County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser Abergavenny and Raglan Herald Usk and Pontypool Messenger and Chepstow Argus

USK GAOL. In his annual report to the Commissioners of Prisons, Mr F. W. Gibson, the Governor of R.M. Prison at Usk, says: -The state and discipline of; the prison during the year have been satisfactory- The daily average number of prisoners was 109" males and 27 females, compared with 100 males and 22 females the previous year. The increase is mainly caused by committals for drunkenness. sleeping out, and beggiug. The conduct of TH& prisoners has been good. Associated labour is carried on in the central hall and corridors, an(L appears to be generally appreciated by the prisoners. It is satisfactory to note that the valnev of the prisoners' earnings in manufactures for the year is £ 934, which is an increase of JE366 over last? year. The power to earn remission marks is working- well, and is a strong incentive to good behaviour and industry. In no case have I had occasion to order a forfeiture of remission marks. The- division of offenders has been strictly carried out 122 male prisoners were placed in the star class, and 12 females. The results are considered favourable, the number known to have been re- committed are three males and three females. Nor- prisoner of the 1st division and 23 of the 2nct division were received iuring the year. Eighty- nine prisoners have taken advantage of 11 the permission to pay part of a fine. The conduct of the subordinate staff has been vary satisfactory" with one exception. All vegetables except potatoes, required for the use of the prison, are grown in the prison garden. The prisoners have been employed at stone-breaking, wood chopping, oakum picking, coal-sack making, mail-bag making, hammock making, tailoring, gardening, knitting, needleworks etc. The Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society- continues to do good work, and every prisoner about to be discharged is carefully considered by the sub-committee. The Chaplain, in his report, says:-The usual, daily services have been duly performed, with addresses on Wednesdays and Sarur ays, matins and evensong on Sundays, Christmas Day, and. Good Friday, with sermons at each service. I am thankful to be able again to speak of the behaviour of the prisoners while present in chapel. The Holy Communion HAS been administered four times during the year. All prisoners have been visited on admission and discharge the sick and juveniles received special attention, and the rest were visited. at least, once during the week. The education of those prisoners entitled to receive it has been well carried out by the schoolmaster. The Medical Officer reports that during the past; year the health of the prisoners has been good. There have been no cases of infectious disease, no suicides or attempts at suicide, and no deaths. Each prisoner is carefully examined as to his physical and mental condition and freedom from infectious or contagious diseases before being apportioned labour or admitted to the prisotfc proper.

Births, Marriages, & Deaths. Announcements under this heading are inserted at a uniform, charge of 1/- each, unless such vords as "No Cards," "No Flowers," (j-c., are added, when the charge will be 2/6. All Announcements must be authenticated. Postage Stamps may be sent in payment. Lists of Wedding Presents are inserted at the rate of 1/6 per inch in depth.

The Centenary of Trafalgar. The whole-heartedness of the celebrations on Saturday, in London, Portsmouth, and many other places; the vast crowds of peo- pie who visited Trafalgar Square; the great congregation at St. Paul's Cathedral; and the profound interest with which people listened, on Sunday, to references to the life and death of Nelson-all these things showed how the hearts of Britons beat as one in grateful recognition of the hero's services to his country. Nelson has always been a first favourite with the British peo- ple. When he sailed from Portsmouth on September 14th, 1805, the whole population of the town came out to see him off. Some knelt for his blessing, others cried like chil- dren, many held their hands aloft, and we are told that never yet since England was England was there ever such a sight seen." And when the news arrived—as Southey has recorded-" the death of Nelson was felt in England as something more than a public calamity. Men started at the intelli- gence and turned pale. as if they had heard of the death of a dear friend." When we consider WHAT THE VICTORY OF TRAFALGAR MEANT for Britain, it is easy to understand the ad- miration which was evoked by Nelson's skill as a commander but something more than skill was required to bring forth such a demonstration of the national sorrow as was witnessed when Lieut. Lapenotiere arrived in London, on November 6th, with the news that the French and Spanish Fleets had been destroyed, but that the Admiral whose genius had secured Britain against invasion was no more. With the ample records that have been preserved of everything that Nelson did we can readily believe that the hearts of the people were touched by his affectionate disposition, his tender thoughtfulness for those by whom he was surrounded, and his conspicuous per- sonal courage. Of the hero's thoughtful- ness for others an example was afforded when he left Portsmouth, and the Victory was kept under easy sail because the Admiral was mindful of the sailors' weep- ing wives, who, in the shore boats, were endeavouring to keep alongside the ship. Then there was his courage. Nelson had proved on many occasions that he was with- out fear, but never had he displayed such a contempt for death as he showed on the deck of the Victory. It is said of Julius Ceesar that he was not very much concerned for his own life for the reason that he was subject to epileptic fits. The "battered little sailor," so frail of body and SO STOUT OF HEART, I had no such affliction as that, but he appears to have conceived that his work for his country was almost completed, and he certainly adopted no precautions for the security of liit3 own life. The coat which he wore was decorated with the epaulettes of bis rank, and only a few minutes before he was shot he had said to one of his captains, 44 God bless you, Blackwood, J shall never speak to you again." But the way in which he exposed himself to danger has no imme- diate bearing upon his death. The man who shot the Admiral was Sergeant Robert Guillemard, who, from the rigging of the Redoubtable, was firing, without aiming It any particular individual, into the stern of the British ship, which was not many yards away. All at once he perceived a great commotion on board the Victory. The people crowded round an officer, in whom he believed he recognised Lord Nelson, and the excitement amongst the Victory's crew confirmed him in the belief that it was indeed the British Admiral. To live with fame The goods allow to many, but to die With equal lustre is a blessing Heaven Selects from all the choicest boons of fate, And with a sparing hand on few bestows. We have in commission a Nelson, a Trafal- gar, a Nile, a Collingwood, a Howe, a King Alfred, and many other ships which remind us of the naval glories of the past. In all outward appearances they are very different from the warships in use at the times they recall, but the spirit which animates the crews who man them is the same, and we are not slow to believe that if the necessity arises they will quit themselves as did the men whom Nelson was proud to command. While then we honour the departed brave, it behoves us to remember the services of THB ROYAL NAVY OF TO-DAY, I and not least the devotion of the men who I toil in the heat of the engine room, ready to meet, if need be, the death they cannot see. There has teen much discussion whether Nelson's victory at Trafalgar saved Britain from invasion. It is possible that at that particular moment there was no intention on the part of Napoleon to land an army on our shores, but it is more than probable that after the peace of Tilsit, in 1807, his mind recurred to the plan of invasion, and that he was only deterred from pursuing it by the prestige which Nelson's victory had given the British fleet. Further, the defeat of the French and Spanish ships at Trafalgar prevented him from carrying into execution a scheme for destroying our commerce, and we owe it to Nelson that during the past hundred years Britain has been left in almost undisputed sovereignty of the seas.

[We do not necessarily endorse all our correspondent writes.-ED. "C.O."] TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION. As will be seen by advertisement, last year's prizes will be distributed on Wednesday next. when it is hoped there will be a large atten- dance of the general public at the Grammar School to show that the work of the local Committee is appreciated. I regret to learn that this Session's classes- all in useful subjects which must be a help to our children in after life-are not being availed of to the extent they should. Will parents note this, please, and quicken their interest in the matter ? I THE MONMOUTH BOROUGHS. f Most Usk people will agree with me that there could be only one result of the special meeting of the Urban District Council called for the purpose of considering the Newport suggestion that under the new Redistribution of Seats Bill it should have separate represen- tion, and that Monmouth and Usk should be thrown into another constituency, and I am pleased that that result was attained by a reso- lution being passed protesting against any such alteration. I take it the townspeople elect their represen- tatives on the Council for the purpose of safe- guarding the interests of the town. In this case our interests are being seriously menaced by Newport, and it is the obvious duty of every member of our Urban District Council to do his level best to repel the attack. Newport is ambitious. Not only has it suc- ceeded in becoming the only Newport from a postal point of view, but it desires also to wrest from Monmouth the Assizes, and from Usk the Quarter Sessions. Our principle should be, according to our limited power, to do unto Newport as Newport is doing unto us; at any rate we must make as great a stand for our own as is possible. As the Town Clerk of Monmouth has pointed out to the Redistribution of Seats Committee, -1 The Borough of Monmouth is of great anti- quity, and has for centuries returned a Member of Parliament," and he submitted "that it would be a grave injustice if it were deprived of direct representation merely because owing to its geographical position the constitutory Borough of Newport has largely increased in population since the three towns, Monmouth, Newport, and Usk, were united as one con- stituency." Mr. Deakin also drew attention to the fact that if Newport were given a separate member the number of electors would be less than 11,000, while the Electors in Monmouth and Usk would probably be added to the already large constituency of South Monmouthshire, which at present contains more than 16,000 electors, in which case their identity and in- fluence would be lost and the name of a historic town would disappear, besides increasing the disparity in numbers of electors between the Boroughs Constituency and that of the South- ern Division of the County. CHURCH LIGHTING. The Manager of the Gas Works (Mr. F. Hill), instructed by the Rector and Churchwardens, is carrying out the work of substituting incandes- cent gas lamps for the ordinary gas burners for the lighting of the Church, and, has already put up five Welsbach Self-intensifiers, with patent flexible anti-vibrators (to counteract the oscilla- tion of the building when the peal of bells is rung). When a sixth lamp is placed in the Chancel, and other improvements are effecsed, the illumi- nation of the Church will equal about 2,000 candle power, and there will not be a shadow. IT Several leakages were discovered and stopped during the progress of the work. It is confi- dently anticipated that the change will not only be found to be a great improvement in itself, but that it will also save the gas bill to a consider- able extent. USK RIFLE CLUB. Although late in the day, I think it will be interesting generally if, now that I have ob- tained the particulars, I give details of the shoot- ing for the Gamage Shield at the Caerleon Mini- ature Bisley meeting, with especial reference to Usk. The first five teams were 1, Newport and District (1), 1,152 poiuts 2, Southfields, 1,123 3, Porth, 1,079; 4, Newport (2), 1,073 and 5, Usk, 1,002. One of the targets of the Newport (1) men was last, and also that of Mr G. Edmunds, of Usk (1), which made a considerable difference to the totals. Usk (2) was placed 8th. The following were the scores of the Usk teams # Usk No. 1. (1) (2) (3) (4) J. T. DAVIE 78 77 60 215 W. J. Sweet. 87 64 63 214: P. T. CLIFT 90 78 43 211 G. Edmunds, jr. 80 65 145 G. M. Smith 88 72 57 217 1002 Usk No. 2. E. B. HAYNES 87 67 62 216 W. BILLINGHAM 53 21 74 J. S. BIRRELL 87 60 57 204 A. F. 73 76 72 221 C. J. Francis 76 76 63 216 930 (1) Stationary (2) Disappearing; (3) Moving; (4) Total.

USK. Aglent-Mrs. E. K. Jontt, Statitner ATHEBTON'S PRIZE DRAW.—Winning numbers -15, 482, 145, 190, 134. THB BOROUGH MEMBEB.—Sir Joseph Lawrence, M.P, and Lady Lawrence have accepted an invitation to attend the annual festival of the Newsvendors' Benevolent Institution in London on the 31st inst. CHURCH PARADH.—" G" (OAK) Company of the 4th V.B S.W.B., will attend morning service at. Usk Parish Church on Sunday, when the organ will be supplemented by an orchestra. The Company will be headed by the Company Band- their first official appearance since re-organiza- tion. SIR JOSBPH LAWRBNCE, M.P.—In connection with the elevation of Cardiff to the dignity of a City and its Mayor to a Lord Mayoralty, it is interesting in the Monmouth Boroughs to know that Sir Joseph Lawrence's personal efforts were to some extent responsible for the honours being conferred at this time. He has been accorded a hearty vote of thanks by the Town Council of Cardiff, and has received personal thanks from the Mavor and the Town Clerk of Cardiff, and from L')rd Edmund Talbot (trustee of the Marquis of Bute) for his untiring efforts and zeal in con- nection with the movement. CHRISTMAS SliOOT.-The Christmas shoot of the C. D, E, and F Head-quarter Companies of the 4t V.B. South Wales Borderers took place at Usk on Saturday last. The entries, which numbered more than 100, compared favourably with those of previous years. The weather conditions were ideal. Colour-Sergeant S. Cox and Bugle-Major Farrow undertook the secretarial duties. The conditions were:-Fire rounds at 200 yards in any position; no sighter. Best scores: Drummer Weeks, 23 points; Sergeant Hnxtable, 22; Sergeant D. I. Jones, 22; Private Tom Hughes, 20: Colour-Sergeant T. J. Price, 20; Private Pritchard, 20.

RIVER REPORT. The season is drawing to a close. The only- kills heard of are by Mr Ernest Shand, on. Tuesday, one in Peucarreg, and one in Parker'S Hole, 181bs and 81bs.

MR F. J. STANNIER'S AFFAIRS. At the London Bankruptcy Court, on Tuesday, Frank Justice Stannier, late of Cefn Tilla, Mon- mouthshire, appeared for public examination before Mr Registrar Linklater. The debtor was the son of the late Francis Stannier, of Market Drayton, Salop, formerly mayor of Newoastle- under-Lyne, under whose will he and his wifo