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PORTMADOC.

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PORTMADOC. THE BAPTIST CHAPEL, Y.NYSCALCH.-We are glad to have to state that in this chapel there is held a service in ENGLISH once every Sabbath day-a concession which our English friends in the Port will doubtless fully ap- preciate. FUNERAL.-On Tuesday last the mortal remains of Mrs. Watkins, wife of Captain John Watkins, were in- terred in the parish churchyard of Penmorfa, amidst the sorrowful regret of the whole neighbourhood. The de- ceased was greatly esteemed by all who knew her kind and amiable manners and disposition; and as she was in good health only a few days since, her death caused quite a painful sensation as well as of sorrow in all parts of the district. Much sympathy is likewise felt for her husband, and her bereaved parents, whose only child she was. "Whom the gods love, die young." THE WEATHER.—Our correspondent writes :—The change which has come over the face of nature in these sterile, though picturesque parts of the country, was never before witnessed, in so short a period, even by that somewhat mythical personage-the oldest inhabi- tant. Only some three short weeks ago, there was not a sign of renewed vegetation to be seen anywhere—not even a daiay or a primrose; now the trees are in leaf, plum and apple trees, &c., in full blossom, and the fields are everywhere decked out with the beautiful little spring fl W. In fact the entire country has more of the appearanoe of _ly June than t'? latter end of April, and all this haa been brought about by three weeks of fine genial weather. Up to the present time, the farmers-have no occasion to complain, for the grain and grass lands could not look better; but if the wea- ther continues so fine and hot much longer, the moisture in the earth will all be evaporated as was the case last spring, and which caused such a scanty crop of hay all over the kingdom. THE NAVVIE INVASION.—Our correspondent gossips as follows on this subject :-The inhabitants of Lleyn and Eifionydd are now subjected to an invasion by the navvies, though I cannot say the plague is an unmitiga- ted evil. Every cellar and house is crammed with them, so that I don't think there's a single room untenanted in any house from Penrhyn Deudraeth to Criccieth. Men pay from 2s. 6d. to 3s. per week for the privilege of sleeping in a damp cellar or an unhealthy garret, and they think themselves lucky in getting a bed even for that sum. In some respects they resemble locusts, for they cover the face of the land; and though they do not literally cut up all the produce, they certainly consider- ably lessen it, for the genuine navvie is not only a very thirsty but he is a very ravenous species of animal. He does not much mind patronising the tailor and dra- per but he is a warm friend to the butcher, the grocer, and, above all, to the public house keeper. In fact, the public house constitutes his home, his church, and chapel-his concert room, and reading, that is, supposing that he can and does read. The navvie, proper, not only works hard, but he drinks hard, and when occasion offers, he fights hard. The latter quality is rather a prominent feature in his character, and very often gets him into trouble,—not that he gets the "blues," but the Blues get hold of him The navvie's hand is presumed to be against every man's hand, and when membersofthe fraternity pay a visit to any locality, it is deemed only prudent to send there an additional number of bobbies for protection and to maintain order, if that be possible. In the Port he not only gives the police extra labour and trouble, but the magistrates as well; for I found that the petty sessions are now to be held every week instead of every fortnight, as before; for, since his ad- vent, there has been a marked increase in petty session- al business. But after all, the navvie does some good, and he is the forerunner or pioneer of a gieat deal more, for railways and the iron horse follow in his train, and we must not, therefore, complain too much of the tem- porary nuisance and inconvenience. We all know that in the words of the old song, there is but a very small bit of comfort for people "upon a washing day and when a housekeeper calls in the assistance of the white- washer and painter, and overhauls one's house from top to bottom, the prospect before us for the next week or fortnight is not a pleasant one; still we must bear with it unless we are prepared to wear dirty clothes or bed linen, or to live in an unhealthy habitations, and of two evils it is wise to choose the lesser one. So with the navvie, we have to put up with him for the good, which follows in his train. WANTED,' IN PORTMADoc.-Our correspondent writes- -The world, in general, is full of wants; but in Portmadoc we have a goodly number of very pressing ones, without which we cannot possibly jog along in any- thing like an easy and comfortable manner. In the first place, we are sadly in want of waterworks, for the supply of this, one of the first necessaries of life, is both scant and precarious, whilst the quality is not by any means first-class, particularly during rainy weather, as it then contains rather too great a proportion of earthy matter, which gives to it an appearance of weak small beer. The town is built upon a sandy valley, a few feet above the level of the Glaslyn river but on one side it is bounded by a low range of hills, in which there are several good springs of pure aqua. The cost and labour of constructing such works, therefore, would be compara- tively but little, whilst the advantages would be almost incalculable. Is there no gentleman, or body of gentle- men, who will stir in this matter, and confer so desirable a boon on the increasing inhabitants of the Port ? Again, we have no cemetery in which to conveniently bury our dead nor a hearse to convey the dead body to its last resting place, if there was one. In the Port there are at present two small burying grounds attached to two chapels, but they are nearly full; and the parish church is fully three miles from the town, and in a particularly out-of-the-way spot. We have been talking about mak- ing a cemetery for some years put-71)ut nothing has been done, so that, at last, people have become tired of even talking aboutit, asthey are quite hopeless. Thesame thing is said as regards a heame. The desirability of obtain- ing one has been discussed energetically in vestry meet- ings, in which its desirability was unanimously admit- ted, but the energy" went no further than a verbal discussion. If the ratepayers cannot agree in the mat- ter, would not the speculation" be a profitable one to some private individual-say, to one of the hotel-keepers in the Port or in Tremadoc ? For myself, I certainly think it would, though a hearse belonging to the parish would be both cheaper and more seemly.—There is ano- ther want which is very much felt—an Inspector of Nuisances, or somebody to see that the town is kept clean, and that we are not poisoned by miasma or suffo- cated by stench We have a Local Board, which holds its monthly meetings, and at which a good deal of small talk is indulged in, and they have appointed an Inspec- tor of Nuisances, and who actually DOES send in a re- port occasionally. This is all very well, but then nui- sances abound, and are permitted to abound, just as if we had no Local Board at all. Smith-street remains pretty much as it was five years ago, and all sorts of messes are thrown upon it, to the manifest detriment of health and even of decency. Near to the Welsh Slate Company's wharf is a pool of stagnant water, which peo- ple make a kind of cesspool, and which is most offensive to the senses, and which is much complained of by the respectable inhabitants who live near it, but who say it is of no use complaining to the Local Board, as they will be certain not to take any effectual steps to have the nuisance removed. I think this is going a little too far, but still this opinion is not only entertained but publicly expressed. In consequence of this state of things, if ever the Russian plague should reach this country, Port- madoc would soon be in a feverish" state of ex- citement. How, then, is this want to be supplied ? PETTY SESSIONS,—Friday, April 21st.-Before D. Williams, J. Jones, (Ynysgain,) O. Griffith, and J. G. H. Owen, Esqrs. Drunkenness.—Wm. Evans and Thomas were charged by P.C. Richard Owen with being drunk and disorderly at Beddgelert, on the 8th inst' The defendants admitted the offence, and were fined each, 5s., and 9s. costs. This was their second offence of the kind. The same officer charged a man named Robert Wil- liams with being drunk, &c. The defendant denied the charge, and asked that the case be adjourned. Application granted. Affiliation Case. -A young woman, who lives at My- nydd-glas, in the parish of Penmorfa, applied for an or- der in bastardy upon E. Griffith Evans, who lives in the same neighbourhood. For the defence, John Williams was called, who said he lived at Nant Bettws, and on a certain day he met the complainant and her brother, when the latter asked whether something had not taken place between her and the witness. To this he replied nothing, but that I was once with her." Order granted, but for only Is 3d. per week. No costs allowed. Assessment Booka.-The Assessment books for the parishes of Beddgelert and Treflys were presented, al- lowed, and signed. Non-payment oj Rate.-The Overseers for the parish of Llanfihangel y Pennant, summoned Owen Prichard for the non-payment of his poor-rate. The defendant himself did not appear, but the rate, with 3s. 6d. costs, was paid by Morris Prichard. Holding Weekly Petty Se88iona.-It was ordered that in future, the Petty Sessions for the Portmadoc Division be held weekly on Friday, instead of Fortnightly, as heretofore. POLICE COURT,—Monday, April 24th.-Before O. Griffith, Esq. Drunken Navvies.—Thomas Dorricot was in custody charged by P.C. John Thomas with being drunk and riotous in Portmadoc, on Saturday night last. He was very disorderly, and when told to go to his lodgings, he refused to do so. so that he had to be locked up. Fined 5s., and 9s. 6d. costs. Another navvie was in custody on a similar charge. P.C. Thomas said he was drunk, and fighting in a field behind the Police Station, between 3 and 4 o'clock, on Sunday last. Defendant admitted the offence, and was fined 5s., and 9s. 6d.; or in default seven day's imprisonment. The fines were paid in both cases.

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