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WAR IN SOUTH AFRICA.

THE TRADE OF THE PORT AND…

"F. C. G."

GENERAL TROTTER'S ADVICE TO…

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i IRONYT

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NOTES BY WATCHMAN.

ITHE LATE "FREE CHURCHMAN,"

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

THE LATE "FREE CHURCHMAN," BY THE EX-ENGLISH EDITOR. The "Free Churchman" is dead. I wish to make this known. First, that our friend the enemy may breathe again. Next, that he may indulge the harmless gratification of supposing that he drove the last nail into its coffin. Who killed the Free Churchman ? I, said the A.C.P., And now its up a tree"- I killed the Free Churchman." etc., etc. My life as Editor was brief, but bright and decidedly brisk. The printer who climbed into the Editor's chair" has been compelled to climb out of it. But the time passed very pleasantly. For three months out of the six which marked its mortal career, the magazine enjoyed a quiet immunity from notice of any sort. We told our public who were born and buried, which chapel anniversary took place, on what date, etc., etc. "And there is nothing new under the sun." But in the fourth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, we collided with a well-known educational institution in the town, and things began to hum We were favoured in your columns with a letter, written in what, for lack of a better term, must be described as the screaming style. As thus:—"A dastardly attack!" (Johnson's Theatre and the Melodrama Villain ''S'blood S'death Meet me houtside the wood in a hour ") Having a magazine I was, of course able to quietly reply to these heroics as the time came ronnd. But now I am periodical- less. (The Ex-English Editor must take the resprasibility of the last upon his own shoulders). And so it comes unlonely now to pass that I am found knocking at the doors of The Cambrian Accept my thanks, in anticipation, for granting me admission. And let me say, by the way, how thcroughly we appreciate the fairness and the freedom of your paper. A manacled Religion, and Education, and Trade are not our only evils. We suffer from a manacled Press. And far worse, in my estimate, than a tied Church, or a tied School, or a tied Public-house, is a tied News- paper. But there is none of this about The Cambrian. The freedom of your columns, verging almost upon laxity, is sufficiently attested by the notes of Watchman which appear week by week. And by the way again, who is this irrepressible and quite irresponsible Watchman P It would lift a load from the heart of Neath if you could only tell us. Is he a single entity P Or are they a coterie ? Do they meet on misty moonlight nights and concoct the notes" with which we are favoured ? I really wish you could let us know. One thing is certain, if he is an individual, he is a man of opinions, rather than of convictions. At the com mencement of the controversy to which we have referred, he went for me. But, later on, he was found slating the schoolmaster. Now a man who is on both sides is on neither, and he must be a man of opinions rather that of convic- tions. There is, of course, another explanation. Was it that Watchman wished to draw the English editor ? If that was his little game, he was foiled. But he drew the other fellow, and then, sportsmanlike, he proceeded to play with the fish which swallowed the bait. If he is disposed to accept a word of kindly advice, he will, in future, adopt a definite policy, and pursue it, and give up his fishing. Bat this has taken me away from that scarlet letter. Several of my friends, after reading my replies in the Free Churchman, expressed astonishment that I had nothing to say about the style of the epistle. I must say that that seemed to me to be no part of my function. I coiiflned myself to the question between us. But now things have changed. The controversy is closed, the Free Churchman is defunct, I am a free lance, and I may now be permitted to say that the letter in question is the most remarkable, without a single exception, that I have ever read. Its most striking feature, far and away, is the number of things, beside the real issue, it was found possible to crowd into it. First, there were 4) kindly references to a London barrister. Next, a confession of hard labour in the attainment of academic honours. Subsequently, an expression of trust in the honest judgment of the Welsh people. Incidentally, a record of his experiences with Jewish and G3ntile youths, parenthetically, a learned disquisition on English, with an invocation of the "shades" of a great grammarian; hypothetically, a passing, gentle thrust at my interest in local elections; finally and conclusively, a clarion call to prove a state- ment that was never made against a department that was rever indicted. And then, somewhere in the tody of the letter, a line or two in refer- ence to the question at stake. Now this is clever. This is remarkably clever. It is the work of a diplomatist. It reveals a master in the art of not seeing. And it makes splendid reading, provided one has the Comic Muse ever at his elbow. An editor should have a sense of humour, and a certain apathy as to his own reputation. And the Celt, in this case, is deeply grateful to the Saxon for his benevolent intentions. Last week the schoolmaster tried humour. But this was not so successful. His forte, unquestionably, is hysterics and a man should stick to what he can do best. I wish to expiess my gratitude through you for that brief sojourn of mine among the scribblers. It has taught me a good deal that is useful and interesting. Among other things we (it is impossible for a six months' editor not to drop into the first person plural,) were very near the fulfilment of one of our life's ambitIOns-the ambition to go to goal. We know now how it may be accomplished. One has but to tell the uncomfortable truth about Church or State, and "instantly" tlie Powers will set about obliging him. It is the old, brutal argument, "Cry Credo, or we clap you into irons! "And Nonconfor- mity is well used to it. She was born in prison, and a host of her sons have had the stone bench of a prison, and a litter of straw as the reward of their piety. The same spirit is alive and abroad in our day as in the time of which Browning writes Full measure the gentler enjoyed the fun, As a twenty-five were tried, rank Puritans caught at prayer In a cowhouse and laid by the heels—have at 'em, devil may care i— And ten were prescribed the whip, and ten a brand on the cheek, And five a slit of the nose—just leaving enough to tweak." But we have nothing to fear from this spirit. We have everything to hope. Wnile this is tha attitude towards us we shall never become a spent force." Our danger begins when, for our Nonconformity, we are patted on the back, and when they cease to turn us out of our farms, and imprison us for going to chapel. Whoso would be a mun," says Emerson, "must be a Noncon- formist." But lie must pjy the penalty. For the virtue in must request is conformity." [BY OUR OWN COKBESPONDENT.] SERIOUS ASSAULT ON THE POLICE. At the Neath County Police Court on isox- ing Day, before Mr. Edward Davids, and Mr. T. Powell, Charles Jcne-3. alias Ciiarne Kegan, a naulier, of fckewen, was biouglii up in custody and charged with violently as- saulting P. C. Fred Evans, and P. C. George E. Williams, at Skewen. On Christmas Eve the police were called to the Peiican Inn to eject the accused. The police got him out- side where he became very violent, throwing himself on the ground and kicking iiite a madman. Police sergt. Evans read a long list of convictions against the accused, allll said the Ltnch would see from the list that he had a. very bad character. The Bench sent the accused to gaol for six months' hard labour. STRANGE BEH AVIOUR AT CADOXTON. At the Neath County Police Court held ou Boxing Day, before Mr. Edward Duvies aud Mr. 1. Powell, Fred Williams, of Lianbra- dach, was brought up in custody and chaigeu with being drunk and disorderly at Cauos- ton on Christmas Eve. It seeing that about | ten o'clock at night the defendant made an unexpected attack upon the door of one of the Cadoxton villagers. He burst in the door and threw down a table, and smashed three lamps (two of them alight). The occu- pants of the house were terror-stricken, and it is a matter of wonder that the house was not set on fire. Defendant was f-ned 10s. and costs. It was understood in Court that relatives of the defendant had paid for the damage done by him. l YULETIDE FESTIVITIES. Bands of carol singers ushered in the great festival of the year. On Christmas Eve Midnight Mass was said at St. Joseph's Cath- olic Church, where there was as usual a large congregation. At six o'clock on Christmas morning there was a communion scrvice at St. Thomas's Parish Church, and later there were two more communion services. There were also communion services at St. David's Cnurch. At the Wesleyan Chaped, the Rev. J. Hugh Jones preached an appropriate Christmas sermon. In t.he evening there was a most enjoyable entertainment at the Town Hall, under the auspices of Zoar Sun- day School, t nd the presidency of the Mayor of Neath (Councillor L. C. Thomas). All the the performers acquitted themselves most creditably. Fine weather favoured the Christmas holidays, and the crowd who at the football field witnessed the contest be- tween Neath and i-ilandilo, did not suffer any physical discomfort. There was a most successful conversazione at the Mission Hall at night. This was an inovation upon old usage, and it proved highly attractive. All the entertainers, and they were very numer- ous, were warmly applauded. The inmates of the Cottage Homes had a bountiful Christ- mas feast on the day before Christmas Day. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Moore, the generous givers of the feast, were both present, and evidently enjoyed the proceedings. There were also present Mr. Hopkin Jones (Chair- man of the Board of Guardians), Mr. H. P. Charles (ex-Mayor), and Mr. F. J. Gibbons. At the Neath Workhouse the inmates sat down to a sumptuous repast (including the pint of beer which was thought by some to be essential to the enjoyment of the feast). All except the beer was given by Mrs. Grif- fith Llewclljn as in past years. At the close a hearty vote cf thanks was accorded Mrs. Llewellyn on the motion of the Chairman of the Board (Mr. Hopkin Jones), seconded by the Mayor of Neath (Councillor L. C. Thomas) A vote of thanks was also given Mrs. and Miss Mills. Amongst those who were present at the carving were the ex- Mayor (Aid. H. P. Charles), Mr. D. R. David (Vice-Chairman), Aid. Edward Davies, Aid. W. B. Trick and Mrs. Trick, Miss Fanny Curtis, Mr. Walter Whittington, Mr. and Mrs. J. Fear Davies, Dr. Davies, Dr. Morris, the Misses Jones, 2, South-terrace, and Mr. T. W. Jcnes. THE VEXED SCHOOL QUESTION. The following is the reply which Mr. Wat- son, A.C.P., makes to a question asked by the Editor of the "Free Churchman" (now defunct), why Nonconformity is not so well represented in tho various departments of Alderman Davies' Schools as it was formerly. Mr. Watson's reply is apparently without any reserve. "Our Nonconformist pupil- teachers, as a rule, have hailed from Swan- sea. We have driven them, willy-nilly, to Church. Going to Church—shrieking out protests all the way, they have missed their trains and their teas. Missing their meals, they have fallen into an easy t'eclinc, and when their parents have eent us letters, stronger in their English than the English editor's,we have stood over tho pupil-teachers and made them as clean as ink-bottles. The English editor will easily see why it is so much otherwise." BOARD OF GUARDIANS. CHRISTMAS BEER. A meeting of the above-named Board was held last week, Mr. Hopkin Jones (chair- man), presiding, the following were also pre- sent Messrs. D. R. David and Wm. Howell (vice-chairmen), Messrs. J. H. Moore, M. G. Roberts, H. P. Charles, A. S. Gardner, J. Edwards Vaughan, C. E. Price, John Jones (Cwmavon), Dr. Thomas, B. A. Griffiths, Walter Rice Evaus, Edward Davies, S. B- Davies, LI. Howell (Aberavon), Richard Davies, Wm. Jones, Dr. Elias, Dr. Williams, Rev. J. Edwards, and W. D. Jones. Mr. B. A. Griffiths raised the question of giving the Workhouse inmates beer with their Christmas dinner. He thoaght that as they (presumably ihe Guardians) had had a good year they should not begrudge the paupers thp extra treat. He moved that beer be given. Mr. Walter Rice E:ans seconded. The Rev. James Ed wards objected, and re- ferred to the fact that such large numbers became inmates ef the workhouse through drink, he asked how they as Guardians would in future be. able to offer words of reproof respecting drink if they allowed it to be introduced into the Christmas feast. The Matron (Mrs. Mills), on being asked by Mr. J. H. Moore for her opinion, and a statement as to how the giving of beer re- sulted in years gone by, said that the giving of beer had been discontinued for many years as it was found that it creatcd a spirit of insubordination, and after the Christmas feast some had escaped from the House and subsequently had to appear before the mag- istrates. Alderman H. P. Charles approved of the giving cf beer but under proper management. He would not approve of beer being placed indiscriminately before the paupers. They should first be asked individually whether. they wished to have beer. As to the remark that persons came to the workhouse through drink, they were people who abused the drink. Ultimately the motion that beer be given was carried by 13 votes to 9. The Chairman voted against the motion. It was resolved to request the member for Mid-Glamorgan to present a memorial to Parliament in favour of the Pure Beer Bill. This was the last business, and as the mem- bers were dispersing, one of them was heard to murmur the refrain, Beer, beer, glorious beer. Fill yourselves right up to here, Up with the sale of it, Down with a pail of it, Glorious, glorious beer." WESTERN DISTRICT MINERS' ASSOCIATION. The monthly meeting of the Western District Association of Miners' was held at the Cambrian Hotel, Neath, on Saturday, Mr. T. Pope, Ogmore Vale, the retiring president in the chair. There were 56 delegates present, representing 14,000 men. Mr. Roger H. Williams was re-elected treasurer for the ensuing year, and Mr. D. Edwards, Ogmore Vale, va.- elected president. The ageut (Mr. Joan Williams) gave a lengthy report in respect to the work done by him, and by hiscolltague (Mr. W. E. Morgan) during the past month. He alluded to the slump which had taken place m the piicea of coals in the Western District, and hoped that it would prove to be only a temporary one, and that the prices would be restored lor:,mvit:i. He made a telling appeal on behalf of tue funds of the Cardiff Iufirmary, and spoke from personal knowledge of the excellent work done by that institution. The relief and the various other benefits derived from the Cardiff Infirmary by suffering humanity could not be stated in words. He felt the matter laid upon his heart and conscience, and it was his in- tention to send on iiionaay morning a guinea to the Western Mail fund. He entreated the dele- gates to take the matter up, and bring it before their respective lodges, and ne hoped there would be generally a iesoive to help the fund promoted by the paper he had named. Mr. Williams was warmly-thanked fur his clear and able report. COUNTY COURT.—THURSDAY. [Before His Honour J udge:UisllOp.] CLAIM FOR BKICKS.—Hambiet's Biue Brick Co., .Ltd., iiromwich, sued Jtirnest Jones, contrac- tor, of .Ne.it.i, lor zE45 16s. 8d., the value of bricks sold and delivered. Mr. Ivor Bowen (instructed by Messrs. William Thomas and Guest, Carnon-sirect, Birmingham) appeared for the plaintiffs, and Mr. baward Poweli for the deienoant. — Mr. J. A. Hoslord, manager of the plain.iff company, gave evidence in support of the claim, ana bricks stated to be of a similar character to these contracted for were produced in court.—The defendant's case was that the bricks were not accordiug to sample, and not up to tiie regulation chitracter.-Atter a long hear- ing His Honour gave judument lor plaintiffs with costs. COUNTY POLICE.—FRIDAY. [Befoie Mr. Edward Davies and Mr. Walter Rice Evans.J DRUNKENNESS.—The following were fined for drunkenness William Morgan, woodcutter, Pontwhaiby, 7s. 6d. and costs; Joshua Griffiths, collier, Pontwyn, 10s. including costs John Greenwood, labourer, Briton Ferry, 7a. 6d. and Ousts and J ohn Artus, collier, Reaoiven, 5s. and costs. PROHIBITED HOURS.-Hugh Prichard, sinker, and Hugti lhomas, labourer, both of Skewen, weie eacn fined 7s. 6d. and costs for being at the Burrows Lodge Inn, during prohibited Lours. REFUSING TO QUIT.-Philip Rees, a contrac- tor, of Cwmgwrach, for being disorderly and refusing to quit licensed premises was ordered to pay 10s. and costs. THROWING STONES.—Thomas Price, haulier, of Seven Sisters, was summoned for throwing stones on the highway, and ordered to pay 10s. and costs. WITHOUT LIGHTS.—For driving without lights George Wilcox, Neath, was fined 2s. 6d. and costs. For a similar offence, Rees Gethin Rees, haulier, Neath, was fined 2s. 6d. and costs. William Lewis, Melyncrythan, similarly charged, was fined 20s. and costs. RIDING ON THE FOOTPATH.—Grosvenor Hutchinson, saddler, Glyn-Neath, was fined 5s. and costs for riding a bicycle on the footpath. LEAVING A CART UNATTENDED.—Charles Cheeke, bottler, and spirit merchant, Neath, was fined 2s. 6d. and costs RETIREMENT OF AN INSPECTOR. Reference was made at the Neath County Police Court on Friday to the impending re- tirement of Police Inspector Protheroe. Alderman Edward Davies said he desired on behalf of the Bench to express regret at the retirement of so tried and valued an officer as Inspector Protheroe. He hoped he would live for many years to enjoy a retirement which had been well-earned. Inspector Pro- theroe suitably thanked the magistrates for their Kind expressions. BURNT TO DEATH. A five-months old child named Mildred Rogers, was left in her cot in the kitchen of her mother's house at Pentreffynon, Cadox- ton, on Thursday night. The mother was away only a few minutes, but when she re- turned she found the coverlet of the cot ablaze. Another child left in the room had played with matches, with the too frequent result. Dr. Elias was called in,but he could not do anything. An inquest was held on Friday afternoon, and at its close the Cor- onor (Mr. Cuthbertson) seriously reprove the mother for leaving such young children to themselves. The jury found a verdict of death from fcuffocation. AN OLD "SWANSEY" LETTER DISCOVERED AMONGST THE STATE PAPERS. The following letter, discovered amongst the State papers (domestic, Charles II., 1682) in what has been termed the National Waste Paper Office," will posses interest for most readers of The Cambrian. It has never before been pub- lished. It is stated that his Majesty King Charles expressed his satisfaction with the letter, and declared that it was better composed than any other letter received by his Secretary of State, upon his Majesty's restoration to health:- RIGHT HONOURABLE,—This his Majesties antient Corporation, prostrat at your honour's feet (by us the Portreeve and Aldermen thereof), humblie renders its most hearty and unanimous thanks to your honour for favouring us in soe high a degree with your honourable letter of the 30th of May last, whereby we were acquainted with his Majesties late sicknesse and most happy recovery. And wee humbly presume to lett your honour know that at the reading of that letter publickly among us the first part of it chill'd all our hearts with a cold icy fear upon the appre- hention of his sacred Majesties soe iminent danger. But the latter part has fill'd us all soe brimfull of joy that though wee did by bells and bonfires, and other vulgar wayes, immediatly endeavour to lett the world see some part of it. Yet wee then did and still doe want means and words to expresse the hearty and truly loyall satisfaction that this whole Corporation unani- mously receaved att the news of his sacred Majesties most happy recovery of his healthe, which wee most heartily pray the King of all Kings long to continue to his most august Majesty, togeather with a long and happy reigne over us, undisturbed by either forraine or domestick enimies. And this is the hearty and dayly prayer of this loyall Corporation, and especially of His Majesties most loyal and devoted sub- jects, and your Honours most humble and ready servants. THOS. PHILLIPS, Portreeve. JOHN BOWEN. "WILL JONES. OWEN ROGERS. MATHEW DAVIDS. JOHN HOWELLS. "Burg., Swansey, 5 die Juny, 1682." Addressed on back:—" To the Right Honour- able Sir Leolin Jenkins, Kt., hi.-i Majesties principall Secretary of State. These humblie present."

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