Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

4 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

Advertising

TO CORRESPONDENTS, &c.

[No title]

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

THE National Eisteddfod, notwithstanding the presence of the Prince and Princess of Wales, unfortunately proved unsuccessful in a pecuniary sense. We do not know to what this result is to be attributed, but our own experience points to an inefficient management. Some time before the Eisteddfod we applied in the usual way for a press ticket, but received no reply, and when our representative presented himself at the doors he was not admitted. Apparently it was nobody's business to attend to little matters of this kind. Experienced and successful promoters of entertainments always take care to attend to the requirements of the Press, without solicitation. THE North Wales Calvinistic Methodist Asso- ciation held its quarterly meetings at Carnarvon, last week. As showing the strength of the denomination in Carnarvonshire, it was stated that there were 15,000 members, 400 deacons, 45 ministers, 45 preachers, and 21,000 Sunday school members, the collections during the year amoun- ting to £ 16,000. One of the most important matters under discussion was that of the Bala College, a committee reporting that in order to place that institution on a satisfactory basis in view of converting it into a theological college next year, a sum of S5,000 would have to be raised. A letter was read from Mr. David Davies, of Llandinam, stating that he would subscribe £1,000 to the fund, provided that the committee undertook to raise Y-5,000, so as to secure a total of £ 5,000. The writer added that if the com- mittee deemed that £5,000 would be sufficient, he would subscribe one-sixth of that amount. This generous offer was naturally accepted with acclamation, and with such an incentive there ought to be but little difficulty in carrying out the recommendations of the College committee. EVERYBODY has heard the story of how Mr. James Gordon Bennett one night, about fifteen years ago, summoned Mr. II. M. Stanley to his bedside, and gave the brief direction, Go and find Livingstone;" and a veriation of this idea has just been indulged in by another American. A few weeks ago a theatrical manager in New York, doubtless anxious for a new sensation, thought he would send some letters to friends in Europe in a new fashion and accordingly be rang up the Mutual District Messenger Service. When a boy z, y arrived at the theatre about fifty letters were given him with his fare, and he was told to proceed to London by a steamer which in a few hours was to sail, deliver the epistles to those to whom they were addressed, and return only when he had fulfilled his mission. He, astonished though he naturally was, obeyed orders, bade a hurried farewell to his parents, and is now in London discharging his duty. This will be the first noti- fication to many people that there is such an institution in New York as that to which this youth belongs. It is composed of boys specially chosen for their tact, smartness, and good conduct, and these deliver messages in various parts of the Einpire City," at a fixed rate, which, though necessarily higher than the post office charges, is worth paying in order to secure the increased speed. -u_- ELDERLY people are never tired of praising the good old times when, according to their version Llangollen was in the heyday of its glory-which, of course, was before the railway came. In those days people used to drive to Llangollen-in their own private carriages, or came by coach or other public conveyance. It is almost a pity to dispel illusions of byegone days, but that must be done if the matter is to be touched upon at all. Instead of doing harm to the town the railways have been of immense benefit to the place. A comparison of the visitors of thirty years ago with those of now-a-days will dispel the impres- sion that a better class of people visited the town then than now. The railways bring wealthy people here to an extent previously undreamt of, with the result that prices have gone up very much. Saloon and first-class carriages, with their moneyed freights, have become general. Comparatively few people can afford to spend a day or a week in slow travelling, by road, but there are some, and many of them still find their way to Llangollen. Visitors are continually coming here with their carriages and horses, and many more would do so if the town was not well supplied with conveyances of a good class, which can be hired. In the old days the hotels were well patronised, but the town generally was not frequented by visitors. ALL of us are not aware that there are two monarchs in the British Isles (says a writer in the South Wales Daily News). One is Queen of Great Britain and Irelaud, and the other is the King of Bardsey Island. We are not sure whether the latter throne is occupied at the pre- sent moment or not; but until very recently it was. The islanders elected one of their own number—generally the wealthiest farmer from among them-to this coveted honour, and his Majesty might stand on the highest peak of the islet, and say, with Alexander Selkirk, "I am monarch of all I survey. When the reigning monarch died, some years ago, the islanders pro- ceeded to elect a successor. Remembering their obligations to the rector of Merthyr, they offered him the crown, on the assumption, we suppose, that as the good rector had every chance of being a king and a priest in the next world, it would not be amiss for him to serve an apprenticeship to both offices in this. The proffered honour was, however, declined with thanks and Mr. Griffith suggested that they should elect as their sovereign the widow of the late king. She is a coniely and majestic woman," said the priestly adviser, let her reign." No, no," replied the islanders, "-we will never be governed by a woman." But that is how we in Great Britain are governed," urged the rector, "and we are perfectly happy under her Government." That Vmay be," retorted the stout Bardseyites; a woman may do well enough for you in Great Britain, but never for the people of Bardsey. We must have a King.;)- Comment in unnecessary. If any of our readers happen to know whether the vacancy has been filled, we should like to receive trustworthy information. AT the National Eisteddfod the rector of Merthyr said that the Welsh language has no grammar. Y Tyst a'r Dijdd ( The Witness and the Day," Congregational) permits its Merthyr correspondent to deal heavily with the rector of Merthyr for his opposition to the feelings of the people on this question. We are gJad," says Y Tyst (kthat the Rev. J. Owen, Warden of Llan- dovery Coilsget took up the rector's remarks, and proved that the rector was utterly ignorant of the language and its grammar. Welsh has its grammar as a modern spoken language, and has attracted the attention of the leading philologists of the age.. The rector would have done well to be silent on a subject which he evidently knows nothing about. Tctrian y Gicetthiwr (" the Workman's Shield," labour organ) is even more pronounced. It says :—"The rector of Merthyr belongs to the Church militant, for be continually attacks his Nonconformist brethren. Last week, in London, he stated that the Welsh language has no grammar. How fearfully far a Cardigau- shire boy can go when under the influence of the Pope of Rome Of course he is opposed to any system of popular education which can act independently of the vicar of the parish, but to state that the Welsh language has no grammar is one of the most barefaced (haedlug) assertions c we ba*% ever h wl-. IM iwiPf ift | made short work of Mr. Lewis, and we were glad to find that it was a fellow clergyman of the same Church, in the person of the Warden of Llan- dovery College, who first set upon him. The Welsh language has rules and laws as complete as any nation on the face of the earth, but there is a man at Merthyr receiving £60:) or Y,700 a year as a public teacher of the Welsh people, and who has also enjoyed the benefits of instruction at Lampeter College, who is ignorant of this fact, or, if he does know it, who wrongs his conscience as well as his language and his nation! THE REV. CANON BROWNE, Rector of Bodffari, near Denbigh, reports that his residence has been attacked by a gang of men at midnight. Stones, he says, were thrown, all the front windows smashed, and even the framework broken into matchwood. One missile was sent crashing through the reverend gentleman's window, but, happily, without touching him. Mr. Browne has in the meantime asked for police protection, believing his life to be in danger. If this be a plain, unexaggerated story, all true Welshmen will not hesitate to denounce the proceedings as most dastardly. Of course, the report, so far, rests solely upon the information supplied to the police by the rector. We would not for a moment think of doubting Mr. Browne's statement as to the outrage itself; but he may be under a mis- apprehension as to the number of the miscreants and the motive that led them to make so cowardly an attack. Was there a "gang?" Why they selected the Rectory of Bodffari in particular? Had there been provocation, and, if so, was it of a personal or a public character? These are questions that must naturally occur to every reasonable man as he reads of proceedings that are so utterly and fortunately foreign to the general conduct of Welshmen. Mr. Browne, in a subsequent letter, tell us that he entertained waifs and strays from Liverpool sent to Bodffari by Canon Major Lester for the benefit of their health that, shortly afterwards, a letter appeared in a local paper "accusing him of entertaining town children rather than those belonging to his own parish, and imputing to him most ungenerous motives that he replied to that letter under the heading "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones;" and this was speedily ack- nowledged by a violent attack upon the Rectory," and, finally, that his" impression is that his evidence before the Government Commissioner in connection with the anti-tithe movement has had something to do with bringing about this fierce work of dissenting indignation." Every honest Welshman, we repeat, even although a Dissenter much deprecate most strongly this mysterious rush on a clergyman's domicile at dead of night, for, happily, the common belief is that force is no remedy, whether in Wales or whether in Ireland. But why should Mr. Browne infer with so much indecent haste that this attack upon his house was the fierce work of dissenting indignation ?"' To regard the outrage as a reply to his letter in a local newspaper is simply absurd and to suppose that any evidence he might have given before the Government Commissioner brought this trouble upon his head is to attribute as much importance to himself as of wickedness to his neighbours. May we remind the reverend gentleman that to attack a whole religious com- munity, without a tittle of proof, or a shadow of cause, is pretty much on a par with attacking a private house at midnight. Most people will be inclined to retort upon Mr. Browne his own the stone-throwing arose from some personal local grievance, rather than it should have been the outcome of an intention to manifest opposition to the Rector's views on the question of Tithes.

LOCAL & DISTRICT NEWS.