Evening Express

RULE BY MINORITY, I It is important that steps should be I taken immediately to rescind the resolu- tion passed at Monday's meeting of the Cardiff Corporation to re-construct the tramway route between the monument in St. Mary-street and the junction of Penarth-road and Clive-road. Although it was carried by a majority of the mem- bers present, it seems that all the members of the corporation have, at one time or another, voted on the subject, and most or them have voted against the re-con- struction. It is, therefore, not the of the corporation, as at present con- stituted that money should be expended upon what is destined to be an unremu- nerative and not a very convenient line of tramways. If the question were submitted to the ratepayers to-morrow we have no doubt that the majority would vote against this attempt to saddle the tram- ways with a route which, while it may suit the convenience of a few burgesses, will have a detrimental effect upon the finances of the whole. The capita! expen- diture on the tramways undertaking is already enormous, amounting to £ 650.000 without tho contemplated extensions, some of which are necessary both for the convenience of the public and for the pros- perity of the undertaking. The loan charges for this year are no less than £ 33,000, an increase of £ 13,0C0 over last year's. For next year they will be still further increased, up to probably, £ 40,000, and when it is pointed out that this is a charge against revenue it will be seen what an enormous burden is being imposed upon the undertaking. Capital is being expended continually, and it is time the corporation called a halt. They must know where they are. But if the capital is to be continually added to after the fashion of the Grangetown route, the tramways undertaking will never be placed on a satisfactory footing. The GrangetoiVm extension, which aminority snatched a vote in favour of on Monday, ia an illustration of what can be done by a few wards persistently working in com- bination against the rest of the town. Other extensions of the same sort—unre- munerative, and, from the traffic point of view, unnecessary-will follow if con- cessions of this character are made, and we shall be blessed with a trainiioy in every back lane in the borough, bat witkau mcubuft so far as finances are i concerned. Enormous items of neces- sary expense have to be faced-the asylum, the western sewer, waterworks extension. and so forth. They will add inevitably to the rates, and the rates of Cardiff will not bear much addition. In the tramways we have a commercial under- taking which can be made as convenient to the public as may be reasonably desir- able and at the same time profitable to the ratepayers. It is a legitimate aspi- ration that the fabulous profits of which advocates of municipal trading speak should be devoted to the relief of the rates after the undertakings they are made on have been placed on a sound financial footing. This is the prospect which has been held out in justification of municipal trading. At any rate, trading undertakings must not be made a charge upon the rates, and unless the majority of the corporation take steps to counteract the pernicious persistency of the minority this is just what will happen in Cardiff.

Many local charities will have cause to bless the memory of Mr. Thomas Williams, of Gwaelodygarth. He has left to mis- sionary societies, to denominational churches, to social movements, and to educational institutions, such as the Car- cliff University College, £ 16,500. In all, there are thirty-three bequests, and the deceased gentleman has made them in good taste.

A solicitor who has heard a county-court judge cracking jokes at the expense of some poor suitor, who has, perforce, to look pleasant under a species of humour which does not appeal to him. might well be pardoned for bouncing into the presence of Judge Owen in something less solemn than a sable suit. But the mandate has gone forth. Judge Owen will crack no more jokes. Solicitors must appear before him in solemn raiment of black. A soli- citor, fresh from a country ride, appeared before Honour at Pontypool yesterday in a suit of flannels, and. although the cthes very ligely had nothing to do with it, his client was "non-suited." Judge Owen would have preferred to have non- suited that solicitor of his flannels. It is to be hoped that his honour's courts are not going into mourning for iong.

Mainly About People. Princess Louise of Schieswig-Holstein, who, attended by Miss Mary Hughes, is expected at Firle. on a visit to Lord and Lady Uage, i,3 one of the very few living women who have preferred to return to their maiden names after experiencing the unfortunate necessity of divorcing their husbands. Her Highness is an amiable Princess of artistic tastes and musical tendencies, and. like her mother, Princess Christian, is tireless in all philan- thropic efforts. Princess Louise is not by any means tall, but has a certain dignity of carriage which is accentuated by a. style of dress at once ueat and attractive. Viscountess Gage, Princess Louise's hostess, i3 1. a member of the influential and wide- spreading Peel family, being a, daughter of Mr. Frederick Peel. Mr. Peel's mother. Lady Elizabeth Mnore, was one of the most famous beauties of her day, and accounted by the Czar of Russia of the time the most lovely woman he had ever met. Her marriage witk the Eight Honourable William Yates Peel, M.P.. brother of the great Sir Robert Peel, was the occasion of an almost unprecedented incident. For it appears that the late Prince F.sterhazy. who was one of Lady Elizabeth Mo ore's innumerable suitors, being the last to grasp her hand as she drove off from the marriage-reception on her wedding tour, was the first (by means of extra express post horses) to hand her ladyship out of the chariot, as she arrived with her husband to spend the honeymoon. Sir Theodore Doxford. the Yorkshire Post" dec Jar-ea. seems definitely to have made up his mind to retire from the Par- liamentary representation of Sunderland at the next general election, though his friends ha.ve brought great pressure to bear upon him to induce him to reconsider his decision. Sir Theodore, who was knighted in 1900. has sat for Sunderland since 1895, and is the head of the well-known ship-building firm of William Dosford and Sons, Limited, He is just over sixty. An American correspondent tells of a joke that shocked the late Max O'Rell, as it was too grim and too personal. Max O'Rell was booked to lecture in Grand Rapids something like ten years ago. and the local manager was having a serious time in inducing the people of the valley to see the merits of lecturers. There was a big sale for the O'Rell lecture, and the manager called on the French wit to pay him his fee of lood-ols. "But I have not delivered the lecture yet. Suppose I should die before to-night, said O'Rell, who could not understand why a manager should pay for something not yet delivered. Oh, that's all right. I'd exhibit your corpse," replied the manager. The witty Frenchman never recovered from the shock of this remark. Ac any rate, he refused to lecture in Grand Rapids again. A writer in a Paris magazine has brought together several utterances of the Emperor William, which go to confirm the impression that this potentate take-& himself very seriously. I am your Emperor," said he on one .occasion. by an immutable decree of God," Again: "What I require of my people is a fidelity that never wavers." Two years ago he declared: "The assertion of an Em- peror must not be disputed." Last June he remarked: "Frightful was the time, bitter were the years, before Germany had an Em- peror." To a gathering of German bishops he said: "Regard me as the intermediary be- tween you and Germany's ancient God." The one thing I fear." said the Man Who Talks Backward. is that the summer will go before it cymes. That Sir Henry Irving is quite capable of maintaining his dignity under somewhat trying circumstances is shown by the follow- ing anecdote which is told of the tragedian bv a brother actor. On one occasion Irvmg's company, having been called to the theatre for rehearsal. found upon their arrival that they were considerably ahead of time. As Sir Henry had not yet arrived, one of the actors in the company, who was noted for his accomplishments as a roiwic. proceeded to give, a lively and elaborate imitation cf Sir Henry's highly characteristic acting. As he finished his demonstration a well-known voice came from the depths of the darkened audi- torium: "Very good." it said. "Very good,! indeed' So good, in fact. that there is no need for both of us in this company." 1 A correspondent who knew the condemned man Dougal in his youth sends some particu- lars of the latter's early life. Forty years ago," he sa ya. Dougal's parents and my own were neighbours. I was some few years senior to Herbert Dougal and his brothers, so that they were mire the companions of my younger brothers than of myself, and in coarse of time I came to look upon Herbert as a dangerous boy to be mixed up with. I think our acquaintance came to an end when Her- bert Dongal induced my brothers to join in a case of amateur housebreaking, simply (as my brothers understood) to demonstrate the pos- sibility of breaking windows noiselessly by the aid of pease pudding. We afterwards thought that, Dougal's in- teationa were not so innocent as he professed them to be. However, they were all caught and j haled before the magistrate, but get off owing I tA) my father attending and pleading their ok youth and respectability. hlerbert was cer- tainly the ringleader, and this, I think, goes to show that he was always badly inclined from a boy. Some years later I heard that he had enlisted in the Royal Engineers and was getting rapidly promoted, and much more recently saw his name in the papers as being convicted of embezzling regimental funds, and thereby forfeiting his right to a pension (quartermaster-sergeant's, I think) when nearly due. His wretched end. therefore, is hardly to be wondered at. but still I am very sorry." The "Jewish Chronicle" mentions a novel, use for the phonograph. Some time ago the Hungarian Jews in Chicago wrote to the Chief Rabbi of Pressburg in Hungary asking him to recommend an orthodox rabbi able to preach in their native language. Press- burg is a long way from Chicago, and it was too much to expect that a rabbi could drop across for a. Sabbath to preach a, trial sermon. That was where the phonograph showed its use. The recommended candidate spoke his best sermons, in his best German and Hungarian, into the instrument, and when the records were produced in Chicago they gave such delight that the preacher was elected at a handsome salary. Colonel Neville Chamberlain, who, as Inspector-General of the Royal Irish Con- stabulary, was responsible for the police arrangements at the Motor Derby, is an old Devon Regiment officer, who passed nearly 25 years in India. He went through the Afghan War under Lord Roberts, being wounded at Kandahar, and served as aide-de-camp to his commander for a period of four years. The rut is a very good thing for the people who could not otherwise keep out of the ditch. The Hon. Edmund Somerset Bntler. now in the Bankruptcy-court, is grandson to the thirteenth Viscount Mountgarret, who was defendant in. and winner of. the famous Mountgarret peerage suit of 1854. A grandson of the eleventh Viscount claimed the title on the gronnd that the thirteenth Viscount was the issue of a. bigamous marriage. The verdict, originally for the plaintiff. was reversed at a second hearing, and the deci- sion in defendant's favour held good. The twelfth Viscount Mountgarret was also Earl of Kilkenny, but the earldom expired with him in 1846. Mr. John Lewis. L.C.C. whose imprisonment was the subject of a. question in the House, has always taken an active part in politics, local and other. ia Marylebone. He is a man of very strongly pronounced views; in fact, the sort of person whom unkind opponents would call a crank. He is not largely blessed with the gift of tact, which is indispensable to those who would command success as local leaders of opinion, and he would have been chosen as a Parliamentary candidate long ago if he had had the gift of making himself popular with all sections of the party. At the same time, he is a very earnest man, and he haa given and is giving proof that he is willing to suffer for his convictions.

SIR JOHN JONES JENKINS. An Alleged Change of Front. With regard to the statement in a Liberal contemporary that Sir John Jones Jenkins had decided to return to the Liberal fold in protest against the Protectionist trend of British policy, it is impossible to ascertain precisely the fncta. as Sir John has departed for Norway. On the eve of his departure he appears to have made some statement of the kind to a reporter. Sir John is not. however, so far as is known, a political personage to be reckoned with in any constituency. When, however, Sir John claims to have been a Conservative or Liberal Unionist for Swansea it is impossible to pass over his statement without contradiction. It is quite possible, and we believe true, that in the course of a couverClatiou with some individual Conservative or Liberal Unionist at Swansea Sir John has been known to say that, rather than that Sir George Newnes should have a walk-over, he might contest the seat, but under whose auspices or with what "siiprort he would have done EO is absolutely shrouded in mystery. That appears to be the whole foundation for his making a semtwhat necessary statement as to his views ana communicating them to a contem- porary. Sir John's name has never been suggested amongst Swansea Conservatives or at any meeting or sectional meeting of the party. It has never been mentioned. No such undertaking has been asked for from him, and. therefore, to withdraw was quite unnecessary it be has attempted it. 1Ir. Fred Waddington, the Swansea Conserva- tive agent, alluding to the interview with Sir .John, and the statement that he had been a possible Conservative candidate for Swansea Town, laughed incredulously. "That's funny," he said; "it's the first I've heard ol it." Then Sir John was not in that position?" "So; in fact. his name was never even men- tioned. I can't imagine how the statement got into print." Mr. Moy Evans. hon. secretary, of the Swan sea Liberal Unionist Association, when asked by our Swansea representative if he had ever heard Sr John's name mentioned as a Unionise candidate for Swansea, at once said: No. I ne\-r beard of ft till now." The whole point of the matter appears to be that Sir John evidently wants to make another twist; but the importance of this should not have been accentuated by the statement that he was a possible Unionist candidate for Swansea.

PONTYPRIDD SCHOOL BOARD. At an extraordinary meeting of the Ponty. pridd School Board held on Wednesday the board's architect (Mr. A. O. Evans) submitted a report on the school accommodation at Coedpenmaen and Treforest. After con- sidering the question, the board resolved that he should prepare plans showing a re-arrange- ment of the qlrefor-egt Schools into a boys and girls department, to provide additional accommodation for 120 boys and 64 girls, and a new infants' school to be erected to accom- modate 400 infanta, with a central hall. He was directed to prepare plans for alterations which would cost about £1,000 at Coedpen- maen.—Mr. Evans informed the board that plans for 90 new houses at Treforest had been passed, and would be ready for accommodation before any alteration to the schools could be carried out. The sub-committee deputed to inquire into the complaint against a teacher under the board for punishing a pupil reported that, after investigation, they found that there had been no excessive punishment of the child. The father of the boy, and Mr. Jones-Powell, the member of the board who made the com- plaint. therefore, freely withdrew the charge against the teacher of cruelly ill-treating the boy. On the other hand. the teacher willingly withdrew the charge against Mr. Jones-Powell of uttering a wicked untruth.—The report wag accepted.—Mr. Jones-Powell complained that punishment of pupils by uncertificated teachers was still going on, and he would like the head-teachers to be ma-de responsible.—The Clerk (Mr. Milt-on Jones) explained that he intended circularising the staff on the matter.

SWANSEA HOSPITAL BOARD. I The Swansea Hospital Board met on Wednes- day. Alderman H. Watkins presiding.—Colonel Morgan moved the adoption of a house com- mittee's recommendation that a 750-gallon tank he fixed near the operating theatre- Miss Dillwyn seconded.—Mr. Payne moved that the matter be deferred till the ventila- tion of the operating theatre was decided.— Colonel Morgan said the amount, of water going through the hospital meters was some- thing appalling. I.aat week 52,000 gallons were registered, an increase of no less than 16.000 gallons. Where it went to he did not know, but he thought the tank would save it.-It waa decided to defer the matter for two months. Miss Dillwyn asked for authority to adver- tise for tenders for furnishing the Convales- cent Home. It was intended to open with ten beds--five for men and five for women this being the number which the annual interest on X's Lioooo would keep up.-Some little argument arose as to whom the onus of paying for the furniture should fall upon.-lifr. Goldberg seconded the request.—Mr. Tuckfield said the resolution I was entirely out of order. There was far too much springing things like this, and he pro- teste.d.Tlte Chairman said Mr. Tuckfield was out of order, and on Miss Dillwyn's motion being put, it was carried. Mr. Tuckfield dis- cerning.—Mr. Payne moved the recommend- 'ttee, that, the out- ation of the building committee, that the out- patients' department be lighted by electri- city.—Mr. IT, Goldberg seconded, and the I principle was approved. although no steps i are yet iaieaded to he takeilk.

ICONSUMPTION CUREl Success of the Open-air Treatment. INTERESTING SPEECH BY I LORD ROSEBERY. Lord Rosebery yesterday opened three pavilions in extension of the Victoria Hospital for the open-ai-r treatment of consumption at Edinburgh. The function took place in a specially decorated marquee in the hospital grounds at Craigleith, erected to accommo- date eleven hundred persons, and the com- pany filled the tent. Lord Provost Steel pre- sided, and, in opening the proceedings, made sided, and, in openin, an appeal for further support for the institu- tion, and Dr. Philip gave an account of the work carried on. The annual average attend- ance at patients' houses or at the dispensary was 15,000. They had been remarkably suc- cessful in their treatment of the disease. Lord Rosebery, in the course of his speech, said: I believe that this instutution is not more than eight or ten years old, and yet, surely, there has been no more crying want than some infirmary or hospital which should deal effectively with the widespread curse of consumption. It is calculated, I think, that in the United Kingdom not les3 than 60,000 people die annually of consumption-I think of consumption of the lungs. In Scotland it is calculated that one-eighth of all the deaths arise from consumption of some organ or another, and. excluding the infant deaths in Edinburgh—that is. deaths under five years old—it is calculated that not less than one- seventh of the deaths of Edinburgh arise from this source alone. Well, there was a great evil which had to be dealt with. It has been attempted to be grappled with iu a number of different waya, and it is only, so to speak, of late years that we have gone straight to Nature, and adopted the remedy which Nature herself seems to suggest. (Ap- plause.) It must, I think, have come with a shock to many of us to find that it was sug- gested that consumptive patients, who must need care and sedulous attendance, were to be exposed to all the worst that the climate of Scotland could do, and yet the fact is indubitable. It is an undoubted fact that that exposure has been of the most miracu- lous benefit to the patients: who are j not in so advanced a stage of the disease as to make their recovery hopeless. I hope when this company takes the opportunity of going over this hospital after these proceed- ings are over that they will watch with the admiration and astonishment I have the methods that are adopted to deal with these patiputs. I think that every male patient in the hospital is at this moment sleeping in the open air-that is. not with open win- dows, but under a slight shelter in the open air, much more than we are at the present moment. Some patients. I think, went through all last winter sleeping in the open air. and sometimes the snow had to be taken from under their beds when they arose in the morning, and even when they are in the house, Dr. Philip says in his pamphlet- which I recommend moat strongly to all who take any interest in the subject —that the endeavour is to keep every window open and to approximate as nearly as possible to the conditions of the outer atmosphere, N%,hat-I ever that atmosphere may be. and to meet the demands made on the system by that cold treatment simply by clothing, and he tells me, if I rightly understand him, that after a short time, a comparatively short time, little extra clothing is needed because the patients become so acclimatised to this treat- ment. Then, again, we have the striking fact of the very small number of deaths that have occurred in the hospital since the hospital has been opened, and, surely, we may. bearing these facts in mind, lift up our hearts both with thankfulness to the Almighty Who has vouchsafed to let us into tl-ie secret of this great healing prescription and also to those men who have giveu their lives, their energies, and their time, to the relief of this particular form of illness and by dis- covering this particular form of treatment. In conclusion, Lord Rosvbery appealed for support for the institution. Afterwards the treasurer intimated that the appeal for funds had been responded to to the extent of £ 1,439 lis. 6d., including a contribution of £ 300 from Sir James Steel, 1 and one of E100 from Lord Rosebery. Votes of thanks having been accorded. Sir Alexander Christison presented to Lord Rosebery a key. with which his lordship opened thedings. j

SWANSEA TOWN COUNCIL The Education Question Again 11 Discussed. A monthly meeting of the Swansea County Borough Council was held on Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Griff. Thomas (mayor) pre- siding. The disapproval of the Education Board of the Swansea council's omission of co-option proposals in their scheme was considered at Some length. Mr. Solomon moved his amendment, passed at the general purposes committee, limiting the members of the council to at least four- fifths, and appointing two lady members. Mr. Martin seconded, and made a lengthy explanation of his reasons. The committee was to be only advisory. He could not under- stand where any question of conscience came in. If they persisted in their present atti- tude the Board of Education had the power to make a provisional order taking the educa- tion of the town out of their hands. Mr. G. Morgan; We shall be in good com pany. Mr. Martin: Ridiculous nonsense! Are you going to p?na,ise the town for all time? Mr. Harries: Not for long. There will be a change of Government in twelve months. Mr. Martin: That does not mean a change in the Act. In reply to Mr. Martin, the Town-clerk interpreted the 17th Section, 7th Sub-Section, to mean that if tlle council did not carry out their functions the Board of Education would do it for them. Mr Morgan: If in existence. Mr. M. Tutton opposed the amendment, reiterating his views that the council should have the courage of their convictions, and not bow down to the Education Board and do what the latter liked. The Swansea Council had acted in compliance with the law. That was all that concerned them. Mr. D. Davies said the approval of the Education Board was specifically refused to schemes. Delay meant financial loss to the town. This condemnation ot co-option was quite a new thing to those who were now uttering it. They had approved it in other matters. The amendment was lost by twenty-three votes to nine, and the council's scheme was re-atHrmed. THE CRAY WATERWORKS. With regard to the Cray Waterworks, in answer to a request from the Local Govern ment Board as to the material deviation from the scheme, in respect of which the board, in July, 1898, sanctioned a loan, the dam across the river having been con- structed of concrete, instead of rubble masonry," a letter was read from the con- sulting engineers, pointing out that, after the work was let, and the quarries opened, it was found that the stone was not of the class anticipated when the drawings were made. There would have been excessive waste of material in selecting stones suitable for rubble masonry. The eub-committee further res^.ved that the necessary railway arrange- ments b.e made to afford ratepayers an I opportunity of inspecting the works in pro- gress at Cray on Thursday, August 20. MORTALITY FROM MEASLES. The medical officer, in his report for the quarter, observed of the 458 deaths from all zymotic causes 54 were attributed to measles, nine to whooping cough, eight to diphtheria, two to scarlet fever, two to fever, and four to diarrhoea, and these 79 deaths corresponded to an annual rate of 3.3 per 1.000 from these zymotic diseases. Measles, with 54 deaths, accounts for the high death-rate of the past quarter, but it is satisfactory to note that the prevalence of the disease has markedly abated, and there is, therefore, reason to hope that it may shortly disappear from the borough. THE CHAPEL QUESTION. Mr. David Davies moved the rescinding of a resolution of the council refusing a licence to assign the lease of Alexandra-road Chapel to Messrs. R. E. Jones (Limited), Madmorth Hotel, for extension pUfpoae8.-This matter has been hotly debated at previous meetings. —Dr. Rawlings said it was not right to refuse a:1 ordinary request, except for extraordinary reasons, and he did not think they were to be observed in this case.-After a long dis- cussion. the council decided by a large majority to grant the licence to assign.

BOARD OF TRADE INQUIRY ATCARDIFF I The inquiry directed by the Board of Trade into the stranding of the steamship Drayton, of London, was resumed at the Town-hall, (lardiff, on Wednesday, before the stipendiary (Mr. T. W. Lewis), assisted by Captain Hoare and Capta,in Cunningham as nautical assessors. Mr. Ivor Va-chell appeared for uie Board of Trade. Mr. Robertson for the master of the vessel, and Mr. Lean (Moxon and Lean) for the chief officer. The evidence given was in many respects in contradiction to that of the master and officers of the ship. The advo- cates -having addressed the cou-rt, the Stipen- diary announced that judgment would be given on Friday morning.

£100 fora Paragraph1 COUPON. ( No. 14. 16-7-03. I

MARGIN OF 19 DAYS In the Competition for 100 Sovereigns. EVERY ONE MAY NOW TAKE I' A HAND. On July 1 began the three months' period in the easy competition for P,100, of which details will be found on Page 4 in the "Evening Express" to-day. In this effort every one may take part. Pick out the paragraph which you think the most interesting on any date in the three months in either of the two columns named in the notice on the j said Page 4. For convenience' sake paste this paragraph on the top of a good-sized piece of paper (say a foolscap sheet), and underneath the paragraph write the date upon which it appeared in the "Evening Express." Then, day by day, paste on to the satnesileet 60 of the coupons, one of which is appearing in the "Evening Express" every day for the three months (July to September). Seventy-nine coupons will appear during the three months, but it -will be sufficient if you send in 60 of diffe- rent dates with each paragraph selected. You thus have a margin of nineteen days in case you happen to miss a few days through being away on holidays or other causes. With the 60th and every later coupon will appear a form, having lincs on which you will write, very plainly, your name and full postal address. It is ONE paragraph only which will be adjudged the best, and the reader who sends in that paragraph will receive the prize, subject only to the condition in the last paragraph in the notice on Page 4. If any reader thinks two or more paragraphs are of equal Aiierit, there is no rule to prevent his sending them all in, providd 60 coupons are sent with each paragraph. If you have any questions, send them along to the Editor of thfc "Evening Express," Cardiff.

j GENERAL BOTHA AS CRITIC. Sweeping Condemnation of the I Government. I A letter by General Louis Botha, dated Pretoria. June 13, is sent to tihe "Times" by Mr. Leonard Courtney. General Botha writes. in the course of his letter: "As far as the Transvaal is concerned, Mr. Chamberlain s j visit to South Africa has been a dismal failure, and has left matters worse than he found them. We saw him only once in a joint body as a public deputation. At th public meeting he adopted a line of reply which could not but be considered in- sulting, and which was so considered by everybody present. The main point to bear in mind is that an unprecedented war debt was placed on the Transvaal against the express declarations of the burgher representatives and without the consultation or concurrence of a single section of the population of the country." (The Johannes- burg people, with whom Mr. Chamberlain negotiated, represented, General Botha remarks, "nobody but themselves, unless it be their financial principals in Europe. ) The work of the Repatriation Department is a complete and dismal failure (continues General Botha). Lord Milner'g dispatches about the huge success of this department are nothing more than a fairy tale. Although this relief fund was in the Vereeniging con- ditions of surrender called a "free grant," I have not yet met a single burgher in the Transvaal who has received anything free or gratis from the Government, all relief having to be signed for or secured by sureties or promÜtaory notes. On the school and language question, the general writes:—The Government haa im- ported a number of English educational experts, under whose care and instructions the education of hbe Boer children is now directed to a goal which no Boer professes to fo-reaee or understand. An intensely reli- gious, moral, and conservative people, the Boers find their whole existence torn up by the roots, as it were, their children educated by strange people who may be Romanists or Sacerdotalists, and probably are, who do not know their language or modes of thought, who teach the children history which every child knows to be a travesty of the facts, and whose whole influence is unconsciously directed to making plain to the ordinary Boer the gulf which separates him from his conquerors. The proposed immigration of Chinese would (says the general) degrade South Africa for ever, and destroy it. prospects as a land for white immigration. He affirms that the government of the country is Almost com- pletely dictated by the mining magnates. The consequence of all this is that the Trans- vaal is to-day in a most unhappy and dis- satisfied temper. The English, even more than the Dutch, are bitterly complaining. The only redeeming feature of the situation is that in this common adversity English and Boer are being drawn together; but it is not a work of which the Government has any reason to be proud. "You must not infer from all this that the Boers are seething with discontent. There is a wonderful calm every- where obaervahte. Ait their energies are engaged in the work of rebuilding their homes and repairing the losses of the war. Nothing is more touching and inspires me with more hope for the future of the country than the whole-hearted way with which the people have thrown themselves into the work."

MUNICIPAL ELECTRICAL ASSOCIATION I At Sunderland on Wednesday the eighth annual convention of the Incorporated Municipal Electrical Association was opened at the Towii-hall, Mr. Snell, chief elec- trical engineer of Sunderland Corpora- tion, presiding. The association is com- posed of those who are interested in municipal electricity undertakings, the members being principally electrical engineers or members of the municipal elec- tricity committees.—The President, in his address, contended that the assertion that private electrical undertakings were more economically managed than municipal ones was not too well founded. He quoted figures in proof of his view, and also urged that a longer period for repayment of loans was necessary. Papers were submitted on "Statistics of Electrical Supply" by Alderman Smith. Barrow, and on "The Possibilities of Future Economiee in Electrical Installations" oy .Mr. Chamen. Glasgow. After luncheon visits were paid to the corporation electrical works and the various shipyards. To-day the convention meets in Newcastle, to-morrow at ¡ Middlesbrough, finishing at Sunderland on Saturday.

IMMUNITY OF CROWN SEFIVANTSII In the Divisional Court on Wednesday an appeal was heard against the decision of the I Southampton county justices by the driver of a traction engine who had been convicted for driving at a speed prohibited by the Locomo- tives Act. The appellant was a servant of the Crown, the engine was Crown property, and the appellant, who was driving only slightly over three miles an hour, was obeying the instructions of a superior officer.-The Solici- tor-General contended that the Act did not apply, as Acts of Parliament did not apply to the Crown, unless so stated in the Act 4t.e.elf.-The Court now held that the section did not blnd the Crowm,' a-n&' allowed the appeal

FOUND DEAD. I A Whitchurch Doctor's Sad End. VERDICT OF "DEATH FROM I NATURAL CAUSES." I As reported- in the ExtrarSpecial and later editions of yesterday's "Evening Express," At Whitchurch last evening, Mr. E. B. Reeoe held an inquest on the body of Dr. Trevor H. Evans, of Tygwyn, Whitchurch, who died on Tuesday evening under circum- stances that have been reported. The first witness was Dr. Fredk. W. Evans, Charles-street, Cardiff, who said that Dr. Tre- vor Evans, who was aged 37, was his first cousin, and acted for him as assistant physician and surgeon. Witness last saw him alive at four o'clock on Monday afternoon in Cardiff, when he was in good health and spirits. He had lately returned from Paris, and chatted pleasantly about his Continental experiences. Witness wa4i called from Cardiff to Whit- church on Tuesday evening, and at a quarter- past eleven, with Dr. Nairn (assistant to Dr. Artliur), saw deceased in the dining-room. He was lying by the fender. Tlure was a slight ,brnise on the bridge of the nose and the right ey; was blackened, and witness's theory was that lie fell :n a faint on the fender, and died, piobably, from heart failure. A book-rest. broken at the socket, was underneath the body, and a book lay open on the floor. Mrs. Kate Davey said she had acted as housekeeper at New House for a year and ten months. She last saw Dr. Trevor Evans alive at six o'clock on Tuesday after- noon. She had occasion to go to Cardiff, and left the doctor in the house alone. Returning about ten o'clock, she rang the bell twice, but received no answer. At last she gained admittance through the scullery window at the back, and on entering the breakfast-room she found Dr. Evans lying on his face as described. There was on the table a cup of cocoa, which, in her absence, he was in the habit of making himself. He showed no signs of life, and witness sent for Mr. Charles Douglas England, a neighbour, who telephoned for medical assistance. About fifteen months ago Dr. Trevor Evans was over- taken with illness in the yard, and was un- conscious for two or three minutes. Dr. Archibald B. Nairn, who, with Dr. Evans, examined the body of deceased after death, agreed that death was due to heart failure. The jury returned a verdict of Death from natural causes." The Coroner said he had known Dr. Trevor Evans all his life, and he appeared to be strong and healthy. lie expressed his sympathy and the deep regret he felt with Dr. Evans and the other mem- bers of the family.

FRENCH MINERS IN WALES. Curious Incidentat the Groeswen Colliery. Much unpleasantness has arisen amongst a large number of colliers in the Taff's Well and Upper Boat districts owing to the arrival on Monday of a number of Frenchmen at the Groeswen Colliery, situate on the Eglwys- ilan Mountain, about one mile from Upper Boat and about three miles from Taff's Well. The colliery named was up to about two years and a half ago the property of the Groeswen and Garadog Company (Limited), at which time they sold it to a French syndi- cate, which callod itself the South Wales Colliery Company. This new company, which is said to have paid a deposit on account of the undertaking at the time, took over the management eighteen months ago, and operations were carried on until the end of May lasf, when the new company expressed it3elf dissatisfied with the amount of pur- chase money demanded by the old company for the colliery. The consequence was that the colliery was stopped, about 127 workmen were thrown out of employment without receiving their last week's earnings, and the High Court has been the scene of litigation between the two companies ever since. It is now understood that the French syndi- cate, which has since been augmented and registered as the South Wales Colliery Com- pany and Groeswen and Caradog Extension, has paid into court a sum of money to meet its liabilities, while Mr. R. T. Rees, Aberdare, has been appointed by the High Court as receiver and manager until the 31st inst. Immediately the decision of the High Court is to hand the new company will commence operations, hence the reason for the arrival on Monday of one engineer, one surveyor, and fourteen mechanics and miners-all French. During the three months that the colliery has been idle it has been in charge of Messrs. Davies and T. Coles (mana- ger and assistant manager respectively), and as soon as the visit of the Frenchmen was made known a large number of the old hands who had been unable to obtain work since the stoppage at the Groeswen Colliery quickly flocked to the pit-head and demanded the money that was due to them and their tools, which are in and about. the colliery. The general belief in the district was that a disturbance would occur, but the manager and his assistant succeeded in pacifying the crowd, and everything has passed off quietly ever since. On Wednesday morning the colliery was visited by M. Monnerett (chair- man 'of the new company) and M. I/eggett (engineer), who appear to be in charge of the men. and, in the presence of our representa- tive, M. Monnerett. with the assistance of an interpreter, told the ass,emble.d colliers, who had previously worked at the colliery, that the Frenchmen had not come there to work underground, but simply to explore the workings. He further stated that the manager and his assistant would be taken on by the new company, as also would most of, if Hot all. the old hands. M. Monnerett later in the day left for Cardiff to meet one of the prin- cipal members of the old firm, after which, he said. it was his intention to go to London to confer with the company's solicitors on the matter. Consequent upon rumours circulating in the Valley that the Frenchmen had come over to work the mind instead of local colliers —and the ide,), being abroad that this was but an advance guard of a larger number of followers—they were unable to obtain lodgings anywhere. Two boarding-houses at Pontypridd decided to take them in, but when the object of their mission was dis- covered they were refused admission, and they had to content themselves with sleeping on hay and straw-to which they helped them- selves from adjoining fields-and then scattered on the ground in the open and in small sheds about the pit-head. Having had enough of this, they decided on Wednesday to put up at Cardiff and to go to and from the colliery daily with the workmen's train. In the course of a conversation with some of the old hands our representative gleaned that they were willing to work with the Frenchmen so long as they became members of the Miners' Federation and received the recognised scale of wages. If not, then the local men would not enter the colliery. Their opinion has been since the visitors have put in an appearance that they have to come to work at a lower rate of wages, and if that is so, it is a circumstance which, they say, they will not tolerate.

FALSE PRETENCES AND LARCENY AT I LLANDOVERY At a special sessions held at the Town-hall, Llandovery, on Wednesday John Fee, a sewing machine mechanic, hailing from New. castle-on-Tyne, was brought up in custody of Police-sergeant Deans, charged with obtaining food and lodgings under false pretences at the Six Bells Inn, Llandovery, on the 13th imt.- From the evidence of Mrs. Ann Evans, the landlady, it appeared that prisoner called at her house about 8.30 p.m. on the date in ques. tion, and asked for board and lodgings, which was granted him. He represented himself as an engineer under the Local Government Board, and said he intended staying at Llan- dovery for eighteen weeks. He agreed to pay 14s. 6d. a week as a boarder, and said that seven other men were coming in the morning. He had supper and breakfast, and paid for neither meal.—Peter Evans, the landlord, cor. roborated, and further testified that prisoner told him that he expected a motor-car of his own make to arrive, and invited him to drive along with him to Swansea to see the "Wild Weat" Show.—Prisoner pleaded guilty, and elected to be dealt with summarily.—The Magistrates imposed a fine of JEI and costs. Prisoner was further charged with stealing a machine shuttle, valued at 5s., on the same date, the property of Mr. D. Perrott, Waterloo House, Llandovery.—Evidence having been adduced by Miss Edith Owen, a milliner, and Mr. D. Perrott, the Bench fined defendant (je. and costs.

THE FISCAL INQUIRY I -4 Members Ask for Full Discussion. ANIMATED DEBATE IN THE I COMMONS. 1 In the House of Commons yesterday, Sir M. HICKS-BEACH1 said he wished to ask the First Lord of the Treasury a question of which he had given private notice, namely, whether before the close of this session he would afford an opportunity of discussion of the changes proposed by the Colonial Secre- tary in the fiscal policy of this country, in order that the House might aid the country in the inquiry and discussion which had been invited by his Majesty's Ministers, and whether he would grant facilities to his hon. friend Mr. Henry Hobhouse to bring forward his motion on the subject. He reminded the right hon. gentleman that the discussion of this most important subject was precluded by the rules of the House on the Finance Bill. (Opposition cheers.) Mr. BALFOUR: I do not think that any useful purpose would be served—{ironical Op- position cheers and Ministerial counter-cheers) —by the discussion which the right hon. gentleman desires to initiate or to see ini- tiated-a discussion which would be addressed to no particular motion, and upon which a vote of "Aye" or "No" would have no direct relation to the subject of the debate. The matter has already been discussed on the Budget and on the rising of the House for the Whitsuntide holidays, and a subsequent debate took place on the motion for the adjournment of the House. These were all occasions when hon. gentlemen had an oppor- tunity—and used the opportunity—{loud cries of No," and Ministerial cheers)-had an opportunity and used the opportunity- (renewed cries of "No")—of making their opinions heard, and I really do not think anything would be gained by adding another to the abstract discussions we have already had on this subjeot. Sir H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN: Are we to understand that the Government do not wish to afford an opportunity to the House of that full discussion of the whole subject to which they were in express terms invited by the Colonial Secretary—on a subject which the right hon. gentleman himself has said has no party significance? Mr. BALFOUR: What I said was that I did not think an abstract discussion directed to no specific motion would be of any use. ("Oh," and cheers.) It is always within the right hon. gentleman's power to see that it is a direct and specific motion. oh," and cheers.) If he chooses to take steps to that end I will make it my business to provide facilities for its discussion. ("Oh, oh.") Mr. H. HOBHOUSE (U., Somerset, E.), who was received with loud cheers, said: I should like to aek my right hon. friend if he means by "a specific motion" a motion which can be construed as a vote of censure; and whether he considers that. that is the form in which a motion should be put down by his own sup- porters on this side of the House—(loud cheers)—who desire a discussion which he has himself assured us is not to be made a teat of party loyalty. (Cheers.) Mr. BALFOUR: I never suggested that my right hon. friend should P1\t down a vote of censure, nor do I conceive it possible that he should even contemplate Stleil a course. I made the suggestion to the right hon. gentle man opposite. (Ministerial cheers.) Mr. BOWLES (U., King's Lynn): Will my right hon. friend give facilities for the dis- cussion of a motion condemning the imposi- tion of a protective tax upon the food of the country? Lord HUGH CECIL (U., Greenwich): May 1 ask my right hon. friend what is meant by thø invitation to the House to discuss and inquire into this subject? We are accepting the invitation. (Cheers.) Mr. BALFOUR: Perhaps my noble friend will read opt the terms in which the invitation to the Houee -ARE made. Lord HUGH CECIL: It Was made on the motion for the adjournment for Whitsuntide by the Colonial Secretary in express terms. (Cheers.) Sir H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN: I can relieve the mind of the Prime Minister by rending the extract. (Opposition cheers.) The words of the Colonial Secretary were these: It is because it is of immense importance that I ask the House to join eagerly in the discussion." (Loud cheers.) Lord HUGH CECIL: May I ask for an answer to my question? Mr. BALFOUR: I was waiting for the enthu- siasm which the question had created to cease. (Laughter.) As I understand the matter, that was stated upon the motion for the adjournment for the holidays. There have been many days' discussion since then -(laughter, and loud cries of "Oh")—and I see no reason to abandon the view which I have already taken as to the proper course of conducting the business of this House during the short remainder of the session. (Ministerial cheers.) CANADA AND GERMANY. I Sir H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN: May I ask the right hon. gentleman, on a question not so large as that with which we have been dealing, what opportunity he suggests that the House should have, or may have, for dis- cussing the correspondence which has been placed on the table relating to the fiscal con- cerns of Canada and Germany? Mr. BALFOUR: I suppose that that would be germane to some of the votes which we have still to discuss. I will look into the question. Sir W. LAWSON (R., Camborne): If we are not to discuss the fiscal matter, will the right hon. gentleman arrange that the same in- formation al.-eady promised in the House of Lords shall be laid before this House? Mr. BALFOUR: Of course. Sir W. LAWSON: When will that be? Mr. BALFOUR: The two Houses will not be treated differently in this matter. (Cries of "Oh" and ironical laughter.) Mr. BLACK (R., Banff): May I point out that the House of Lords- The SPEAKER: Order, order. The hon. member cannot point out things to the Honae. Mr. BLACK: May I ask whether in the House of Lords on Friday Lord Lansdowne gave an undertaking in an affirmative sanse? The SPEAKER: This is irregular. The hon. member cannot enter into questions which have been discussed in the other House. Mr. BLiACK asked the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Government had determined to give the public the whole facts, statistics, and information collected by his Majesty's Ministers with regard to the inquiry now being undertaken by them. Mr. BALFOUR: I cannot give the pledge which the hon. member desiree. Replying to Sir W. Lawson Mr. BALFOUR said that any observations which the representatives of the co-operative societies wished to furnish to the Government in regard to the fiscal inquiry would be care- fully considered. Mr. THEODORE TAYLOR (R., Lancashire, Radcliffe) asked the First Lord of the Trea- sury whether the proposed inquiry would include the question of the desirability of retaliating upon Colonial tariffs on British goods whenever those tariffs were as high as or higher than the tariffs levied by foreign countries. Mr. BALFOUR: If the hon. gentleman desires to make any proposals for retaliatory duties on the Colonies, he will have an oppor- tunity of doing so before any practical steps are taken in this House in regard to fiscal policy. No such proposal will emanate from any gentleman on this side of the House. PRICE OF CORN. I In reply to Mr. Harris (U., Tynemouth), Mr. G. BALFOUR said that the average price of wheat per quarter in France in the five years 1878—1882 was 49s. 10d., and in the fivp years 1898-1902 37s. 3d. The average price of British wheat in England and Wales in the first period was 45s. per quarter and in the second 28s. 3d. During the five years 1878-1882 the French import duty on wheat was at the rate of 0.60f. per 100 kilos. (Is. 0W. per quarter), and in the five years 1838-1902 7f, per 100 kilos. (12s. 2d. per quarter). HOME CULTIVATION. Mr. WEIR (R., Ross) asked the First Lord of the Treasury, in view of a possible change in the fiscal policy of the country and the consequent importance of raising in the United Kingdom as large food supplies as possible, if he would state what steps the Government proposed to take in order to secure the cultivation of a larger area of land. Mr. BALFOUR: I do not quite see the con- nection between the fiscal inquiry and the food supply raised in this country. The hon. gentleman had better explain himself. Mr. WEIR: I do not refer to the policy of inquiry. I refer to the fiscal policy. If the right hon. gentleman desires it, I will put down a question again in order that he may carefully consider it.

WELSH METHODISTS Annual Assembly at Amlwch. 1. 1 STATISTICAL REPORTS ON THE CONNEXION. The Methodist Assembly sittings were resumed at Amlwch yesterday, the Rev. Aaron Davies presiding. Two hundred dele- gates were present. The Rev. R. J. Williams (Liverpool) submitted the report of the Foreign Mission Committee. The assembly included a number of missionaries, and Miss Lloyd, B.A., the Rev. W. W. Jenkins and Mrs. Jenkins, ajid the Rev. Robert Evans delivered valedictory addresses previous to departure for missionary work in India. The Rev. John Williams appealed for increased subscriptions, and predicted an annual deficit for this department unless his appeal was acceded to. If every member subscribed 18. annually the work could be done. The report wa: adopted. The book-room committee's report was also adopted, the members being re-appointed. The Rev. Joseph Evans (Denbigh) submitted an interesting and impor- tant report dealing with connexional statistics. Chapels and preaching stations showed an increase of 65. Eight new churches were formed last year, and there was an increase in the number of communicants of 1,957. Sun- day Schools showed a decrease all round. The total number of chapels was 1,586, with seats for 441,185. The ministers numbered 875, preachers 395, deacons 5,855, and communicants 162,284. There were 74,330 children in the Churches, and the total members and adhe- rents numbered 239,108. Members enrolled during the year numbered 22,614, a decrease of 500. Losses by death and other causes were 21,170, an increase of 298. Sunday School members numbered 205,000, a decrease of 1,038. Collections realised zE322,712, an increase of £ 16,967. The connexional property was valued at £ 1,069,096. There were 207 students at the colleges, and 39,570 members professed total abstinence. The foreign missions report showed the existence of 439 preaching stations in India. Five Churches had been established in Brittany, with 113 communicants, 74 being converts from Romanism. In the course of the afternoon conference considerable discussion took place relative to the,wording of tne agreements between the book-room committee and the authors of the text-books, one of which was to the effect that, should an author in writing a book exceed the limit of 200 pages allotted to him the general editor might condense the book at the expense of the author. The Rev. Griffith Ellis, M.A., Bootle, who had been appointed to write a text-book, distinctly refused to sign such an agreement. The Rev. Dr. Cynddylan Jones described tht agreements of connexion as far more unfair than those of London publishers. Eventually it was resolved to ask the Rev. Griffith Ellis to meet the committee privately. The Rev. Owen Parry (Cemaes) announced the result of the Sunday School examination, and said that 88 candidates entered, of whom 79 had passed. The gold medal would be awarded to Mr. Eben Morris (Mynffordd, Pen- rhyndeudraeth), the silver medal to Mr. Thomas Owen (Porth, East Glamorgan), and tha bronze medal to Mr. R. Jeffreys (Carnar- von). A resolution was passed calling attention to the serious condition of the Sunday Schools and the necessity for appointing a permanent official in North and South Wales to super- intend the work. The Secretary read a message received from the South Wales Association thanking the finance committee for voting a sum of 1250 last year towards the Trevecca College, and urging upon them to make a similar grant yearly. The appeal was heartily supported by the Rev. W. James (Aberdare), Dr. T. Rees (Merthyr), and Dr. Cynddylan Jones. The Rev. J. Wheeler and others, however, strongly objected to an annual charge being made upon the funds of the assembly, and sug- gested that the finance committee be asked to give the matter consideration each yeal and vote sums towards the colleges accord- ing to the state of the funds. This was eventually agreed to.

THE RECORD RAILWAY RUN. An Average Speed of 63i Miles per Hour. The Great Western Railway Company on Tuesday established a remarkable record of long distance travel, the Royal train having covered the distance between Paddington and Plymouth in 3h. 53min., an average speed of 631 miles for the whole journey. To accomplish this feat it was necessary to move a dead weight of 125 tons, exclusive of engine and tender, 88 tons more. The train was made up of a brake saloon, a second and third composite carriage, the Royal saloon in three compartments (com- municating), then a first and second com- posite carriage, and, lastly, the Falmouth tri- composite coach. The locomotive City of Bath, No. 3,433, is one of the newest types, not long out of the Swindon shops, and one of a batch of twenty named after the Great Western cities. She is a four-wheeled coupled engine with a leading bogie, the diameter of the driving wheels being 6ft. Sin. The fire-box is a Belpaire. The whole distance was per- formed without a stop even for a, second. In view of the very prominent part he played in the wonderful performance the Plymouth "Daily Mercury" interviewed the driver of the train-Mr. Edward Burden. The driver spoke enthusiastically of his engine. "Ah," he said, she's a beauty. You may think me prejudiced, but I honestly believe there are no finer locomotives in the world than the class to which she belongs. If there is any one particular point about our ran to-day over wnich I realiy do feel proud it is in the fact that we have estab- lished the superiority of the British railway engine in spite of all the talk about the American locomotives I knew when I was told that I had to run a special through from Paddington to Plymouth without a stop that I could do it as comfortably as taking a local from North Road to Newton Abbot. Confi- dence in his machine means more to the driver than you might believe. Locomotives -have their own peculiar little tricks just like live creatures. Some of them want a great deal of coaxing. But the City of Bath is a beauty. When we arrived at North Road she was still making steam just as fast as when we started out of Paddington. with the pointer of the pressure gauge standing at 1801b. to the square inch. She would have run on to Penzance with the greatest ease." You knew that you were going to try and make a record run when you left Padding- ton ?" Not at all. I had received my running time-sheet, which scheduled me to cover the distance in four and a half hours. Inspector Greenway travelled with us on the footplate, and as soon as we had cleared Paddington be told me to let her have it. So I gave her a few notches more than we usually cut off at in express running, and let her romp." Yon ran the whole distance between Lon- don and Plymouth without a check?" said our correspondent. We had no signal checks," replied Burden. Of course, there were the regular service slacks, as we call them, to be complied with. For example, we had to drop to 25 miles an hour on the curve through Bath Station, to ten miles an hour on the loop between Bristol East Depot and Pylle Hill, to twenty miles an hour through Exeter Station, thirty miles an hour through Coryton Tunnel and Newton Abbot, and fifteen miles an hour at Probus. Even these checks made a considerablo dif- ference in the time of our total run." Where do you consider you did your best work, Mr. Burden?" "Well, I daresay we made our fastest running on the Exeter side of the Wellington Bank, where I reckon we were buzzing over the metals at about 85 miles an hour. But between Swindon and Bristol we did the most creditable part of the whole journey, aver-1 aging 70 miles an hour, with the heavy pull, up both the Wootton Bassett and Box Banks thrown in. Could we have done the journey faster had we tried? Unquestionably so. The engine was never pressed at all. She is now standing in the Laira sheds, having been overhauled by the foreman, who found not a nut started nor a bolt st,rained. We are ready to go away again at a moment's notice, and run home as fast as we came down, if needs be." Was there much oscillation or discomfort on the footplate at the time you were running at top speed?" No. The City of Bath is a wonderfully steady engine, considering that she is of the four-coupled type. It is also a fact that after it you have reached a certain speed the faster you go the more smoothly you travel, until the whole train seems to settle down into a kind of humming, sleepy motion, when you may know you are romping over the rails at a pretty pace."

William Mathews, a mason, wae killed at the Standard Colliery, Ynyshir, on Tuesday even. ing. At Aberayojf on Wednesday a platelayer named John Elements was knocked down and fatally hurt.

C o c ii farf 's ",g /"7 Comments. I have no doubt that Dougal's tardy but brief confession of being guilty of the murder of Miss Holland has been wel- corned by the public on account of the evidence upon which he was sentenced to death being wholly circumstantial, although of the strongest possible kind. But the circumstances under which the confession was extracted from him were such as I have never heard or read of before, and were, to my mind, in a large degree repulsive. Whilst standing on the trap-door—which to Dougal was the door which would admit him to another world a few seconds afterwards—and with the fatal noose around his neck, we are told that the dead silence which prevailed at that awful moment was broken by the loud voice of the chaplain shouting, "Dougal, are you guilty or not guilty?" and the interrogation was put a second time. How such an innovation can be justified on the score of propriety or on legal grounds I confess I fail to under- stand. Charity suggests that something had occurred between the condemned man and the rev. gentleman, whose duty it was to administer religious advice and consola- tion to him, which justified the unusual proceeding, and I am willing to believe that such were the circumstances. There were other deviations from time-honoured treatment of prisoners under arrest in the conduct of the case against Dougal which are receiving attention from the legal newspapers-such as the admission as evidence of statements made by persons accused or suspected of criminal offences when the statements are in answer to inquiries made by police- officers. At Dougal's trial a superinten- dent of police was asked to repeat certain statements made by the accused previous to being taken into custody. Justice Wright held that the statements, having been made voluntarily, although without a previous caution, were admissible. According to the Justice of the Peace," in the reported cases on the question judges are divided in opinion on this important matter but all are agreed, if there is fair cause to suspect an offender of a crime, a police-constable is justified, after a proper caution, in inter- rogating a suspected person with a view to ascertaining whether or not there were fair and reasonable grounds for appre- hending him but even this course should be sparingly resorted to. Justice Cock- burn held that the law did not allow a man under suspicion and about to be apprehended to be interrogated at all. A judge, magistrate, or jury could not do it, and it was a grave mistake for the police to do it. Justice Cave refused to allow in evidence a statement made by a prisoner while in custody, and in answer to questions put by a police-officer even after a caution. The British law is most careful that no one should be taken by surprise when their personal freedom is in question, and, in view of the prevailing tendency to disregard so desirable a safe- guard, the high judicial opinions I have just quoted cannot be too widely known. The weather is once more warm enough to 'make the subject of thirst-quenching one of exceptional interest, and acknow- ledged. authorities sound highly the praise8 of the juice of the lime. At present limes are only known in this country in the shape of lime juice and "cordials," which, whilst very refreshing in themselves, recall little of the flavour of the fresh fruit. Green limes, when they can be obtained here, cost about 4d. per dozen, but with a greater demand a lower price would be quickly established, for in the countries where they are grown the ruling price is about 3d. per 100. if anyone cares for the trouble of organising .such a trade properly, an dof popularising the importation of the fruit, a commer- cial success is assured him. A piece of a lime squeezed into a tumbler, sweetened with a little white sugar, and diluted with soda or plain water, will assuredly become a favourite summer beverage, cooling to the blood, and devoid of sourness. One of the troubles of a pressman is to find the right word at the right moment and it was my unhappy lot to be in that predicament on Monday last. By that means I have wounded the susceptibilities of a friend. I wish to assure him how- ever, that I was in one of my serenest moods when that unfortunate paragraph was written. "Dear 'Cochfarf"-j always read your comments in the Express' with pleasure and profit, and I yield to no one in my admiration of your character. My regret is, therefore, all the greater at seeing you put out over a certain 'screed' iri the Western Mail.' Now, I am sure, if you re-consider the matter, you will pardon my telling you that your judg- ment has been a wee bit hasty, and your usual sense of humour has been in abeyance for the time being. But do not think I find fault with you for this; on the contrary, I esteem the patriotic prin- ciple at the bottom of it. I must, how- ever, stoutly insist that you are quite beside the mark in your observations. The screed' was not meant to run down anything Welsh, but it was aimed at something which I believe was not Welsh and only a caricature of the national dress. To make this meaning still plainer, I had the title printed in inverted commas. I may, perhaps, say that it was suggested by a lady who is quite as patriotic as yourself, and she merely looked upon it as an innocent sort of skit, and I am sure if the Western Ma.il' people had seen anything offensive in it it would never have appeared in their columns. It was written and handed in long before your notes on the national dress appeared, and I really did not expect it would ever see the light, and since reading your notes I would much prefer that it had not. It seems absurd that I should write at such a length about what is, after all, a mere trifle, but I certainly feel pained that you should mis- take the intention of one who is as honesh in his love for Wales as any man in it.- I I am, &c., THE WETTER OF THE SCREED." But why should the word screed b. regarded as an offensive term? Is i? regarded as being synonymous witi, "screech" ? I am led to believe that suel is the case %ince I have asked a fev. friends what meaning they would at tact: to' it. I have referred to a number ci dictionaries with the view of obtaining assistance as to its meaning, but it L only included in the National Die tionary of the English Language and it a couple of dictionaries of technicai terms, and in each case it is interpretec as a straight piece of wood by which the surface of plastering islevelled; a long piece." With my correspon- dent's consent, I will agree to the first meaning being adopted for the word anc apply it to our little difference, and con- sider it as being as completely levelled at > the smoothest surface of plastering as ever passed out of a plasterer's hands. To err is human, and to forgive divine, and, in return for the forgiveness of The Writer of the Screed," I will promise to keep my sense of humour fully awake in the futuie, for it is certain we do not laugh toe much in this busy age, and I am certain that humour is a scarce quality albo.