The North Wales Express

CATTLE. LONDON, Monday.—We are very moderately supplied with beasts, and especially of choice qual- i wca^ier is very favourable, and buyers are p entitul, consequently trade is active, and prices have advanced on the average. Trade, however, is no better for middling descriptions the Ameri- meat interferes much with this class hough the number of sheep is not very large a earanee cannot be effected. Downs and half- ,are readily disposed of at our quotations naeed, in a few instances they have been exceed- ed, but for heavy long-wool sheep trade is very dull. Choice calves are scarce and dear. Our oreign supply consists of 270 beasts and 110 sheep. rom Scotland there arc 100 beasts Ireland, 6u0 ^ortolk Suffolk, and Essex, 400; Midland and bounties, 1,190 beasts and 40 milch cows, asts at market, 2,560: sheep and lambs, 8,720; calves, 8s pigs, 10. ii EHI 00L' Monday.—The supply of cattle was small; and generally of inferior quality. The attendance of buyers was numerous, and all "descriptions of cattle were sold at an advance, kheep in fair supply, with a good demand, at im^er prices. Beef, 7U1 to 9d mutton, 8d to 10ad. There were 1667 cattle and 5566 sheep at maiket. London, Thursday.—There were 620 beasts in to-day's market, including 110 foreign. Market quiet. Prices from 4s 6d to Gs 2d. There were 900 sheep, from 5s 6d to 7s 2d; 50 calves, from 5s 6d to 6s 8d; 20 pigs, from 3s 8d to 4s 8d per 8 lbs 70 English milch cows, from X27 to £ 35 per head.

BUTTER. CORK, Wednesday.—Ordinary: Firsts, 132s; seconds, 118s, thirds, 82s; fourths, 70s; fifths, 67s; sixths, 52s. Miid_ cured: Superfine,' 148s; firsts, 148s seconds, 127s; thirds, 87 < Vurriber of firkins in market, 1100. J

POTATOES. H Moderate supplies of potatoes were on saler at ondon on Monday, and the prices were :-Kllf ««^en^3' l^Osporton; Essex regents, 110- t6 1603; Victorias, 160s to 181s; kidneys, 12-; to 140s early rose, 90s to 115s 110i to 125s. I

DEAD MEAT. t ^1OXDOX> Monday.—Good supplies on offer, and acle moderately active at about previous rates. Beef, 2:3 4d to 4s 4i; mutton, 83 IJd to 4s 8d; Tal, 53 to 5s 8d; large pork, 2s 8d to 3s Gd; small ditto, 4s Od to 43 4d per stone.

WOOL. i London, Wednesday.— Only 5391 bales were b,n I> evening, comprising 2031 New Zo;>- Und, 668 Port Phillip, 506 Cape, 320 Sidney, 41 Germau lambs, 21 Adelaide, and 1 skin with w<jol_

COAL. LÙDo", O'DAY.-Th Lug,) upply of hOlpú COL\l. at rnmœt tn-da.y wa5 readily taken off fat last quotations. Original Hartlepool, llettons 20s; Hiswell, East Hartlepool, Carudoc, 1H. Gil; Tees, p)s 3d; Soathoe, ISs; Kell South Hartlepool', Vanes, Lyons, 17s 61; East Wylam, 16s; Bebside, -Hartlepool, 17s; Caris, Hartley, 16s. Shins at

PROVISIONS. Livekpool, Friday.—Butter Choice in steady equest, but other sorts continue neglected. Bacon m moderate demand, at a further decline in price. • rece<led 6d to 9d per cwt. Cheese is rather quieter, at previous rates. Beef in steady 4emalid at full prices. Pork without alteration.

DISTRICT MARKETS. CARAnVON, S AT IJ RI) A Y. The alist of to-dav'spricesBeef lOd I".r lb; mutton, 7d to Od; veal, 8d t|) to q'ri « A.,(* to > haeon, 7d to 0d. Cheese, 7d Fresh butter. 18d to 21d per lb.; ^d. Fowls (dead), Is 8d to 2s ;d e.eh; Ko alive., lid to 15d; ducks, 2s 6d to ?o,' r to 7j- Eggs, 8 for fid. Poti- •uarlev o\° ?,Per«wt- Wheat, 45*0-1 to 17s^lp„i qr; <>atmeal g 01°t •>' »»<*• to 22s Od; "br,0d to 310d per 210 lbs. The ■DENBIGII, We dn"j:s])AY. t ftt to-day's market were as fol- i 11 OdtouJ^0'110 16s 0fl Pcr hobbet; bar- battei. 16d to I7d°d; 7s 0d to 8s 0cL F™h Per lb ditto pot, l td to 16d. Phees. Bangor, Friday. >>arleyr29s^0dtot32s6oadt° 485 Od per quarter; meal, 36s .0d to 37s 0d p^r 9 wu'K p 4° 5 -i0^ to 4s 0 per cwt Kresir\ 2 i0 lb' Potatoes, -is od Beef (| ,ni 1 u buttcr, l(kl to 18.1 per lb. :<iS ioa to iid;, veai> H& to l9d liome-cured hums, CONWAY, Ratcrdav. 10s Od to'l^rOd0 w v?d ^er ilol)bnt barley, oa t„T-n7?9Jt? n 31 oatmeal, 36s Od to 39s 0d per 24 ."lbs P°r hobbot: OSWESTRY, W,,),),Y. "to^sMoTp1^ Trf <lu°tations: Wheat, 7s 9d- oats fvi+'6 4' ('Halting), 6s 01 to » lb e^; 7 M Gutter, l«"6d to Is 7d M per cmi'rl i T a shlll,nf? fowls, 3s 6u to e8e' 4s Orl + 0 AfiUl 58 0(* to 6s 6d per couple eac^ ( dtot( S °d eadl = turkeys, 6s lOd to 12s -potatoes, 00 lbs to 12 lbs for a shilling. ^at,l £ WE DXESPAY. to 32s 0d\ o*2d 45s 0 per quarter; barley, 29< t-T 34s 6d per 2^ to 21s Od; oatmeal, 33s Od cwc. Fresh blbs. Potatoes, 6s 6d to 0s Od per 0- Od to 0s Od. J to OOd per lb pot ditto, to lOd; veal, Odton'i lOdperlb; mutton, 9d P-d per lb. bome cured ham3, lid to RHYL, rp \r 0 uurkday. very few farmers atfe^j Ai ■. sorts of supplies sohUi ,thc Tnn rket to-dav. tc;6s; barley, 10s to 13S °^- Wheat, 15s 6c •ats, 8s to lis. beans, l.,s 6c to lis WREXIIAM, ThvHsI) White wW t to^f^n Were as follows.— Z 'ti per 75 lbs m'irure; red do> •),t lbs. Fresli butr,^ 17f toes, 5s 6d per 12d to 13d. Be^ 91 pot do., !I'i; veal, 7d t'o 81 v couple. yd" *owls, 4s 6d to 53 od pei

^rtruIturHl. THE CROPS AND THE CORN TRADE. The Mark-Lane Express says:—At the com- mencement of last week a decided fall took place in ?••mperature, and bright cheerful weath.r ,veviil(-d during the Christmas uohuays, with slight snowiill. Sharp frosts occurring in many localities at night have been of considerab e s n ce to the farmer in checking development » Business has been necessarily restricted duimg t ic past week, holiday influences having predormna ed. Still the position of the grain trade, both m Mark l ane and the provinces, is decidedly strong, ana with the turn of the year it ism<»st hlceiyc.nisKhi- pble activity will ensue. Supplies ot Ji-nbn wheat continue very limited, the ttmdenoy l^jvmg consequently been in favour of holder. 1 inp ut, of foreign wheat into London, according to Monday's return, were only 48,000 quart a.- smaller—a falling-off in the arrivals ot Lilian produce and-the closing of north Russian ports y ice having caused the decrease. Country millers have purchased more freely, at the extreme prices of the previous week, and on Friday at a reduce- tion of 6d. to Is. for wheat. A steady Continental demand is also observable, and now that there is likely to be a diminution in the scale ot imports, it is not unreasonable to look for hardening prices.

3itfIts, '!}axáagcst mxb l'atlji. BIRTHS. Evans-Dcemhcr 15, 1877, the wife of Mr M. O. Evans, Plas, Nevin, of a son. Roberts—The wife of Mr John Roberts, painter, &o., Salem-terrace, Criccieth, of twills-oii and daucrlitei- Roberts-Vectmber 22, 1877, the wife of Mr Gritlitl. Roberts, Crawia-terrace, Llanrug, of a son. Williams—The wife of Mr Richard Williams, Hafodlas, of a son. Williamf;-t)eceulber 21, 1877, the wife of Mr James C. Williams, lilies Llyn, Tanygrisiau, Festiniog, of twins-daughters.. MARRIAGES. Davies—-Morgan—Decembes 25, at the Welsh 'Wcslcyati Chapel, Boundary-street, Liverpool, by the Rev John Evans, William, third son of Mr John Davies, 26, St George's-hill, to Anue Morgan, Queen's-road,—both of Liverpool. Davies-Jones-December 2G, at the Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, Ruthin, by the Rev Owen Evans, Charles, eldest son of Mr John Davies, Ty'nyminii'ordd, to Sarah, eldest daughter of Mr John Jones, Ty'nycelyn, Llanfair—both of Ruthin. Davios.- Da.vie, Deccmber 22, at Rehoboth, Corris, t by the Rev W. Williams, Mr David Davies, engine driver, Gaerwen, to Miss Mary Ann Davies, Ilafoty, Bethania.. Evans —Wihiams—December 24, at the registrar's office, Carnarvon, by Mr D. Hughes, Mr Thomas Evans, Brynhelig, Tajysarn, to Miss Elizabeth Williams, Tynewydd, Clynog. Jones—Jones—December 26. at the registrar's office, Carnarvon, by Mr D. Hughes, registrar, Mr Thomas Jones, Tanychwarel, Talysarn, to Miss Mary Jones, Llanllyfnwy House, Llan- llyfni. Jones—Owens—December 22, at the registrar's office, Carnarvon, by Mr David Hughes, regis- trar, by license, Mr William T. Jones, Oakland- terrace, Talysarn, to Miss Mary Owens, Coed- madog Ucha, Llanllyfni. Jones—Jones—December 26, by license, at St Seirial's Church. Holyliead, by the Rev T. Lewis Jones, curate, Mr Evan Jones, moulder, to Miss Elizabeth Jones,—both of Valley, near Holy- head. Jones—Roberts—January 1, at the registrar's office, Carnarvon, Mr James Jones, to Mrs Catherine Roberts,—both of Cwmyglo, Llanrug. Lloyd—Jones—December 26, atthe Congregational church, Mold, by the Rev D. B. Hooke, Mr Peter Lloyd, Bro Alun, to Miss Sarah Jones, Maesy- dre,—bothiof Mold. Owen—Jones—At St Paul's Church, Newport, Mon., by the Rev J. T. Wrenford, Ph. D., Mr William Owen, Glasgow, to Miss Catherine Jones, .eldest daughter of Capt Abram Jones, Mouut.j oy -place. Price—Lloydi— December 31, at St George's Church, LJandudno, Mr William Price, wine and spirit, Church Walks, to Miss Sarah Jane Lloyd, Vernon Vaults, Mostyn- strcet. 1, at Salem chapel, Dol- gellau. by the Rev John Davies, Bontddu, Mr John Pugh, Buarthwil, Arthog, to Miss Laura Rees; Cwmpenllydan, Llangelynin. Phillips—Roberts—January 1, at the registrar's office, Carnarvon, Mr Joseph Phillips, to Miss .Margaret Roberts,—both of Hafodraffydd, near Waenfawr. Boberts—Edwards—-January 1, at the registrar's j oflieie, Carnarvon, Mr Richard Roberts, to Miss Eileen Edwards,—both of Mount Pleasant, Car- narvon. Rbberts—Roberts—December 26, at the registrar's office, Carnarvon, by Mr W. it. Whiteside, Mr John Roberts, Rhiwlas, to Miss Elizabeth Roberts. Ebenezer,—both of Llanddeiniolen. Smith—Williams—-December 31, at the Congrega- tional church, Mold, by the Rev D. B. Hooke, Jaaios Smith, of Padeswood, to Sephorah Wil- liams, Nerquis. Thoiias—Jones—.Tanuary 1, at the Congregational (;hirch, Mold, by the Rev D. B. Hooke, Mr SaJf'Jrd Thomas, to Miss Jane Jones,—both of Lopswood, Mold. Williams—Morgan — December 21, at Iloiv.b chapel, Dyffryn, by the Rev D. Davies, Bar- mouth, Mr R. Williams. Board School, to Miss Morgan, eldest daughter of the late Rev E. Morgan, Dvftryn. DEATHS. Hughes—December -26, aged 84, at the Royal George Inn, High-street, Bangor, Mr Richard Hughes, late of Ogwen-terrace, Bethesda. Jones— December 28, aged 18, Margaret, daughter of the late Owen Barlwyd Jones, Maenofferen. Jo >es—December 24, aged 74, at Snowdon-street, portdinorwic, Margaret, relict of the late Mr John Jones, Gareg Goch, Llanfairisgaer. Jo 7, aged 23, Jane, wife of Mr Griffith Jones, Brynkir-terrace, Penmorfa. M.■Michan—December 20, aged 61, Mr Thomas MoMiehan, Penybryn, Llanfairfechan. R >b uds—December 23, aged 65, Mr Hugh Roberts, Tanvbwlch Mill, Maentwrog. Roberts—December 15, aged 12 weeks, Owen, 'uif.t-nt child of Mr William Roberts, Menai- street, Portdinorwic. Roberta—December 13, aged 89, Ann Roberts, Pencold Fawr, Llanararon. Roberta-December i), aged 85, Mr William R. I tol)ei -i Thomas, Aliwal, Llangiau. Thomas-December 22, aged 13, Esther Eunice Thomas, daughter of Capt and Mrs Thomas, Nevin. Thomai-December 12, aged 69, Mr Robert Thomas, Trefor, Llunaelhaiarn.

A great sensation has been caused in Russia by the assassination ot an hotel at Kharkoff of Dr. Kov dchookooff, a wealthy landowner, holding an anooiutment as Councillor of State under the Cnv.vn. Political m itivcs are supposed to have inspired the crime. The murderers are still i t At Ebbw A a.e, as a man named Jones was re- turning from a funeral with his wife, lie purchased some gunpowder, which he put into his pocket. subsequently he placed his pipe, which contained fire, into the pocket with the powder, and in an instant an explosion took place, blowing both husband a.id wife off their feet, and severely burning both. The husband now lies in a dangerous condition. An agitation is springing up in Ireland in fav uir of bringing the law of England into harmony with that of Ireland, and abolishing poor removal alto- gether.

THE DISTRESS IN SOUTH WALES. The special correspondent of the DaJj J\cwf, who is on a visit to the distressed neighbourhoods, wrote from Aberdare on Wednesday night as follows Tlw Abernant Works, which stand on the hill about half a mile from Aberdare, supply a mournfully complete epitome of the sorrow that is crushing the life out of South Wales. Nine years ago they were in full play, and ilaines from their many chimney-stacks lighted up the country for miles around. When the great strike of 1863 began, Mr Fothcrgill, the principal partner in the firm which owns these and other works, was elected chairman of the masters' side of the New Year's day conference, and by reason of the great stake he had at issue, took a leading part in the nego- tiations which followed. Mr Fothergill to-day is in Italy, the people of Aberdare vaguely say. His splendid mansion is shut up, the grounds are growing wild, and as for the works at Abernant, they furnish a colossal monument of ruined in- dustry. There is no need to apply for cards to view." There is neither gate nor gatekeeper, and the stranger may wander at will through the far- reaching avenues of yellow brick walls which once enclosed a busy population. The brickwork is crumbling the iron sheet that covers the roof is moulding; forges, shutters, anvils, doors, anything that is made of iron are helplessly coated with rich brown rust. Grass grows in the very mouths of the furnaces, and the only sound that is heard is the pattering of the rain, which slides down the inside of the walls, or drops through the holes in the roof, and falls on the sodden and grimy ground. It is nearly four years since the valley reverberated to the stroke of the hammer or the snort of the steam engine, and during that time the mining population of Aberdare—that is to say, three parts of the people—have been living in a state of semi- starvation. Abernant was bread, and meat, and rent, and raiment; and when Abernant stopped, Aberdare starved. It seems strange that the thing should be, and that the British public, the great almoner of the world, should know little or nothing about it. But with a sturdy people like the Welsh, the process of starvation is a slow one, and, more- over, the family of the Welsh miner serves a life- long apprenticeship in the art of starving with the least possible annoyance to the feelings of his more prosperous neighbours at the other side of the mountains. Intermittent strikes teach men, women, and particularly children, ta.support the burdens of life upon a marvellously small amount of nourishment. After three years' chastening, with another winter upon them, and no prospect of a square meal even once a week, the courage begins to fail and the heart to grow sick but even now it is positively astounding to a man who four days ago dwelt amongst a community who eat regular meals at least four times a day to observe the matter-of-fact way in which human beings contemplate the prospect of living through to- morrow—and an indefinite vista of to-morrows— literally upon a crust of bread, with a bit of turnip by way of a change of diet. "At Abernant, as at most other of the South Wales works, whilst the foundry is altogether stopped, coal pits are kept going on only half, or quarter time. Close by the pit there is a row of cottages built against a bank. In the good times this, as being handy to the work, was a favourite place of residence, and the most was made of it by building two complete sets of houses. The lower set faces the road, and the other on the top has its front doors turned in the opposite direction, and opening out on the bank. At the doorway of the end house in the bank side I saw standing this afternoon a pretty girl, who upon an acquaintance not difficult to make, I found was Sarah Williams, going of thirteen.' She was one of seven, and at present held the responsible position of minding baby and house. Baby, who carried a good deal of loose slack on his face, arn", and hair, was seated in the window sill, and vigorously engaged in cleaning the windows with the palms of his hands, one of which had been rendered compara- tively clean in the process. He was the only lively human being in the house, or, indeed, as far as my observation goes, in Aberdare. On a low stool by the fire was seated a sister, seven or eight years of age. The father is in a lunatic asylum, where lie has been for fifteen months. He had worked for many years in the valley, and had done well up to four years ago. When the trouble began he got odd jobs whenever they were to be picked up, and, as Sarah ays: We had victuals when father was here.' But when the winter of 1876 came on, and the difficulty of feeding a wife and seven children increased, he evaded it by going mad, and has now found the peace of the county lunatic asylum. In the meantime the mother .goes out sewing and washing whenever she gets' the chance. For a day's washing she gets 8d; for a day's sewing, Is. She is^washing to-day, and will later on bring home, 8d, 5id of which will straight- way go to buy oil for the son to work with. lIe is a collier, and gets a little work. Last week he earned 9s. The eldest sister is also so fortunate as to have got work. She carries oil from the stores to the pit, and earns 7s Gd a week. Here, not counting the mother's earnings, which are'pre- carious, and barely cover the cost of the oil her son has to provide himself with, is 11; (j 1 a week for eight persons to live upon, less 2s a week for rent. What they live on is bread, and not too much of that. This morning the son went off to work, carrying a piece of dry bread in his till; aud when he comes home to-night he will have another piece. Last night his morhcr, having become possessed of a soup ticket, Vent with it to town, and brought home the soup, and gave it the young man, in consideration of which feast he went out to his work this morn- ing without tasting bit or sup. Sunday was a great day, there being a scrap of bacon for dinner" but nothing in the shape of meat had been in the house since, nor had there been any tea since Monday. Sarah had been out this nioriiiii, in careli of t particular sort of stone, out of which bread is w wrung in these hard times. The stone is burned in the fire, then broken into dust, and sold as sand for dusting over kitchen floors. A strong, willing girl could make 2d worth a day if 8he worked hard" A few doors lower do wn I called to sec Elizabeth Jones, whose husband, once a prosperous fireman is now glad to get a job as a labourer in the pit. He is comparatively well off, earning 17s Gel a week when 11f gets full work; but there are three children, with prospects of an immediate increase and as at present the whole family, five in number' sleep together iu a room about the size of a decent four-post bedstead, Mrs Jones looks forward to the near future with gloomiest forebodings. "Down in Aberdare itself matters are worse, because the population lies closer together. Here 11 for example, is Mrs Lucas, the wife of a foundry- man, who four years ago easily earned his 3Ds a week. Mrs Lucas is not at home when I call but the baby is. Indeed, this is invariable the case in the house of the sturdy collier. This particular baby arrived three weeks on Sunday, and brief though its experiences be, it must surely be con- vinced that its birth was a mistake. If there is barely half enough for nine children to eat. the addition of a tenth does not tend to simplifv matters. Mrs Lucas having been communicated with through a sort of electric coil of children, who pass the street, comes in presently, and apologetically mentions that she has been out washing, trying to earn a few pence. Twelve shillings her husband earned last week which is obviously not enough to keep twelve people, par- ticularly when a lump sum of 3s 61 is taken for tent. She is scarcely strong enough to be at work yet, but there is no help for it, as the eldest of the ten children is only 12. The worst of it is that her husband was six months and a fortnight out of work, during which time it became necessary to pledge everything, and none of the family had a stitch of clothing except what they stool up in. A threepenny loaf had served the round dozen for breakfast, and half a pound of rice had been boiled and divided for dinner. The husband had gone to work to a pit three miles off, taking for his day's nouishment a slice of bread, but a pleasant surprise was in store for him on his return. A friendly butcher had sent in a bone not too zealously stripped of meat, and this, with the remainder of the pound of rice, was now stewing over the fire, close up to which the boya nurse, so as not to lose a whiff of the savoury smell. It would be ready by the time he came home, and being unexpectedly substituted for the wonted slice of bread, was looked upon as likely to create a sensation. This was a fair prospect, dashed only by the curious persistence of the baby, who, amid all this abundance, positively refused to be well. Yesterday he had been very ill, and the mother remembered with a pang that the child had not yet been christened. She had no shawl or any- thing else to take him to church in, and was ashamed to go as she was. This was an emergency for which my guide was by habit prepared. In bright times a christening is, next to a funeral, a matter of the highest ceremonial importance; but now, whilst the supply of new babies is apparently over the average, there is a dearth of all the materials for the due solemnisation of a christening. Accordingly the vicar's curates are always ready to be in attendance at the church at untimely hours when the poor, half-clad mothers slink in with their babies in their arms, and get them straight- way christened, as peradventure they not being seasoned to starvation may make an abrupt ter- mination of the struggle. The mantle of good Canon Jenkins, who died last year amid the lamentation of tens of thousands of poor friends in and near his parish, has fallen upon the shoulders of Mr Wynne Jones, the new vicar, who, with the assistance of his three curates, shows a brave front to the prevailing distress. He has started a soup kitchen, and inaugurated a system of relief in other directions by means of tickets, which arc distribute d by himself or his curates after personal investigation of individual cases. It is not difficult to find hands to place the tickets in; they are stretched forth from nearly every dwelling in Aberdare: and everybody being steeped in poverty, the inquiries which those who distribute limited relief have to make is, who among the crowd arc actually starving ? I have mentioned but a few of the cases which have come under my personal observation, and the subject is not an enticing one; and as starvation grows terribly monotonous in its details, I will refer to only one more. Airs Morgan is the mother of five children, whose ages range from eight months to ten years. Except as represented in those fearful photos that came over some months ago from famine-stricken India I have never seen such a flesliless human being as Mrs :Morgan-a condition of affairs which grows explicit when we hear that her husband has earned during the last five months an aggregate sum of £ 1 15s. Fifteen pence of this came to him on Saturday when he got' a ton of coal. At the present moment there is not a morsel of food in the house, and when we called there had not been the remotest prospect of any being forth- coming during the day. The husband had gone to work in the morning without breaking his fast; at the dinner time he had looked in to see if by any chance a crust of bread had turned up from anywhere, but the larder was empty, and the man, without complaining or lamentation, had just turned out of the bare room and gone back to his work. He'll be back again at five o'clock,' his wife said, 'but we've nothing for him.' The only well-to-do person in the house was the baby One of the emissaries of the vicar calling one day had found the child vigorously sucking water out of its feeding bottle. There was no milk to be had and as the baby insisted upon at least going through the formula of feeding, the lean motner had filled 'the bottle with water. Since tnen a daily supply of milk has been forthcoming, and at the present rate of progress on both sides, the (OJne towards annihilation and the other towards full growth, the baby will shortly be better able to carry the mother, than the mother to bear it. It is a piteous family circle—a sad scene to find amongst the cottage homes of England. Perhaps it would be difficult- to find a parallel for the figure of the husband and father who, having worked all the morning on an empty stomach, steals home at noon to see if perchange there be a morsel of food in the cupboard; but manna does not fall in the Aberdare valleys, neither do the ravens dispense food, and so he was fain to carry liis sick heart and his fainting body back to the pit. I am glad to know that when lie comes home to-night he will enjoy the accustomed sen- sation of eating his full." Mr Henry Richard, M.P., writes in the same paper of yesterday's date as follows :—" The poor people at Merthyr and Aberdare are greatly in- debted to you for calling attention, as you have done to-day, in such sympathising terms, to their sufferings. Private letters I receive confirm the oraphio descriptions of your Correspondent. In the report of a gentleman, whose dutv it is to visit the houses on behalf of the Schnod Board, which has been just forwarded to me, I find some very sad details, of which I may cite two or three as samples:—A. B., five children; one aged nine almost naked, one aged seven naked, one aged five naked, one aged three naked, one aged one year and five months almost naked. C. D., four child- ren, father out of work, children selling sand half naked mother said she had no bed, only sleeping on the plain boards, begging every evening, hardiy anything in the house; E. F., four children not in any school, almost naked, very poor. G. II., four children between eleven and one, begging, father out of work, neighbour said they are half-starving. These are only specimens, and the report relates to only one corner of the borough. A good deal is beiiif done locally. A committee of gentleman h is been formed at Merthyr, with the rector at their head, to provide a meal once a day for the children. At Mountain Ash Lord and Lady Aberdarc are exerting themselves noble to relieve the distress around them, though it is so great as to be bevond their utmost power but there are other parts of the borough where speedy provision must be made if the people are to be saved from the severest sufferings. If any of your readers should feel inclined to send me any contributions, I think I can answer for it that I know those who would apply them most wisely and carefully.

Speaking at the annual tea party at the Bridge- water' Church School-, Newtown, on Tu-'s lay night, the Rev J. Wilson, curate of Pemberton Chui-cli, and chaplain to the Wigan Workhouse, who presided, Sr,id, in the course of his address, that the outlook of the year was not very bright, Russia—holy Russia, in her desire for aggrandise- ment and lust for territory, was not satisfied with demanding the relief of the Christians from the burdens of the atrocities, but she wanted to seize for herself and to have and to hold what England was not inclined to allow her to hold, and he hoped never would (loud cheers). He felt satisfied that thev held with him in saying that, whatever bur- dens they might have to support on that account, thov would cheerfully bear: and he hoped England would stand firm, although they might have bin dens, and though there were troubles before them, because trade was going to other countries. At the adjourned inquest on Wednesday, on the bodies of the two men killed by the railway colli- sion at Holbeck, near Leeds, one of the witnesses stated that it was optional whether the company suppled their drivers with notices of alteration of signals or not. Notices were posted up iii the engine shed sometimes the day before the altera- tions came into operation, and the drivers were supposed to read them and to remenber them, although one notice frequently extended to twenty paragraphs. The Coroner said such evidence would cause conse" rnation throughout the country. The jury returned a verdict of "Ace:d-,iitaldeatli," and censured the Midland Company for not giving their drivers sufficient notice of signal alterations. They also found the company morally responsible for the collision. A lire occurred on Wednesday night in a* house in I'reston-street, Glasgow. The dour being forced and the flimes extinguished, the body of aiwoinan, fearfully charred, was found, and also the body of a man who had been suffocate.l. The first was ascertained to be that of Elizabeth M'ln yre, and the other her brother-in-law, Archibald M Intyre, a weaver. It is supposed the woman had fallen int ) the fire, and her burning clothes set t ie house in flames.

Hanley has been quite outdone by New York* where there has just come off a wrestling matcB between a bear and a man. The man owns the at- tractive title of the Oak of the Rhine," and is described as a "phlegmatic German weighing about 2201bs., with a toinach like a successful brewer." The bear hung like ivy to the Oak of the Rhine, and after' a prolonged encounter in which the Oak got pretty well barked, it was decided that the encounter was a draw. After this, another gentleman, oiie Pi-ofesor Heg-nier, appeared in the arena, and witnessed himself to "another bear. This encounter was much more satisfactory* for I read that after three desperate struggle which the bear and the Professor rolled overthe floor together, locked in each other's embrace, Regninr finally suc- ceeded in getting a hold on bruin under the left shoulder, and threw him fairly on his back.—M-vj- ftir. The, following messake has been received at the London office of the New York Herald from New York:—"Storm centre, probably reach British and French coasts from south west about the 6th mst. Heavy rains and easterly veering south easterly gales. .Mr Stanley, the African traveller, has arrived at Cairo. Mr John nr. Moroav.—It is stated that John de Morgan, who is in prison to purge him of his con- tempt of cdurt, has been living sumptuously every day. His friends appear to be very numerous, and many of them affluent, and in the Christmas week and the week previous they did not forget him, but poured into h;s prison quarters a large quantity of good things, including game. Moreover, he had a very considerable sum of money in P.O. orders, from Is 2cl, the present of a working man, to a c' slue of £ 14. One of the donors is a magistrate- The prisoner is otherwise very comfortable-he 13 under very little restraint, lives very much as he likes, and has the use of a billiard table.

"SERMONS IK CANDLES." j The above was the subject of a lecture delivered by the Rev C. H. Spurgeon at his Tabernacle on Wednesday evening last, in the course of which he said he eave it some years ago, but a generation had sprung up since, and it would be new to them. A candle was frequently mentioned in Scripture byway of illustration. How often," said Job, "is the candle of the wicked put out?" Every- thing was bright round a man; he was enjoying pleasure, but on a sudden his health vanished, and his candle was put out, and if he did not know the everlasting life and love of God there he was in the dark. There was a text in Zephaniah about candles, where God said He would search Jerus- alem with candles his own church was to be searched with candles, so that if there were any hypocrite; in it they would be discovered. In Eastern towns people always used lanterns when they went out at night in fact, no one was allowed to go out without, and when a person had got one of these lanterns he did not c;uTy it on his head, but in his hand, that it might be a light to his feet, so that he might keep in tiie pathway, and out of the open sewer. That taught us that we were to use our lights for practical purposes, and not be troubling ourselves about such questions as what was to become of the river Euphrates, or when the Pope was going to die, who was to be the next Sultan of Turkey. Candles had been employed to measure time. Alfred the Great was said to have used them that he might know what o'clock it was, he having no cloclc. He could tell how far the candle was gone, and thus estimate the time that had elapsed, and how much of the day or night remained. But we could not say how much time remained to us, for our candle might be put out. Here was an old candle- box (exhibiting one). It might hold a couple of pounds of caudles. Here there was great capacity for usefulness, great capacity for light; but this was of no use unless the candles were lighted. There were many rich people who came in carriages to chapel, butwhat were they doing iu the church ? Nothing, They were the candle-box. Aud there were many young men with large capacity, but who were doing nothing. They were the candles that were not lit, and they were of no use if they were not lit. Here was a rush-light (showing one). He remembered the story of a small boy in America. He had a praying mother, and when he went to school, finding no one else in the school praying, he put up a paper that there would be a prayer- meeting in the school. A number of the boys came to jeer, and there was no one but this little boy to pray, and he prayed and read a chapter. The master was an irreligious man, but he liked the idea, and he went, and his presence kept order. The master got talked about, some minis- ters came to the next meeting, and the end of it was a revival of religion in the place. This little boy set up a rushlight, and it brought out a great flame. Sometimes they might see a caudle stuck in a gingerbecr bottle, and that reminded him of some young street preachers who made gram- matical errors. They held up alight, but they might put the candle into a more handsome stick. and, besides, might introduce it into a circle where the gingerbeer bottle would not be admitted. It would be all the better if the light were in a silver candlestick. These young men who preached at the street corners might come to the evening classes; he invited them to do so and some of them might come into the college. Some candles were very small, but put together they gave a good light. He liked to see a person with one talent doing what he could. Ten of them would effect as much as a man with ten talents. J f you wanted to light a candle you must not have an extinguisher upon it. Dr Taylor said to John Newton that he had read the Bible through thirteen times, and he could not find the diety of Christ in it, and John Newton replied that a man might try to light a candle thirteen times, but if it had an extinguisher upon it he would never light it.. There were ex- tinguishers of different kinds. Some persons went to chapel, and as soon as they got there put themselves in the proper position to sleep— how could the light of the Gospel reach them? Some members of the Church were of a retiring disposition and kept themsdv in the background they were something like periwinkles —you had to prick them with a pin in order to draw them out. Like snails, they only showed their horns occasionally. Here was a discreditable piece, of business (showing a lantern which was dirty and much worn), and yet but for the light inside they could not see its defects. And so when a man was a professor the world was much more quick to judge him than others—they saw the de- fects by the light inside. No sensible man lighted a candle and put it under a bushel or put it under a bed: and yet there were some professors who never came to a prayer meeting. This man was a large employer of labour, and had a great deal to look after, and so he could not come and that woman was the mother of eleven children, who were continually requiring her attention, and she could not come. They put their light under the bushel. Let the employer of labour give his men a meat tea now and then, and get some one to go to them and preach to them, and let the mother of many children have a Sunday school in her own house. Instead of putting the light under the bushel, the bushel should be put under the light. Here was a tiling that was wrong for a man to do (lighting the candle at both ends). Many men did this virtually by living so fast that they seemed to plunge body and soul into hell. Mr Spurgeon then pointed to a chandelier which had burning on it many candles of different colours and sizes, and said these were intended to represent iti a small way the one Church of Jesus Christ. All these candles were lit with the same flame, which was the true living faith received from the same source they were of different colours and in different positions, and yet the light was the same. Some were Presbyterians, some Methodists, and some Independents, while some said the Dips are the best (laughter). At the same time they had one foundation, and blessed were they who were in Christ Jesus. The lecture, of which the above is a mere outline, was much applauded throughout aud at the close

(Dur ciEeM) C o litem-icrsric?;. Banek. ac Amserat Cymrv, January 2vd.— PriSt Year.—In a retrospective leader Oil the year 1,1'7-1, we find the following paragraph alluding l-o the<jleath of Welsh worthies:—Death has made gaps, as usual, among the famous men of our own country. There fell the Rev Tohn Peters (loan Pedr), One of the tutors of the llala independent College and the Rev John Roberts (Icuan Gwyllt), the eminent musician; the Rev Arch- deacon Williams, at Llandaff; and the ?tev Latimer Jones, of Carmarthen.-all among our minister; and Mynyddog, the charming sing; r Trebor Mai from among our bards-; and last, oat not least, our beloved Gohebydd. The Cant") • m Pacilicii.—A new correspondent to the Bauer see as to tas-c advantage of a little misunderstanding th.it occurred a few weeks back between the Rev-J. A. R iberts, the esteemed and learned pastor of tue Pendref Chapel, and the Board of Directors of the Pavilion Company. This new corre>pondeut says: —•• Wonderfully wise in their generation arc people of Carnarvon. Lately, a number of them undertook the speculation o building a Pavilion and, if their pretensions can be believed, they did so from their intense solicit-.ale for the success of the quarrymen and others. Well, we shall take that pretension for what it is worth This is clear, that they hare decided that: ""t quarrymen will have to par for it Pavilion'! come what may." And then the writer proe* ,vds to proiudiec the men of Llauberis, Nantlle, against the Pavilion "speculation." Without entering into any contn>versy with this Dwythwch," as the writer wishes to call himself, we would advise him to strive TO fully understand every subject he may uiv.k tak > to handle.— LateJl< r Canon T. Wynne Edwxrdx.—-We translate the following from the sam- number of the Btiu .r The late T. Wynne Edwards was born. at plas Nantglyn, on the 8th of April. 1796. His father died on the very day on which he (the son] was born; and he,_ consequently, on the day ot Lif nativity, came into possession of the prc>perty that had belonged to his family for four and twenty generations. He, therefore, was the oldest free- holder in Great Britain at the time of his death. He received his education at Donnington School, Salop, and at Jesus Colleg% Oxford. He was ordained in the year 1819 as curate of Denbigh. The following year he married the daughter ol Mr Copncr Williams (probably the most famous advocate of the surrounding counties during his time). In the year 1S22 he was promoted to the parishes of Llangvstenin and Llanrhos. sic was appointed vicar of Hhuddlan and vicar el oral of St. Asaph on the 1st of January, 1828. lie was the oldest clergyman, in connection with his official work, within the bishopric." Y UENEDL GYMHEIG, JAM'ARV 3.ChnstJi,n England and Wales.-—The writer of the Xotic- aj the Week in this issue of Y Genedl Gymrcig says — When Christmas dawned on many districts within this realm, it brought with itself it.s: Liet characteristics, such frost and snow, without wr ;eh, together with the fatteniTiu's of the land, 1ht holiday could not be in accordance with the ttka of the Englishman. While the English towsts were full of life and activity, and all were rushing to the dance, the banquet, and the pantomime, Wales was sounding her harp, and her son- av enjoying themselves with literature, the muse, the song. Our sanctum has, this week, i- dekiged by reports of eistoddfodau, concert. meetings of all descriptions and what i. lisned is not one-fourth of what came to ham'. it would be difficult to name "ne U'-lghcourhoM ::1 Wales where no meeting of either a religious moral tendency was held. We believe- that un- utterable good is produced by these ClL-coms; aud while Wales stands par excellence and above com- parison with privileged England, we are eon- strained to believe that nothing but inexcusable hatred moves some of their leading i;tci-,eti to depreciate and scorn these meetings, because they are on a smaller scale than that of the National Eisteddfod." Bethesda Troubles.—The same writ or says:-? It is feared that great embarrassment will he caused between workmen and ma-tors at Beth- esda if no ehangas will be made in the rules whieh were this week placed before the men, Tire rules were published in another column of the Gcn-uli, and it will be seen that thev demand variou. ae- quiescenecs that are not lively to be acceptable by the men. They met on Tuesday last, and it, Wil:" unanimously decided that. they* should give one month's notice, at the termination of which, un- less t-it, rnll", are so changed as to be satisfactory to both sides, they will abandon thf work. Yhe quarry men are more indispen«;.bie to tne qnarvwts than the quarries are to the men, and they cannot be blamed if they fail in consenting to whs* u demanded of them. The quarrynien have tt object, not only to the rule? themselves, but- a' because they are not allowed a voice iu the framing of those rules, which is au oppression. We behove that the Bethesda quarrymen can be eommeiKi- for one virtue at least, viz., their deliberation and unanimity." Y DRYCH (American), Decrmk^u >i-h. -CAiuwi. r Labour.—A few months ago the question c&Afn- porting Chinamen to England was rnuc a di-e.ussed, several journals advocating such a the view of forcing cheap wages in varion» depart- ments of labour and domestic services. The follow- ing of a paragraph in this number of y Dnjch may expel tiie illusion —" The I of suppressing the importation of Chinamen into this country (America), j. likely to occupy t-ie serious attention of Congress during this .v-h.ou. It seems that there is now more than ever a horoe.gti unanimity among the Americans, on th" e iv of the Pacific, regarding-the lc ot passing -yi.ie laws to regulate imniigra.tr >a arid many e h i > > ? are convinced that Chinese labour is not r* It is not the lowest classes of the miner- oj fornia aud Nevada who are strivingt.> .rapnre Chinese invasion, but the b; stand must resp citizens look on this tsau evil that ought remedied without delay-" JP -4

Dori-Lii Scicide ix TIll: Thames. —On Y\Ydr.u*- day, near Greenw eli Naval College, a respectably- «issed man, and a woman wearing a wedding ring re observed disputing. The woman ran fmm her companion and jumped into the Thaua.s. The man quickly followed, and abo jmapc-d u. When the bodies were recovered, a quarter cf an hour afterwards, life was extinct. They av.v.ir identification. Both were ab-mt 2 years or ag The Lancet, discussing "The Drink Quesrio.. gives the following formal judgment:—Alcohol in any shape or form should never be taken except at meals, and, we believe, preferably at only one in U in the day. The habit of drinking in the forenoon is pernicious in the extreme, anrl ill our opiuiou wine or beer is best avoided et mnchet/ii. In ouality there are two things to he con- sidered, combination and dilution of the uicoe-a, and digestibility of the liquor. The nafc i;ii light wines and light ales are better, when they do not disturb digestion by their other ingredientth*u alcohol, everyone will admit, and, where th >*e dis- agree, recourse must be had to stronger liquor diluted. In the opinion of many foreign at a-un- ties much of the evil of drinking in England is rLe- to the fiery and potent nature of our hi'diefl drinks. As to quantity, it is far more d ith cult lay down any rule, for that which ra ty b.- t;eii with bcndit by one person. "r at one tone, JlHY injure at another. The qu-mt'ty which is u.< uly taken at dinner party would, if taken Homo. be undoubted excess. For a glass of beer, or one or two glas oi dinner is, we believe, an amuif supply; wa: of middle age may with advantage stop third glass" of claret, sherry, t)r P-)I- iii S ill result. Bit beyond such :r- -ul iuj-o. [the infinite variety of con-Mi nam, h-iie: digestion would make any d. utilei p;o- worthless. The ultimate test, 111 every e-u-v be experience, and until men have enough control and discretion to Tiin.it. tae-r d:!n.r 1 that which they absolutely require, all dir and rebuke wili be thrown away.