The North Wales Chronicle and Advertiser for the Principality

DRNBIGHSUlRB QUABTSB BBMIONS.— At the Quarter Sessions to be held on Friday, January 4tb, the following special subjects will be brought under the consideration of the oourtAppointment of visiting committee of Her Majesty's prison at Butbin. Also appointment of 12 justices to repre- sent the Court upon the Standing Joint Committee, constituted under sections 9 and 30 of the Local Government Aot, 1888. A report of the Inter- Departmental Committee on riots, appointed by the Home Secretary, will be laid before the Court by the ohairman, There is one prisoner for trial. Three alleesment appsale in the Wrexbam Union have been respited from the last sessions, and another assessment appeal from the same Union will probably be entered. NOBTH Wtui Missus' PBMBATIOS.—On Monday the monthly conncil meeting of the North Wales Miners' Federation was held at W-exham. Mr Thomas Hughes (Adwy) presided, and the officials orsaent included Mr Lloyd (Gatewen), vice-presi- aent Mr 8. George, treasurer Mr B. Hughes (Point of Ayr), financial secretary Mr loan vjii. liams and Mr E. Peters, agents. The following officers were eleoted President, Mr G. Rowley, Black Park; vice-president, Mr B. Jones, Bryn- mally treasurer, Mr 8. George (re-elected) secre- tary, Mr E. Hughes (re elected). Votes of thanks were passed to the president end vice-president for their services dnring the past year. It Wt.l! resolved that the agents (Mr I. Williams and Mr E. Peters) should attend the oocferenoe at Birmingham on the 8th of January, the oourcil recommending that Mr Peteri be a member of the executive of the Miners Federation of Great Britain next year. It was re- solved (1) that two 6d levies be made to meet the liabilities to the Federation of Great Britain, and also to support the men on strike in North Wales (2) that should a solloitor be required to defend the men at gandycroft Colliery, they be authorised to engage the sewioes of one (3) that the suggestion of the Miners' Federation of Great Britain for a uniform contribution of 6d per week be recom- mended for oonaideration to ths local lodges.

1 gpskal iatiiup. I [BY Ma T. WSSTLIKI-MOBOAH.] Blackpool has a young lad; so profioient in piano- playing tbat, upon imitating a storm the other night, over a hundred people caught cold from the dampness that prevailed. Sarasate, the eminent violinist, is a Spaniard. He declares that bis extraordinary command over the violin is due to the fact that he has practised; on an average, six hours a day ever since he was twelve years of age. From the "Norwood District Advertiser":— An experienced lady gives lessons in musio pupils tanght quickly and thoroughly terms one lesson per week, 5s per quibrter two ditto, 88 6d, or sixpence and tenpenoe weekly.—Mater, 96, Gipsy- hill." Alas, poor Mater I On New Year's Eve, Monday next, Dr. Bridge's new Christmas work, The Cradle of Christ," (8tabat Mater Speoiosa) will be given in the Cathedral at eight o'olock. The cantata Is fall of winning grace, and will soaroely fail to elicit a large amount of praise and admiration. A few oarols will also be sang.. At next year's Cardiff festival it has been deoided to perform the following works Messiah," St. Paal," Faust," Choral Symphony, Light of the World," "Last Judgment," Verdi's Reqniem, Batnby's Te Deum, Stanford's Bard," Hear my prayer," seleotione from Wagner, Brahm's 11 Song ot Viotory," and a ohoral work by Mr D. Jenkins. The guarantee fond has now reached £2500. Only beoause it ia near Christmas is the follow- ing liddle admitted. It is said to have been com- posed (?) by a Nonconformist organist during his summer holiday. Q.—What is the difference between a siiicessfnl and an unsuccessful oandidate for the Assoiiateship of the Royal Collage cf Orgenists? Ang. One is aroo (A.R.C.O.), the other is pizzicato (plucked 1) At ten s'olock on a recent Saturday night, Herr Henry Berg, a musician of Berlin, completed a self-imposed task of playing on a pianoforte for thirty consecntive hoars, daring which l time be per- formed about four hundred pieces entirely from memory. The remarkable recital commenced at four o'clook on Friday afternoon, and daring the night Herr Berg was watched by five gentlemen. When the time was up on Saturday the pianist was loodly applauded by a large aadienoe. Professor J. Frederick Bridge, the popular organist of Westminster Abbey, is to visit Bangor on February 15th, to lecture at the Penrbyn Hall, before the Menai Society of Science and Literature. His diseertation will be on 11 Musical Gestures, a new and easy method of beginning music oombined with physical exercise," and those who have heard the Gresham Professor lecture in London will no doabt flock in large numbers to bear Dr. Bridge on this occasion. By kind permission of the Very Rev. the Dean of Bangor, the Cathedral choristers will do the illustrations. A new Churoh of England hymnal has just been A new Charoh of Eogiend hymnal haft jaat been Mann, tb.n whom a more capable editor oould with difficulty have been found. From a musician's point of view the hymnal is well nigh perfect, but the literary part of the work is of a very distinctly Evangelical type. It very properly oontains hymns suitable for the various seasons of the Church, and amongst others several for the conversion of those who are without the pale of the Christian Faith oariously enough, however, there are no hymns suitable for the conversion of Ritualists. The Incorporated Society of Musioians meets at Dublin for its annual oonferenoe early in January. Sir John Stainer, Dr. Pearce, Dr. Mann, Mr Chad- field and others are to be the readers of papers, and it is expeoted that the conference will be one of the most interesting that have yet been held. Wales will be well represented, and the Welsh delegates will include Mr C. Morton Bailey and Mr W. S. Stephenson (Wrexham), Mr John Williams (Car- narvon), Mr C. M. Leee (Conway), Mr R. H. Wball (Llandudno), Mr Broad (Swansea), and others. It a gratifying to the professorate in this neighbour- bcod to learn from the examiners who conducted the reoent examination for the I.S.M. at Llandndno that some of the very beet candidates thut have come before-them this half-year were those of the North Wales centre. Dr. Harding and Mr G. F. Vinoent were the examiners. ?

BtTLE OF THE ROAD AT SEA. THE BOARD OF TRADE PROPOSALS. [To THE EDITOR.] Sla,-loo most probably have seen the corres- pondence that has been going on in the Jaily papers with regard to the proposal of the Board of Trade to alter certain regulations of the rnle of the rosd at sea, and to institute complicated sound signals to be used in fog, and also to make an alteration in the screeaing of the red and green bow lights. I consider the matter 80 important that I wrote to the Times on the sabjeot, and now propose to ask you to give me room to air the matter in your paper, for I think the projeot of the Board of 'frade eo fraught with danger to the maritime population that every possible publicity should be given to it, in the belief that most of those inte- rested in the safe navigation of vessels will take the matter up. and not let it drop till they have wrung from the Board of Trade the assurance that the objectionable alterations and additions shall not be made. You have donbtless seen the proposals as to the new II sound signals to be used in fog," and pro- tbi so have many of your readers, so that it 'I ?d only waste time and apaoe here to explain them, and those who have not yet seen them can easily do so if they desire. Admiral Colomb, who writes in the Times that few people have studied the question as fully as he has, and who seems to be in favour of trying the new order of things as an experiment," and says that after a time we shall be in a position to do away with what is bad in them, and keep what is good tbat is to say, we are to try a very danger- ous experiment, in order tbat, after many people have been drowned and many valuable ships and their cargoes lost, the Board of Trade may arrive at the conclusion that the new rules are dangerous and bad better be discontinued when it is already patent to all who know anything of the matter that their suggestions bristle with the gravest dangers, and are altogether impracticable. But the Admiral is himself bound to admit (as he does) that the sound signals are "confusing." Surely, if there is one thing in the world that should be absent to ineure safe navigation it is con- fusion. x'he new rules, we are told by an authority, are confnaing that means that they will be more or less difficult to learn and to remember. It mntt strike everyone I think that signals of this kind, to be anything but dangerous, must be at the very finger tips of the officer in charge of the vessel, but they are confusing, and so may easily lead the offioer astray, for there is no time on a dark foggy night to oonsnlt a signal book to find out what the noise another steamtr Is making qaite olose to you means. fou may be aware that at the present time certain signals are permissible on the whistle, thought not oompulsatory I my experience at sea (which I think I may say is not inconsiderable), I have hardly ever heard them used, and I feel sure that they would be still more seldom understood. lie not this a strong argument showing that obliga- tory sound signals are wholly unnecessary 7 Any one who has bad the misfortone to have been in fog and near to, and passing steamers, will readily admit that the fog whistles and syrens as they are uow used, are confasing enough, but what they wonld be if every steamer was indicating her coarse on her whistle surpasses my imagination. Again how will it be possible to expect a ship- master to heed or hear even the not too load fog- horn of the unfortunate sailing vessel, with the pandemonium of sounds that I have Jut ludioated going on around him. I hope sir, that many of the coasters, of whom there are not a few in these parts, will find some means of making their voioes loudly heard in pro- test against this moat dangerous eobeme. It is also proposed to alter the screening of the bow lights 80 that, instead of showing 11 right ahead," as they do now, they shall how some degrees across the bows, i.e., a vessel will see both another's lights before she has got ahead of her, and after she has oroesed ber. Now the very thing one looks out for when crossing a vessel at night is the appearance of the light on the furthest side from yon, and the disappearance of the lunt that you have already had in sight, and when each has happened you know that you have IIfely crossed the vessel's oourse also when yoa have the two lights in eight you know that you areairs^ly ahead of her, and thereby can fairly aoourately estimate bar course. Now with t?w ?.t.r?.?. you will not know, when you are directly ahead, or whom you have orossed, or what coarse the other ship i* steering, and at a little diataaoe away your saapense will be of long duration, for the circumfer- ence of the arcs of visibility of the lights aorosa the bow will increase in proportion as your distanoe increases, and if you happen to be emong a lot of shipping, as one often ia off any of the well- known beadlanda, may the Soath Stack, it will render maoh more diffiaalt than it is at present to do tbe right thing to keep yoar vessel clear of oolli- sion. In fact the whole proposition, is, as Mr Gibson Bo.les put it in the "Times," a monumental muddle, oonoooted by the Board of Trade, out of perverseness or ignorance; on, d though it has been remonstrated with by bodies like the Liverpool Shipowners' Association, and the association of Lloyd's; it baa only so far conoeded the postpone- ment of the date at which the new rules are to come ioto foroe until some date in the autumn. There is, however, time left by that arrangement, for all who so wish to make themselves clearly heard in tbe matter; and I most sincerely trust tbat all shipowners, and any others whom it may concern, will follow the good example of Lloyd'd and tbe Liverpool Shipowners' Association and protest, most emphatacally against an innovation that all who are the most capable jadges decry a. dengelona and impracticable. The matter is a far too serious one to play with.—I am, die., R. WILLIAMS BULKELEY. Baron Hill, BeanmBorip, December 23rd, 1894.

THE LATE UR HEYLIN PLATT. UNVEILING MEMORIAL. WINDOW AT ABE& CHURCH. On Sunday morning lwt, befoie a tall ooiigregi, tion, the Lord Bishop of Bangor performed the ceremony of unveiling a memorial window at Abir Church, erected (by Mia Heory Plattl in memory ofithe late Mr Heylin Piatt son of Colonel Henry Platt, of Gorddinog, Lianfairfecban. The introductory service was gone through, and hymn 1140 was enlJll, when the Bishop performed the o-remony of uDveiHog 8a1 said "I unveil this window to the glory of God and in memory of the late Henry John Heylin Platt. Churohwarden Colonel HUIIY PLITT, as repres- entative of Mrs Platt. then aldresaed the Reotor aa followsReverend Sir: We dJbire to ask your aooeptance, as the representative of the Cburob in this parish of Aber, of this window, which has been placed in this taared building to the glory of God, and in pious memory of the late Henry John tieylm Platt, and we request that this gift any be solemnly dedicated to Almighty God as an adorn- ment of His House, and for everoarefaily preserved; The RECTOR in reply said: As tbe representative of the Church in this parish of Aber, I thankfully aooept this gift to the glory of God, ani in pious memory of the late Henry John Heylin Piatt; and before tbe Bishop offers a prayer of dedication I formally plaoe it under the guardianship of the Churchwardens of St. Bodvan's, and charge them in your presenoe to see that it becarfully preserved* Mr Churobwarden J'JBN JONlS, then came forward and said: Reverend air, We accept Sbe charge yon have this day placed in our hands. The RICTOB addressing the Bishop said: Right Reverend Fattier in God, I hambly beseeoh you to dedioate this gift to Almighty God as an adorn- ment of His House iu this paaah. Tbe Chancellor's Faoulty was then read by Mr BAKKB after which the Bishop said Let us pray, my beloved brethren, that tbe Almighty God, from Whom proceeds the grace of blessing and dedication. may vouchsafe, through our ministry, to aooept and bless this gift, for the sake of oar Lord Jesus Christ. The following prayers were then said by the Bishop:- Almighty God, Who lightenest every man that oometh into tbe world, accept, we beseeoh Thee, this window, which we offer to Tby glory and io memory of Thy servant, the late Henry John Heylin Piatt. Cast Thy bright beams ofliglit upon Thy Church, that it may at length attain to the light of everlasting life. And may the true light of the glorious Gospel give us faith to look I not at the things which are aeen, but at the things which are not seen.' We ask this in the Name of Him, Who is the True Light of the world, Thy only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." Grant, 0 Lord, that as Thy Church Is eti. lightened by the doctrine of Thy blessed Apostlea and Evangelists, so Thy bright beams of light may shine in our hearts, that we may walk in the light of Thy truth, and with Tbyealuta attain to thoae blessed mansions of light where with tbe Father and the Holy Gboet Thou reignest, world without end. Amen." The grace of our Lord Jeans Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with al all evermore. Amen." The ceremony was concluded by the sieging of hymn 266. The Bishop took his text from St. John xii., 26, and in tbe course of his sermon-said have just dedicated to the glory of God, and ia memory of one who was cut off in the spring of life, a, beautiful window to remain for ever as an adorn- ment of the Parish Chnrch of Aber. We rejoice to think that the old Paritinio notion ttiat our ohurchos are to be bare, naked, oold, and cheerleaa has passed away from amoog u, and that the idea that beauty ot colour aud of form is a necessary adjunct Qf every church has penetrated deeply, and is spreading widely into the worship and publio aervioe of God. And it is thns to as all a pleasure no less than a duty to be engaged in this dedica- tion. The window, with its lioft yet rich oolonring, is a worthy memorial of one who was dearly be- loved by all who knew him, and who gave promise of ability to serve his country and his neighbours bad it been tho will of God to spare his life. Cat off in a distant land, far away from friends, by what is called a mere acoident—perhaps a link in the chain of causation-he will be remembered in this ohurch for Ages to oome. Of all the mysteries of life there are none darker and more mysterious than the taking away from amongst us of those who are entering on the threshold of life, with all the promise and all the hope lying exteaded before tbem, and with all their faoulties of mind and body at their prime. Saob, however, is tbe will of Goa, and we =Us to bo" to His will with all the resignation and Christlike obedience we can summon to our aid. No solution of this mysterious difficulty it possible here, though mtybe in tha everlasting oounsel aud wisdom of our Father these dark ways, these fiery trials are clear, and we too some day may know all ahont them when, in the fine words of the Welsh hymn, When from Salem's glorious heights We see our journey's every trend." Hymn 225 waa then sung, and the Bishop pro. nounoed the Benediction.

Domestic Occurrences, ar Announcements of Births and Deaths are oh?mod 1* (cash), and Marriages 28 6d icwh). ? receivqd 17 ?ti"? o?Births, Marriages, or Des. are received at this office for insertion in any foreign, London, or Provincial newspaper. MARRIAGES. ALLMAS—JONES.—On the 22nd iiwt.atBaDgor Cathedral, ???e Re? B. Them, curate of St. Nia G 6. A,Ima% eldest son of G. AUman, Clifton.Q, Llan- dudno, to M.ry (Po1\ie), youngest .aughter of the late William Jones, engine driver. Port Penrhyn, Bangor. LEWIS—JONBS.—On the 24th inst.at Liverpool. by licence, John Lewis, headmaster of Ammanford School, to E. A. (Elsie), eldest daughter of Mm Jones, Prospect House, liandudno, tuith e late R.?. J. JOOO8, FeUn- foel. DEATHS. BROWNING.—On the 19th inst. at Brynseisyllt, Bangor> Kate, the beloved wife of B. H. Browning, aged 32. WILLIAMS.—On the 26th insl, at Penfron, Penmon. ':?y-n Tt:lt. a;ndeeInH'l:i Williams, aged 68 yeam

WELSH LotDY ARTISTS' CLUB.-At a meeting of lady artists, over which Lady Augusta Mostyn presided, held oa Monday in the Roond Room, Conway, it wai decided to name the club recently started there by Miss Clarrnoe Whaite and Misa Maud Salmon the G-*yn»dd Lsdies Art Society. Lady Aua-r* Mout>u „d she would give a dona- tion of £10 10a (thereby becoming a founder) and an annual subscription of E2 2s. She proposed that Mrs Swirforl Wood be invited to become vice- __n" \1 preøidnt, and it was unanimuu-iy uupru one wuwu accept tbe office. The council for the hr« year of the president (Lady Augusta Mostyn), Miss Clarence Whaite (daughter of the president of the ilovel Cambrian Academy), Miss Maud Salmon, Misa Walmsley, Misa R. Magrc., Miss E. Sidley. Mifg Perrin, and Mrs Allan Calveley M'Bwen, honorary secretary and treasurer. The last-named lady is daughter of the late honorary secretary and treasurer for many years of the Royal Cambrian Academy, William Lawrence Banks. Several ladier, eubmitted works for election as members of the society and were acoepted, viz., Mrs Hamilton- Man, Miss M. Mostyn, hir.4 Statterfcrth. Misa Lyle Smytb, Miss Pagh Evace, and Miss Griffith Jonee. Mrs Margetaon (Helen Hiittoo) bag also applied for membership, and several other well- known ladies in the art world. Am)ng the lsdy patroneaaes are Countess Dnndonald, Countess Grosvenor, Lady Msgdalen Bulkeley, Lady Mobtya. Lady Hills-Johnea, Lady Ncave, and the Hon. 14. Henry Mostyn.

strong resolution aijfvinst the BiU was passed at the Bangor Diocesan Conference, it beinr proposed by:Mr B. T. Ellis Nanney, wconded by Mr W. R. M. Wynne (Lord-lieutenant of Merionethshire). In the fate of the energetic stand made by .11 the friends of the Church against Mr Asquitb's Bill, it was withdrawn on July 18th, without ng submitted to the House of Commons for second reading. Magnificent services in defence of the Welsh Church were rendered by the Welsh bishops, particularly the Bishop of St. <V,»pb, who at the conference held at St Asaph, on October 3lst, when 300 out of 333 licensed clergy met together, his lordship -reoeived an enthusiastic ovation in recognition of his services to the Welsh Church. ECCLESIASTICAL. Daring the past year the history of the Welsh Churoh was one of progress, and a record of excellent work accomplished in the four dioceses. The enemies of the Church, aided by the Radical vernacular press, lost no -opportunity of attempting to create an impres- sion amongst the poblio that Nonconformity was the backbone of religious life in Wales, but facts amply proved the bold which the Welsh Churoh had upon the hearts of the Cjmry. As the result of an inquiry made by tthe Bishop of St. Asaph throughout Wales and Monmouthshire, it baa been lound that out of 1050 parishes there are 471 parishes without resident Nonconformist ministers. Even Mr Lloyd George, who "revolted" because the Liberal Government proposed to delay the spoliation of the Churoh, said in the oourse of a speech which he delivered at Cardiff, in October, "I was at Swansea the other day, and there I was told that a great deal of mission work was being done by the Church of England, and the result was that the Church of England there thrived marvellously." What better testimony of the effioacy of Church work oould be had than this from the bitter- est opponent of the Establishment ? That the number of adherents to the Welsh Church is rapidly increasing is proved by statistics, and the record of confirmations heA by the bishops show that the Church of -Wales is rapidly gaining in membership. As an excellent illustration of th. manner in which the members of the Church in England voluntarily contribute towards her support we might refer to a table which appeared in the Official Year Book of the Church of England for 1894, which gives the total voluntary contributions for the year 1891 as being X5,160,820 3s 8d. These figures embrace the returns of 12,875 incumbents, leaving 637 to be accounted for. Whilst the Church in Wales is increasing in numbers and ever widening Its sphere of religious work, its sacred edifices are also being improved and new ones erected, a considerable sum of money being spent for this useful pur- pose. In the Diocese of Bangor the church at Bodfean, near i'wllbeli, was re-opened in May after undergoing complete renovation at the cost of jC6000, which was entirely Con- tributed by the Hon. F. G. Wynn, of Glyn llifon. In the mouth of August a grand bazaar was held at Llandndno in aid of the Duke of Clarence Memorial Church, Lady Augusta Mostyn contributing X1000 to give the building funds a start. Another bazaar was held in September at Penmaenmawr to raise funds for building a Mission Church for the use of the Welsh Church people there. St. Mary's Church at Bangor has been adorned by the erection of a baautiiul stained glass window in memory of the late Lord Penrhyn, the ceremony of unveiling being per- formed by the Lord Bishop of Bangor on Sun- day, the '23rd of September. Aber church has been similarly adorned by the erection of a beautiful stained glass window in memory of the late Mr Heylin Piatt, son of Colonel Henry Platt, of Gorddinog. The Bishop again performed the ceremony of unveiling on Sun- diy, the 23rd of December. The death roll of the year includes the names of several prominent and well-known clergymen, including Lord Arthur C. Hervey, Bishop of Bath and Wells; Rev. R. Brown-Borthwick, one of the editors of "Chnrch Hymns"; the Very Rev. Dr. Butler, Dean of Lincoln the Very Rev. the Hon. George Herbert, Dean of Hereford; the Right Rev. Dr. Reiehel, Bishop of Meath and father of Prinolpal Reiehel, of the North Wales University College; the Right Rev. the Hon. John Thomas Pelham, Bishop of Norwich the Rev. Canon West, the very able and popular Church History lecturer the Right Rev. Dr. Bowlby, Bishop-snffragan of 'Coventry; Canon Curties,Chaptain of the Savoy, author of the famous" Bampton Lectures on Church and Dissent" in 1871; the Rev. Dr. -Samuel Kettle well, well knewn for his contri- butions to ecclesiastical literature. Amongst the laity may be mentioned the death of Yisoount Hardinge, one of the vice-presidents of the Church Defence Institution; and Earl Grey, K.G., the eminent statesman, and pro- moter of the Liberal manifesto against Dises- tablishment in 1885. In the Diocese of Bangor .atnonllst the deaths we regrst to have to record are those of the Rev. Elijah Owen, M.A., -near of Llangoed Rev. J. W. Griffith, B.A., rector of Pentraeth Rev. J. W. Kirkham, f rector of Llanbrynmair; Rev. Arthur Ellis, I -vicar of Llangwyllog; and the Rev. T. L ngharne, vicar of St. Thomas, Upper Llan- dwrog. Success attended the respective annual diocesan conferences. At Bangor, under the presidency of the Bishop of the diocese, the subject for discussion at the morning meeting was "The alienation of Church property." Papers were read by the Dean of Bangor and Mr J. Lloyd Griffith, Holyhead. The subject at the afternoon meeting was The attitude of the Church towards the social movements of the Present time, more especially in connection with the Parish Councils." Papers were read oy the Rev. J. i. Lewis, vioar of Conway, and Mr W- Roberte, Maesygroes. There were very large attendances, and interesting dis- OUSSIODIS Woli: piace ..t both meetings. I EDUCATIONAL. In the coarse of the year considerable pro grass was made in the mattor of Intermediate Edacation. The Joint Education Committees under the Welsh Intermediate Education Act of 1889 framed 16 schemes, which they sub- mitted to the Charity Commissioners before theead of 1893. Io the coarse of 1894 13 of them passed into law. The schemes for the Counties of Cardigan, Denbigh, and Merioneth were approved by Her Majesty in Council in a different form from that in which they bad been prepared by the Joint Education Com- mittees. The provisions relating to county scholarships and exhibitions were struck ont of the Cardiganabire scheme, the provisions re- lating to Ruthin School out of the Denbigh- shire scheme, and the provisions relating to religious education in boarding-honses out of the Merionethshire scheme, in accordance with the addresses presented by the House of Lords. The number of new schools proposed to be established under the 16 schemes is 75 the number of existing schools which have been included in them is 21, making in all 96 county sohools. Of the schools already exist- ing Beaumaris Grammar School is included in the scheme for Anglesey Friars School, Bangor, and Bottwnog Grammar School in that for Carnarvonshire Denbigh, Llanrwst, and Ruabon in that for Denbighshire St. Aaaph and Hawarden in that for Flintshire Bala and the boys' and girls' schools at Dolgelley in that for Merionethshire. The places where new schools have or will be founded are Holyhead, Amlwch, and Llan. gefni in Anglesey; Brecon, Builth, and Bryn- mawr in Breconshire; Cardiff, Aberystwyth, Aberaeron, and Llandyssil in Cardiganshire Carmarthen, Llandovery, Llandeilo, Llaneily, and Whitland in Carmarthenshire Bangor, Carnarvon, Penygroes, Pwllheli, Portmadoo, Llandudoo, Bethesda,and Llanberis in Carnar- vonshire Abergele, Llangollen, Ruthio, and Wrexham in Denbighshire Holywell, Mold, and Rhyl in Flintshire; Cowbridge, Gelligaer, Penarth, Barry, Aberdare, Merthyr, Ponty- pridd, Porth, Bridgend, Neath, Gowerton, Port Talbot, and Ystalyfera in Glamorgan- shire Bala, Barmouth, Towyn, and Festiniog in Merionethshire Tredegar, Ebbw Vale, Abertillery, Pontywaen, Pontypool, Abergavenny, and Uak in Monmouthshire Newport; Narbertb, Tenby, Pembroke Dock, Milford Haven, St. David's, and Fisbguard in Pembrokeshire; Rhayader or Llandrindod Wells in Radnorshire and Swansea. In places where a separate school for girls will not be established the schools will be either dual or mixed. The estimated income ot all the schools is Z56,342, exclusive of fees, of which LI0,014 comes from endowments, and X46,328 from other sources. The University of Wales was placed on a proper footing in the oourse of the year. On January 12th an influential deputation waited upon Sir William Harcourt with the result that a Government grant of X3000 was secured for the University. The first meeting of the Conrt of Governors was held in the Privy Council Chamber, Downlng-street, on April 6th, the Earl of Rosebery presiding. Several meetings were held subsequently, at which statutes were adopted, a theologioal board was formed, and nine Welsh theological colleges were recognised as institutions in which candidates for theological degrees in the University might receive instruction. The Elementary Education (School Atten- dance) Act of 1893 came into force on January 1st. 1894, and had for its object the raising of the minimum age of total or partial exemption from school attendance to eleven in order to lessen the discrepancy between the conditions of employment nnder the Factories Acts and those under the Elementary Education Acts. THE EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY BILL. The attitude assumed by the Radicals during the passage of the Employers' Liability Bill through its various Parliamentary stages did not tend to place them in a favourable light before the working classes, particularly the railway servants. What was known as the contracting out clause" in the Bill was the means, doring debate, of showing that the polioy of the House of Lords was to guard the best interests of the working classes. This particular clause read as follows:— Provision against contracting out beforehand. A contract whereby a workman relinquishes any right to compensation to himself or bis representatives for personal injury caused to the workman by reason of the negligence of the employer or of any person in the service of the employer, shall not, if made before the accrual of the right, constitute a defence to any action brought for the recovery of each compensation." In the House of Lords the Earl of Dudley moved that the foregoing enactment should not apply to any mutual agreement for assurance against injury which had been made before the passing of the Act, and which subsequently should be approved of by two-thirds of the workmen voting under rules made by the Board of Trade, which Board might, at its discretion, require such votes to be taken anew after the lapse of any period of not less than three years. JNor was the clause to apply to any such agreement made after the passing of the Act which should have been approved as aforesaid, and in respect to which the Board of Trade should have certified that it provided reasonable com- pensation in all cases of injury from whatever cause incurred in the course of employment, and that the compensation was paid from a fund to which the employer was contributor. This amendment of the Earl of Dudley was carried by 148 to 28, but when the Lords' amendments were considered by the House of Commons, Mr Asquith moved to dlsaree with the Earl of Dudley's proposal, and this was carried by 213 to 151. This placed several of the Radical members in 'an awkward position, inasmnoh as they had to account for their inconsistency to their constitoents. The member for the Carnarvon Boroughs, Mr Lloyd George, attended a meeting of railway- men at Bangor in February, when be bolstered np Mr Asquith by saying that the latter in mov'ng the rejection of the Earl of Dudley's amendment to thq Bill had to take into account what was best for the majority of the eorking classes." When asked if he would support Lord Dudley's amendment Mr Lloyd George said be had oaly just seen It, although it had been discussed in the House of Lords two days previously. Whilst the Government-were thus seeking to sacrifice the best interests of the railway men, Mr Lloyd George, as a member of Parliament, was content to remain in ignorance of such an important matter affecting the large number of railway employees who live in the Carnar- von Boroughs. THE PARISH COUNCILS ACT. I This Act, formally titled the Local Govern- ment (England and Wales) Act, 1894, received the Royal Assent on March 5th. The Act, which is a most complicated one, caused a great many changes in the administration of local affairs, the foremost ameng them being the establishment in parishes situated in rural sanitary districts of parish meetings and parish councils, between which is distri- buted all the secular business of the vestry. The parish councils are also given many addi- tional powers. The qualifications of the mem- bers and electors of district councils differ materially from the qualifications required in the case of the old authorities, and the method of election is entirely altered. Ex-officio mem- bers are also abolished. Throughout the country considerable interest was taken in the elections, which took place on Saturday, December 15th, and in a great many places in the Principality were hotly contested. The Conservatives and Church Party came out very well in the various contests. I POLITICAL ELECTIONS. The year 1894 will long be remembered by ohe Liberal Party as one of the most unlucky during the past two decades. It was nshered in ander most depressing circumstances, for the session of 1898, notwithstanding an autumn session,had not concluded. Moreover, the Honse of Lords had rejected the Home Rale BLil, and not a mouse stirred in the con- stituencies. Then came the Horncastle election which it was fondly hoped would be won by the Radicals on the head of the Parish Councils Bill. Bnt Lord Willoughby scored even a bigger majority- than Mr Stanhope. The poll at Acorington had shown a rising tide for the Conservatives, but in a rnral district this was hardly expected. It is worth notioing also that Mr Torr, the Radical candi- date at Horncastle, refused to vote for the retention of the Irish members, an opinion which has more recently been adopted by Mr McEwan in Edinburgh. In fact it may be laid down, broadly and truly, that every bye- election of the year 1894 spoke with the same voice upon the action of the House of Lords. 10 strong Liberal seats the Unionist poll increased, while in sc me constituencies Liberal strongholds were captured. The history ef the bye-elections, which suc- ceeded the appointment of the new Cabinet, was the first indication of the dissatisfaction of the country at the present Radical Adminis- tration. England showed no sign of any con- version to Home Rale, while in Wales a majority of 815 was reduced to 225. The next general election will doubtless result in many changes in the representation of the country, and what are now considered safe strongholds of the Radicals will be in danger of changing handr, as under the Gladstonian and Rosebery regime the country has not prospered. The Conservative and Union- ist Party are selecting gentlemen of ability and standing to contest seats at the forthcoming general election. In Carnarvonshire, Mr W. Ratbbone, the Liberal representative of the Arvon Division of the Connty,signified bis deter- mination to retire from Parliament upon its dissolution. In his place the Radicals have adopted as their candidate at the forthcoming general election Mr William Jones, of Oxford; and the Conservatives have selected Professor Alfred Hughes, of Cardiff, a native ofCoriis, Merionethshire, and a brother to the Rev. Llew- elyn R. Hughes, Portmadoc. Mr H. J. Ellis Nanney is also being asked to contest the Carnarvon Boronghs in the Conservative interest against Mr Lloyd George, the Radical member who now sits in Parliament for the Boroughs. THE WELSH LAND COMMISSION. In November the Royal Welsh Land Com- mission, over which Lord Carrington presided, brought its sittings in the Principality to a close at Newtown. The prolonged enquiry instituted by the Commissioners iotto the con- ditions under which land was held in Wales and Monmouthshire has resulted in the publication of a voluminous mass of evidence. The result fcas proved disappoint- iog to the Radical agitators, inasmuch as the evidence shows that there was not the slightest foundation for the vile and malicious charges made against the landlords of Wales of dealing with their tenants in an oppressive manner. On the contrary, the witnesses were, whether willingly or unwillingly, obliged to admit that the position of tenants on the large estates in the Principality was one of security. Probably a few more sittings of the Commis- sion will be held in London before the Com-I missioners issue their report. CYMRU FYDD. I During the latter part of the year the hi- treme section of the Welsh Liberal Party made an effort to disseminate the principles of the Cymru Fydd Leagoe in the Principality, and meetings were held at different places throughout the country to endeavour to form branches of the league, Messrs Lloyd George and Co., being the stump orators who were sent round to preach the doctrine of the league. The more moderate section of the Liberals opposed the formation of Cymru Fydd leagues throughout the country, believing that the league was only a political association, and would therefore be likely to prove antagonistic to the present Liberal Associa- tions. At several publio mettiogs the stock resoiutior in favour of opening a branch of the Cymru Fydd League was strongly opposed. At Bangor, for instance, such a thing occurred, when Mr Lloyd George and bis friends we'e opposed by Dr. Rowland Jones, chairman of the Bangor Liberal Club, with the result that the orthodox resolution was withdrawn and it whs decided:to postpone the formation of a brauoh until the executive committee of the Bangor Liberal Associ .tion It ,d been consulted. THE BANGOR PIER. One of the most important works in this locality will be the new pier to be erected at Garth, Bangor, by the Corporation of the city. The history of the movement shows that all along the majority of the inhabitants of Bangor have been in favour of constructing a pier to better the water approach to the city. Several public meetings of the ratepayers were held, and at first a strong opposition was made to the scheme by Mr David Owen, solicitor, who demanded a poll on the question. This was taken, and resulted in the voting shewing a decided majority of the people to be in favour of the scheme proposed by the Bangor City Council. Without entering into minute details of the progress of the scheme, the Cor. poration were ultimately successful in promoting a Parliamentary bill giving them power to gc ktt a pier, &c., for Bangor. On November 16th, the City Council, at a special meeting, accepted the tender of Mr Alfred Thorne, Westminster,for 214,475 and the work of constructing the pier will coimence in January next. The engineer is Mr J. J. Webster. Sketches of the proposed pier were published in the North Waits Chronicle together with a full description of the struc- ture. THE SNOWDON RAILWAY I is another entirely new feature in the Princi- pality. In deference to the wiphes of the inhabitants of Llanberis that something should be done to revive the prosperity of the place by attracting thither summer visitors, Captain N. P. Stewart, chief agent of the Vaynol Estate, warmly interested, not only in the prosperity of the Vaynol Estate, but in the well-being of Llanberis, used his influence with the Squire in support of their appeals. Mr Assbeton Smith gave his oon sent to tbe scheme for the construction or an electric railway from Llanberis to the summit of Snowdon. The ceremony of cutting the first Bod was performed on Satuiday, December 15th, at Llanberis, by Miss Assbeton Smith, the charming little daughter of Mr AsBheton Smith, owing to Mrs Assheton Smith's illness. An address was pre- sented on behalf of the inhabitants of Llanberis. to Mr Assbeton Smith, expressing their warmest thapks for the interest he bad shown in the prosperity of Llanberis by grant- ing facilities for carrying out this scheme. An address was also presented to the directors of the company who have taken the railway in band. After the conclusion of the ceremony a luncheon was given at the Victoria Hotel, Lord Alexander Paget presiding. Everything augurs well for the success of this undertaking. The contract provides for completion on July 1st, next year. Mr Duncan Fox is the engineer of the railway, and the contractors are Messrs Holme and King, Crosshall-street, Liverpool. With these references' to a few of the principal events of the year we with all of our readers A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.