The London Welshman

questions were questions of tactics and strategy. Tactics ought to be considered carefully in a council of war before they were determined upon or declared. It was of really the very first importance that whatever they did they should act together and march together. They had won the education struggle by unity and combination. The time would come for them to consider when and how they were going to put this programme into operation. When that time came let them all pull together, and he would tell them that whatever happened he would not be the last man to follow in the ranks., Congratulatory. Mr. A. Osmond Williams, M.P., moved the first resolution, which expressed gratification at the downfall of the Tory Government, and the accession to office of Sir Henry Campbell- Bannerman, and congratulating Messrs Lloyd- George, J. Herbert Lewis, and Reginald McKenna upon their appointment to responsible posts in the new Ministry. Mr. J. Aeron Thomas, M.P. (Gower), seconded. The resolution was carried with enthusiasm, and the president briefly responded. Mr. J. Herbert Lewis, who also acknowledged the. expression, stated that his colleague, Mr. McKenna, the new Financial Secretary of the Treasury, had found it impossible to get to the meeting. Disestablishment Resolution. Sir-Alfred Thomas, M.P., moved a resolution acknowledging the endeavours made by the Liberal Government in 1895, to carry a measure for the disestablishment of the English Church in Wales, and the assurance now given by Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman, that this measure remained an integral part of the programme of the Liberal party, and affirming its unwavering devotion to the principle of religious equality, and declaring that the firm and faithful adhesion of the Welsh nation to the cause of Liberalism could be adequately recognised by the leaders of of the Liberal party in no other way than by the disestablishment of the English Church in Wales at the earliest possible moment. Shortly after Sir Alfred commenced his speech a cheer was raised on the appearance on the platform of the Rev. T. Edwin Jones, vicar of St. Mary's, Bangor. Sir Alfred said he was glad a clergy- man was coming in. He wished to say in face of that assembly that he believed that the Church of England ministers, as a rule, worked the hardest of all the ministers. He wished them Cod-speed in their work. But whether the Church was successful, whether there was a Nonconformist in Wales or not, he would go in for disestablishment on principle. They had the assurance of a straight and honest man-who in any stress and storm had stood his ground man- fully and was now reaping his reward—in regard to disestablishment, and they had also the word of Wales or three-fourths of it. Mr. Ellis J. Griffith, M.P., in seconding, said he regarded the position of Mr. Lloyd-George and Mr: Herbert Lewis in the Government as an indication, a sign, and a proof that the next Liberal Government would not desert or betray Wales. There was not much difference of opinion amongst the Welsh members on the subject. He, at any rate, was one of those who was anxious to give the Government every chance. He was altogether against the man who said the Government must do this or that first or second, and he was against the spirit, that permitted it; but he would say this-and he hoped it would be a harmonious and not a discordant note, and that he would not be misunderstood-the Welsh people deserved that they should be told before the General Election. They were entitled to know that the Liberal Administration was asking from the people of England and Scotland and Wales a mandate to deal with Welsh disestablishment and disendowment. His cQlleagues were, • he believed, agreed with him in this, The question should be in the general programme of the Liberal party, not of necessity in any prominence, but not in any inferiority either. Unless disestablishment was within the ambit of the programme of the Liberal Adminis- tration the House of Lords would have an excuse for saying that the question was never before the country. It must be dealt with in the next Pariiament., That could .be expressed upon half a sheet of notepaper. Two other questions he would put before disestablishment if necessary-these were electoral reform, to get a House of Commons that would be representa- tive of the people of this country, and secondly to get a House of Lords that would be obedient to the people of this country. Mr. Lloyd-George remarked that not even half a sheet of notepaper was required for the declaration Mr. Ellis Griffith had requested. In fact he (Mr. Lloyd-George) had already given it in a sentence, he hoped a lucid one. It was not his own, but one which he quoted of the Prime Minister's, that Welsh disestablish- ment still remained an essential part of the legislative programme of the Liberal party. Mr. William Jones, M.P., in seconding, said that if they desired the unity and purity of Wales let them have disestablishment at the first opportunity. Mr. Bryn Roberts, M.P., in supporting said that believing as he did that their leaders were sincere in their promises on the question, there was not the least likelihood of his joining in a revolt in case the Government should find it impossible to introduce a Disestablishment Bill immediately. Education. Mr. J. E. Powell (Wrexham) moved the next resolution, which declared that no system of public education for Wales should be on a basis less than that of full popular control, free from the imposition of religious tests, warmly welcomed the declaration of the Prime Minister that the policy of the Government in relation to educa- tion was to be based on the principle of popular control, and further declared that, having regard to the special circumstances of Wales, the whole system of education in the Principality should be unified and placed under the control of a council representative of the Welsh people. The mover said that it seemed ridiculous that there should be so much fighting over the question of religious instruction, when no such difficulty had arisen in connection with the intermediate schools. They were all agreed to accept Bible teaching in the schools. Mr. Clement Edwards, Liberal candidate for the Denbigh Boroughs, seconded the resolu- tion. A Little Disorder. A note of discord was struck by the next speaker, the Rev. Towyn Jones, who at the out- set denied the charge sometimes made against him that he had attempted to create a revolt against Mr. Lloyd-George. He had sacrificed as much for Welsh Nationalism as Mr. Lloyd- George, but he would not agree to any condition for throwing out of joint a whole country that was boiling over with Nationalism. If they meant to advocate a compromise on the ques- tion then they acted contrary to the New Testa- ment, which taught them that religion should be absolutely voluntary. Every argument for Disestablishment went to the winds if they argued for teaching the Bible in day schools. If it was wrong for Parliament to pay priests to teach the Bible on one day of the week, it was equally wrong for Parliament to pay teachers for teaching it on week-days. The speaker was quite unable to proceed, and the situation was complicated by the rising of the Rev. T. J. Wheldon, who was eventually asked to sit down. The Chairman remarked that that was ,not the time to force that feature of the question to the front, though he must say that it was not the fault of Mr. Towyn Jones that it had been introduced. The Rev. Towyn Jones continued his speech for a few moments longer, protesting vigorously against the attempts being made to thrust opinions down the throats of people. Temperance. Mr. J. Herbert Roberts, M.P., next moved a resolution pressing for the recognition of the special position of Wales in the Licensing Act of the next Parliament, and urging the necessity of the amendment of the Welsh Sunday Closing Act, and of the inclusion in any measure of devolution of powers enabling the people of Wales to promote effective temperance reform. This was seconded by Mr. C. E. Breeze (Port- madoc), supported by Mr. J. D. Rees (Liberal candidate for Montgomery Boroughs), and Mr. D. Rees (Carnarvon), and carried unanimously. The last resolution was a general one, affirming the principal planks of the Liberal programme, and this also was passed with enthusiasm. In the evening, a most enthusiastic demon- stration took place in the Carnarvon Pavilion, some three to four thousand people being present. Sir Alfred Thomas, M.P., presided, and was supported by Mr. Bryn Roberts, Mr. J. Herbert Roberts, Mr. Osmond Williams, Mr. Aeron Thomas, Mr. Clement Edwards, and Mr. J. D. Rees. Resolutions were passed, en- dorsing the pronouncements of the afternoon Convention.