The Welshman

CARDIGANSHIRE ANTIQUITIES. A correspondent of the Arclwvologia Cambrensis writes On the 17th inst. a party of members of our Asso- ciation started from Lampeter on an archaeological excursion to examine some of the antiquities of the Vale of the Teivy. Several years before the same party had explored the hills on the north-east side of the town lying between Llanyorlais and Cellan, over which passes the Roman road (Sam Helen) from Llanvair ar y bryn to Llanio, as well as the numerous British remains with which those hills are covered. This latter class of remains, as exemplified in that locality, demands a description more detailed than can be given in this letter suffice it to say that they are indicated in the Ordnance Map with tolerable completeness, and of course with accuracy of situation; that they are good of their k-ind,-carneddtn, camps, and meilli hirion and that they were at the time of the visit in question tolerably well preserved. Since then enclosures have been made; and, as is always the case, surveyors and landowners have cared nothing for these remains, but have removed or "used" many of them with an utter want of knowledge, as well as without any necessity. The time may come, as people get better informed, when it will be thought an honour to have early British remains undisturbed on an estate and when a landowner will be better pleased to have a carnedd lying untouched on the ground, than to boast that he obtained from it so many cartloads of stone for the ad- jacent wall. One of the finest of the early British remains on these hills is an enormous erect stone-well known, by the way, to Edward Lhwyd-still called by pre- eminence IIir Faen, the long or tall stone; and it merits its name, being about sixteen feet in height. It stands at the intersection of two boundary walls; but how it is that the landlords and surveyors have allowed it to stand, instead of breaking it up, is almost inconceivable. Several large but low carneddan were on the hill above it and the whole range for several miles is well -4 orth exploring. Over the ridge of this hill, coming up north from Cayo and Dolau Cothy (where, however, antiquities are really understood, cared for, and preserved), is the Sarn Helen. It does not run in a straight line, but winds considerably to take advantage of the ground. When at length it comes to the summit, in full view of the vale of the Teivy and Loventium, then the line runs down nearly straight all the way to the eastern bank of the river by the lead mines above Llanvair Clydogan. About a mile and a half south east from that spot, on the descent of the hill, there was, at that time, a small square Roman camp or station, in excellent preserva- tion, close by the side of the road. It had formed, no doubt, a halting place on dry ground for travellers from Loventium, before they attempted to climb the hill; and in case of need would have well defended the be- ginning of the mountain road. Just above this camp, for another mile or more, tk pavement of the Roman road was in admirable preser- vation: twenty feet broad: well barrelled towards tho middle deep and regular. No better specimen existed anywhere in Wales. It was precisely this very portion, from Llanvair Clydogan to the crown of the ridge, which a bench of Cardiganshire magistrates, sitting at Lampeter, ordered to be destroyed about three years ago; and which was destroyed accordingly, to the regret of the surveyor of roads-an intelligent man- who was obliged to carry the order into effect! The circumstance has been more than once alluded to in our journal. May it be hoped that similar instances of want of thought and want of knowledge may not occur often again. It may here be observed that this line of Roman road is easily traced, and that it is one of the most interesting in Wales. The starting point at Llanvair ar y bryn, where the original pavement still remains, coming down the at"p little hill behind the vicarage, is clearly ascertainable. It may be followed more or less satisfactorily to Llan y crwys, and then become' very visible. After gaining the flat ground on Teivy side, round Loventium, it is not so plain; but may be traced pretty well in winter, or in dry summers, and may be readily found on excavation. After leaving Loventium (Llanio) it ascends the rising ground very straight in its course, and may be followed many a mile by Llanbadarn Odyn on its way to the Dovey, which it crosses to the station at Pennal, close by the small mound defending the ferry. All this line is well marked out on the Ordnance Map and whenever the Association revisits Cardiganshire, members can enjoy a successful hunt on the trail of the Romans all round Lampeter. It is mentioned here because it was examined on the day in question and its track is still to be verified by the personal knowledge of all the farmers in the neighbourhood. The church of Llanvair Clydogan was visited by us that morning. We remembered it some years ago, before it had been repaired" arid fortunately some notes of it had then been taken. On the present occasion we found it, not restored-the word will not apply-we had rather use the common phrase of done up" in the cheapest and ugliest manner that any build- ing could experience. This church, as it stood a few years ago, though humble, preserved traces of fifteenth century work, and was capable of restoration in con- sonance with its original character at a small cost. It is now done up" in the commonest meeting house style, with sash windows, and is altogether despoiled of every architectural feature. Four miles further towards the north-east brought us to the Llanddewi Brefi. Here the little village, grouped round the remains of its ancient monastic church, stands at the entrance of a grand valley, Cwm Foelallt, down which rushes the Brenig from the eastern range of Cardiganshire hills,—that central ridge of mountains, the longest in Wales, curving round from Plynlymon to Precelly in a line of more than seventy miles, and extending in some parts to the breadth of twenty. What first strikes the visitor here is a noble tower, second only to that of Llanbadarn fawr in massive dignity, crowning a mutilated church on the summit of a small eminence rising steeply from the river. You see on the northern and southern face of this tower traces of transept roof,—for it was a stately cross- church forty years ago and you soon perceive the nave and chancel to be nothing more than modern erections on the site of old walls. In other words, the whole building has perished except the central tower. This was the work of Cardiganshire clergymen and land- owners five and thirty years ago. They found it inconvenient to repair, much more to restore, this fine old conventual church; therefore they pulled it down. They would have pulled down the tower also; but they found it too strong for them, so they left it per- force,—and there it still stands, one of the noblest towers in Wales. It is quite military in character, batters out boldly towards the base, has a square turret staircase at the north-east angle with a watch-place at the summit, high above the battlements a low-pitched roof much out of repair, with decaying timbers and stone-flags, slate-mended, full of holes, for covering; with a noble belfry below not containing a single bell,— all neglected and degraded. This tower stands on four massive pointed arches of the fourteenth century, opening into nave, choir, and transepts, with a dome vaulted longitudinally, in the Pembrokeshire fashion, above and this is all that remains of the old church. The rest of the building, not so good as a common meeting house, in bad repair, dirty and ugly, testifies to a bad state of feeling, to a wretched monotony of neglect: it is only a type of many other similar things in this part of Wales. On the floor in the chancel lies a large water-stoup. The ancient font is gone: a modern thing stands in its place, in a pew. The building is beyond cure. Nothing but total demolition of the modern portion can suffice; and then it might be rebuilt for no very great sum of money, with some approach to its original state of severe but sublime simplicity and the resumption of its original character would then satisfy the heart and the eye of the worshipper. As it is, the building is not as good as the ordinary type of dissenting chapel met with all up and down the country. Yet here it was that the synod of British bishops met and condemned the errors of Pelagius here it was that St. David stood and preached: there is the hillock that tradition long pointed out to have risen beneath his feet: there, on the mountain side to the south, are the remains of the conventual house: there is still the Ffordd y cantor ion, the old paved road, down which came the monks to chant their constant services in the great church: there, in the grave-yard, are still the ancient crossed stones. They are all there; but the spirit of ancient devotion is fled,-and if any spirit remains, it is one of neglect and desolation. The voices of the chanters are no longer heard: the very place itself is known-but to few. And yet what an admirable situa- tion for somc great ecclesiastical est-tblishment! Why was not St. David's College, now at Lampeter, erected here r What a lamentable error to have missed the opportunity of resuscitating the recollection of this old historic spot! What a pity, instoad of again placing hero a body of men and students to honour God with daily services, to have taken down the church, and to have built up these wretched rooms in its stead. In the south wall of the tower is a mutilated inscrip- tion, probably Roman, which may have come better from Llanio. In the graveyard, not many yards from this, is the fragment of a stono bearing a small cross croslet. At the west end of the church, beside the porch, are two stones,-one with a small cross crosslet, the other with a rude cross fleury; and close by is St. David's Staff, a tall, thin stone, seven feet high, with a cross crosslet on the western face; and beneath it, running vertically downwards, an inscription in minuscule character, probably of the ninth century. These stones are engraved in Meyrick s History of Cavdirianshire but they arc worthy of being illustrated by our Asso- ciation more accurately and more in accordance with the requirements of modern archaeological science. We next came to Tregaron to look for the early incised stones in the churchyard that stood there in Meyrick's time; but we could find no trace nor recol- lection of them. Here the church has a very fine western tower of the fifteenth century, similar in design to that of Landdewi Rrefi, but not with such good masonry and here, too, the old nave and chancel have been rebuilt in the meeting house plan, cheap and nasty." On the east wall, where the chancel stood, near a dingy communion table, a modern house-clock is fixed upon brackets, and ticks away diligently, a few more steps in the foe His d^eensx-s, and it might have been placed on the communion table Itself. Such is the aspect of the interior of Tregaron church. In the north-west corner stands the font,—a good specimen, of the same date as the tower, but unique in design, being a regular heptagon hollowed out into a circular basin, with a drain three inches in diameter. 0 Returning from hence we wended our way to Llamo, the site of Loventium, four miles down the valley, and on the western side of the stream. Any casual observer might visit this spot without perceiving that he was on the site of a Roman town at least as large as Lampeter of the present day. Some faint traces of embankment may be observed on and about Cae'r Castell; but it is on the flat towards the river that you must look for foundations of houses. Here the tenant of the farm, a person of intelligence and courtesy, pointed out to us the sites of several buildings. Here they dug up for us stones and mortar of walls, still in their courses, under ground hero they shewed us how the soil of the surrounding fields was filled with bricks, and where lumps or weights of lead had been dis- covered and here, too, they pointed out the only two Roman inscriptions still remaining on this spot; one in the east wall of the house, above the horse-block, bearing the rudely executed name of Overioni; the other in the lower part of the stable wall, thither re- moved from the horse-block, not many years back, with traces of two lines of words upon it, but of which Coh is almost the only portion now legible. These stones have been engraved by Meyrick, and they deserve to be put in more suitable places. Loventium stood in an admirable situation, very similar to that of Caer Sws in Montgomeryshire, close to the river; commanding several lines of roads, looking up several valleys, healthy and cheerful, with a good soil and pleasant prospects,—just the very place that a Roman general would have chosen for his troops. No wonder that a town grew up around it; but how strange that not a single dwelling, nor faintest trace of one, should now be remaining. It is all covered up, nearly obliterated by cultivation; and the capital of the valley, the chief town of this large district, has totally disappeared! Its site, however, admits of the utmost certainty of definition; and future excavations may well repay the efforts of our Association. We next visited a colossalllwcll hir in a hedge of the field above Llanio, at Bryn y Maen: so named, no doubt, from the proximity of this early monument. It is square on section, tapering towards the top. The portion now above ground is eight feet in height, and it measures sixteen in circumference. No traces of carnedd or circle, were observed by us. Above Tregaron, near the river Teivy, is Castell Flemish, a large military mound, with several lines of circumvallating earthworks. Between Tregaron and Llanio is Totnen Llanio, another mound, apparently de- fending a pass over the river. Between Lianio and Lampeter occur two churches: one Llangybi, partly barbarized after the fashion of Llanfair clydogan, but not quite so bad; the other, Bettws Bledrws, g a sham Gothic construction of the present century, with a kind of tower and spire. The little church of Cellan, in the same vale, is now doing up" in the same style but probably the worst of any of these churches is that of Lampctor itself, more ugly than the rest,—and yet, though a poor case, containing a jewel. The font, much mutilated by the sharpening knives of many generations of men, when it used to lie in the church- yards, is a square basin, of the ninth or tenth century, on a circular shaft, with emblems of the evangelists— the angel, the lion, the ox, and the eagle—at the four corners rudely worked; but one of the most interesting relics of early art that Wales possesses. This is worthy of careful preservation. As for the building itself, it is a public eyesoro: it demands total demolition, and scientific reconstruction.

PEMBROKESHIRE. PE B It 0 K ES I R E RESIGNATION OF THE REV. T. G. STAMPER.—At a recent meeting of the Tabernacle Independent Chapel, Haverfordwost, a letter was read from the Rov. T. G. Stamper, resigning his pastorage in December or March, Resolutions were then passed, agreeing to the resigna- tion in December next, and accepting his offer to supply the pulpit till the following March. HAVERFORDWEST.—Sermons in behalf of the Haver- ford west branch of Wesleyan Misssions, were preached at the Wesleyan Chapel in this town, on Sunday last, by4he Rev. Walter P. Johns, of Milford, in the morn- ing and afternoon; and in the evening by the Rev. J. Grose, of Manchester; and on Tuesday morning, a sermon was preached by the Rev. William T. Slater, of Glossop. In the evening a public meeting was held, over which George Phillips Esq., presided. Addresses were delivered by the Chairman, Mr. William Phillips, the Revds. Thomas Heely, James Lang, Thomas Davies, D.D., James Grose, and William T. Slater. The collections amounted to X29.

I GLAMORGANSHIRE. PRESENTATION TO A CLERGYMAN.—The congregation of Ystradgunlais Church, appreciating the worth of the ministerial services of the Rev. John Jones during a period of three and a half years in which he was curate of that church, presented him with a watch and chain on his leaving for the curacy of St. Dogmell's. AGRICULTURAL REPORT FOR WEST GLAMORGANSHIRE. Last week was a Godsend to such as had corn out in late localities. There has been very little positive damage from bad harvest weather in the Swansea dis- trict, though we have heard of grain rotting in the fields in less favoured districts. The fine autumnal weather of last week forwarded wheat sowing, or at least prepara- tion for sowing, over the whole country. There has not been very much wheat sown yet in our neighbour- hood, though in the Carmarthen district farmers have been very busily engaged in consigning the autumn seed to the ground. Better seasonal conditions could scarely have been desired for that purpose. The weather on Sunday changed for the worse, and we fear we shall be harassed by rain for some time. Grass is tolerably luxuriant, though we dare say it will soon be cropped bare enough by the additional flocks which have now been bought in. The now clovers look very fair but most people are unwilling to cut them down, as was the case last year, when the ultimate yield was considerably diminished fcy winter and spring grazing. Cattle in- tended to be fed this year are now getting a few swedes on the grass (carted thereupon) to prepare the way for stall feeding. Green crops have grown very well lately, though the total bulk per acre will not be so heavy as was supposed, on account of the damaging check they received in July. Twenty tons an acre will be the ex- ception and not the rule this year. Moreover, the un- equal braird at the commencement palpably affects the bulk of bulbs. In most fields, such plants as came away with the first growth have produced large bulbs, while the second growth of plants, being outstripped and shaded by those which had the first start, have ended in small bulbs. The crops of Swedes arc therefore generally unequal. Still, we say, they have pushed on favourably of late, and store cattle for winter feeding have therefore risen in value during the past fortnight. Any animal, likely to feed well, commands ready pur- chasers at present. The price of beef and mutton is very low, for graziers are pushing into the markets anything that will sell, before winter comes on. It is noticeable that everywhere farmers' rickyards are smaller than usual,-significaiit of bad times. In fact many farmers have boon heard declaring that they will positively have no wheat to sell this year. They will require all they have grown for seed and household use. Hayricks are also much diminished in bulk, in comparison with form or years. Grain-farmers and hay-farmers have alike been disappointed. The scarcity of money and general de- pression appear to increase among the agricultural com- munity.—Swansea Herald. i

MR. DILLWYN, M.P., ON THE PAST SESSION OF PARLIAMENT. On Tuesday a lecture was delivered in the Town-hall, Swansea, by Mr. Dillwyn, for the benefit of the Widow and Orphan Fund in connection with the Swansea dis- trict of the Independent Order of Oddfellows, J. C. Richardson, Esq., mayor, presided. Mr. Dillwyn said-His friends at first suggested that he should choose for his lecture some subject connected with natural history, but, although he felt a deep inter- est in this department of knowledge himself, he feared that it would not be so popular and attractive to a gene- ral audience as some other topic, and ultimately selected the subject of the Session of Parliament, as that which was likely to be the most generally interesting. In speaking upon this subject, he would endeavour to re- frain, as much as possible, from giving expression to any personal opinion, and would treat it, as far as he was able, merely historically. Of course it would bo im- possible for him altogether to avoid any expression of his own opinion, more especially as he had, as was well known, rather strong opinions on various matters; but he would endeavour to express his views in such a man- ner as would give no offence to any persons who were present, and happily the time had come when they could agree to differ," and were able to speak on political matters without anything like animosity or ill-feeling. The past Session was not, he believed, on the whole in very good odour. It was generally considered to have been distinguished by a great deal of talking and very little doing; but he thought, and should endeavour to show, that more good work had been done in it, not only than was generally supposed, but even than had been accomplished in many other previous Sessions in which he had taken part. Before proceeding, however, to speak of what had been done, he would first say a little on what had been left undone,—taking the sins, if sins they were, of omission, before those of commission. The first of the great questions which were left undone was that of Reform. This question stood in a very peculiar position, both with Parliament and the country, and he did not think, under the circumstances, that the House of Commons could have done much more with it than it had done. He did not mean to exonerate the leaders of the several parties, for he thought they were all, to a greater or less extent, blameablc for breaking their pro- mises and departing from their pledges. But still it :=--=-- could not be denied that the people generally had not shown that clear and decided desire for a measure of re- form which would make itl imperative upon a ministry to bring so important a measure forward. But though there had been no comprehensive measure of Reform in troduced by the Government, attempts had been made to do something, though with little success, by various independent members. Mr. Locke King had brought in his Bill for extending the £10 franchise to counties and Mr. Baines had introduced a measure for giving a six pound franchise to boroughs. lIe had himself voted for both these measures, but neither of them was very warmly suppported even by those who were unquestionable friends of reform and both, as they well knew, were rejected. The only measure of re- form which was brought forward by Government was what was called the Appropriation of Seats Bill. He had himself supported the original proposition of the Government, to give an additional member to a metro- politan district, but this was defeated, and the seat was given linstead to the West Riding. He did not think that any great harm was done by this change, because the principle of giving an additional member to a large constituency was adhered to in the one case as well as the other, and though it might be true that there was more probability of a Conservative member being re- turned by the West Riding than by Chelsea, yet he did not think that this was a consideration which a Liberal statesman ought to regard. The principle on which they ought to go was to provide that the people should be duly represented, and then to let them choose as their representatives, either Whigs or Tories as they thought best. There was another important question which had occupied a great deal of time, and in which he himself took part, in which, also, little progress was generally supposed to have been made ;-he meant the Church- rate Abolition Bill. For his own part he thought it was a mistake to suppose that there had been any alteration in the public feeling in this matter. He believed that the temporary check which the movement for the aboli- tion of Church Rates had met with in the House of Commons must be attributed not to any real reaction, but to the fact that some of the moderate supporters of the measure in former sessions, the majority of whom were sincerely attached to the Established Church, were alarmed and offended at the hostile language which was used by its more thorough going and zealous non-con- formist advocates and also to the fact that the Church oi England, the most powerful organisation in the country, exerted itself more strongly than ever before to resist the measure. Notwithstanding, however, the defeat which the measure had sustained, he believed it had made a decided progress in the last session, for it had now been brought into the category of party questions, and though for some reasons this was no doubt to be regretted, there could be little question that it would now be taken up by the Government, and carried through both Houses. There was another bill of a somewhat similar character, and which he had himself introduced he meant the Endowed Schools Bill. This measure was, in his opinion, founded on the great principle of religious liberty, and asserted the rights of those who did not conform to the Church of England to have a voice in the management of establishments which were founded for educational purposes generally, and not especially for the purposes of education in the principles of the Church of England. The measure was opposed by many members of the House, who honestly declared that they considered the Church ought to have the entire and exclusive management of all educational endowments which were not expressly intended for nonconformist bodies. lie carried his motion after full notice and on a full division, but on the motion for going into com- mittee the Tories collected their forces without giving him any notice of their intention, and thus defeated him by a manoeuvre not quite according to Parliamentary usage or courtesy. Of course he should know how to deal with them next time. (Laughter.) However, he did not wish to blame them, for the question was a very important one, and ought to be thoroughly ventilated. Mr. Dillwyn then proceeded to speak of various matters in which he considered something useful had been effected during the session. The first of these was the Bankruptcy Bill, which did away with the distinction between traders and non-traders, gave facilities for effecting bona fide private arrangements, and introduced other alterations of the existing law, which he considered to be very important improvements. Another measure, which, although it did not create any great popular excitement, was calculated, he thought, to effect great good, was the Irremovable Poor Bill, the leading provi- sions of which enabled poor persons to obtain a settle- ment in a parish by three years' residence instead of five, has heretofore. But the great party question of the session had been the repeal of the paper duty, the car- rying of which had removed the last of the protective enactments which had so long encumbered the statute- book. As they were all aware the question of the repeal of the paper duty had given occasion to the discussion of a question of far higher importance—namely, the right of the House of Lords to control the taxation of the people. Mr. Dillwyn narrated the various steps and I stages in this important controversy, in a very interest- ing manner, doing full justice to the motives of those who took a different view of the matter from himself but expressing his great satisfaction that the result had, shown that whatever the rights of the Lords with re- gard to taxation might be, those of the people were far superior. In speaking of the Estimates the hon. gentle- man stated his belief, that although those for the Army and Navy were indeed enormous, they were for the most part such as the transition state in which the armaments of the country at present were, and the disturbed con- dition of Europe rendered absolutely necessary; and therefore, though he was as much opposed to extrava- gance as any one, and lamented as much as any one the necessity which existed for such expensive precau- tions, he would not attempt to turn out a Government because it did its best to keep the nation in. a thorough state of defence (Applause). There was one portion of the estimates which was most cheerfully voted by the House, and he was satisfied would be most heartily sanctioned by the people-he meant the Volunteer I estimates. (Applause). The patriotism, gallantry, and energy of the Volunteers had gained the admira- tion of the country, and he had no doubt that but for them the standing army, and, consequently, the burdens of the people would have had to be increased to a very great extent. There was one question connected with the estimates which he had himself brought forward, and that was with regard to the sum paid for education. No one was more in favour of the education of the people than he was, but he felt that when the Govern- ment went beyond providing the common elements of education for those children whose parents were unable to pay for them, they overstepped their duty, and were acting on a principle which, if logically followed out, would place the whole education 0 of all classes in the hands of the State. At the request of Sir James Graham, who expressed his agreement with him generally on the matter, he had withdrawn the motion which he brought forward on this subject at the close of the last Session, but he intended to re-introduce it at the beginning of the next. After a brief reference to tho improved state of the prospects of India, Mr. Dillwyn passed on to speak of Italy, which, had formed one of the most frequent and interesting topics of debate during the Session, The opinion of the House generally, as well as that of the country, was decidedly in favour of Italian unity. There were some, it was true, who though they were no friends to bad government in the abstract, would have been glad to have seen the Pope re- established in his power, and the King of Naples rein- ¡ stated in what they considered to be his inherent and inalienable rights. But the great majority of the House as well as of the country were of opinion that the rights of Peoples were superior to the rights of Crowns, and that the welfare and prosperity and happiness of nations were not to be bound up by red tape. (Ap- plause.) There was one more important matter which had occupied much of the thought of the House, though it had never formed the sub- ject of their discussion, and that was the present state of America. He did not doubt that if the North- ern States had put forward slavery or non-slavery as the issue of the war which they were now waging, they would have had England with them almost to a man. (Applause). But they had not done so; on the con- trary, they had offered to make the slave laws even more severe than before, if the South would not secede, and therefore it would not do now to attempt to describe the war as one against slavery. He was of opinion that if the Northern States were to conquer the Southern States, slavery would still be tolerated and defended; but he believed if the South made good its secession, the people of the North would wash their hands at once and for ever of the stain. The hon. gentleman concluded a very able and interesting address by expressing his ap- probation of the wise and liberal foreign policy pursued by the present Minister.

BRECONSHIRE. BRECON.-At the Town Hall, on Monday, before W. L. Banks, Esq. (mayor), and James Williams, Esq. Robert Evans, Thomas Farmer, and Charles Watkins were severally charged by Superintendent Lee with throwing a quantity of filth in a certain street in the borough. The case was dismissed on payment of costs.— J. Gartery, a tramp, was charged with being drunk and j. Gatter3d r, hawking without a license. Committed for 14 days- CRICKIIOWF.LI,. The anniversary of the Baptist chapel at the above place was held on Tuesday and Wednesday, 15th and 16th October. At 6 o'clock on Tuesday evening the service was commenced by the Rev. ,r. Jones (Calvinistic Methodist), of Crickhowell, when the Rev. Levi Thomas, of Neath, preached in English, and the Rev. s. Williams, of Nantyglo, in English, At 10 o clock on Wednesday morning the service was commenced by the Rev. Levi Thomas, when sermons were preached by the Rev. M. Lewis, of Capel- y-flin, in Welsh, by the Hev. S. Young, of Abergavenny, in English, and by the Rev. E. Thomas, Newport, in Welsh. At 2 o clock the service was commenced by the Rev. M. Lewis, and sermons were preached by the Rev. D. R. Jones, ot Rhymney, in Welsh, by the Rev. S. Young in English, and by the Rev. E. Thomas, Newport, in Welsh. At 6 o clock sermons were delivered by the Rev. s. Williams, of N antyglo, in Welsh, the Rev. Levi Thomas, of Neath, in English, and the Rov. D. R. Jones Rhymney, in Welsh. The collections were very satis factory, the congregations at all the iservices being large'

I THE CARMARTHENSHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. t TO THE EDITOR or "THE WELSHMAN." Silt,—As a good deal has been lately said as well as written on the conduct of the above Society, a few remarks on the subject may perhaps not be uninteresting to some of your numerous readers. There is a feeling among the poorer and less intelli- gent class of farmers in this county that the competition at the Annual Shows of the Society should be restricted to tenant farmers, and this feeling has to some extent been sympathised in by a few landlords and other in- fluential supporters of the Society. Sir, the principal object of this Society is to offer premiums for improvements in the breed of cattle, horses, sheep, and pigs; for the better cultivation of land, including draining and green crops." This is a fundamental rule, and not only has it been acted on, but it is indisputable that to a considerable extent this object has been accomplished principally under the fostering care and encouragement .of this most useful and beneficial Association. I have no hesitation in stating the self-evident fact to all acquainted with the agriculture of this district, in this as compared to former yet recent periods, that a very marked and im- portant stride has been made in advance both in the character and quality of the stock as well as in the better cultivation of roots and cereals. With this gra- tifying fact before us, the Committee, instead of re- stricting the competition, extended the Society to the whole of South Wales, and this infusion of fresh blood was fortunately attended with the most signal success. Not only have our numbers been considerably increased, but we have thus been brought into more intimate communication and friendly rivalry with the adjoining counties, and a class of animals has as the result been brought into our show-yard and under the immediate observation of our local farmers, which, under the old system, not one in a hundred would have had the op- portunity of seeing and profiting by. These first class animals, some of them winners at the Royal, have been introduced into the county under the system of open competition. They have been exhibited by tenant farmers,—men I believe who make farming their busi- ness and live by it. Is it wished to detract from the credit of these successful exhibitors by limiting their competition, or is it desirable to exclude such men from our shows by again confining this Society to our own county ? Sir, I consider the animals these gentlemen exhibit, not only a credit to our show-yard, but a boon to the district. They not only afford us the oppor- tunity of an easy and comparatively cheap purchase of breeding animals, but by exciting competition among our own established breeders, cause* a very marked improvement in our local herds and flocks. The object of the Society is to reward and promote the introduction of the best animal that can be produced into our show- yard. This is and has been best effected by open competition, and no public exhibition has ever been permanently successful when hampered with absurd restrictions. No rules nor regulations can ever bring together the best and the worst men-all cannot be sue- cessful-one only can win-the many must be beaten. Consequently the beaten are a numerous body, and a somewhat noisy one. They loudly cry out that they cannot compete with this exhibition or with that, but I venture to prophesy that if competition grc?-e restricted to the tenant farmers, that that numerous body—the noisy one above alluded to-would still occupy the same position. If the Society were to act on the presumption that it is not the best animal that ought to receive tht prize and be encouraged at our annual show, but that the best animal of an inferior breeder should be supported in consequence of his being a tenant farmer, I do not even then see how this large class can be brought together so as to exhibit on equal terms. I do not understand how the farmer of from 20 to 100 acres, with limited means and deficient accommodation, can ever compete success- fully with the large and intelligent farmer of from 200 to 500 acres, with ample capital and appliances. Neither do I see how the small freeholder who owns and farms his own property, and whom it is very desirable to en- courage to farm well, could compete in the tenant farmer class. If this objection were to be met by the premiums being confined to farmers earning their living exdmivehj by farming, still, even if desirable to throw out of the Society the best and most intelligent men, I do not see how this regulation could prevent any gentleman from competing if he had embarked E20,000 in farming and choose to live by it. These regulations and restric- tions would convert the Committee of the Society into a Committee of Ways and Means, more inqui- sitorial even than the Income-tax Commission, and I am sure such a state of things is not to be en- couraged nor desired. In my opinion there is nothing like open competition, and as the Society has up to this time worked well and continued to improve under its present regulations and management, I cannot but consider that the less these arrangements are interfered with the more advantageous will it be to the country at large as well as to the Society in particular. In conclusion, I cannot but feel in common with all interested in the progress and improvement of agricul- ture how desirable it is to encourage the attendance of every farmer, but more especially of the less enter- prising, at our Annual Show, so as to extend their knowledge and improve their practice by seeing what others are doing but I do not consider it desirable to reward inferiority by restricting competition to those who not only do not exhibit, but in most cases do not know what a good animal is. I think it would be far better to afford them some other inducement to attend, and in many instances the request of the landlord, with the offer of a free admission to the yard and to the dinner, would be successful; whilst the more liberal may pur- chase a few of the prize or commended animals,-sheep or pigs, for instance,—for distribntion by lottery among such of their tenants who were present, and thereby not only encourage the exhibition of good stock by the probability of their sale, but secure to a certainty the presence of a large but somewhat inert body of agricul- turists. I am, Sir, yours faithfully, ROBERT WATERS. Sarnau, October 21st, 1861. ROBERT WATERS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE WELSHMAN." SIR,-Your correspondent SPECTATOR says that the practice of taking four or more white-straw crops in succession is given up by the better class of Welsh farmers. If this be go, how is it that one sees so few green crops in the fields ? Either he must be mis- taken, or the number of better-class farmers in South,, Wales must be small indeed because were it a general thing, one-fourth at least of the arable land would be under green crops, and no one, I think, can put it much higher than one tenth. AGRICOLA and ECHO have satisfactorily shown the reason why alternate cropping gives the greatest pro- duce for a continuance, and why the abstraction of the chemical properties of the soil and the presence of the ftecal residuum left in it by following any other system of cropping will impoverish the soil till at last it will hardly produce anything now as this seems to be perfectly clear and undeniable, I should like to know the reason why the Welsh farmers do not follow that system. They must have some reason, though I have not been able to find out what it is. 0 I am, sir, yours obediently, 18th Oct., 1861. IGNORAMUS.

TO THE EDITOlt OF THE WELSHMAN. SIR,—I don't see how the interests of a landlord and a tenant can be identical, as Mn. SPECTATOR says. It is my interest to get my land as cheap as I can, and it is my landlord's interest to make me pay as much as possible. How then can our interests be identical ? A WELSH FARMER.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE WELSHMAN." SIR,—SPF.CT.VTOR is a bold fellow to give expression to the opinion that none of our twenty-eight M.P.'s, nor the members of Her Majesty's Government, with any adventitious aid they may call to their assistance, can at present point out any other feasible means of changing Welsh farmers into qood farmers, and Welsh farms and Welsh farming-practice into what they ought to be, and may be made to be by means of adequate science and capital applied to them, than the screw of AGRICOL.A,'S rent-raising," but I am afraid it is so! Welshmen in general are so wise in their own con- ceits" that they will not yet believe that their land is capable of yielding at least four times the produce they get out of it at present, and Welsh landlords are in general too much hampered by their prejudices (to say nothing of their incumbrances and personal position,) to attempt the introduction of anything which might be displeasing to Mrs. Grundy. Take the instance of your Lord Lieutenant, the largest landowner in Carmarthenshire. Everybody likes him, not because he is a peer and Lord Lieutenant, but because he is a real good fellow," with much more than the ordinary aver- age of lordly talents and ability. If he is acquainted with his Welsh property, he cannot fail to be aware how much it is let below its value. This may partially be from the existence of old leases, but a very large portion of his property is held by yearly tenants. As to that portion, therefore, his Lordship must bo considered a voluntary agent, and if he chooses to under value his rents, it is entirely his own act. Every man has a right to do what he pleases with his own," as the Duke of Newcastle once said. This is very true in the ab- stract, but it is liable, in morals as in law, to be controlled by the maxim Sic ntere illo Iti alknwn nOli l<vd/rs." I say nothing as to the injury done to Lord Cawdor him- self by undervaluing, because that is simply a matter of pounds, shillings, and pence to his own pocket, upon which no one has a right to observe but is he not really injuring his tenantry by so doing, by the encouragement it gives them to continue their present modes of farming, which no one who knows anything of the matter could have the hardihood to say are good ?" Is he not there- by injuring his country, by continuing to sanction indirectly processes of culture which cause the land to yield merely a fractional part of that which by the ap- plication of greater science and capital it might be mado to yield ? And is he not also, as the leading landowner, injuring his brother landowners by thereby establishing | a standard of renting and of culture below what ought to be the true pitch r If his Lordship's farms were in first rate culture, and his farmers possessed of the requi- site skill, capital, and accommodation for extracting from the soil the utmost that it would produce for a consUiucy, it is clear that in that case the only real injury would be to his own pocket, because the general stan- dard of culture being at the highest, it would be the fault of his brother landlords if they did not require the same from their tenants, with an adequate rent to be paid to themselves instead of allowing the major part of what should be such rent to go to swell unduly their farmers' profits, as would be the case at prusun; with his Lordship's tenants if they did but know how to take due advantage of the smallness of their reserved rents. All thinking men must admit that this is the true %-), W of the case, and that it is better for landlord, tenant and the public that the rent of any given firm should be c4 an acre, when its produce is made to reach il2, by the application of skill and capital, than that it should be only f I with a gross produce of but £:), from the un- scientific modes of culture at present applied to it-i he loss to the country in such cases, being clearly {19 per acre per annum. Some of your correspondents say that high rente will necessarily follow high culture. Granted. Bur, precept and example failing, and given the existing state of mat- ters, how are you to get high culture into Wales'? AGRICOLA says-by the converse method of forcing up the rents; because in no other way yet developed wijl high culture come to be considered either desirable or necessary by Welsh farmers. If Lord Cawdor be not of this opinion of AGRICOLA'S, let him tell u> what ;.e would advise to produce the same effect, lie has the ability to instruct us, and no one can doubt I i desire benefit his country to the utmost of his power. His silence will lead to the conclusion that he and AGRICOLA think alike. think alike. ui.. 21st Oct., 1864.

A TIGER STORY.—The following from the pen of an Ensign in the 72d Regiment, appears in the Field:—" I had just arrived at Khandalla, and I met there an old schoolfellow, who was going out to shoot pigs, and he asked me to come with him. He lent me a single-bar- relled rifle, and we went out about a mile and a half from camp, to a place which was notorious for pigs. It was a deep ravine with a very high mountain uu one side and a low one on the other, and filled up with dense jungle. My companion placed himself about the middle of the ravine, and I took my position near to the end, where the ravine narrowed. We had below about forty beaters or coolies, who began at the open end and beat up towards me. They had passed Heyland with- out anything being seen, but as they neared the spot where I was stationed, I heard a rushing and breaking among the bushes, and naturally expected to See some pigs come out, so I cocked my rifle and brought it up to my shoulder ready, when, to my utter amazement, out bounded a tiger; I then did what I have since been told was a very foolish thing. I fired at him with a single-barrelled rifle. Luckily the shot struck him tthrough both his fore legs; had I hir him any- where else he would have charged, and I should have had no chance of escape; as it was, however, he rushed on as well as he could into the small part of the jungle beyond me, and we got hiin to show himself by making the beaters roll down large stones at him; but he always disappeared again before we had time to fire. At last I watched the exact spot where ho went after these short appearances, and, making a lucky shot, sent a ball right through his stomach. Upon this he got up, and with a frightful roar that made my flesh creep, he rushed back to his old haunt, receiving two or three balls in his body as he bounded through the open space between the two jungles. It appeared, however, that he was in no hurry to give up the ghost, but he got back all right to his original lair. We now found, upon calling for more ammunition, that the natives who were carrying it had, through excess of fear, thrown k away every bullet we had. We had now no alternative but to ride home for fresh supplies, which we did, after giving the culprits a well-deserved thrashing; and we took advantage of the opportunity of making a late breakfast; having done which, we again started for the scene of action—this time each carrying two rifles and a large hunting knife. Screwing up our pluck we entered the jungle on foot, and tracked him by his blood. At last a native pointed him out to Heyland, who fired at and wounded him; the tiger came after us with a ter- rific roar, and considering descretion the better part of valour we hastily mounted a tree: this operation was re- peated three times and at last we found him lying on his side, apparently dead. We went up within five yards of him to have a look at him, Heyland firing both bar- rels at him, about 15 yards off, previously, to make cer- tain of him; but I suppose in his excitement he missed him, as the tiger never moved. When we were about five yards from him, I proposed to give him a shot and make doubly sure; but Heyland said, I No no von will spoil the skin,' and laid hold of my rifle, which I, like a fool, let go, thinking the brute must be dead but as "j we were taking another step forward he rose with an awful roar, and sprang after me. Heyland ran down hill, and got off all right; but I ran up-hill as hard an I could, and the tiger after me. I had just got up to some ccolies who had followed us in our advance, and were now runniug away as fast as they could, and I heard the f beast breathing at my back. What an awful momeut was that ? I never expected to get out of the scrape alive, so drew my knife and turned round in despera- tion to make a useless effort to save myself, when the fj tiger, changing his mind, leaped upon the back of a native who was running alongside of me, and mauled him most frightfully; but it was his dying effort, and the coolie got off with a mauling that would have killed any European, but did not kill him.

LOCAL MARKETS. CARMARTHEN CORN MARKETS, FOR THE WEEK ENDING OCT. 24th.-The quantity of grain brought to our market as yet is small, and of rather inferior quality, wheat realising from 6s 9d to 7s 3d, barley 3s 9d to 4s, oats 2s to 2s 6d. Total quantities brought to market on the 19th inst.— < Wheat, 86 qrs. 4 bush. barley, 0 qrs. oats, 296 qrs. 4 bush. Average per qr. :Vheat, .51s..5d.; barley, 0s oats, 19s. 2d. Ducks, 48 6d, Chickens, from 2s 6d to 3s 6d per couple egge 9 for M; batter, (fresh) from Is 7d to Is 8d per, lb; beef, from 6d to 7d per lb; mutton, 6d to 7d pei lb; veal, 3d, to 6d per lb. pork, 74d to Od per It.. lamb, 7d to i-li d per lb.; potatoes, I Olb. for GJ; household bread, 6d per 4lbs. loaf. > • BUTTER. -Upply more plentiful, demand not brisk, and prices barely maintained say lid to 11 id per lb. CHEESE slow; prices from 22s to 23s per cwt. r LLANELLY, THURSDAY (YESTERDAY).—The supply of corn was not large. Prices are considerably advanccd- Wheat, 8s Od to Ss 6d per bush. barley, 4s 6d to os 3d oats 2s 9d to 3s 3d beef, 7d to ad; veal, Od; mutton, 7d to 7d; pork, Od butter, (fresh), Is 3d to Is 4d; butter (cask), Is to Is Id; eggs, 8 and 9 for Gd. LLANDILO, Saturday.—Wheat, 8s 6d to 9s per bush., Barley 5s Od to 5s 3d Oats, 215 to 2s 3d per bush Beef, Gd to 7d per lb. Mutton, 6d to 7d; Lamb, Gd to 7d Veal, 6d to 7d; Pork, 7d to iJd; Fresh Butter, Is Id to Is -1d; Salt ditto, lid to lltd: Eggs, 12 for 6d; Fowls, 2s 6d to 3s per couple; Ducks 3s 6d to 4s per couple; Geese 7s to 8s per couple; Fresh Cheese 2d to 3d per lb.; Potatoes, 8lbs. for 6d.

BIRTHS. On the 21st instant, the wife of Mr. W. Davies. draper, Waterloo House, Nott-square, in this town, of 1.- a daughter. This morning, the wife of Mr. Philip Lewis, butcher, in this town, of a son. On the 23rd inst., at Greenport Terrace, St. Clears, the wife of Mr. Howell Howell, carpenter, of a son. On the 20th inst., at Newcastle-Emiyn, Sarah, the wife of Mr. Theophilus Jones, cabinet-nSker, &c., of a daughter. MARRIAGES. On the 22nd inst., at Llwynrhydowen, Llandyssul, by the Rev. W. Thomas, M.A., Mr. Evan Thomas, Cilrhiwe, to Margaret, daughter of Mr. Daniel James, Blaencathal. On the 19th inst., at Mydrim Church, by the Rev. R. S. Jenkins, vicar, John, son of the Rev. Daniel Jones, of Llanybree, to Mrs Ann Jones, relict of the late Dan. Jones, Esq., of Warwenallt, in this county. On the 19th inst., at the Superintendent's Office, by Mr. T. Thomas, registrar, Mr. William Lewis, assistant to Messrs. Thomas and Evans, drapers, Newcastle Emlyn, to Anna, the only surviving daughter of Mr. William Evans, of Johnson's Park, Newcastle-Emlyn. On the 16th inst. (by license), at the Parish Church, Swansea, by the Rev. David Jones, vicar of Llan- defeilog, father of the bridegroom, assisted by the Rev. John C. Llewellin, the Rev. David Jones, perpetual curate of Llanguicke, to Sarah Fox, daughter of the late Samuel Fox Parsons, Esq., of Court Herbert, and widow of the late Chas. Williams, Esq., of Pembrey. DEATHS. This morning, after a protracted illness, Mr. n e ^> landlord of the New Butchers' Arms, in this tcwn. On the 24th inst., at Pembrey, Edward Richard lvees Esq., of the Bank of England, eldest son of Ed ward I Rees, Esq., late of Towin, Pcmbrey Carmarih .nshm^ On the 27th inst., at Newton-mill, near St. Uuirs,  '-Nlar3, Thomas. "On??h?; aged S3, M. Evan James, Rh, owen, Llandyssul, much regretted by a numerous cn-dc I °f friends. °?0n? 19th inst., Sarah, the beloved wifo of Mr. David Thomas, Parkneithw, near Cardigan, after a loa- j and painful illness greatly lamented by all who knew her. y On the 18th inst., at Ynistanglws, Glamorganshire. agIJd 60, John Joce Strick, Esq. On the 11th inst., aged 58, Mr. Thos Davies, Llan- vaes, Brecon, -greatly respected in the town. On the 19th inst., at Canton, near Cardiff, aged Mr. H. J. Yorath, chemist.

t ??ELLY.—A post office savings bank has been es- hedhcre. ??sANELLY.—The adjourned inquest on the body of j fhn Davies, Penycraig, who was killed at Cwmfelin liery the 10th inst., was held on Monday the 21st, ( ^ynhendy, when the jury returned a verdict of (, accidental Death." ?LAXELLY.—CuKisTY'.s M -These performers an entertainment on Monday evening at the hena>um, which was literally crammed on the occa- 810U. The performance on the whole was creditable. ?A?ELLY.—MECHANICS IsTnTTIO.-A Welsh loc- ?'ewas delivered on Tuesday evening last, by the Rev. TD "tvles Siloah, On the Literary History Qf the Li: ble. ?j. Davies is reported to have treated the 81V C^ with great ability. The audience was large. It. T. 11 0 el Esq., presided. n??-?Ei.LY.—LECTURE.—On Tuesday, the 15th inst., r' Warren, secretary of the National Society, delivered a ,°°^urc at the Athenæum on the Highways and p ?Yeways of Education." W. H. Nevill, Esq., presided. ^attendance was very thin and the leeture very ^1JAN*ELI.Y.—BRITISH SCHOOL.—The Committee of ?(j?-?Qcil on Education have raised the certificate of Mr. three divisions or classes, which constitute C,13 ?Krec, in acknowledgment of his successful manage- trie 1 l of the Llanelly School during the last seven years. •ji^I.8 18 the highest award their lordships could make llyl d er the minute of the 20th August, 1853. H.M. i ?s"? Pcctor at the late examination pronounced it a nrst ,e ?stitution." LL COPI'ER WORKS.—Some considerable ex- tefin have been made to these works. Several "?ces have been added, and a stupendous stack of shape has just been completed. It is 320 feet k!gh, ?d will rank among the largest works of the lild ? the kingdom. There are, however, higher i ? at CMasgow and other large manufacturing towns. 1, ,a few days a lightning conductor will be attached ?Hd ''he scaffolding taken down. ^et F;LI,Y-—NEW MARKET.—The market committee r ilet  Saturday last. The discussion was private. It cor% fWeVer be stated that plans were submitted to the it e by Col. Stepney, and a site pointed out on the ^t side of the park, near the baths. The whole q?"OQ was very minutely discussed by the following ?hers—Messrs. R. T. Howell, chairman, W. H. 0',ill D. Recs, W. Thomas, J. George, T. Roberts, R. lla Roes, W. Thomas, b-eorge, T. 0 erts, R. 14a lrles, B. Jones, and D. Morris. The feeling of the com- rQl t,ee appeared favourable to the site proposed, which ?t}) ??e modifications is likely to meet the views of tith?e ??iorlty of the inhabitants. The Surveyor was il,,t rult,3d to prepare sections and report on the whole bi ect. h???ATHEN.—A thanksgiving meeting for the late h;trv.-Bt held at this church on 21st and 22nd inst., Jono- ?following clergymen officiated, the Rev. T. E. a,]e, Of Neath, the Rev. W. Davies, of Gwynfc, the Ite V. JOI, 11 Griffiths, of Llandilo, the Rev. W. Marsden. Of Li andilo, and the Rev. W. Nicholas, Llanfihangel. The (? Ur*^ ??? very crowded, especially at the two "49 services, and the sermons were appropriate and li,ttied to with marked attention. The church was S?? t ? "? first time by lamps, and appeared to be as I .teatart ?provement in light as in economy. A col- j Action "?s made in aid of the National School.  'Tr?')?'?'?'?'?-? Saturday last Daniel JoncS, ?re ???' in the parish of Llangcler, was charged b, ore tlI1. Owen Brigstocke and Thos. Elliott, Esqrs., ?r t?? ?' he, the said Daniel Jones, on the 17th of Octob.?8tant, at the parish church of Llangclcr, did ?l;?"y steal, take, and carry away a certain will ? t,,?'??cotary instrument of his late father, John i Oil eg, f "?Ichclawdd, in the said parish of Llangeler, '?er ?? also destroy and conceal the same will and ?8ta? y instrument in order to defraud his mother, t?y T P?s, of Bwlchclawdd aforesaid, and others in- ?ftt?j? the said will and testamentary instrument." pte ??'"???' was committed for trial at the next "?izp- for this County.