer. It would be most unbecoming of one to disparage the authority of Lord Cromer, but I would point out that all that Lord Cromer can know upon the politi- cal necessity of this act must be from reports made to him by military authority- I would ask the Committee to listen to another authority who is not inferior to Lord Cromer, or to Lord Kitchener upon this'matter. I refer to Slatin Pasha, who I think to-day has slightlly changed his view. But in an interview that he had in March with a representa- tive of a London newspaper——(cries of name "). It is the London Echo" (some ministerial laughter). I do not know why you laugh. The authenticity of this is not disputed, no matter if it were contained in Punch." Slatin Pasha differed from Lord Cromer, and his authority is higher in this respect than Lord Cromer's. Now look at Lord Kitchener's own position. This is after all the root of the matter. Lord Kitchener said that the destruction of the tomb was poli- tically advisable considering the state of the country, and he gave for a second reason that the tomb was in a dangerous condition owing to the damage done to it by shell fire, and might have caused loss of life. He tells us later that the advice was given him after the taking of Om- durman by Mahometan officers that it would be better if the body was removed; otherwise many of the more ignorant at Kordofan would consider that the sanctity with which they surrounded the Mahdi prevented us from doing so. This step apparently was taken not because Lord Kitchener thought it a political necessity, not because Lord Cromer thought it a political necessity, but because Mahometan officers thought it was politically advisable. Therefore, when you come to test the authority upon this revolting proceeding, pray bear in mind that it was the authority of Mahometan officers (Ministerial cheers). Has it come to this, that on a matter affecting our standard of civilis- ation this House is to take that standard from Mahometan officers ? (loud Opposition cheers). I have no prejudice against Mahometans, but I con- fess it would mark a deterioration of the highest principles that have animated public life in this country for a long time if that is to be accepted, which hon. members opposite seem to desire (Opposition cheers). The Mahdi set a better example, because I believe it is true that the remains of that eminent soldier, Sir Herbert, Stewart, who met his death in the expedition of 1885, and was buried in the Mahdi's territory, are to this day a bsol utely intact (hear, hear). Therefore, the Mahdi and his people paid a respect and veneration to the tomb of a brave enemy which I deplore Lord Kitchener did not think better to do (cries of Gordon.") It may have been politically advisable to make a deep impression on an ignorant people. They are not supposed to have been im- pressed by the Maxim gun, or by the vast exhibition of British power and energy, but I sup- pose the removal of the remains of their dead prophet was to make that impression. "The wrong thing about it," to again quote Slatin, was that it was done stealthily. Had it been held de- sirable to do this, the emirs and chiefs of tribes who still believe in the Mahdi should have been sum- moned, and then, with the utmost publicity, in the presence of all, the bones might have been removed from the tomb and buried elsewhere, showing them that their prophet was nothing but an ordin- ary man; and to do the thing secretly was a great mistake." I have a word to say upon the phrase "removal." Removal is a very smooth and almost elegant expression for what really happened. Was his head not cut off ? (No.) Then what does Lord Kitchener mean when he says that when I left Omdurman for Fashoda I ordered its destruction. This was done in my absence, the Mahdi's bones being thrown into the Nile." Surely there was mutilation. The skull only was preserved (cheers). This is a gruesome topic (Ministerial cheers). Yes, but you are not to escape gruesome topics when your commanders indulge in gruesome proceedings (Opposition cheers). I have no desire to blacken any man's character, but it cannot be denied that the skull was preserved and handed over for disposal (hear, hear). I think that act of taking up the remains of the enemy and dispersing them is not denied. I only recollect two or three cases of the kind in history. The French Revolutionists, in their frenzy, went to the Church of St. Denis and violated the tombs of the kings. Some of those kings had not perhaps deserved much better (ministerial laughter) for one of them—the greatest of them-sent to the monastery of Port Royal and had 3000 corpses ex- humed, so that Louis XI. did not get much worse treatment than he had meted out to others. The journals of this House contain the famous order directing the exhumation of the" carcase" of Cromwell (here two or three Irish members emphat- ically exclaimed" hear, hear," an interruption followed by laughter in all parts of the House). Lord Cromer says the body is now buried at Wady Haifa. Was that in consequence of the feeling excited in this House and in the country ? (Hear, hear.) It may be thought by some these are slight incidents. It will be a very bad day for this country when such ignoble proceeding are treated as trivial, and thought to require no justification (cheers.) Is this House—and here I differ from my right hon. friend (Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman),—is this House or is this House not to have an opportunity to protest against these ignoble proceedings (cheers.) You send your generals and soldiers to civilise savage men. Take care that these savages do not barbarise your soldiers and your generals, and above all, take care that the maxims and standards and feelings of this House are not barbarised (cheers). The more you extend your Empire the more imperative is the duty of exacting from your agents abroad the standards of conduct which we exact at home. It[will be a badjday, indeed, when you have one conscience for the mother country and another for the vast territory abroad (cheers). We must trust those whom we entrust with power in the distant land, and we must steadily insist that that power shall be used in accordance with our own principles of humanity. The voting resulted in a majority of 342 for the grant. Fifty-one followed Honest John."

Wearisome Verbosity. One of the greatest, and I think the commonest, of faults of lady teachers is that of talking too much. Let me give my experience of this morning. I heard the headmistress and three assistant teach- ers give Scripture lessons. For forty minutes those poor children had to sit and stand (several of them on the desks) while the teachers poured out floods of words. The facts, the lessons were simple, and were evidently well known to the children; but they were served up again and again with the same accompaniment of words. I spoke to the mistress on the point, and she told me .that her vicar only a few days before had expressed himself in similar terms, and had regretted that it took the teachers so long to say so little.—" The Schoolmistress."

Education of Children Bill. The House of Commons reassembled on Wednes- day after the Whitsuntide holidays. The Educa- tion of Children Bill, introduced by Mr. Robson, was considered in Committee. Mr. G. Whiteley moved an amendment with the object of postpon- ing the time when the Act should come into opera- tion from 1900 to 1905. Mr. Tomlinson seconded the amendment, which was rejected by 163 votes to 10. Mr. Whitcly next proposed to substitute eleven years and six months for twelve years as the age at which half time employment should in future begin. This was defeated by 177 votes against 18. Mr. Robson moved the adoption of a new sub-section providing that the local authority for any rural district may by by-law for any parish within its district fix thirteen years as the minimum age for exemption from school attendance in the case of children to be employed in agriculture, and that in such parish those children over eleven and under thirteen years of age who have passed the standard fixed for partial exemption from school attendance by the by-laws of the local authority shall not be required to attend school more than 250 times in any year. Mr. G. Whiteley moved that the word rural" should be omitted, and after some discussion this was agreed to. Mr. Whiteley further moved to omit the words to be employed in agriculture" and substitute not employed in any factory or workshop." This was rejected by 245 votes against 26. Mr. Robson's new sub-sec- tion as amended was then agreed to. Colonel Mellor moved an amendment providing that where the educational authority was satisfied that the earnings of any half-timer were necessary owing to the poverty of the parents, to the maintenance of the child, that authority should have power, not- withstanding this Act, to grant a certificate of exemption to such child. The amendment was rejected by 229 votes to 63. On the question that clause 1 stand part of the bill, Mr. G. Whiteley moved to leave out the clause. The bill had been demanded by only one section in the country, namely the National Union of Teachers. If be might say so without offence, the National Union of Teachers were leading the House by the nose, and that was an undignified position for the House to be in (laughter). While Mr. Whiteley was speaking, Mr. Robson moved the closure. This was carried by 263 votes to 26, and the question that clause 1 stand part of the bill was agreed to. There remain five new clauses, which will be considered this week.

The Teaching Profession. On Saturday afternoon Mr. James Bryce, M.P. delivered the annual presidential address to the members of the Teachers' Guild of Great Britain and Ireland, at the Westminster Town Hall. In the course of his remarks he said the teaching profession had become much more of a profession in recent years, and especially since it became disengaged from the clerical profession. The education of women had also been much more developed, and female teachers were now able to stand as members of a class, and on an equality with the men. The aim of the teaching profession should be unity as far as possible, for the art of teahing, the process of conveying ideas to the learner's mind was the same throughout, and although the combined organization of school and University was perhaps at present unattainable, it was desirable that every member of the profession should be interested in the whole of its members. It was quite impossible to over-rate the amount of ignorance which the general public had of educa- tional questions, and teachers should have repre- sentation on central and local authorities. He hoped the teachers of the country would express their opinion on the proposal of the Legislature to make a most momentous change in connection with education, namely, the substitution of the teaching of physical science for literary and humane subjects. This proposal had gone too far, and was becoming a serious danger to the future education of the people, for the substitution of a scientific education for the teaching which had led to the highest thoughts and ideas of mankind would produce a hard, dry, gritty, unfertile type of mind, as compared with the results which literary studies ought to produce. The kind of epucation most useful to the community should consist of an intelligent power of thinking about, the highest patriotism for and interest in things concerning the welfare of the nation, and a defer- ence to those that were wiser than themselves. There was at present a constant desire for exciting pleasure, with a consequent disconcerted scrappi- ness of mind and a superficial knowledge of many things but a thorough knowledge of none. Educa- tion should endeavour to anticipate these tempta- tions of modern society and put a stop to the vain and useless pursuit of reading so that the people might be taught to think more for themselves. The Bishop of Bangor has arranged that the examination of schools in religious knowledge shall in future be conducted by an official inspector. The Rev. A. O. Evans, who was ordained last September to the curacy of Connah's Quay, has beed selected for the post. Mr. Evans is a graduate of Lampeter College, where he held the Phillips, Butler (theology),and Eldon (Hebrew) Scholarships.

UniDcrsitp College, ABERYSTWYTH. Educational Problems. THE BISHOP OF HEREFORD AT THE COLLEGE. In connection with the local branch of the Teach- ers' Guild Dr. Percival, the Lord Bishop of Hereford, addressed a large number of students aud visitors in the Examination Hall of the College, at Aberyst- wyth, on Thursday. Principal Roberts occupied the chair. Dr. Percival said he was particularly glad of the opportunity of seeing face to face the living representatives of that University—the university of the present and all the hope of the future, because it was to him as an Englishman to some extent interested in Wales, for, however unworthy, he had the privilege of peesiding over some dozen Welsh parishes—(laughter)—particularly interest- ing to come and have even that hasty glimpse of their University and its life. It was so different from the English universities as to have a fascina- tion for one who was moved, as he confessed he was sometimes moved, by what might be called democratic tendencies (cheers). The English universities of Oxford and Cambridge—noble in- stitutions as they were, were English national uni- versities in a somewhat different sense to that at Aberystwyth. No one conld be familierwith their life and with the life of the people of England without seeing that Drford and Cambridge were universities of the professions and of the wealthier classes. It was not necessary for him to say any- thing of the splendid services they did to the nation or to the way they extended their influence through all ranks of the people by extension lectures and in other ways. But notwithstanding all that, they occupied towards the nation a different relationship to what the University of Aberystwyth occupied towards the people of Wales. Whether his conception was a right one or not, it was a conception which made all thought of their Welsh University so interesting to him and it was this, that that was a university of the people, to a great extent provided by the impulse of the people, and used by the people of all ranks and classes. He thought of it as a university in which would be educated not merely professional men and women and those who belong to the weathier and leisured classes, but those who went out into occupation, and who lived their lives in the hills and valleys of Wales (applause). He often envied Wales insti- tutions of that kind which laid their grasp upon the whole life of the Kingdom, which no institution did on the ordinary life of England. England there- by suffered a great loss, it seemed to him—a loss which it suffered both with relation to Scotland and to Wales. He remembered being very much struck by an illustration of the value of the pre- valance of university life, as touching in a close and in a real sense the common life of the people, when travelling along the Highland Railway of Scotland. He travelled for a considerable distance with a stonemason, whose con- versation was that of a really educated man, and was of the most interesting character, He did not know that he had ever heard anyone talk more interestingly of Thomas Carlyle than did that plain working mason in the highlands of Scotland. (cheers). Of course, there are some little extra- vagances in his talk as might be expected from a Scotch highlandman when talking about Thomas Carlyle (laughter). He could not say he could always follow him the whole distance, particularly when he insisted time after time that Thomas Carlyle was the greatest man on God's earth (re- newed laughter). But still he felt, when he came away from that conversation, that the Scotch system of higher education pervaded the whole of Scotch life in every degree from the University. The people of Wales provided it for themselves in Wales, but the people of England did not enjoy it. He congratulated them on having done that great and good work for their own generation and for the generations that were to come after them (ap- plause). He should like to add one word with regard to the University, and that was to express the pleasure he felt at seeing that women were securing their proper share of Welsh education (applause). It had been one of the blots upon English life in the past that men seemed to have appropriated almost all the various helps and en- dowments and benefits up and down English life given for the purpose of education; and it was one of the most hopeful of all signs for the life of generations to come that woman was beginning to secure something like, there in Wales at any rate, an equal opportunity with man in the field of Welsh Education (applause). About a year ago he was invited by Canon Rownsley to open at Kes- wick a new secondary school of a mixed character to be frequented by boys and girls—joint education. He did not know whether such schools existed in Wales; but at any rate it was a new type of school in that part of the world (laughter). He was not going there to discuss the value of a mixed, educa- tion, but it was very interesting to him to find that the master and the mistress who had been selected to preside over the school at Keswick were both Welsh people (cheers). The master was a Welsh- man of considerable distinction and the mistress had been a distinguished teacher, as he under- stood, in one of the higher schools at Barmouth or Dolgelley (applause). In that way it would be seen how England was beginning to benefit by the higher education which Wales was giving to her young people, which enabled Wales to send her youth out as missionaries into the remote corners of England (laughter). Going on to speak of the Teachers' Guild, his Lordship said that when living at Oxford he had to do with the foundation of the guild. In fact, he believed he was chairman of the tirst council (cheers). He noticed that the guild had a very interesting conference at Aber- ystwyth last year. The Teachers Guild was one of the best of the institutions which were working all over their English life. It represented the whole body of teachers effected a new kind of unity and helped them a long way forward towards securing the teacher a real professional status; and the more they could do that they made more influential the highest and best educational powers of the country. In England teachers were divided into sections, each of which occupied a different plane. The Guild brought teachers of all sections together where they could not only help but could learn from each other (hear, hear). In Wales teachers were not divided to the extent they were in England, and Wales was to be congratulated on that fact, because there was no greater loss for a nation or for the profession than for the teachers to be divided into separate classes (applause). One of the great gains of a university like that was that it tended to obliterate divisions, not only in society, but in professions, and so helped to keep the people together in one national body (hear, hear). He had not observed anything in England which tended to bring women so much to the front as the Guild. He had always been profoundly impressed with the fact that women teachers were far less subject, he might say, to tradition and to conven- tional influences than men. They came to a subject of discussion with more open minds, and, if he might venture to describe it, were more ideal- istic (laughter). He hoped the men present would forgive him (renewed laughter). The habit of women seemed to him to be more directly the habit of looking at the higher aspiration of the subject and he had noticed how women impared a higher tone to fhe subject and he could not but feel that they went away and faced their pupils in many instances with higher, clearer, and purer notions of what could be done with the profession than was the case with many of the masters and so he had felt thankful again and again that the Teachers' Guild was a body which had been tending all over the country in one branch and another to bring women more to the front in the discussion of the higher education because he was convinced it had been a great gain to the cause of education. (applause). There was still another reason for joining the Teachers Guild. It helped to add momentum to the demand which the Guild was always making for the registration of teachers and schools and for the adequate training of teachers. It was astonishing how the world had gone on with so many defects as were allowed to exist, and it was astonishing how they had gone on so long educating generation after generation without adopting any real system of training for those engaged in the work of education (applause). There was nothing more important than that the teacher should have the best possible training when he had to do with the impressionable years of life of a sensitive human soul. They had gone on with- out ever forming a system; without collecting and formulating the experience of those who had taught for the advantage of those who came after them. They had gone on letting each new generation of teachers work out its own ideas of teaching on the pupils whom they had to teach. He was not only thinking of the work of the Guild, but of the work of the professors in the college. The elementary teachers were better trained in many respects and he congratulated them because as they stood year after year before their pupils impressing their personality upon them, inspiring them, guiding them, and uplifting them, they were 11 c!1 z, doing far more than bishops and clergy could expect to do (applause). But some of them were going to be teachers in intermediate and higher education, both men and women, and what an advantage training would be to them. They would be among the pioneers because people were only just beginning to talk about it in England, and on that account he was glad to find they had a system at work at Aberystwyth, because he trusted that the action of England would be accelerated by the example of Wales and by the success of those who passed through the system there (applause). Archdeacon Prothero proposed, and Mr. Darling- ton seconded, and it was unanimously agreed, that y I a vote of thanks be given to the Bishop for his address.

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