The Welshman

NARBERTH BOARD OF GUARDIANS. I The usual meeting of the Guatdians of the Narberth I" Union was held at the W ?khouse, Narberth, on ) Monday last. The chairman, Mr R. H. Buckby, pre. sided, and there ware also present Mr Griffith Tnomas (vice-chairman), Mr J. Roberts. Mr T. Morgan, Mr J. R. Lewis, Mr B T. Davies, Mr John Thomas, Mr D. Humphreys, Mr W Beddoe, Mr G Killa, Mr G. Lawrence, Mr T. Lewis, Mr T. G. Phelos, Mr Benjamin Jones, Me A Williams, Mr John Morgan, Mr'J. B Lewis, Mr Dllid Llewellyn, Mr B.tnjimin James, Mr B-nja<nio Eynou, Mr Jaaijs Gciffiths, and Mr William faroain together wih the clerk (Mr H. Lwis) and other onijials. The Master reportad there ware 45 inmates of the House as against 42 on the same day Jast year, and that 28 vagrants had been relieved during the fortnight. Miss J. Williams, Bloomfield, Narberth, visited the i House, and givau 2s. 6d f )r the sick. A registered parcel, ( containing two watches and a brooch, had been received from Richard Howells, 10, Howell's-row, Aberaman, I AberJare, for his children, David, Oliver, and Annie, who are inmates. Divine service had been conducted in the House during the fortnight by the Rev. R. Sirhowy Jonas and Mr D. J- Griffith*, Narberth. The Treasurer reported a balance in favour of the Board of £1.492 12s. 2i. Parish in arrear were Llanycefn, £22 and Narberth South, j639. The next meeting of the Guardians was fixed for Friday, March 29th, the usual day, Monday, April 1st, being census day. Estimates. The Olerk presented a statement of the estimate d expenditure for the half-year, the total amount bsing £3,096, as compared with 93,154 in the corresponding half-year, a decrease of £68. The expenditure i8 apportioned among the parishes as follows :—Amroth £ 66 Beee'lv, jE46 Bletherstone, L42 Clarbeston, S34 Ooedeaulas, 112; Crunwere, 430 Cutledw1.ran, £28; Oyffig, £112; C!lymaenllwyd, C78 East Eglwysfair-a-Cherig, £ 42; Egremont, JE32; Eatlwyscummin, £ 52; Grondre, £ 12: Benllan-Amg >ed, £ 30; Jtffreyston, 0.56; Llandissilio West, £ 50 Lknfaliteg West. E16 Liawhaden, £100 Ludohuroh, 928; Llandilo, Jet0; Llangolman, £30; Llandycefn, 946; Lianddowi-Volfrey, 4122 Lampeter- Velfrey, .£188; Llysyfran, JE28 Llanfallteg East. £ 60t; Llandissilio East, £ 130; Llanglydwen, :£34; Llanboidy, £ 338; Loveston, :£18; Llangan East, 4220 Llangan West. nil; Marros, L26 Mountain, X6; Minwere, A26 Martletwy, £ 48; Maenoloobo*, £ 38; Monacht-gddu, JE36 Narberth North, £ 222; Narberth Satbi, 984; New Moat, 952; Newton, E12 Peodine, L32; RynoldlltoD, E6 Robeston Wath-n, £36; Slebech, £ 74; St Issell's, 1228; Vorlan, £6; Yerbeston. L16. Tenders. Tenders were accepted as follows: Beef and mutton and beef and mutton sset, Mr Levi Morgan flour and bread, pota'oea, salt, oatmeal, peas, Mr Jenkins groceries, Mr Wheeler Davies and Mr Palmer Morgan; butter and cheese, Mr Benjamin Howells mHk, Mr Rees Thomas; coal, Mr Page, Templeton boots, Mr Bowen; clogs, Mr Robert Tarrant, Pembroke. Poor Law Conference. Mr Griffith Thomas and Mr D. Humphreys gave reports of their visit to the Poor Law Conference in London. The former referred to a paper that had been read on "The R mo»al of Children from the Work- house," bat though,, tiat thy as Guardians had not the same difficulty as large Unions had. The writer of the paper wished them to be removed to some cottage homes, or to the h,me of a widow receiving relief, and instead of her getting her living in any other way she should do so by bringing up a certain number of children put t. her from the Workhouse. The writer said the general feeling was that little children in the Woikhousi got into the habit of speaking bad language through hearmg other inmates. He (the Vice-Chair- man) was sure none of them could say that of this Uuion. He believed the children were brought up there very well, and that they "ever heard complaints of them using bad language. It was said that in some Unions respectable widows were deprived of their children, who were put into the Workhouse. The writer was very much avrS3 to that, and thought the mothers ought to retain their children, and that Guardians ought to give them out-door relief for the purpose. He (the vice cbnirman) thought their union did carry that out, and so they had nothing to learn about that. Other points in the paper were dealt with, and Mr Thomas said there seemed to be a concensus of opinion that their hands were tied too much by the Local Government Board, and that they could not do anything except give or take off relief, without communicating with the Local Government Board. Another paper referred to by Mr Thomas was with regard to the removal of imbeciles and idiots from Workhouses, and he said they had a few weak minded ones in their House, but of not so undesirable a character that it was impossible for sane men to live in the same room with them. The writer of the paper proposed that in- stitutions should be prepared by the County Council for their reception. One speaker thought the Guardians should have the management of it because they would become more careful with the expenditure than the County Counoil. All voted for that except Mr Humphreys, who was a county councillor (laughter). Mr Thomas alluded to the visit of the delegates from Narberth to the Board of Agriculture, and said he was never prouder ot their friend Mr Roberts than on that day, for the way he placed matters before the Com- missioners there. In conclusion, he spoke of a visit he had paid to the Winslow Workhouse, in Buckingham- shire, where, he said, at the present time they had 66 inmates from other unions near London, for whom they received pay at the rate of 8s. 6d, per week, while the coat of their rations came to only 4s. IOld. a week, so they were clearing a good sum with them. The Workhouse was kept by a Welshmen, and he must say it was one of the best he ever saw. While he was talking, there was a woman from Haverfordwest in an adjoining room, and she said, I am sure there is a man from Haverfordwest there," so she had not forgotten her old language (laughter). Mr D. Humphrey a gave an excellently concise account of a paper read by a lady from St. Asaph, upon Treatment of the Aged Deserving Poor." He re- ferred to a circular from the Local Government Board some months before, in which it was stated: It has been felt that persons who have led deserving and respectable lives sh-uld, if they require relief in their old aee. receive different treatment from those whose habits and character had been unsatisfactory, and who had failed to exercise thrift in the bringing up of their families or otherwise. The Board consider agnd and deserving portions should not be urged to enter the Workhouse at all. Unless there is some cause which renders such a course necessary, as infirmity of body or mind, absence of house accommodation, or a suitable person to care for them, or some similar cause, they should be relieved by having adequate out-door relief granted to them. The Board are happy to think it is the habit to grant out-door relief in such cases, but are afraid that such relief is not adequate in amount. The Board impressed upon the Guardians that such relief when granted should be adequate, and wherever it is necessary such persons should receive in-door relief, they should be granted certain privileges which could not be accorded to every inmate of the Workhouse." The Local Government Board had intended issuing an order to the Board of Guardians dealing with the question, but according to the circular, the Government failed to bring it in. That gave a chance for the Poor- Law Conference to deal with it. Miss Evans, the writer of the paper, agreed that classification was necessary, that the deserving should be separated from the undeserving pour that the undeserving were treated rather too well, if anything, and that the deserving were not treated as they should be. She charged Boards of Guardians with having departed from well-known principles of politioal economy, and they saw the idle, dissolute, and drunken, faring better than the industrious workmen, and she failed to see why those who led ths laws of good citizens, should when they applied to the State for relief be classified with the rogue and vaga- bond. Where was the incentive, she asked, to the man who works hard and made provision for his family, when he saw those who had never done anything in that way, and proved a curse rather than a blessing to their country, sharing the same board and privileges Fortunately very few aged deserving poor were in the Workhouse at all. The great difficulty was in Moertaining who were deserving and who were un- deserving, but where the Guardians were in sympathy with their work and they had observant Workhouse Moials, shd lÜdd to sea where this diQioalty arose. The Local Government Board classified the deserving poor as those persons of 65 years of age, with regard to whom the Guardians after due enquiries had satisfied themselves that by reason of their moral character, or behaviour, or previous habits, were sufficiently deserving to be of that class Miss Evans thought the poor should be 60 years of age, have resided 30 years in the Union, and had not applied for relief, whose character bore the striotest investigation, and who through 00 fault of their own had been unable to provide for old age. Another olass would be persons of the same age, but who failed through all such conditions, and the third class would be those who were decidedly bad Other questions in the paper dealt with by Mr Humphreys was the provision of day rooms, the pay- ment of adequate relief which Miss Evans put down at 6" 6d. per week, though some people disagreed with her on the ground that it was too much The main point of the paper was that whilst the deserving poor should receive more liberal treat- ment than now obtained in most enlightened Boards, the undeserving poor should reoeive less. Miss Evans yielded to no one in her sympathy with the poor, but if one was to improve poor-law matters they must not allow their feelings to run away with common-sense. If the Guardians ware to visit the paupers oftener, and see the condition in which they lived, they would better perform their duty and be more keen upon the reforms which came before the nation. Mr Humphreys went on to adapt the principles enunciated in the paper to their own Union, and said that with regard to day- rooms they bad no difficulty there, because they had a pile of buildings there big enough to accommodate 150 inmates, and they had less than 50. They need not go in for cottage homes for the children, ae they could very well isolate them there. The same necessity did not arise there as in other cases. They had done away with the distinctive dress, and the children mixed with other children by attending the public schools. They were not looked down upon by the outside public, as used to be the case. The morality of the children in the Workhouse was quite as high as that of the outside public generally, and he should like to testify, from his personal experience with Workhouse boys, that they j were quite as manageable and intelligent. But they found that the children had to mix with the very lowest class in the Union, they could put them apart in that building, and keep them to one part of the grounds. With regard to the removal of imbeciles and idiots-the epileptics and weak-minded -he found they had soma in that House. He supposed they, as a rule, were quiet people; but some were not so quiet. Again, they had plenty of rooms there idle, and other rooms used only once a week, which could be very easily utilised, with very little expense, if they wished to classify them As regards bedrooms, they had plenty. Then, with regard to the aged and undeserving poor, without being quite so hard upon the undeserving, he thought they could classify them. He had not come into close con- tact with the inmates of this House, but he was afraid aime of them were very bad, indeed -some very much, worse than others and it would be better to separate these. It was very obnoxious to the aged deserving poor to occupy the same bedroom as those who Used dirty and filthy language; it only required a little organisation, and the separation could be carried into effect very well. He was glad to find they did give the deserving poor outside a little bit more relief than the undeserving. They seemed to give it by instinct, and uot by rule. They could thank their worthy Chairman for that his long service there and his great experience guided them, and he did not think a single guardian would raise his voice against that being done. Some of the guardians ha J to fight elections, and they might not all eome back (laughter); but he should like those who did to consider this matter, and carry it out (ap- plause ). The Olerk also spoke, and said, though the removal of the children would bd better in large places where they had to mix with the worst classes, he thought they might very well ke"D their children there. With regard to deserving cases 1/ j h came before the Board, where a person belonged to u 5,ib and had striven hard to keep off the rates, they alwa) "ook that into consideration, and granted a little more U, n to one who had been a drunkard, or leading a bad iife. He thought, on the whole, they carried out the poor-law there in a very good manner (hear, hear). The Chairman thanked the delegates for the informa- tion they had brought, and the explicit way it had been pat before them. But they must feel that all Unions were not the same. They were a Union to themselves. What was applicable to large Unions in England did not apply to them at all. No doubt, the paper Mr Humphreys dwelt upon was very good, indeed, but in most of the instances they wore beforehand with the Local Government Board. He did not know of any bad characters in the House They had had a man or two in who had brought himself there by taking a little drop too much beer, but he did not think they had any troublesome matter there calling for attention from the Board. In one or two instances they had had women who had caused a little trouble, but they Lad been able to deal with them, and were going on all right at the present time. There was no other business.

■ ■ —— NARBERTH RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL. A meeting of the Council was held at Narberth on Monday, Mr Thomas Morgan, chairman, presiding. A letter was received from the Postmaster-General, promising an enquiry as to telegraphic facilities between Narberth and Lawrenny and Martletwy, and if found practicable, he would grant the petition of the District Council. Cases of scarlatina were reported at Rosebush and Templeton, and instructions were given to Mr Benjamin Morgan Thomas, sanitary inspector pro tem, to act in the matter. An application was received from the St. Issell's Parochial Committee for a renewal of the powers delegated to them, and a further grant of the same amount of money for scavenging purposes during the ensuing year. Mr Levi Morgan, surveyor, presented a report as to new drains required in the vicinity of the Narberth Butter Factory, at a cost of X27 Os. 6d., and it was suggested by the Chairman that the amount should be divided up and charged a third upon the town, a third upon the Butter Factory, and a third upon the district. Mr Humphreys suggested that it was more of a sanitary matter than a highway matter. If the town of Narberth was extended, they should extend the drains. The Surveyor said it would certainly be an improve- ment to the road. The drain from Bushes-lane was 1 certainly their liability. He did not think the Dairy Company were liable at all. Mr J. Roberts proposed that the town bear half the cost and the district half, and Mr Morgan having seconded, the motion was agreed to, the Surveyor being instructed accordingly. I The Clerk reported that Llanycefn and Narberth South, had not paid their calls, and the usual order was I I made. I I Estimates. I Mr W. G. Thomas, surveyor, presented his estimate for the ensuing year at £1,183 5s. lid., against £ 1,778 7s. last year, an increase of X104 18s. lid. Mr Levi Morgan's estimate was £1,780 3s. Id., against £1,717 18s. lid., an increase of 162 4s. 2d.; total increase for the district, 1167 3s. Id. The Chairman said he could wish the surveyors had kept to last year's figures. The roads were in good condition, better than they had ever been before in their experience, and if they could maintain them in their present condition, and improve them if possible, without increasing the rates, it was very desirable. They were in the proud position as a Council of seeing the rates not increased in the ratio that might have been expected. They had been very careful in watching every charge which had been brought before them, more especially that placed upon them in connection with main roads. They resisted taking over the main roads without entering into agreement with the County Council, and the result was that the Council had saved a sum equivalent to between id. and Id. upon the whole of the 37 parishes. The Surveyors said the cost of stones was so much higher, Mr Levi Morgan stating that in Lampeter- Velfrey the cost was Is. 9d. more than last year, and Narberth North over Is. Mr J. Morgan moved, and Mr A. Williams seconded, that a committee be appointed to examine the Surveyors' estimates before adopting same. Mr Buckby moved, and Mr D. Humphreys seconded that the Surveyors' estimates be accepted. The amendment was carried by ] 7 votes to 6. On the motion of Mr B. T. Davies, seconded by Mr I J. R. Lewis, it was agreed that the Surveyor be authorised to spend the sum of £4 5s., being one half I of the estimated cost of the proposed repairs to the approaches to Trevaughan bridge, provided the County I Council would consent to and pay the other half for which they are liable. The Appointment of Sanitary Inspector. The next business was to consider the letter from the Local Government Board dated 1st inst., with respect to the appointment of Messrs W. G. Thomas, and John B. Thomas, as inspectors of nuisances. The Board requested the Council to re-consider their proposal, with a view to the appointment of an inspector of nuisances thoroughly qualified by training and experience to fill the post, and who should devote bis whole time to the discharge of the duties of the office in the entire district. The Chairman said they had carried out the appoint- ments in accordance with the Local Government Board's I instructions, and he thought they should ask the Local Government Board why they had made this change of front. As to Saundersfoot being a very important place in respect of ships, Mr Beddoe could tell them whether for twenty years any foreign vessel had entered that port. Mr Beddoe-Not for thirty years. The Chairman went on to say that if a foreigner entered that port he would possess a clean bill of health, because he would simply be calling from Llanelly, Swansea or Cardiff, or some other port. It seemed to him ridiculous-it was making a mountain out of a mole-hill. He believed this letter was the result of that anonymous communication to the Local Government Board, which shewed that the appointments they had made did not coincide with the views of the writer. Mr Beddoe—Don't you think it would be wise to apply to the Local Government Board to send us that letter ? Mr Griffith Thomas-If we are to be ruled by one man, we have no need to come here. Mr J. Roberts thought the Local Government Board ought not to be influenCE, ought not to be influenced by anonymous letters, and if any had reached the Board they ought to be made acquainted with it. The Council acted in accordance with their instructions, and they ought to know why they had changed their front. Ultimately it was decided, on the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr J. Roberts, "That this Council, having considered the communications from the Local Government Board, direct the Clerk to write to enquire why they considered it necessary to make a change of front, having regard to their first letter dated December last and their second letter above mentioned, and that the Clerk also draw special attention to the fact that the importance of Saunders- foot as a shipping port has been over-estimated, as it can be ascertained not a single foreign vessel has entered the harbour there during the last 30 years, and the shipping done is local, and has to do with two small collieries." I Narberth Fair-ground. Mr J. Roberts reported on the result of the deputation to the Board of Agriculture with reference to the Nar- berth Fair-ground, which question has been before the Council for the past three years. They first saw Mr Wynford Philipps, M.P., and received from him pro- mise of help in the matter. Next day they attended at the Board of Agriculture Offices, Whitehall, at twelve o'clock, and met Major Tennant, with whom they dis- cussed the whole matter. Thev pointed, out thev had done everything they possibly could; that they had I agreed to purchase land at the nominal rent of Y,2, and were now at a standstill, because one department re- quired them to proceed, and another department said they could not allow them to borrow the money I required. Major Tennant suggested various ways out of the difficulty. He thought the County Council should take the question up, or that Narberth should have urban powers granted. It was suggested by them that some years ago it was a moot point in Parliament whether an Order in Council could not be granted by which Rural District Councils could obtain borrowing powers for the purpose of fairs. They were very well received, and Major Tennant told them he would extend the time for some months longer, in order to give them every opportunity to carry out the business to the satis- faction of the-district generally. Everything would be done by the Board of Agriculture to assist them in the matter. They afterwards went to see General Laurie, and he told them he would personally see the President of the Local Government Board and also the President of the Board of Agriculture in the matter, and do everything he possibly could in order to obviate the difficulty, and get them out of it. It was suggested to him that, perhaps, an Order in Council could be carried out, or an amending Act, to have the present Act of Parliament amended in order to meet the requirements of the District Councils generally in the provision of fairs. General Laurie received this suggestion very cordially, and both he and Mr Philipps said they would do all they could to carry it out. They left on the understanding that the two members of Parliament would get them out of the difficulty by urging an Amending Act, or an Order in Council, or a proposal of that kind, so that in future the Rural District Councils, not only of Narberth, but generally throughout Wales, might be empowered to borrow money. The Chairman endorsed what Mr Roberts had said, and added that General Laurie had been more than anxious that they should be helped in every possible way. Some other districts were similarly placed to themselves, and had allowed their fairs to be closed be- cause the authorities did not see fit to take the matter up. He hoped everything would be arranged, and that Narberth fairs would be quite as prominent in the future as they had been in the past. They were looking for- ward to the next census to show, instead of a dimunition, an increase of population. He thought they were go- ing on in Narberth, and were beginning to brush up (laughter), and, with the help of the District Council, he felt quite sure Narberth would hold its own in the future. It was decided to send up a statement of the facts to both M.P.'s for their guidance.

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The gate-money taken at the Rugby Internationa match at Swansea on Saturday, amounted to £ 1,640. One of the small-pox cases at Card ff has had a fatal term nation, the man Thomas F.tigerald expiring at the hospital on Mondoy morning. The Earl of A.rran died at his town bouse, 116, Hert- ford-street, L ndon, on Thursday morning, 14th inst., aged seventy-two. A revised Supplementary Estimate published on Saturday stated that £ 35,500 was expended on the funeral of the late Queer. Trouble is continuing between Turkey and Bulgaria, and the troops of the Sultan are on guard along the railways in the disturbed districts of Macedonia. The mail steamer Norham Castle, boand for the Cape, was disabled 500 miles north of Ascension Isle by the bursting of a high pressure cylinder. The funeral of Mr Benjamin Harrison, a former President of the United Staters, took place on Sunday at Indianapolis, President M'Kioley was among the mourners. At Newcastle on Monday, England defeated Wales at Aqsocialilin Fi)otball by six goals to nothing. Ooly one South Wales mau -J ones, of Aberdard was iooluded in the Welsh eleven. A state of seige has been established in Mosoow, where a serious outbreak has occurred among the students. The latter were reinforced by thousands of workmen. Many persons were injured. A new Mahdi bas just proclaimed himself in Uganda. The chief feature of the new dispensation is said to be an alteration in the marriage laws, enabling each of his followers to begin by taking three new wives, and cancelling all previous marital obligations. On of the leaders of the Phillipine rebels-General Trias—has surrendered to the Americans. with nine of his officers. The surrender is an important one, and is officially regarded as indicating the final stage of the Phillipine resistance. The last of the series of Rugby International matches for this season was played on Saturday at Swansea, under delightful weather conditions, and in the presence of about 30,000 spectators. This was the sixteenth meeting between the two countries, Wales having won eight of the previous games and Ireland six, whilst one had bean left drawn. Wales was somewhat fortunate in winning by two goals to three tries.

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IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. The House of Commons, on Wednesday, the 13th inst., was engaged throughout its whole sitting in dis- cussing the Congested Districts (Ireland) Bill. Mr Flynn, in moving the Second Reading, stated that its object was to enlarge the area of the Congested Districts Board, to make the Board partly eleotive, to give it compulsory powers of purchase, and to authorise the Lord-Lieutenant to act on the recommendations of the County Councils, and declare a connty, or part of a county, a congested district. Mr Ambrose seconded the motion. Mr Macartney moved the rejection of the 8ill. Mr Moore seconded the amendment. Mr Rentoul, an Ulster Conservative, and Mr Hemphill, who, though sitting on the Front Opposition B^nch, claimed to be an independent member, both supported the Bill. Me Leoky hoped that the Government would not permit the constitution of the Congested Districts Board to be drawn into the vortex of Party polities by bringing in the representative element Mr T. W. Russell said he should vote for the Bill. Mr Wyndham said that as I some of the clauses were inoperative, as some were in- II opportune, seeing that the Government were about to legislate on land purchase, and as others were inad- missible, he asked the House to rejeot the Bill. A division was taken, and the Bill was thrown out by 250 to 163. In the Hou8e of Lords on Thursday, 14th inst., the Bishop of Winchester carried, without any opposition, the Second Roading of two Bills relating to Temperance in the House of Lords. The first removes disqualiBcatin from certain magistrates, and imposes disqualification on magistrates' clerks and on Watch Committees, It also lays down that the general licensing meeting shall be held in March. Lord Belper, on behalf of the Rome Secretary, assented to the Second Reading of this and the succeeding Bi I The second Bill deals with habltal drunkards, and provides for a black list, also that, in cases of matrimonial separation, habitual drunkenness shall be regarded as cruelty in granting relief and, further, that it shall be an offence to be drunk while in charge of a child. Lord Salisbury, in the course of a few remarks, expressed himself as in entire sympathy with the Bishop, and would even go further than these Bills. Both Bills were then read a second time. In the House of Commons on the 14th inst 122 questions were put. A large number of them were in the na-re8 of Irish members, and one related to the larceny of an animal described as Quintan's ass," and a supplementary question asked whether the Attorney General for Ireland would have the animal stuffed when it died, and presented to the Dublin Museum. In a question, however, to Mr Balfour, Colonel Kenyon- Slaney asked if he could explain how it happened that the proceedings of the Civil List Committee, and the documents submitted to it, had been published in a London paper, though marked private and confidential. Mr Balfour could give no explanation, but he regarded it as in the highest degree deplorable, and utterly dis- creditable to the ohannel through which this information had been given to the Press. He had no machinery at his disposal for carrying out an investigation with the view of discovering the channel through which the communication had been given. In answer to a question by Mr Bartley, he stated that the same journal some time ago published the report of the Telephone Com- mittee, thought it was marked private and confi- dential. The debate on the Army Estimates was resumed by Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman. The right hon. gentle- man condemned the scheme as having no elements of finality or permanence, and as being a totallv new de- parture, inasmuoh as it proposed to establish Army Co-ps for foreign service, and inasmuch as Mr Brodrick had taken up an ominous position which implied the introduction of compulsory service if recruits could not be obtained. No adequate justification had been heard for increasing our aggressive military power. Mr Brodrick had spoken of our commitments in two Con- tinents, and of our entanglements in Europe. What did all this cloudy talk mean ? What were theee com- mitments and entanglemets ? The House ought to be informed what this meant. He went on to speak of the Navy as being our chief defensive force, and as the force that should be strengthened. As regards the Army, the crux of the matter was that on the obtaining of recruits the whole of our future system depended. After condemning Conscription at soma length, he ummed up his view by dissenting from the scheme on the broad ground that it indicated a departure from the prudent policy formerly pursued, and indicated the in- troduction of a military spirit, and a military system which would fatally alter the charaoter of our nation and Empire. Colonel Warde congratulated Mr Brodrick on his scheme. Capt. Norton was gratified that the Secretary for War had adopted many of th. reforms advocated by the servioe members, but Mr Grffitb Boscawen thought the scheme did cot go far enough. Sir William Harcourt dwelt on the enormous growth of the esti- mates, and the spirit and policy on which they were founded. Mr Balfour replied, in a spirited speech, in defenoe of Mr Bradrictt's scheme. Sir Charles D'lka criticised the scheme as being totally inad quate, and as failing to provide that efficient striking force which Army reformers were led to expect. The debate stood adjourned at midnight. I Attack on a Carmarthenshire School. Mr Abel Thomas (Carmarthen, E.) asked the Vice- President of the Committee of Council on fiduoation whether his attention had been called to the resolution passed at the last meeting of the Llandilo United Dis- trict School Board with reference to the condition of the Trapp (Carmarthenshire) National School whethei he was aware that one master was in sole charge of the entire school, in which there were infants and children from the first to the sixth standard, who were taught in one and the same room that, owing to the condition of the school, the average attendance during the last few months had diminished by nearly 30 per oent., and that some of these children had to walk a distance of four miles to go to another school whether complaints had been received by the Committee of Education of this school for the last seven years, and whether he would state what he proposed to do in the matter. Sir J. Gorst-As far as I have been able to inquire since the question was put down, no resolution has been received. There is at the school one master for some 32 children. There are two rooms. I have no informa. tion as to diminution of average attendance in the last few months, nor as to the distance of other sohools. No complaints, as far as I know, have been received, but I will make further inquiries. I Lords Wolseley and Lansdowne Fight the War over Again. There was another great attendance of Peers and strangers in the House of Lords on Friday, in con- sequence of Lord Wolsfley's notice that he would call attention to Lord Lansdowne's recent allegations against him, and that he would move for the papers relating thereto. Lord Wolseley, when he rose, took his place on the Liberal side of the Clerk's table. He confined himeelf to the four charges which the late Secretary of War had brought agaicat him-namely, first, that when he initiated pro-poeals he did so fitfully secondly, that lit no had paid more attention to his-duties nnder the Order in Council he might have enabled the Secretary for War to turn the Auxiliary forces to better account; thirdly, that if he bad paid more attention to the preparation of schemes of offensive and defensive operations be might have told the Secretary for War before the South African War began that Ladysmith W&8 not a very 8uitable station to occupy and fourthly, that if he had paid more attention to these matters be m • uJ? \G!en have warned the Secretary for War that it would take more than one Army Corps to subjugate the two South African Republics. With reference to the first of these charges Lord W olseley said that in order to answer it it would be necessary to lay on the table of the House the numerous minutes he had written during the last five years, embodying proposals connected with the different departments of the War Office. As to the second charge, relating to the Auxiliary forces, the Secretary for War had never called his attention to any such nerlect. Last year circumstances occurred which left bimno alternative but to offer to resign his offioe, and he did but his resignation was refused, and he naa. thereforo, reason to suppose that he possessed the full confidence of the Cabinet. If he had failed to do his duty, the Secretary for War should have called his attention to the fact. He had long struggled to improve the Militia and Volunteers, and in November, 1897, and again in May last. and at other times, he had sent in minutes to the Secretary of State, in one of which declared that it would be a crime to send these forces into action with the Artillery they possessed. In others he described the uselessness of the obsolete guns possessed by nioety-nine of the batteries, and the absolute want of guns on the part of the other eight batteries. It was not his fault that, when he left the War office at the end of November, the condition of affairs had not been altered. On the subject of the third charge, as to Ladysmith, Lord Wolseley explained tnat as far back as 1896 he had recommended that the Biggarsberg, twenty-five miles in advance of Ladysmith, and not Ladysmith, should be held in case of war. In the same year he had recommended the strengthening of the Natal garrison. He had never considered that Ladysmith, with the hills immediately surrounding it, „ was a tenable position, and he had never contemplated that it would be held. Referring to the fourth charge, as to one Krmy Corps, he freely admitted that, in common with all other persons and authorities, he had under-estimated the fightinol power of the individual Boer. His error was occasioned not by inattention to schemes of effence, but by the fact that the obstinaoy which had been displayed by the Boers in making and continuing resistance was not in accordance with all previous experience of them. In June, 1899, he had advised the Secretary of War that, in addition to the ten thousand men in South Africa, they would require one complete Army Corps, besides Cavalry and Mounted Infantry, and in the following September, three weeks before the War broke out, he had urged that this force should be mobilised and sent out. The mobilisation would have produced a considerable effect in South Africa. If we wore comparatively unprepared at the outbreak of the War, Lord Lansdowne knew well that it was not because he had not on many occasions urged the purchase aud providing of stoies, and the gradual and unostentatious reinforoement of our troops in South Africa. L)rd Wolasly concluded by remarking that the statements of Lord Lansdowne and his own were equally unsupported by evidence. He was prepared to prove by official documents all that he had said. and he accordingly moved for the production of all the papers. When he csncluded his address, there was some cheering. Lord Lansdowne then rose. and said that taking the case of Ladysmith first, five or six years ago Lord Wolseley, in a conversation, pointed out on a map a posi. tion on thk- Biirizarsberg which was admirable for def-rpe-, but when war became imminent he gave no advice as to Ladysmith, and, with his full knowledge, stores of all sorts were poored into Ladysaiich. Lord Wolsely, intervening, remarked that he had simply sent the stores to South Africa, and the officer commanding on the spot had sent them to Ladybmith. Lord Lansdowne replied that surely the Order in Council did not prevent Lord Wolseley from watching the proceedings of the General" in the field But there had been a later conversation between him and Lord Wolseley, in which the latter, after the reverse at Glenooe, recommenced that we should fall back behind the Tugela to a position more easily held. Lord Wolseley, again intervening, oaid that he had not recommended them to faU back on Ladysmith. Lord Lansdowne, resuming, said that that suggestion was a belated inspiration of Lord Wolseley's. If he had considered the matter sooner, it might have been in time to be of real use to the Government. In reference to the one Army Corps he had been entirely unable to find any trace of a suggestion by Lord Wolseley or anyone else that one Armv Corps, with its Cavalry and Artillery, was not sufficient for the purpose of carrying the operations to a successful issue. Lord Wolseley had certainly not gone beyond the limit of one Army Corps. If there was blame to anyone—and be did not debire to excuse himself altogether from blamn—for miscalculating the fighting power ar.d resources of the Boers, L rd Wolseley, who was the principal Military adviser of the Government, and who was charged with the duty of preparing schemes of effence and defence, must bear his full share of that responsibility. In 1899 Lord Wolseley made proposals on several occasions with a view to taking important Military measures as a pre- paration for hostilities in South Africa. Sime of these proposals were not acted on for political reasons, as Peace and War were at the time banging in the balance. The policy of the Government was to avoid provocation, but Lord Wolseley's was a policy of intimidation. As to the production of papers, he could not agree to it, as it would involve the produc- tion of War Office minutes of great length and of a most secret character. Lord Northbrook thought that Lord Lansdowne, having referred to confidential documents, could not refuse to produce them. Lord Newton thought that Lord Wolseley's speeches during his five years of offioe were not consistent with his present attitude. Lord Spencer also pressed for the papers- Lord Salisbury said that any papers that Lord Lansdowne had quoted from would be produced if Lord Wolseley indicated them and moved for them. Lord Rosebery also supported the demand for papers, and, after some farther discussion, the motion was rejected by 62 to 38. Lord Roberts voted with the Government against the motion, but among those who supported Lord Wolseley's demand were the Dukes of Argyll and Bedford, and Lords Rosebery, Portsmouth, Spencer, Twe dmonth, R'poo, Sandhurst, Chelmsford, Davey. Reay, Camperdown, Brassey, Welby, Wantage, Carrington, and Faversham. In the Houee of Commons, on Friday, a report was made on the premature publication of its documents and proceedings in one of the London papsrs, and recom- mending the speaker to take such steps, by the exclu- sion of the representative of the Times or otherwise, as might seem to him best calculated to prevent euah publication in future. This report elicited loud chper- ing and the speaker stated that at the eariiept possible moment he would take into oonsideraion the reccm- mendation of the committee with a view of doing what he thought best for obtaining the object mentioned. The debat- on the motion that the House go in. to committee on the Army Estimates was resumed by Sir C. Dilke, and carried on for two or three hours, when, on the understanding that opportunity would be given after Easter for the discussion of Mr Brodrick's scheme, the motion was agreed to, and the House went into oommittee. After s -veral hours' discussion, the vote for 450,000 me n of all ranks, and the vote for £ 21,657,000 for the pay of the Arm? were agreed to, and progress was reported. The report of supply was next proceeded with. In the House of Lords on Monday, the Bishop of Winchester intimated that he would not proceed before Easter with the committee stage of the two Temperance Bills which he had introduced. j Conduct of the War in South Africa. 'I Lord Sandhurst addressed a question to the Govern- ment in reference to the proposed inquiry into the operations in South Africa, and the Duke of Devon- shire replied that whatever the Government had promised or pledged themselves to would be carried out, unless it should appear that the Opposition, as well as the Government itself, were convinced that such an investigation would not be in the interest of the public. Earl Spencer, the Earl of Morley, and Lord Tweed- mouth all deprecated an inquiry of a wide and general nature, and expressed a desire that it should be so limited as to produce the greatest amount of good. Lord Salisbury said he had never promised an inquiry. The Government had never been in favour of it, but they < ould not refuse one if it were demanded. Lord Rosebery expressed anxiety to know who had first made the promise of an inquiry, and Lord Salis- bury satirically suggested, amid laughter, that they might have a preliminary committee to inquire into that. The subject then dropped. Congestion of Businsss in the Commons. The congestion of the business in Supply, and the mode adopted in a Revised Civil Service Supplementary Estimate, which was issued on Saturday, to overcome it, formed the subject of an animated debate in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon on a motion for the adjournment of the House brought forward by Mr John Redmond. In the Revised Estimate all the undisposed of votes-nineteen in number-were lumped into one sum, whereby they disappeared from the Estimates altogether. In this way they could not be discussed. Mr Buxton was the first to call attention to the change which had taken place in the character of the Supplementary Estimates, his otject being to ask for an opportunity to discuss the innovation. Mr E. Robertson described the course which the Government were taking as a new form of closure, and he also asked for an opportunity of discussing it. This drew from Mr Balfour the suggestion that the change might be discussed on a motion for adjournment, and accordingly leave to propose the motion was asked for and obtained by Mr John -Redmond. Mr Redmond spoke of the novelty of the change, of its far-reaching importance, of the certainty that it would become a precedent for the suppression of independent criticism, and of its being smuggled into the orders and rules in order to cheat the majority of the members of their rights and privileges. Mr A. Chamberlain I repeated Mr Balfour's assurance that there was no principle at stake, and that the appropriation of money by the House was not interfered with. Sir R. Reid uncompromisingly condemned both the manner in which the change was being made in the order of procedure, I and the matter of the change. Sir C. Dilke, Sir W. Gurdon, Sir H. Fowler, and Mr Lloyd George all argued strongly against the change. Mr Balfour earnestly insisted that if the law was not to be broken there was no alternative before them but the proposal he had made. After the subject had been debated for three and a-half hours, Mr Balfour moved the closure amid loud protests from the Nationalists. It was how- It was, how- ever, earned by 208 to 121, and the motion for the adjournment was rejected by 205 to 119. Navy Estimates. Mr Arnold-Forster, on the motion that the House go into Committee of Supply on the Navy Estimates, opened with a glowing tribute of praise to Lord Goschen. He passed on to the financial aspect of the Naval expenditure of the year. The net increase over last year was S2,183,000, of which X223,000 went for an addition of men to the Navy, and XI,436,000 for the construction of ships and guns. The personnel would be increased to 118,625 men on the active list, 28,650 in the Royal Naval Reserve, and 7,300 in the Royal Fleet Reserve, being a total of 154,575 men available for manning the Fleet. After described the ships to be commenced or in course of construction, he said the Admiralty would get a delivery of armour during the next year which had never been paralleled. The object of the Admiralty was to make the Navy adequate to the nation's need, and maintain it in a high state of efficiency. The House then went into Committee of Supply on the Revised Civil Service Estimate, and the lump sum of zC898,000 was put from the Chair. A debate arose on the subject of the troubles in Ashanti, in the course of which Mr Chamberlain entered upon a long defence of the policy of the Colonial Office, after which progress was reported. In the House of Commons on Monday, Mr Vaughan Davies (R., Cardiganshire) presented petitions in favour of the Bill to prohibit the sale of intoxicants to children from Llandyssilio-gogo and Llwyndafydd district, Independent Order of Rechabites, Cardigan, and from the South Wales Calvinistic Methodist Association, In the House of Lords on Tuesday, Lord Herries moved "That it is desirable that a joint committee of both Houses be appointed to consider and report upon the declaration which the Sovereign is by statute com- pelted to make upon oath after his accession to the Throne." The declaration, drawn up as it was two centuries ago, was iiui the sort of declaration that might be expected from the King of Great Britain and Ireland and the Colonies, twelve millions of whose loyal subjects were iioman Oatnoucs. Lord Braye said he had brought in a Bill which aimed at abolishing altogether the declaration. The Earl of Portsmouth said it was important that his Majesty should declare that he did not believe in transubstantiation. Lord Kinnaird observed that manv of lii^s Majesty's subjects felt that an alteration of the declaration was not desirable. The Marquess of Salisbury assumed that with quite an infinitesimal exception they all regretted very much that language of that indecent violence had ever been placed by statute in an oath required to be taken by the Sovereign. They could not re-trace their steps so easily. If the House came to a resolution to modify or repeal the Act, there would be many people, perfectly sincere, though not very wise, who would say that sup- port was being given to the doctrine of trar; ubstantis- tion. He felt himself unable to hold out any confident hope that the Government would deal with the question in the present session, but when Lord Herries said that he wished to have the matter referred 10 a committee he assented at once. No doubt, the declaration had been imposed to secure the Protectant succession, and if they removed the oath and did nothing there would be a large number of people who would think they had not treated the questions as of sufficient importance, and had not paid sufficient regard to the dominant consider- ation which had for centuries forced us to cherish the Protestant succession. He was, therefore, reluctantly compelled to oppose the motion, but if the noble lord would leave the matter in the hands of the Government, or move it himself, with the addition of the words, and whether the language 6an be modified advantageously without diminishing its efficacy as security for the maintenance of the Protestant succession," there would be little difficulty in setting on foot the investigation he desired. Lord Herries said he had made the resolution as wide as possible, but had no objection to the addition of the words suggested. The motion was thereupon withdrawn. The Earl of Mount Edgecombe asked if the Lord Chancellor's attention had been directed to a letter in the Westminster Gazette of the 16th of March from a clergyman, stating that after he had been offered a benefice, and paid certain fees, the offer had been cancelled. The Lord Chancellor replied that he offered a small benefice in Devonshire to the rev. gentleman, but thought it right, for reasons which their lordships would appreciate, to require that any clergyman to whom he offered preferment should promise to render proper canonical obedience to the bishop. The rev. gentleman explained that his objection to that was founded upon the declaration against simony. He bad not the slightest idea what that had to do with the declaration of obedience to the bishop. He could not present him with the benefice, and the fees had been sent back. The Church in Wales. In the House of Commons on Tuesday, Mr William Jones (Carnarvon, N.) gave notice of motion to draw attention to the question of the Established Church in Wales, and to move a resolution. Mr Schwann (Manchester, N.), asked the Secretary for War whether he could say when the pensions which the Government had promised would be declared and paid to the widows and orphans of soldiers who had perished in South Africa, and would the scheme apply to the widows and children of all men who had lost their lives in action, by accident, or in consequence of wounds or disease. Mr Brodrick said the date would shortly be fixed by warrant. The scheme would apply to the widows and children of men on the married establishment, which included mobilised reservists, embodied militiamen, volunteers, and yeomen who, since October, 1899, had been killed in action, or died of wounds or injuries received, or of disease medically certified as contracted or commencing while on active service. The following new Bills were brought in and read a first time :— Dr. Macnamara (R., Camberwcll, N.) A Bill to make further provision for the housing of the working classes. Mr Macdona (U., Rotherhithe) A Bill for the better protection of British subjects who intermarry with foreigners in the United Kingdom. The House went into Committee of Supply on the Civil Service Supplementary Estimate and Excesses, Mr J. W. Lowther in the chair. On the vote of X98,316 for the Civil Service and Revenue Departments. Mr Scott (R., Leigh) called attention to the Ashanti War as being provoked by the demands of Sir'Frederick Hodgson. The language of Mr Chamberlain on the previous evening was unjustified, and the right hon. gentleman could take a lesson from the French, who managed to govern their colonies in fewer wars. Mr William Redmond ,N., Clare, E.) denounced the treatment of King Prempeh as scandalous." Mr Lloyd George (R., Carnarvon Boroughs) said tha' these operations had nothing to do with the question c slavery. The native view was, that whilst the Britif Government were abolishing slavery, they were i' sisting upon slavery for their own purpose. Thr complaint was that this country was forcing slavy^—' upon them to compel them to make roads. The couiry was peaceful until a mad boy ran from villagrto village and told the people that the Governor ras coming to wage war upon them. That was the cof of the war which cost 1400,000. If Mr Chambaaiu regarded his wars as so many feathers in his cap and if he went on like this, he would have as many fethers in his cap as a Red Indian (laughter). Mr Lough (R., Islington, W.) asked where hd the "Pax Britannica" been since Mr Chamberlain came into power. He moved to reduce the vote by £10. Mr Broadhurst (R., Leicester) supported lie re- duction. Sir William Harcourt announced that he should vote for the reduction of the vote. j Mr Lough's amendment was rejected by 25-'votes to 137. Mr Markham (Mansfield) said he meant tc force the hand of the Government, and to open peoples eyes to the class of men the Government had appointel upon the South African Commissions. One appointel on this commission was a member of the firm of Ecks;ein, other- wise Wernher, Beit, and Co. When this whie-washing commission arrived at Cape Town, it was met by the solicitor of Wernher, Beit, and Co. There mght to be purity of administration now in South Mrica. The Government were disposed to appoint those men to official positions who had been the ones to corrupt the Transvaal Government. If some of the practices they had used in South Africa were attempted at home they would soon be doing penal servitude. Mr Chamberlain said the argument that the Govern- ment were ruining South Africa was based on the fact that one of the gentlemen appointed was indirectly connected with a firm which again was connected with another firm, whom he wished to meet before a jury of his countrymen (laughter). Upon that the hon. member based his tremendous indictment. Was every man to be denounced because at some time or another he happened to have been connected with people engaged in some South African speculation ? Mr A. Lyttelton (Warwick) said Mr Loveday was utterly incapable of anything which was not honest and straightforward. Mr Markham knew that Mr Loveday procured the cancellation of the concession for the electric lighting of Pretoria, in which Messrs Eckstein were chiefly interested. Mr Lloyd-George spoke next. Mr Markham withdrew his amendment. The proposed reduction of the vote was negatived without a division. The Home Secretary has decided that the sentence of death passed on Hubert John Btnni tt Olor the Yarmouth murder shall t-t carried cu?. At a meeting of Tenby Town Council on the 14th inst., Dr. J. G. Lock resigned the post of medical officer of health, which he has held since 1872. He- is in delicate health. At the annual banquet of the Llanelly Chamber of Commerce on Saturday Mr Ernest Trubshaw made reference to the great American combine in the steel trade, and pleaded for better relationship between employers and workmen, in order the better to combat the threatened competition. The body of a man named Thomas Moore was discovered drowned in the river Cleddau, at Haverfordwest, on Sunday morning. On Monday Mr H. J. E. Price, coroner, held an inquest on the body at the Salutation Hotel, and verdict of "Accidental death was returned. Deceased, who was 64 years of age, was a superannuated dock- yarder. A turbulent spirit again prevails at Frongoch Lead Mines in Cardiganshire. There have been two mysterious explosions lately, one near the barracks occupied by the Italian workmen, and one near the residence of Captain Heine The latter explosion shattered the windows of the captain's residence, and greatly alarmed the family. The matter is in the bands of the police. —

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