The Principality

ADVERTISEMENTS. PROPOSAL TO INCREASE THE CIRCULATION AND EFFICIENCY OF THE PRINCIPALITY. AVe feel great pleasure in calling the attention of our readers to the following address; the more so on account of its being unsolicited on our part. We rejoice that our labours have met the approval of such a man as Mr. Jones. TO THE READERS OF THE PRINCIPALITY. lIh AND BRETHREN,—In the present position of affairs, perhaps I may be pardoned for the liberty I thus take in addressing you a few words on' behalf of the PRINCIPALITY. It appears to me that the time has fully arrived when we ought to make an effort, to have its circulation at least doubled; and I am anxious to solicit your attention to some remarks on the subject. We all vemcmber the general desire that existed for many years for a Dissenting and National paper in Wales. In the then existing newspapers, though many of them ably conducted and doing good service, the distinctive principles of Dissenters wore not recognised, and the sacred claims of religious equality were not admitted. The newspaper press was, almost without exception, in the hands of parties who had but little sympathy with true Welsh nationality, and less with the religious views embraced by the mass of the people. We saw our weakness and deplored it. When the spy came and traduced us, we had no voice of our own to rebut his calumnies. Our helplessness encouraged the enemy to advance; our want was more felt, but none ventured to commit himself to the perilous enterprise— an enterprise which required much self- denial, and a large sacrifice of pecuniary gain. A newspaper is not established by kind iwishes; there must, be something more solid and real. Loss at first must be calculated upon, and the hope of profit must be deferred to a far distant day. Under the circumstances already alluded to, our friend Mr. Evans, animated by pure patriotism and deep reverence for spiritual truth, had sufficient courage to devote himself and his property to the service of his (jod and country. He retired from a lucrative business for the purpose 3-f establishing the PRINCIPALITY, and has thereby conferred an inestimable benefit on his country and kindred. The Paper has now existed for six months—a time suhiciently long to test its value, and has been recom- mended by almost all our leading men in Wales* many of our eminent countrymen in England, and by the English and Welsh Dissenting Press, I believe, without a single exception. The public voice is decidedl y favour- able, and a weekly circulation of one thousand copies has been obtained with scarcely any exertion. Its general management has been satisfactory, and the highest praise has been"awarded^to the brilliancy and power of its leading articles. It is true that it has not reached perfection; and improvements may be advan- tageously introduced. But Rome was not built in a day; and we almost invariably find that the improve- ment of a paper depends just as, much on the conduct of the readers, as it does upon that of the Editor. Grati- tude and support on the part of the public, inspire the proprietors with fresh confidence and renewed vigour. But I ask not your support for the PRINCIPALITY as a matter of charity, but I respectfully solicit it as an act of Justice ;—justice to the Proprietor and to yourselves. It is "doing the State some service," its labours are felt far and wide, and the most handsome acknowledg- ments of its merits are being constantly made by men of all parties. The force of its appeals is admitted by opponents, and the power of its voice confessed by its foes. It deserves, therefore, the hearty and universal support of all are attached to the land of their birth, and the glorious principles; for which our fathers bled and died. I therefore very respectfully, but earnestly, press upon its readers the necessity of making an extraordinary effort to increase its circulation. If by a weekly circu- lation of one thousand copies it has effected so much good, what may we not expect from its service if that circulation were doubled, or trebled ? If we are anxious to create and foster public opinion" in Wales, and to make it racy with the soil," and if our hearts are bent upon promoting the sacred cause of religious equally, and other great'questions, let us show the depth and sincerity of our feelings by organising ourselves into small committees in every neighbourhood, whose busi- ness will be to canvass for new subscribers, and devise other means to enlarge the circulation. Let this be done for the next month, and the most sanguine wishes will be more than realised. There is another point to which I beg to refer briefly before I conclude. Gratitude to the proprietor for the enterprise he has hazarded, and the loss he has hitherto incurred, should teach us to sympathise with him and ease his burden by adopting at once the plan of prepay- ing for the paper. Few can conceive how embarrassing is the credit system, and how injurious it often proves to the morality of the reader, as well as to the due claims of the proprietor. Writers and local corre- spondents must be remunerated, the papers and stamps must be paid for, and every individual in the office, from the foreman down to the devil, must receive the reward of their labour. All this must be done by the Proprie- tor and the least we can do for him is to case his mind from the apprehension of being injured by bad debts at the year's end. I mention these matters freely, and trust that the reasonableness of the suggestion will be acknowledged by every subscriber, and acted upon uni- versally and immediately. I cannot conceal from myself the fact, that we are on the eve of a great crisis. I know that chains are being forged for us. It is Eo-rus to determine, whether or not our hands shall wear them. Our salvation will- not come from princes; if we are to be free we must arm ourselves for the contest. Let us now rally round the standard of the PRINCIPALITY, and make formidable this wcapon of our defence; and in the day of the dark conflict, its light shall burst upon us. "YR SITALL, KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE." I remain, men and brethren, Your friend and fellow-labourer, EVAN JONES, Tredegar. TO PRINTERS AND STATIONERS. DAVID EVANS, OF VICTORIA-PLACE, HAVERFORDWEST, T\TOULD be glad to treat with any person who would }'f be disposed to take to his STOCK of JOBBING- TYPE and GENERAL STATIONERY; as it his inten- tion to leave the town in the course of a few weeks. There is an Excellent Jobbing Business already secure. which may be considerably increased by a little exertion. The Stock of Stationery is small, and the type quite new. The Possession of the Shop can be secured. Principality Office, March 6, 1848. WALES AND THE COMMISSIONERS. Price 4,1,. or 3s. per dozen, THE DISSENT AND MORALITY OF VV ALES, By EYAN JONES, Tredegar. By the SAME AUTHOR, price 3d., A VINDICATION OF THE EDUCATIONAL & MORAL CONDITION OF WALES: In reply to W. Williams, Esq., late M. P. for Coventry, London Benjamin L; Green Lengm.an and Co., Pater noster-row. Llandovery: W. Rees Llanelly Diwygiwr- Office; Haverfordwest: PRINCIPALITY-OFFICE; DolgeileyV Dysgedydd-Office Swansea: E. Griffiths, High-street. THE COMMISSIONERS' REPORTS. k T a MEETING of the Inhabitants of CARDIFF, held in the Guildhall, convened by the M lyor, for tha purpose of considering the Reports of her Majesty's Com- missioners on Education in Wales, and of pronouncing opinions thereon, C. R. VACHELL, Esq., M.D., in the Chair, It was proposed by the liev. W. Jones, seconded by the Rev.Evari Jones, and carried with one disscntient That in the opinion of this Meeting the Report oiL Education in Wales, lately presented to her Majesty's Go- vernment, exhibits a greater desire on the part of the Com- missioners to make out a case for the interference of Government in the Education of the people, than to furnish correct information with reference to their real condition." Proposed by the Rev. E-nn Morgan, seconded by the Rev. D. R. Stephen, and supported by the Rev. Thomas- Thomas, and carried with one disseiitent:- "That this meeting deprecates the employment of Com- missioners for investigating into the Educational State of Wales, who were all utter strangers to the Language of the People, and, in Religious opinions, opposed to the vast majority of the population. It declares that the Reports of those Commissioners are for-the most part made np of infor- mation derived from partial sources, and based upon unwar- rantable conclusions and isolated occurrences; and that throughout there is evinced in them an inveterate disposi- tion to exaggerate the defects and conceal the virtues of the Welsh People. This Meeting, therefore, condemns the said Reports as unworthy of confidence-unjust in their bearings upon the inhabitants of the Principality, and calculated to mislead her Majesty's Government." Proposed by the Ilev. David Jones, seconded by the. Rev. Lewir Powell, and carried unanimously-:— That a Copy of these Resolutions be sent to Lord John Russell, signed by the Chairman on behalf of the Meeting and that they be. advertised in the Times, PRINCIPALITY, Monmouthshire-Merlin, and Cardiff and Merthyr Guardian Newspapers." Proposed by Mr. Williams, seconded by Charles Vachell, Esq., and carried. unanimously :— That the Thanks of this Meeting be given to the Mayor of Cardiff, for his kindness in convening [he Meeting, and for the use of the Town-hall." Careiiff, Feb. 29th, 1848. ''1