Welsh Gazette and West Wales Advertiser

LLWYNGWRIL.. ELE:CTION.The return of Mr R. Foulkes Jones as one of the representatives of the Llangelynin district on the Dolgelley Rural District Council and Board of Guardians was hailed with much satisfaction. He has always taken a leading part in everything-that pertains to the welfare of the community, and with the old member (Mr Cadwaladr Roberts) the district has now two able representatives, of whom the electors may well feel proud.

Rev. Stopford Brooke at Aberystwyth. ADDRESS TO COLLEGE STUDENTS. -• SERMONS AT THE ENGLISH CONGREGA- TIONAL CHURCH. On Friday evening that distinguished minister of the Gospel and eminent man of letters, the Rev. Stopford Augustus Brooke, paid a visit to Aberyst- wyth. On his arrival at the station, Mr Brooke. was accorded a hearty reception by a large gather- ing of students and others. As already announced, the rev. gentleman came to Aberystwyth in response to an invitation from the members of the College Xiterary mid Debating Society to deliver an address. Advantage was also taken of the occasion to ask Mr Brooke to preach on the follow- ing Sunday, the deacons of the English Congrega- tional Church having kindly agreed to lend the pulpit of their chapel for that day. THE REVOLUTION AND ENGLISH POETRY. The Hall of U.C.W. was crowded to its utmost capacity last. Saturday eveuing on th ■ occasion of the Rev Stopford Brooke's lecture "The ideas of the Revolution in English Poetry from 1780 'o 1820. "ft being a meeting of the Literary and Debating Society, the chair was occupied by it" president, Mr W. Jenkyn Jones, who was supported by the Principal (Mr T. F. Roberts, M A.), most members -of the Staff, the dlev. LI. Bebb, M.A., Principal of St. David's College, Lampeter, and others trom be town and neighbourhood. Mr Brooke, who on rising was greeted with loud applause, said It ;would be a mistake in dealing with the Literature "of the end of the 18i.li and the begin- ning of the 19th centuries to speak of the revolution in ideas as be;ng whollv French. When the Fr. Dch revolution is mcntioTIl d -w a bpirit enlivening poetry its false aims and the monstrous forms they took are not to be taken into consideration. We are concerned with the reform- ation wifVi tlip miirhtv change it wrought on the thought and emotion of Europe, of which the French Revolution was but one phase, lhe loots of that. great change are set deep in human nature, in its desire for freedom, in its ideal of collective fraternity. The more free and authoritative form of Christianity fell in easily with the ideal of a bond in which all are brothers. These ideas grow stead- ily in Germany. France and England but mostly among poets and theologians. The revolutionary ideas dissolved the differences between class and class and declared all privilege destroyed. There was only one class—the clas., of man there was but one nation -that of hnmanity. Long before the actual outburst in France these ideas moved unconsciously in Gray's poem The Bard," and in Gol,bmith's" Deserted Village," which proclaimed the downfall of privilege, the individualism of man, and the quiet glory of a quiet mind. They took a more vigorous form in Burns, Crabbe and Blake. who found their subjects not in the polished life of the city but in the simple life of the country, in all that was natural and human. In his prophetic poems we see the ideas which Crabbihad of the Revolution, even its audacity rose high and clear in his invsticisms. And all this befcre 1789. Then Cowper also, with his quiet, gentle humour was deeply wrought by these conceptions. It. was a fine change from Pope and Drydea to find the poet desiring to live in the quiet landscape, to live the life of The peasant or squire out of the varied life of society and expressing a longing for the time when there should be a restitu- tion of all things—a thought which the French Revolution scarcely dreamt of. And this was chiefly done before the first outbreak. Byron also with his clear portraiture of the seaman on the shore, and of the hermit on the solitary moor, with his grim tragedy mixed with a little corned}', enters on the poetry of the hour as one of the per- sons who before the Revolution were imbibed witn its spirit. Crabbe showed the simple, self-sacrificing life of the poor, the agony and the crime to which oppression and starvation drove them. In this direct an impassioned poetry we are five thousand miles away from the gay society of Pope's Rape of the Lock," and five hundred miles away from Gray, who looked on the "simple annals of the poor," but shared in none of them. Crabbe had a strong and impelling desire for nature which Pope never did and never could possess. This return to nature marks a new era of emotion which began in France and was developed in England to a stage that had never been reached before, even in Greece and Italy. Then comes Robert Burns, in whom the sincere sentimental love and passion of Rousseau were made known for the first time in English literature since the Elizabethans. Though he was keenly national, yet his sympathies embraced mankind, and his universal tenderness never failed to touch those who came in contact with it. In France the revolutionary ideas now crystallized, the dissolved conception passed into action, and declared them- selves by the fall of the Bastille. The deeper emotions of fear and hatred gathered round, the starving peasant felt the breath of life, kings and decaying moral powers trembled upon their thrones. Southey, in his "Joan of Arc," went headlong into verse which might well have been called by his compatriots treasonable and rebellious. When the excesses in France staggered Southey and Coleridge they bad no strength to distinguish the original idea from its marked results. The surface agitation ceased and they knew that they had only been moved from without and not stirred from within. One could not say from Coleridge's "Ode on France that there had ever been such an event as the French Revolution. It was in the love of nature that Coleridge found his only refuge from the pain and horror that he suffered, while Southey abandoned his first love, and in the study of humanity wished to forget the horrors of the Revolution. Mankind was now yearning for a man to speak peace and pity, and mankind in England found such a man in Wordsworth. He was made of stronger stuff to feebler men—strong, rugged, and antique as the mountains which saw his birth the mountain solitude and canstancy were native to his character, as his passion was as fierce as the mountain stream and flood. The revolutionary ideas were born in him, but the outbreak of 1789 made them masters of his soul, and in consequence he could not sit still and theorise like Southey and Coleridge. He was impelled to the scene of action and spent some months in France, in the heart of the st.orm. He has described how the fierce passion of the city entered his soul as he surveyed the September massacres. And yet we think of Words- worth as the poet of quiet things! This ardent, rugged, extreme side of Wordsworth has not been felt fully enough by his critics, nor the strength which it gave to his poetry. The ideas of the Revolution being, so to speak, bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. The massacre did not overturn his conceptions as they did those of Southey and Coleridge. What astonished him was the faithless- ness of France to its own ideas, it was the denial of equality in the crowning of an Emperor, the mockery of the desire to subdue Europe and the glorification of the empire instead of a simple, humble and worthy life. The degradation of the ideas he repelled, but the ideas themselves were still acceptable to him, becoming the warp of his poetry and the weft of his nature. The dreadful storm cleared away, and in the victory which he had won over his own nature he found the higher powers by which he saw nature and man in the lucid love of light and in the calmness of soul, all passion spent. In the united duties, in true, honourable, simple and beautiful elements of humanity, he found, and into these he led the ideas of the Revolution which have ruled the world ever since. Even in the onservatism of old age he maintained the cause of humanity. The war against Napoleon was a war for liberty, and the final overthrow at Waterloo raised in the heart of every person as great a sigh of relief and of triumph as perhaps the overthrow of the Bastille. There is nothing more amusing and at the same time more piteous than the tre. mendous contraction of ideas which followed the extension, and it must be remembered that Words- worth lived in the time of the ebb. Meanwhile Sir Walter Scott appeared, a stranger, a gray survival to whom feudalism was dear, whose poetic passion was in the society which the revolution had blotted out. He fled to the past to refine the passion of love and poetry, and it is this apartness that forms the real cause of the profound sadness which pervades all his works. However, his poetry was saved from the fate of the poetry of his objur- gators, inasmuch as the controversial element was entirely absent; he only traces the past. The love of natural scenery which was born in the revolu- tionary return to nature was deep in his mind, and it is by the care and sincerity with which he drew such natural scenery that he chiefly lives now as a poet. Byron came next with his mighty power and poetic ring. By this time the revolutionary spirit did not attack monarchy; the enemy was changed. What was attacked was the tyranny of high and barren social conventions, vices made into virtues, by being practised by well-to-do people, the low moral life of a society which smiled as it swindled the poor. The ideas which had transfigured the world were dead, and it was his duty and joy to call them to life again. Against the sordid wrongs Byron waged war and smote them hip and thigh. He painted the pirate, the giaour and corsair, a man stained with what society called crime, in lonely exile driven from society. Never since his time has the higher class been able to impose its way of acting and thinking on the people at large. No wonder lie was cast forward from English society. He lived for freedom and died in its cause, giving up his life for others. Shelley's idea was that the universal overthrow and banishment of all passion and evil was to be accomplished by frankness and self sacrifice. Nothing could be further from the way in which the French Revolu- tion shaped the ideas he conveyed, for in it there was scarcely any poetic feeling or desire for simple life. There was in the rush for wealth no real love for man—masters drained their servants of the last drop of blood. The upper class alone held the power. The years in which Keats wrote were years of injustice, hatred and starvation; but what pressed most on his soul was not the misery of humanity. His interest in tbe human life was of a much later birth and was cut short by an early death. He regretted that glory and loveliness had passed away from the money-mongering people of England and he sought the magnanimity which he desired in the mythology of the past, in Greece, in life Italian Renaissance, in fable and legend and drama, in the Elizabethian poetry—in anything whatever that had nothing to do with the present. His was the poetry of beauty which he looked upon as the living shape of truth. The ideas of the revolution which had influenced and mastered the poetry ot England are wholly absent in Keats. At last, the nation worn to death by science, by theology and political ideas, cried out for beauty and its ideas, for freedom of imagination, and for the glory that had passed away. They did what Keats had done in 1820—they fled back to the period of the Renaissance, to anything that carried them away from the present. They replaced humanity by nature, and present humanity by past, humanity, and retained no idea of the univer- sal brotherhood of man. Not ten years afltjr the death of Shelley and of Byron, after a pecrenthesis or purely sentimental poetry, there arose again a new period of poetry, a change of emotion in the Roman life. Keats was not without presentiments of this p(,eli-y which was to begin with Tennyson and Browning. Like Shelley, Keats thought that if the winter were there the spring was not far be- hind. He felt that poetry was bound to come closer to the heart and mind with the great, solemn questions of human life. Though at the present time we have left our poetry in a sore and mellow condition, there is still that working under the surface which will infuse a nobler spirit into the J people as with a night wind, when tongues of fire | will be given to the men worthy of the brighter j days; they will have another heart, and another! pulse, and will sing as nobly in verse as they did j af old. | I THE SUNDAY SERVICES. To say that the spacious Congregaional Church in l'ortland-! rcel was taxed to its utmost capacity last Sunday to accomodatethe congregations which y 11 crowded il s precincts is to use a mild term. In the morning there was not a vacant seat to be seen, and in the evening aisles, gallery, floor, and steps had all their occupants, so great was the desire to be present when the Rev Stopford A. Brooke was the preacher. All sections of the community were represented, College staff, members of the Council and committees, students, ministers of religion, and leading laymen of all denominations all sought admission, whilst many were quite unable to get further than the doors. The deacons and sidesmen of the church, ably guided by the Rev. T. A. Penry (pastor), had made admirable arrangements in provision for the extra demands upon their church, and left nothing undone which could be conducive to the comfort of the worshioDers. At the morning service the lessons read were Isaiah 40, and John 14. The rev. gentleman preached from the text Hebrews 8,.5- NVho serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for see, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount." The reference, he said, was to that crisis in the life of Moses when returning with his ransomed people. He had come back again to the valleys of Sinai, where he had first heard the call of God, which sent him into Egypt, to deliver his people. He did not suppose that a moment of greater excitement could possibly come to any man. He had spent 40 years wandering about the wilderness, frequently alone for days together with his sheep, meditating on what he should do. He returned home, and round about him was the realisation of his concept- ion. H saw all his people round about him, sit- ting in their tents, and then in this moment of thrill, in this crisis of his life, they were told by the writer be felt the ne?d of silence with God. He went up to the summit of Sinai and rested there, wrapped in the cloud that veiled the mountain top. There, it seemed to the invention of the writer, that all things were shown to him that he needed for his work. There also, as the priesthood came afterwards to believe,"the pattern of the Tabernacle and its furniture were displayed to him. This story was thrown into its existing form many centuries after Moses lived, and was re-conceived as a whole by a writer of poetic, spiritual, and profoundly. re- ligious imagination. He bad a deep knowledge and love of human nature, especially in its hour of crisis and exaltation, and he conceived that Moses saw before him while his soul was in communion with God, the whole image of the work he had to do. He thought the writer pointed to the thought that this was a description of a spiritual condition through which men and women frequently passed, and it was on that spiritual condition that he would speak that day. For, indeed, there were high and exalted hours, such as Moses bad, when they were glad to be in the silence of God, when they seemed to see clearly what he wished them to do in life. And the higher and nobler the nature, the clearer and more determined was the vision of the duty that they had to do in life, and the way in which they were to architecture their life. To all the great prophets, in whatever sphere they proclaimed, during. such revelations was sure to come that over-mastering power. He did not mean anything supernatural, but revelations to the soul in which their Father seemed to speak directly to them, tell- ing them the right thing to do. He seldom read the biography of a great man without finding a re- cord of them. They who were now in youth, or they who looked back to their youth, or they who were matured had felt the visitation of theirHeavenly Father in these uplifted hours when thought was blind, when impassioned feeling made them forget the wants of the body, and the spirit made them breathe the air of pure thought-the ideal of life was disclosed to them. The definite pattern of what they ought to do was laid before them as it was before Moses, and then the voice of God fell upon their ears: Make all things after the pattern shown thee on the mountain of thy inspiration." It was the first struggle of their life,. to live and work up to the lovely ideal vision, and to be faithful to it. The battle was long and hard: it was marked by a hundred failures, but what they had to do was to rejoice in the battle, even when they were beaten down. To realise that if the strife be bard, spiritual glory and communion with God and all the koly host was great. To believe that all failures were revelations of a truth they were to accomplish. To look, when they seemed to be drowning, to the stars, to call to their side in trouble the courage, fortitude, and faith of Christ. To despise and reject the temptations of the world and the devil offered to them if they would only surrender their ideal. To follow the definite vision, even though it seemed to lead straight to Gethsemane and the Cross. It was true these inner revelations were net outlined clearly. They were not filled with any details, and determined no fixed objects in them. They were inspirations and not directions, and when they dwelt on the glory of these revelations they must not forget that they were not to be lengthened out by any special pursuing of them. They came to the worker and not to the dreamer. They were given that their exalted spirit might, through common life, be shaped into active form in the world. If that effort was not made. if they did not strive to make all things in their daily common life into the pattern they had seen on the mountain, their ideal would have a more fatal effect than if they had never seen such a vision at all. The image of what they might have been and were not dwelt with them as pain and misery. It was in the battle that the visions came it was in the crowd ot men and the work for men that God was nearest, that Christ visited them. It was when most engaged with truth, love, faith and pity that they realized themselves most clearly, and knew themselves as they would: be in higher places. All things in common life were to be laid after the very pattern shown them on the mount of vision. The young artist in his private dream thought and often prayed that he might give up his whole being to the embodiment of the infinite beauty he had caught in the fleeting hour of his mountain vision beheld in Man and Nature. And he swore an oath to himself that nothing should turn him aside from that exalted aim-not wealth, or fame, or any popular cry. The scientific man, the theological seeker for knowledge, and the Christian minister having heard for a moment the voice and seen the vision of perfect truth, resolve in their own soul, in that exalted hour, that they will follow truth wherever it shall lead them, even to worldly loss and failure. But as life went on they all knew how the vision of these things grew dim, how other aims attacked the memory, The World would not have their dreams. It said, Make your fortune, fling away your dreams agree with us, come, do what everyone else does. If not, we shall tread you down, and, if you are resolute in opposition, crush you." And those who once loved truth above everything else used their science to further their own ends, and their religion to rise in the ministry, and God Himself, even. as a stepping-stone to help them to place. It was pitiable, and it might, have been avoided, if they had remembered more than thev had done the visions, the ideals, that God showed to them when they were young. Their success, when it bore with it the falsification of his ideals, was purchased at a dead loss to mankind, and it were infinitely better had they been true in spite of failure. The things that were great of God their .Father would have been strengthened and made lovelier in the heart of humanity. Truth went all round, into every pha-.e of iife, and right through the whole of life. They were made to conceive the perfect, shown as in a glass. The special work he had given them, with living dis- tinctness, to do for him among his children-that I work was done against great opposition.. It made life a ditticult battle, and perhaps the worse battle was within, in the secret soul. And often when they knew they had done all they could in outward life, they had no satisfaction within. They saw the image God had shown of what they ought to be, and their heart, told them they were far from its likeness. There, in their own secret soul, the image always exceeded the accomplishment. Well, that could not be helped here, but if they listened for the Spirit it would tell them to be of good courage. There were those, having been true as far as they could to the pattern, and had held to it through failure, fears and battles, who knew at the last that the love of mankind was with them, and would burn like iire in the thousands of men, women and children they left behind them, and be a strength to the weak and a comfort to the troubled. If they could help to leave behind them something which, in the midst of a self-seeking world, might keep alive and flamiDg with a jewelled flame the torch of love and beauty and imagina- tion and pursuit divine keep alive something which, in a world of sin and sorrow, might be a river of healing and righteousness in the souls of men thoughts and acts which would help men out of wrong and save them from it, and sow such seeds of righteousness and love that the harvest would be great, then they should know more clearly, as these things had been in them, that in death they who had been accustomed to pursue would still pursue. Many experiences would by that time have told them progress could not cease. They were trained by love to look forward ty immortal life, to incessant revelation trained be those new ideas and new thoughts which came From God into their being; trained to continu pursuing; to believe they should live for ever. Death was nothing; a mere -nomentary pain, a Iream, out of which one awoke; the flight of a )ird through an arch of gloom into sunshine seyond. Think nothing of it. Think only that he vision they had seen in youth, in middle life, < n age, should be the realization of a closer life < vith God their Father. < At the evening service, the1 lessons read were < saiah xlii and Romans xii. The preacher again tased his remarks upon the same text as that taken by mm at tne morning service, ine rev gentleman stated that the pattern of true life revealed to any one person was not found in any other person in the world. The foundation of such a life, which was self-forgetfulness, was the same for all, but the super-structure, which was fashioned by their special individuality, was different for each. God sent them each to do for him a distinctive work, and they were in their lives to manifest a different part of the infinite love of truth or goodness to their fellowmen. No man or woman was confused or mingled up with another in the mind of God. That was a truth to realise, and it pleased life to believe in it. For then they knew they were not lost in the multitude, but that their Father had a distinct and personal relation to them, in which they were alone with Him, and He with them. How should they live that life 7 To answer part of that question, a part only, for that question was as large as life itself—was the object of his sermon. Was it a practical life ? Well, its first claim was that it should be lived for the sake of others and not for their own sake only. And its foundation was love; it was forgetfulness to oneself. And the world would not call that practical, but the very opposite. The doing of the duty which be- longed to the life according to God, the pursuit of those natural aspirations, were opposed to nerely selfish needs of life. They would not help them one inch towards the getting of superfluous-wealth or the winning of such power over their fellowmen as would tempt them to use them up to their own advantage. On the contrary, they would seriously interfere with those aims. They would incess- antly block their way to worldly success, which had put aside consideration for others. It de- manded theyjshould do nothing whatever to violate in the smallest matter the character of God. That was largely, no doubt, the highest conception they possessed themselves of truth, justice, righteous- ness, beauty, honour, and love, which were the character of God. When they lived the life of self- forgetfulness the world said it was not practi- cable. It might be romance, it was not business. Self-forgetfulness indeedl Where snould he-be if he forgot himself? But no one asked him to forget the work they had to do in the world. Unless they were chosen for some special work, the lite of self- forgetfulness could be well lived in the common 11 movement of the world. And it was not meant that they were wholly to forget their work in the world. It did mean, however, that they were not to live, only remembering themselves and their self desires. Self-forgetfulness, indeed! Where would he be if he forgot himself? There was an answer to that. That he would he in the heart of God himself, and welcomed to the heart of man- kind. And it was a better residence than their own selfish soul. It was the choice they had all to make between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of love, between a life practical for themselves and a life practical for others. How were they to define the practical ? Why, that was the question. The world's definition of it lay before them. They could read it in large characters in books, plays, the press, and the lives of men. But the true practical life was that of living for the happiness of others, and giving all they could of good and love, and truth for the sake of the human race. There were those who would surrender that life for money, and luxury, and place, and success, as they called it, in the world. It was the unhappy trend of thought at present. More than usual in society ill-begotten wealth was honoured. Che golden calf was enthroned for the worship of ignorant souls. The rev. gentleman then proceeded to apply his remarks more closely to daily life, and illustrated the building up of such a life from the architecture of a noble building by a great architect. In conclusion, he appealed to his hearers to be true to the pattern shown them in youth, in maturity, and in age, and if at any moment they failed or fell into despair, they should turn then to their brother, who, in trouble greater than theirs, was true to the ideals of God in him, and believed that humanity in him had fully real- ised its aim, its union with God. What Jesus Christ had done they yet should do. What love was his should yet be theirs. Nothing should separate them from the love of God, the definite ideal of their life which abided in. God. Nothing should separate them from the love of God which was in Christ Jesus their Lord.

MACHYNLLETH. CYMRU.—In the March Dumber of this Welsh monthly, which is edited by Prof O. M. Edwards, Lincoln College, Oxford, appears an interesting ami readable article on the late Professor Alfred Hughes by Dr E. Davies Rees (Ap Gwyddon). 0 MINISTERIAL.—Mr Ivor Griffiths, of Aberhosan, Montgomeryshire, student at the Bala-Bangor Con- gregational College, has accepted a unanimous call to the pastorate of the churches of Llani'aircaercin- ion and Siloh, Montgomeryshire. FOOTBALL Another match bet we n the Mach- ynlleth and Aberystwyth teams took place on Sat- urday last at Machynlleth, and resulted in a win for the visitors by three goals to two. Dr J'1 o. Davies was the referee. t SOIREE.-On Thursday evening lastan enjoyable soiree was given at Graig Chapel, being arranged by the young men of the church. There was a large attendance, and an interesting pr-•gramme of vocal and instrumental music was gone through. The Rev. Josiah Jones, pastor, preside i. The pro- ceeds were in aid of the heating apM.ua;us funds. SHOOTING.—At the weekly snouting lomprdition at the rifle range on Saturday las tbio-e were 21 competitors from the Aberystvryi hColl --go Company. The distances fired over were 200 dn I 600 yards, and the spoon winners, together witn h.,ir scopes, are as follows:—Private Phillips. 57; Private Hughes-Jones, 55; Private J. it. Lh vi. 50; Cor- poral Whalley, 42. This is the lic,t, of the season, and of the 50 spoons offa-ed 25 have been won by the Machynlleth Company, an.' by the College Co., although in just ice to ue i'ormer il should be stated that they have not oppurt- unity of participating in the la: contests, The reason for this is that their riii's have been j sent away for overhauling, and the oe- of an | arrangement whereby they could hav -ontinu-d their shooting practices is the subject dis- satisfaction amongst the members. FOOTBALL CONCERT. Uil,je,- the «.i ,eeS of the Football Club, an enjoyable smoking :t-ri, was held at the Vane Hall on Wednesday -vening in last week, presided over by Mr Gillar: Tie Chair- man, in his opening remarks, spoke of e progre-s n of the club, and said out, of 17 match-v -'nve-l oulv five were lost. He expressed the hope the club would continue to prosper. Dr Davies also delivered a short address. The programme gone through was as follows.Song, •• u.ldwyd v Morwr Bach." Mr H. Edwards; iltiz- 'Flower Garden," Messrs Edwards and J. R. Morgan; comic; song, Mr Ted (V-vr; son*. Gwraig y Morwr," Mr J Hump vs song, Gwlad fy Ngenedigaeth," Mr G. F. I:;("" res soog. Mr H. R. Humphreys; song, Miss Frances Lewis Penillion singing," Mr W. Thomas song, Mr Fred Lnmley song, Miss Winnie Edwards; recitation, If r. R. Jones; song, "Wmpa," Mr Owen Morris; song, Miss Gwennie Ashton; song, Mr F. Lumley glee, Mr W. Evans and Party comic song, Mr Ted Cryer. Mrs Trevor-Jones and Miss Evans were the accompanists. Amongst those who rendered valuable assistance in promoting the concert was Mr W. E. Evans, manager of the railway bookstall, who made a substantial addition to the funds of the Club by his sale of tickets. Mr Gillart also gener- ously made a donation of Zl to the funds. THE HON. MEMBER FOR THE BOROUGHS —Mr Henry W. Lucy gives in the Observer a pleasant picture of Colonel Pryce-Jones addressing the House of Commons. Thus:—" Mr Pryce-Jones found it a little difficult to get under way. But when the pulse of the Pryces began to throb, the blood of the Joneses to boil, he went ahead in fine style. As be presently made clear, his purpose in rising was to give Ministers "a gentle hint." His anxiety was neither to exceed nor to fall short of that precise proposal. Throughout his remarks there was in the mind of the audience a subtle sense of the presence of the paternal yard measure. An inch this way or an ell that way would waste or skimp the material. Thus it came to pass that the opening passage d an interesting speech was flecked by long pauses. The hon. member, with pained intensity, turned his head on one side) and waited as if hearing what Pryce bad to say on the subject. Catching a phrase be repeated it, turning his head on the other side where Jones lurked. Between the two Mr Pryce-Jones nearly came to the ground. Pluckily holding on he, regarding the laughing audience with a pale face, strained eyes, and parched lips, finally got the machinery in fairly working order. The gentle hint when at length duly measured, cut off the piece and handed across the counter to Mr Arthur Balfour, was to the effect that the business of the House of Commons and of the country should be carried out on business lines." DEATH OF MRS. EDWARD REES. With a suddenness that could hardly be credited, there passed away on Friday morning last Mrs Anne Rees, the respected wife of Mr Edward Rees, J.P., Chemist, Machynlleth. She had only been ill a day or two, suffering from bronchitis, which subsequently brought about complications, and resulted in death. She had attained the age of 63 years. Great sym- pathy is felt with Mr Rees and the two sons in their bereavement, the deceased having been a faithful wife and a devoted JmoWier. Hers was a beautiful character, and however changeable thingsaround her might be no change was ever visible in her. She was of a bright and cheerful disposition, and she always endeavoured to spread the same feeling to those about her. The Welsh Wesleyan Church, of which she had long been a faithful member, will deeply mourn her loss. Mr Rees has occupied some of the most important positions connected with the Wesleyan denomination, and in discharging the duties of the various offices, lie always had a keen and hearty supporter in his deceased wife. On Sunday last all the churches in the Machynlleth Wesleyan circuit. marked their sense of the loss sustained by passing resolutions regretting the sad event and expressing their condolence with the bereaved husband and sons. Mrs Rees was the daughter of the late John Morgan, a well-known merchant in the town. She was born at Scuborwen, a farm adjoining Penrallt Common, and afterwards came to reside at the house known as the Bull in this town. She married Mr Edward Rees in 1863. She had never lived out of the town, and during her whole' life was away but a few uavs from home. t> lhe funeral took place on Tuesday afternoon, when, despite the wintry weather, hundreds came to pay their last tribute of respect to deceased's memory. A short service was conducted at the house bv the Rev. D. Darley Davies, and the cortege afterwards proceeded to the Wesleyan Chapel, where a short memorial service was held. The devotional exercises were performed by the Rev. David Williams, Tre'rddol. Afterwards, a touching address was delivered by the Rev. Hugh Jones, Bangor, chairman of the Wesleyan Methodist Assembly of Wales. He dwelt upon her hospitality and kindness of heart. He said kindness was natural to her, always working with the purest motive and for the highest object. During the service the hymns, "Rwyf yma dan y Tonau," and Ar ol gofidiau dyrus daith," which were favourites of the deceased, and were marked in her hymn book, were sung. Prayer was offered in English by the Rev A. C. Pearce, Llanidloes, and as the mourners left the chapel the Dead March was beautifully played by Miss Elizabeth Evans, A.R.C.M. organist of the church. The procession was ra-formed outside the ehapel, and proceeded along Maengwyn- street to the cemetery. The chief mourners were Mr Edward Rees (husband), Dr J. Morgan Rees, Pontypridd, and Dr A. Davies Rees (sons): Councillor Richard Rees, J.P. (Paris House), Mr David Rees, Llanidloes, and Mr John Thomas, chemist (brothers- in-law) Messrs John Jones, Penpompren; J. Jones, Tymawr, Mochno and T. Morgan, Pandy (cousins) J Thomas, Newport, Salop; E. W. Rees, Llanidloes J Hughes, Festiniog; and R 0 Davies, Ware (nephews). Amongst the ministers present were the Revs D. Darley Davies, Machynlleth Berwyn Roberts, Corris; A. C. Pearce, Llanidloes; David Williams,Tre'rddol David Morgan and William Morgan, Aberystwyth; Hugh Jones, Bangor; Robert Jones and Henry Hughes, Towyn; T. J. Jones, Aberdovey; Josiah Jones, E. Wnion Evans, W. S. Jones. T. Ffoulkes Roberts, Ed- Williams, Canon Trevor, D. T. Hughes (curate) Machynllcth; and John Williams, rector of Pene- goes, Amongst those also noticed in the funeral procession were Dr Matthews, Dr Edwards, Dr Davies, and Dr Williams, Messrs Edward Davies, Dolcaradog; Richard Gillart, Edward Williams Braichgoch; J- Hughes Jones, Aberdovev Humphrey Davies, Corris; John Rowlands, Echnund Gillart, D. E. R. Griffiths (L. and P. Bank); D. Davies Wil- liams, John Pugh, Harry Lewis, J. M. Breeze, Evan Reese, G. W. Griffiths, W. M. Jones, D. Smith, J. G. Jenkins (N. and P. Bank), L. J. Williams, David Evaus (solicitor), Knight (Lion Hotel), L, Jones Wil- liams, Hugh Evans, Richard Ellis, J. C. Ashton, E. R Jones, Clement (Post Office), Llewellyn Evans, H. L. Morris. Machynlleth; E. Pritcliard, Tynohir; J. Jones, Glanmerin; Griffith T. Jones, Cefngwyr- grug; David Lewis, Morben; Edward Lewis, Hen- Ilan; Captain David Williams, Tre'ddol; Hugh Jones, Taliesin Evan Rees, Carno f Lewis Rees, Abergwib- edyn; Wm. Rees, Cemmes Road; M Evans, Cemmcs Road; W Jenkins, Ynysgrigog; E Jenkins, Caerhedvn J. and H. P. Edwards, Aberystwyth H. M. Jones, Maengwyn; Michael Roberts, Aberllefenni; RT Hum- phreys, Thomas Jones and Richard Jones, Corris A number of pupils from the Intermediate School were also present, together with Mr H. H. Meyler (head- master), and Messrs Evan Jones and E. J. Evans (assistant masters). The Meiie at the graveside was an impressive one. The Rev. Berwyn Roberts having read a portion of Scripture, the closing prayer was offered by the Rev. Hugh Jones, and the singing of 0 fryniau Caersalem ceir gweled concluded the solemn rites. The arrangements connected with the funeral were ably carried out by Mr D. Davies Williams. THE CYMREIGYDDION SOCIETY. This Society brought into our town another of our prominent young Welshmen of the day in the person of Mr Edward Edwards, professsor of history at the University College of Wales, Aber- yst wy th. Mr Edwards read a paper on Bede and the early British Church "-a paper brimming with interesting facts derived from first sources riyetting the attention of the Society by the remarkably clear way in which he presented these facts, and by me racy Welsh of the Cymru School. In the coursu of his paper he laid stress on the following fa ::ts and on many others, which have proved too fleet for reproduction. Of the early days of Bede, and, indeed, of the latter days as well, we know little of his personal history, for he confined himself t.o the narrow walls of bis distant cell, caring not for the stress of life around him and bringing to bear upon the history of actual life but the second- hand knowledge obtained from the leading dig* nitaries of the Church, so that Bede, as a histoiian, tails miserably in one respect that he chronicles as facts such impossible things as the working of miracles by Augustine and his followers, merely because this is chronicled as a fact in some old manuscript, or because it has been told him by some snperstitious or biassed person cursed with a mind that never questions. It seems that Bede must have been brought up somewhat as Samuel of old, since it is given that during the ravages wrought by the yellow plague at Jarrow all the in- mates of the famous monastery were swept away save the abbot himself and a little lad seven years of age who is supposed to have been Bede. He was an inveterate worker performing his duties as abbnt, as commentator, and as a historian at the same time, and he was hard at work when the sickle ot death came to cut him down inasmuch as be had to summon one of the monks to write for him the last words of his exposition of the Epistle of St. John. Bede's claim to survival, however, lies in his Historia Ecclesiastica," which is regarded as an authority that has to be considered to-day Lis account of the church of his own days is an ex- cellent piece of work if it be taken as written from the standpoint taken by a writer who was in- terested in the affairs of the church alone, and who Jooked upon everything else as of little or of no ■consequence. In his account of the early British Church Bede is highly biassed, and on the whole disappointing, though at times he unconsiously throws much valuable light on that old church struggling and protesting against the recent innovations of Rome. has no light to give on the mode or the moment, of the introduction of Christianity into Celtic Britain; moreover he is guilty of self-evident errors in his attempt at setting forth the possibili- ties connected with it-he makes Lleicu a British potentate to appeal to the Bishop of Rome at least fifty years alter the death of the said Lleicu. In- terest centres round his story of the meeting b(,! the seven bishops of Wales and Augustine oi Rome on the bunks of the Severn to carry on negotiations as lo the settlement of all differences between the primitive Celtic Chnrch and the Church of Home which was daily becoming more preventions. How trivial were the questions at issue! The Celts wished to hold Easter, as nearly as possible, on the. fourteenth of April, but the 1 Church from its inborn hatred of the Jew I objected because the Jewish feast might fall on the same day. Augustine promised that the Celtic Church should baptise after its own fashion, and that its priests should go shurn after the maimer of their fathers if they agreed to abandon their own Easter day and adopt that of the Antiseruitic Church of Rome. The momentous question of the independenceof the Celtic Church was to bedecided, on the advice of a holy Welshman, by Augustine's conduct at the adjourned meeting. "If he stand and greet vou he is a man "i God, submit your- selves to him; but if he remain seated an 1 street you not, then is he a man full of haughtiness and of pride, reject him" was the wizard's advice. Augustine remained seated, and the seven bishops contraverted all that he said, and Augustine'losing his temper, like a saint, had nothing to promise the pool ignorant Welshman but a quick day of retri- bution. Bede thinks the day of vengeance came on the day of the great battle of Chester, where Ethelfrith slaughtered two thousand young priests of the British Church from Bangor-is-y-Coed, and Bede gloats "over the destruction of the hosts of the ungodly." Everywhere after the rejection of Augustine by the Welshmen Bede rejoices in nothing as in his denunciation of the Welsh and of their church. He speaks of Penda, the heathen king of Mercia with respect when comparing him with Cadwaladr, the barbarous king of the barbar- ous Welsh. It is not surprising- then that the Welsh of that day could take no part in the con- version of the heathen Saxons, and could not co- operate with Romish Scotch and Irish missionaries in that work. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The annual meeting of this society was held on Wednesday afternoon week in the Vane Hall, when Mr R. Gillart presided. There were also present Dr A. O. Davies, Messrs G. W. Griffiths, Edmund Gillart, R. Ryder, Ed. Hughes, D. C. Davies, T. Car- rut hers, Edward Pritcliard, John Jones (Ynyshir), D. E. R. Griffith, hon. treasurer, and John Lewis and T. Parsons, secretaries.—A letter was read from R. Gillart stating that Lady Londonderry bad con- sented to allow the show to be held on the I'las grounds in August iiext.illr D. E. R. Griffith pres- ented the balance sheet for the year. The receipts, amounting to P,332 Os Id, were made up principally of subscriptions, £ 93 16s 6d entry fees, £45 19s 3d gate money, £ 135 17s. Expenditure included L170 18s 6d prize money, and there was a balance in hand of £52 17s 4d. The balance in hand last year was £ 36 9s 3d.—The accounts had been audited by Dr Rees and Councillor John Thomas, and found correct.—Dr Davies proposed that the accounts be passed, and at the same time he nro- pased that a vote of thanks be passed to Mr Griffith for the able way he had kept the accounts.—Mi- Edward Hughes seconded and it was carried.—Mr Edmund Pritchard moved the re-election of Lord Henry Vane Tempest as president.—In seconding Mr Edward Gillart reminded the meeting that Lord Henry bad occupied that position for some years with great credit and had always given them every possible assistance in furthering the interests of the show which he thought owed its success to the Plas family (hear, hear).—The proposition was unanimously agreed to.-On the motion of Mr John Jones seconded by Ilr D. C. Davies, Mr Sackville Phelps, The Newlands, was re-elected vice-chair- man.—Mr Edward Hughes proposed that Mr R. Gillart be re-elected chairman of the committees for another year.—Dr A. 0 Davies in sesonding said they knew how affably Mr R Gilliart had at all times discharged hisduties as chairman of the com- mittee, [it was the wish of all that he sh«M retain that position.—The proposition was carried.—Mr Gillart thanked the meeting for their continued confidence in him, but he would Lave preferred that they should make a change and he would propose Mr Edward Hiigbes.Ilr Hughes No, no.—Mr Jones You must take it for another year Mr Gillart. —Mr Gillart: Verv well then, but I would have liked it to be otherwise.—The Chairman then pro- posed that Mr Griffith be re-appointed treasurer. He bad always shown that he had the show at heart and lie had done a great deal towards it since he came to the town.—Mr Carruthers seconded and it was carried.—Mr Griffith replied and said that although he sometimes felt a bit tired he could not make up his mind to throw it up. and sp long as his services were regarded as being of any talue to the show, he would do all he could to fill his office (hear, hear).—The next appointment was that of secretaries. The salaries were Mr Lewis £10 (in- cluding rent of room), and Mr Parsons £ 5.—Mr John Jones thought that the extras were rather heavy.—Mr Griffith explained that the expenses connected with the office were heavy, especially in postages.—Mr Ed. Hughes thought that they should advertise for a secretary.—Mr John Jones also thought so.—Dr Davies said that there had been no complaints made as to the way the work had been carried out and he was prepared to pro- pose that Mr Lewis be re-elected as secretary.—Mr Edmund Gillart did not think that they could get the work done cheaper.—Mr Hughes objected to there being two secretaries he thought that there should be only one responsible secretary.—Dr Davies then proposed that Mr Lewis be re-elected. -Mr Davies But he said last year that he could not do it.—Mr Lewis explained that previous to last year he always bad the help of one or two hon. secretaries and when the society lost their help he explained that he could not do their work for £ 10 It was easy to apportion the sum of iCl5 but not so easy to apportion the work.-After some further discussion it was agreed to advertise for a secretary. The following were appointed on the warking com- mittee :—Dr Edwards, John Jones, Ynyshir; E. Gillart, E. Pritchard, Maurice Ryder, T. Caruthers, T. Steadman, T. Parsons, R. Ryder, G. W. Griffiths, A. Gribble, M. E. Francis, Major Hugh Bonsall, F. M. Campbell, R C Anwyl, D C Davies, Dr Rees, Dr Evans, Dr Davies and Edward Hughers-Dr Davies gave notice that he would move at the next meeting that any member of the committee who did not attend three meetings of the committee should not be appointed in future. BOARD OF GUARDIANS. A meeting of the above Board was held at the the Union Workhouse, on Wednesday, March 20th when there were present,-Mr D. Evans, chairman, presiding; Messrs R. Gillart, Edward Hughes, Richard Morgan, William Evans, John Rowlands, Thomas James, John Jones, John Owen, J. Hughes Jones, Robert Hughes, J. H. Evans, Humphrey Jones. STATISTICS. Out-relief administered during the past fortnight per Daniel Howell, Darowen district, £38 19s to 278 paupers; per John Jones, iCIg 4s to 126 paupers Number in the house 24; last year corresponding period 25. FINANCE. The Finance committee recommended the pay- ment of bills amounting to LIS 13s. APPOINTMENT OF MEDICAL OFFICER'S. Dr D. Edwards, Cemmes, was the only applicant for the post medical officer for the Llanbrynmair district, and he was appointed. Dr W. R. Williams was appointed for the Penegoes district, and Dr H. Mathews was appointed for the Machynlleth outlying district. APPOINTMENT OF ASSISTANT MATRON. No application was received for this post. Mr John Jones said that he doubted whether an assistant matron was required; there was not so much work there. There were persons in the house who were quite able to workv It was decided on the proposition of Mr Gillart to defer the matter. DINNER FOR THE INMATES. The Master reported that Lady Londonderry had entertained the inmates to dinner on March 1st. A vote of thanks was passed on the proposition of Mr John Rowlands, seconded by Mr Ed ward Hughes. THE TANK AT THE HOUSE. With reference to the tank at the house the chairman stated that the committee appointed had visited the place three times and found it clean, and there was no cause to complain. Mr Gillart said that he had visited the place and had found it clean, no nuisance existed at present. There was no doubt that there had been a nuisance in the past. The people living in the vicinity complained that it was a nuisance at times, es- pecially when the wind blew in a certain direction. If it was always kept as clean as when he saw it, it could be carried on until they had a sewerage sys- tem in the town. Mr J. Hughes Jones suggested that, as it was considered an eyesore, trees should be planted around it so as to hide it from the view of the residents of the houses close by. Mr John Rowlands said that he had not himself made any complaints although he resided near it. It was the Medical Officer of the town who first drew attention to it, and he thought that the Guardians should thank the town officials for it. The stench arising from it was something terrible. Anybody passing along the road could smell it. It was very objectionable to the inhabitants of the houses near the House. He was surprised that there was no sickness in that part of the town. Another fact was that it was near the room for in- valids at the house. All kinds of refuse was carried there every day. He could prove his statements if necessary. His neighbours would tell them the | same. Mr Bircham had condemned the place. The Chairman said that Mr Rowlands was going further back than the time when the guardians took the matter up. Mr Rowlands proceeding asked what about the clearing of it. Was it cleared every fortnight, f Was it necessary to keep such an ugly building as that when a cesspool would be quite large enough, and that would clean itself. Another matter was that they bad raised a flag inside the building, thus allowing the dampness to enter the ground. It I would be better to connect it with a pipe but both T ways were illegal. It was sure to be a source of un- > healthiness. The Chairman remarked that ch*ainag« was 1 k likely to be brought into the town. I t Mr John Rowlands said that the general feeling J of the town was that all possible improvments should be made before drainage was introduced. The question before the guardians was what were lhey to do. There was no such tank in any other town not even in the country. Mr Gillart asked if it was a proper building to be used for that purpose. There was no aisposing of the f-ict that when the medical officer and some of the members visited the place, there were hundreds of maggots there. It was no doubt a perfect nuisance. Their duty as guardians was to see to the matter. Mr John Rowlands said that if the place was shut for a fortnight, and at the end of that period the door was opened, the stench was enough to knock a person down Mr Edward Hughes observed that Mr Gillart had greatly changed in his opinion since the committee meeting. Then he saw everything right. The Chairman asked if it could he flushed ? Mr John Jones said that there were many places ot the kind flushed. W Mr Gillart then proposed that the medical officer be instructed to submit a report to the next meet- ing, and that a committee be appointed to consider the matter. An amendment was proposed that the matter be deterred for three months, in order to see how the present arrangements would work out. On being put to the meeting the amendment was carried. DIETARY TABLES. The Committee submitted new dietary tables for the house which were approved of by the medical officer. it. was agreed on the proposition of Air John Row lands to adopt them. SCHOOL BOARD. There being no quorum on Thursday when the Rev W. S. Jones (chairman), and the RevD Darley Davies were the only members in attendance. The ordinary meeting of the School Board was held on Lriday, when there were present, the Revs. W. S. Jones, Josiah Jones, and D. Darley Davies, with Mr D. Davies Williams (clerk). CENSUS. A communication was read from the Board of Education with reference to the advisability of instructing children attending elementary schools in the Method of filling up census forms. The Rev Josiah Jones proposed that the head- master be asked to carry out the instruction con- tained in the circular, and the proposition was agreed to. THE ATTENDANCE OFFICER. The attendance officer, who had sent in his resignation, wrote stating that lid wished to with- draw the same, and continue in the occupation of the Board The Chairman said the attendance officer had been in the habit of not visiting the school every day. At times he did not go there for a week. The conditions upon Avhich he was engaged were that he should visit the school twice daily. It was decided to re-appoint him upon the original terms, with the addition that, if he lost time, except by permission or through illness, he would have to account for his absence. RESIGNATION. Mr L. Fielding, assistant master at the Board School, wrote resigning his position, having been appointed headmaster of the Aberangell School. The resignation was accepted. SITE OF THE PROPOSED NEW SCHOOL. The Clerk stated that as intructed at the previous meeting, he had asked Mr Gillart to prepare a block plan of the site of the new school, which he had done. The members having inspected the plan, the Clerk was instructed to return it to Mr Gillart asking him to mark the levels, and afterwards the Clerk to forward it to the Board of Education for their approval. HEADMASTER'S REPORT. The IleaSmaster reported that the weekly average attendance was as follows :—Weeks ending Feb. 22nd, 247'9; corresponding week last year, y 226.5; March 1st, 254'3 last year, 232; March 8 2441; last year, 224 9 March 15, 259 3; last year, 2347. The percentage of attendance was—Boys, 91'6; girls, 93 8; infants, 79-9. The record attend- ance of 262 out of 274 on the registers was made on the afternoon of Feb. 20th. The inspector made an entry in the log book stating that the classroom was overcrowded, there being 71 children in it that afternoon, though it was only intended for half that number. The entertainment proved in a financial sense a greater success than ever, a profit of £ 19 odd being realized. ATTENDANCE OFFICER'S REPORT. The Attendance Officer reported that the average attendance was 249; corresponding period last year 229. The percentage was 89,^compared with 86 last year. CHEQUES, A cholue was drawn for 19s lid poor rate.

DINAS MAWDDWY. I SCHOOL BOARD The monthly meeting of this Board was held on Saturday last at the Mhillyn School, when there were present Mr E. H. Davies (chairman), Rev John Jenkins, Mr Thomas Davies, Mr Griffith Griffiths, Mr r. Rowlands (clerk), and Mr D. Philip Jones (assis- tant clerk).—The applications for the post of assistant mistress at Aberangell School were considered, and ieferred to the next meeting, the Clerk in the mean- Dime to make enquiries as to the applicants and to advertise again. It was resolved to ask the late assistant mistress at Aberangell to continue her duties until a successor was found.—It wah decided to extend the apprenticeship of Miss M. E. Davies, pupil teacher, for twelve months, subject to the con- sent of the Board of Education,—'The estimate of the receipts and expenditure for the next six months was submitted, which showed that the Board would require a sum of £90 from the rates. It was resolved that precepts be issued on the three parishes for this amount proportionately.—The question of the advisa- bility of having three polling stations in the district at the next election waa considered. Mr Thomas Davies proposed, and Rev John Jenkins seconded, that only onEnJe provided-at Dinas Mawddwy.—The Chairman contended there should be three stations, as it was not fair to expect the people of Aberangell and Llanymawddwy to come three or four miles to Dinas to record their votes. On a* division, the pro- poser and seconder voted'for the proposition, and the Chairman against, Mr Griffiths remaining neutraL The resolution was declared carried, URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL. This Council met on Saturday afternoon, when there were present Mr E. H. Davies (chairman), Messrs John Davies, Thomas Davies, Lewis Jones, John Jones, Robert Davies, J. H. Bullock, W. H. Bullock, J. Rowlands (clerk), D. Philip Jones (assist- ant clerk), and Dr Morris (medical officer). The re- port of the committee appointed as to engineering charges was received, and it was resolved that a cheque for Z4 12s 6d be sent to the erigineer.-rlhe Clerk reported that the contractor (Mr John Rees) had not paid the amount certified to be due from him in respect of the waterworks contract.—It was re- solved that the Clerk take legal proceedings against Mr Rees and his surety for the recovery of the amount.—The appointment of medical officer was discussed, and the Clerk was directed to write to the Local Government Board, asking their sanction to the appointment being made at a salary of £ 20 per annum instead of £ 15, with the view of beinjr able tn claim a moiety from the Merioneth County Council. On the receipt of a reply from the Local Government Board, the Clerk was authorised to advertised for a medical officer, Th report of the collector was read from which it appeared he had collected the whole of the rate, and paid it to the treasure

PENNAL. COMPETITIVE CONCERT.-A competitive concert was held at the Congregational Chapel on Friday evening last, presided over by Mr J. Lasselles, Fénmaendovey. In the female competition the first prize of a silver teapot was won by Miss Francis, Machynlleth, and .the second prize b^ Miss Warington,- Aberystwyth. In the male competition, Mr E. M. Evans, Barmouth] was awarded the first prize, and Mr J. Howells', Cwmmins Coch, the second prize. Mr D. Ernlvn Evans was the adjudicator, and Mr John Evans, Machynlleth, the conductor.

ABERDOVEY. CONTRACT.—Mr W. Jones Hughes, builder, has secured the contract for building a Villa on Hill- side for Mr Tomlins. Operations have already been commenced. METEOROLOGICAL.—-The weather recorded here for last week was as follows:—Bright sunshine, 44-2 hours: rainfall, 0'05 inch temperature, highest maximum, 49: lowest ditto, 39; highest minimum, 42; lowest dhto, 33. OBIILARY. Another familiar face has been removed from our midst through the death of Mr John Edwards, Ivy House, who departed this life on Saturday evening, at the advanced age of 82 years. The deceased carried on a successful business as ear-proprietor for many years, which, however, lie relinguished owing to advancing years, the business for some time past having been trans- ferred to one of his sons. The funeral takes place this afternoon (Thursday), the interment being made at Pennal, where the deceaseds wife and relatives are buried. The chief mourners are Mr Evan Edwards, Mr Jchn Edwards, and Mr L. Edwards, station-master sons. GOLF NOTES.—The enlargement of the Golf Clnte House has been completed, and everything is now ready for the season which promises to be a record one in every respect. The usual Easter Tour- nament will be held on the links, and the lodging- house keepers are already receiving applications for apartments from intending players. Mr Robert Wllyte presided over a large attendance of delegates at the council meeting of the Ladies Golf Union at the Windsor Hotel, London, on the 20th inst. For the cnampionship at Abeidovey in the week cotn- mencing May 13th, it was decided that entries most. reach the honorary secretary, Miss Issette Pearson, 10, Northumberland Avenue, Putney, not later than May 2nd. The draw for the Championship will take place on May 3rd. A championship committee composed of 5 members of the Aberdovey Club and five ladies was elected, and a prize offered by the Captain of the Aberdovey Club for competition during the championship week was accepted with- thanks. It is expected that about 120 ladies will take part in the various competitions. CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR.—A meeting of this society was held on Monday evening, Mr W. Jones Hughes presiding. Carefully prepared papers were read on The Woman of Samaria," bv Miss Lizzie Jones, Pier House, and on S Luke," by Mr Edw. Davies and Captain John Williams, The attendance was up to the average. URBAN COUNCIL ELECTION.—This notable election took place last Saturday afternoon, and the old members have been rejected. Polling- commenced at 12 noon and continued steadily until 8 o'clock. The respective candidates and their supporters were busily engaged throughout the day—each, of course, being sanguine of success. Every point of vantage was utilized for placing- notices etc. thereon, and two of the candidates de- mised a novel idea of appealing to the electors by having posters with their printed names in large red type, and laying them alternately in a serpentine iiantier on the read leading up to the Board School, tnd strange to say, these turned out to be the iUccessful candidates. In the evening a large :rowù assembled to hear the result, and about half >ast nine the presiding officer, Mr D. Morgan read he figures as follows :—Capt. Enoch Lewis,' 126* >fr Gwilvm Williams. 98: Mr J. H.i n hps .Tnnoc AO- Mr Arthur Tomlins 75; Mr W. Thomas, 49; and declared the two first-named duly elected. Captain Lewis, then mounted the pump-platform in Chapel-square and in a few well-chosen words thanked the ratepayers for electing him. Mr Gwil vm Williams, nodoubt, fearing a demonstration, did not put in an appearance, but Mr W. Jones- hugbes thanked the electors on his behalf. The total number of votes recorded was 239 and two were spoilt. COUNTY COURT CASES.—At the Machynlleth • County Court on Wednesday week before Hi's Hon- our Judge William Evans, Emma Evans, fish- monger, Aberdovcy, sued Captain Bill, Brvnaire Aberdovey, for the sum of iCl 13s 5d for fish sup- plie(i.Alr W P Owen who appeared for the defence asked that all witnesses should leave the court when an assistant to the plaintiff stepped forward and said that he wished to state the case for the plaintiff. Have you a certificate?—The assistant did not understand, but admitted that he was wit- ness in the case.—The Judge: You step down, plaintiff will manage all riglit.-Registrar All witnesses will now leave the court.—Plaintiff then produced her books which were examined by the Judge.-In answer to Mr Owen she admitted that she received a letter from him dated March 16th, asking for particulars. She sent those particulars on the previous day.—Mr Owen: So they are im Aberystwyth.—The Judge Why did vou not send it before the action ? PJainliff: I sent it to Cap- tain Bill. Mr Owen Have you ever delivered the account to Captain Bill ?-Piaiiitiff Yes. -J. W. Cleaton came forward to say that he sent out the accounts for Mrs Evans. The Judge You are speaking of what you know in the I)ooks ?-Witness: Ye3.Capt Bill was called and said he understood that the accounts rendered and paid included these items.—Cross-examined by plaintiff: Don't you remember thanking me on the wharf in June for a couple of fowls ?—Yes, I do. We had some conversation abont fowls.—Don't, vou remember coming to me and offering me a quid on account ?—Mr Owen A what ?-Plaintiff: A quid, that is what they call it.—Mr Owen said that if particulars had been given perhaps some ar- rangement might have been made. But his client settled an account tin September 24th. and then there comes a second claim for items sup .lied four months before the receipt was given. Besides Capt Bill was fishing himself.—His Honour You do not get smoked haddocks by fishing, nor oranges, lettuce, or rabbits, and cabbages don't go out to sea. (Laughter)—His Honour said that there was no doubt that the goods were supplied and he gave judgment for the plaintiff, reserving the question of costs until the next, case was heard.—The same plaintiff claimed £ 4 13 8d from Mrs Davies, Dovey Hotel, Aberdovey. Mr Owen appeared for the defence and said that be was instructed to sav that each item was paid for as it was received.—Defend- ant was called in support of this statement.—His Honour gave judgment for plaintiff for the amonnt claimed with costs. THE ABERDOVEY rRP COUNCIL ELECTION, THE PAST RACE. [TO THE EDITOU "WELSH GAZETTE. Sir,-Tlie race is now over, the day of excitement is past, and our town has once more settled down to its quiet routine of life. The candidates, with one exception, issued addresses, and we up in our obser- vatory pray to the planets that their contents be not circulated in the neighbouring towns and villages lest, not knowing our candidates personally they might judge them too hard. Even one of the most popular of the candidates had no better plea for being elected than that he would try to establish a Tennis Club here. Tennis Clubs are all right in their way, but we do not look to our District Councillors as such to establish them. Such work can well be left to the young lads and lasses of the town. Another had the audacity to mention as a qualification the fact that he had been Secretary of a Brass Band at a very remote period, and that he has contributed certain correspon- dence to an Aberystwyth newspaper. Bosh If this be a qualification, then I may be a candidate next year, if my friend the Cronometer will propose me, and the Sextant second. But from our Councillors we dcv not expect such puerile trivialities as these, but comprehensive schemes for the enlargment and betterment of the town, their views oh sanitation and hygienic improvements, and their ideas about work- men's dwellings and cottages. We shall confine ourselves this week to a short survey of the race, and in the future we shall a keep a sharp look-out on the doings of the Council, and will not hesitate to give the townsfolk here a panoramic view of the same on the screen of your Newspaper. 1 Commandant Elias. The comandant, though his stars only read partial success at first, quietly im- proved his position during the. last fortnight, and as the election drew nigh was going strong. His merry guffaw served him well, his popularity with the working classes stood him in time of need, and iuemory ot many a good turn in the past constrained many a voter to place a cross opposite his name. The comandant should not have resigned from the Fishery Board, which is just the place where he can serve the Aberdo\4K; fishermen and not on the District Council. N') clique can do much harm to the com- mandant—one tried this time; but trusting to its own merits alone, he came in an easy first. Let him now do his utmost to develop Aberdovey, and never retreat—having put his hand to the plough of any undertaking let him not look back. 2 Willian-l Marah. He ran very strong during the whole time, and together with the commandant believed thoroughly in advertising and bill-posting. He will be an entirely new member on the Council, but it will not take him long to understand the work- ings of the same. He is reputed to be very shy, but as this is n. t- a manly quality he will see the desirability of shar ing it off like a garment. It is said that he was to weak to thank his supporters at the close of the election when the poll was declared, and had t-> depend -ntirely on the good services of a cousin. This may not be to some degree incompat- ible wit I- the -terner qualities that he mav possess, but it will not do iu: district Councillor, an,1 at that end of his term, he -ray rest assured that he will be called upon to render publicly an account of bis stewardship. 3 Adam Wynn. H". as we predicted, ran well, but just lost by a head. He will now have to wide his time, and train for a grand race nc\r year, or some time in the future, when he will f.o").s. closely identified with all unpopular cause. He tared no policy in this election, nor had he a ^rnmme for the future as tar- as the ratepayers a:e av.ate. He relied soielv un :Iis r¡'cord itJ lit: pa.js time it just failed to win him 7iit! nee. arv 'number of supporters. If the District Contu it use County Council had the power to t lect Akienru ri, he would, no doubt, lie elected vxiui acclan.aiion. There is every hope that his ser\i<-es m tiie future as in the •pasti-wid tie at the disp of his m i- -1 'vel Aber- dovey. 4 Arthur Meek. Arthur this time ••m-nitled the grand mistake "f lea* h-g his battle for -il crs to fight; When ail canvass, the person who deci.{.-s n < to is severely handicapped in the strife. ALerservimrthe Ward so well, he would be less tha :iu;an he did not-deeply feel his abrupt eismis w L()(. ;inds of the ele-.ors. !t is juf.,t like turnm.. wnv good and trustv servant without giving i n: and the wherefore. But thoug t. ,c > i-ra itude is keen, we oniy hope that its bite v r-; }!(vm ;.oa^ M(j that before long we shall 'e!' Ai imr Moek still anxious and eiger for the. trav j i,; be honed that his watchfulness will be 'un h.isi.ed, though his services as a Coin; iilor are :„. at. preseutln request. I 5 Cwiiym Fycnan This was e first time for Gwilym to ran, and a vanetv .ipinxuis are ex- pressed as to Uie result of the ra«v m his caw. Some are- surprised that, lie i.aa run so u, a:)i, oilers are disappointed that, he has not run u, cii i.'et.ter. There was (1. multitude of influences 'L;in:,t. (iwilvm Fychan some fair, others v, rv e-:i'air, a.,d juour opinion h-Te, faking ad things j.IU( rons^h ration, he has run exceedingly well. T e 't iiv.ber of votes, recorded in his favour undouh-ed .• I.ini two things. 1st. Many men are liars A! men nothars If ever he comes •h, u iil ,,an3 I much bet er cuauee of V I-U»IR.fc. turn in the as j,;appeared m the hnn:im-t. so a-Jeu to thi igs i rres.rial, Yours, &c.. P^n-yr-Oron, TELESCOPE.