The Principality

F-C"; THF "WESLEYAN CONFERENCE. The Wesleyan Conference began its annual session on Wed- nesday morning, the 26th ult., the last Wednesday in July," according to appointment, in the borough of Kingston-upon- Kull. This is the first time that the Conference has been held in that town, although it was formerly the scene of the occasional labours of both John and Charles Wesley, Mr. Fletcher, of I-ley, and other chief men among the fathers and founders of Methodism, and although the "societies" or churches there are numerous and wealthy. It was doubted by many of the leading men in the Conference, whether accommodation could ba afforded for so many ministers in the houses of the friends. With the kind assistance, however, of other denominations in place, that dicfnulty has been overcome; and at this mo- ment between four arid five hundred, Wesleyan ministers are domiciled, for a fortnight or three weeks* in the good town of Hull. Theplce of assembly ii, Great Thornton-street chapel. The business of the Conference began, as Usual, with the election of a President. this exalted functionary holds office, not merely during the sittings of the Conference, but p also during the ensuing year,- He is now styled, The Very Reverend the president.' The election has for some years been the subject of great contests between the Tory section of the ministers Slid their more liberal brethren. The contest was decided in favour of the former. It was announced that Dr. Newton would be put in nominaiton, who, though of the same party as Dr. Bunting, is more popular among his brethren, and more generally ac- ceptable to those of them who" differ from him. The Liberal candidate was the Rev. Joseph Fowler, a gentleman of high character, considerable talents, and very respectable attain- ments. Mr. Fowler has for some years distinguished himself, by his temperate and discreet, but firm and decided opposition to many parts of Dr. Bunting's policy, and possesses and de- serves the confidence of the party who have now recognised him as one of their chiefs. When the ballot was taken, there appeared, for Dr. Newton, 197 votes for Mr. Fowler, 83. The great majority for Mr. Fowler is accounted for by the fact, that when the ballot for the office of secretary (which is only se- cond in honour and importance to that of president) was taken, the votine was found to be as follows :— For the Rev. John Scott 8 „ „ John Farrar 56 „ lp John Hannah, D.D 71 „ „ Joseph Fowler ill It is evident from this distribution of the voting, that something like an understanding had been come to, that, if Dr. Newton were raised to the chair, Mr. Fowler should be placed at the desk; for Messrs. Scott, Farrar, and Hannah, are all highly honoured members of the Tory party; and had the votes di vided among them been given to any one of the three, Mri. Fowler would have been left in a considerable minority. Dr. Newton fills the chair a fourth time, an honour pre- viously conferred on no other man than Dr. Bunting. It was a point with his party to seize the earliest opportunity allowed by the rules of the connexion for paying him this high com- pliment. There exists, however, a strong feeling against these re-elections, The next business was the filling up of the vacancies, by death, in the hundred ministers who compose the legal Con- ference. These were seven, five of which were filled up ac- cording to seniority, and, two by nomination. The Tory party succeeded in both instances, The Rev. F. A. West, and the Rev, W. Barton, both highly respectable men, were the suc- cessful candidates. The Rev. Samuel Dunn, who, though one of the ablest, most diligent, and successful pastors and preachers in the body, is obnoxious to the majority of the legal hundred, was put in nomination by his friend Dr. Beaumont, but he was rejected. The five who were supplied in the order of seniority were, Rev. Messrs. William Beale, Corbett Cooke, Elijah Mor- gan, Joseph Cullen, and William Davis. The result of these ballots'having been declared, the newly- elected president and secretary ascended the platform upon which the dignitaries of the Conference are seated, when the latter shook hands cordially with the former,—a proceeding deemed very gratifying after what had transpired. The ex-president, the Rev. Samuel Jackson, was observed to be very much affected when handing over to his successor in the chair, what may be denominated the insignia of office, con- sisting of the conference seal, a small pocket Bible, lono- used by the venerable Wesley, and keys to certain chests,"which contain important documents. With deep feeling, and in a very touching manner, Mr. Jackson said,—" Dr. Newtan, as you have been constituted the president of this Conference by the free suffrages of your brethren, it is now my duty to deli- ver to you the Conference seal, which you will use as occasion :¡ may require. Next I hand to you the Bible used by the Rev. J. Wesley; by which custom I suppose is meant, that by this book you are tobe guided in all you do. Allow, me, Sir, to express my own personal satisfaction at your election. I have long known and loved you. I love you for your long attachment to Wesleyan Methodism. I hope God will long give you health of body and vigour of mind and that he will greatly bless you and your colleague in office." The newly-elected president, being seated in the chair, rose and said:—" I feel indeed the obligation you have laid on me in the distinguished situation in which you have, for the fourth time, placed me." Dr. Bunting thought that the Conference should take the earliest opportunity to present a loyal address to the Queen on the birth of a Princess, a motion which was unanimously agreed to. Thanks were voted to the ex-president, ex-secretary, and also to the sub-secretaries and letter-writers, who were re- appointed. The next question of interest that came before the Conference was the number of young ministers who, having been engaged four years in the ministry, had been, after examination at their district meetings, recommended to be received into what is called full connexion that is, into all the rights, privileges, and status of Wesleyan ministers. Of these there were 32. There were also between fifty and sixty candidates for the Wesleyan ministry accepted by the Conference, after they had been recommended in the, district meetings, and by a London committee appointed to re-examine those candidates who had satisfactorily passed an examination before the preachers of the A strict within which they reside. There had died, during the year, seventeen ministers in Great Britain, four in Ireland, and three missionaries. In Englandthe Rev. Messrs. Philip Jameson, Samuel Hope, Jas. Akerman, Lewis Lewis, Robert Smith, David Evans, John Overton, J. L. Brown, John Pickevant, Thomas Hayes, Zecha- riah Taft, William Clegg, Ralph Gibson, William Woolsey, William Pearson, and Thomas Walker. In Ireland—The Rev. Messrs. William Ritchey, William Starkey, John Deary, and Archibald Campbell. And on foreign stations-The" Rev. Messrs. John M'Kenny, Robert Lee, and James R. Westley. Including six of the Irish brethren, and two on missionary stations, twenty-seven ministers felt obliged, by affliction or the infirmities of advanced age, to cease from taking a circuit, or, in Wesleyan phraseology, to become supernumeraries." It will be gratifying, perhaps, to the members of the Inde- pendent body, to know that Dr. Beaumont took occasion, at the close of the foregoing proceedings, to notice the lamented death of that eminent minister, the Rev. Dr. Hamilton, on whom he pronounced a very high eulogy, to which the Con- ference cordially and feelingly responded. On Thursday evening, at half-past seven o'clock, the ad- journed education committee held a long and important sitting to discuss the question of the Normal-school establishment. Though the meeting was an open one to the friends of Wes- leyaneducation, yet it was so distinctly stated, that those who were not qf tqe committee were admitted on the understanding that the proceedings of the evening should not be given to the public except officially, that (writes one qf our correspondents) s) I feel myself in honour precluded from faking any report, however important the meeting was to the interests of Method- ism, and however interesting to the friends of education throughout the country. On Friday, the question, What alterations in circuits or ad- ditional preachers are needed? was asked. One of our corre- spondents writes:—" I am sorry to say that there are but few petitions for additional preachers this year; and that in some old circuity, such as Colne and Holmfirth, the embarrassed state Qf trade has almost cocrced them into the necessity of re- questing the Conference to, withdraw a minister, or else largely to help. them by a grant from the Contingent Fund. The ap- pointment of a Welsh preacher for our Welsh chapel in Lon- don is not tQ b,e continued, The pulpit is to be occupied by a Welsh student at Richmond. The business of the Friday morning session was unexpectedly suspended by the announcement fro 'ni the chair, that rebellion had broken out in the South of Ireland, and that the repre- sentatives from the Irish to the British Conference wished to obtain leave to return immediately to Ireland, as their families were in the midst of the disturbed districts. The Irish bre- thren took leave of the Conference immediately but one of our correspondents was informed in the course of the day, that, hav- ing subsequeutly received information which threw doubts upon the report of the rebellion haying broken out, they had delayed their departure. On Saturday morning, the Rev. Djr. Dixon, who has recently returned from a mission to, the United States and Canada, en- tered the. Conference amid the hearty cheers of his brethren. The warmest discussion by far which had yet occurred in the Conference, arose out of an application made by the secre- tiry, that the recent rule which requires the Liturgical service of the Church of England to be read at certain- official services of the Conference, be this year suspended, on the ground that the Hull Societies have never had the Liturgy introduced into any of their chapels, and that its introduction now would be injurious to the interests of Methodism, After a warm debate, from which it was very evident that there is a large party in Conference not favourable to this loaning towards the Church as by law established, the order of the day was carried. Dr. Beaumont immediately gave notice, that, before Conference closed, he should move the rescinding of the rule that, requires the. use of the Liturgical service on certain public occasion during ^he sittings of Conference, Not a. will rejoice if this point be carried, and this further evidence be given that, Wesleyan leanings to the political Church are on the wane Notice waft giveri of two inotwns for a futoe day, jmpus committees were appointed;' andf for the day, the$ the Conference closed" One of our correspondents writesi-11 We expect an interest- ing and animated session on Wednesday evening, the Secre- tary of the Conference having just aiinovtnced that the follow- ing subjects will then be consideredThe state of tho aux- iliary fund and the appointment of Secretaries to our Mis- sionary Society, of the House Governor at Richmond, and the Secretary to the Board of Education.—-Patriot.

LATEST CURRENT PRICES OF METAL. £ s. d. £ ». d. IRON—Bar a ..Wales. ton 5 15 0 to 6 9 „ ..London v.. -—=— — 6 15 0 Nail rods — 7 15 0 Hoop (Staf.) — 8 15 0 Sheet „ 9 16 0 Bars „ „ ———— 8 10 0 Welsh cold-blast foundry pig. 3 10 0. 4 5 0' Scotch pig b, Clyde 2 6 6 Rails, average. ———— 6 0 0 Chairs. 4 0 0 Russian, COND c 17 0 0 „ PSI. Gourieff. Archangel 13 0 0 Swedish d, on the spot. — 11 5 0 Stiele, fagt. ——— — 15 0 0 11 kegse. ———— 13 10 0 Cori-r,R-Tile f ———- 78W 0 Tougheake. ———- 79 10 0 Best -selected .i ——— —82 10 0 Ordinary sheets, lb. ———- 0 0 9 bottoms. ——— 0 010 YELLOW METAL SHEATHING. 0 0 71 TIN Common blocks g.mot. ——— 3 15 0 bars — 3 16 0 Refined — — 3 18 0 Straits h. ———— — 3 14 0 Banca ——— — 4 0 0 TI-i-PL,&Tts-Ch., IC i, box. I 8 0— 1 10 0 „ IX 1 14 0 1 16 0 Coke, IC.. 1 5 0- 1 6 0 IX. 1 11 0 1 12 0 LEAD-Sheet, k ton. ——— 17 0 0 Pig.renned. ———— is 0 0 common 16 0 0 16 10 0 Spanish,inbond. 16.10 0 Red 18 10 0' Dry White ———— 23 0 0 Shot (Patent) 7— — 19 10 0 SPELTER—(Cake) I on spot.. 13 5 0 —^13 15 0 for arrival. — Z.INc-(Sheet) nexport. 20 0 0 21 0 0 QUICKsILvERn .lb 0 3 6 a Discount 2i per cent, b Net cash. c Discount 2i per cent. d Ditto in bond. i Discount 3 per Cent. h Ditto 2i per cent. T Net cash. In kegs i and i-inch. fDiscount3 per cent. y Ditto 2i per cent. Net cash. m Discount lk per cent. n Discount 11 per cent. y IRON. Prices of Welsh and Staffordshire hare been pretty well maintained; with a rather improved demand, but Scotch pigs are dull this week in other metals, the business since our last has been quiet, and we have no change to notice, except in spelter, which has advanced, in consequence of a demand for home consumption, from E13 15s. to £ 14 15s., sellers.

GLASGOW PIG-IRON TRADE. JULY 27.—In the prospect which we lately had of the conclusion of an armistice between the Germans and the Danes, and of the general appearance of improvement in trade, our pig-iron market kept very firm, and the article showed a decided tendency to ad- vance in price but now that there is no immediate prospect of an armistice being agreed to, and with the alarming accounts received from Ireland, we have experienced a slight decline in price, and the market to-day closed heavily. The price for mixed Nos. may be quoted at 45s.-cash.

CURRENT PRICE OF GOLD AND SILVER. per oz. per oz. Foreign gold, in bars £ 3 17 9 New dollars. jEO 4 10 Portugal pieces | Silver bars (standard) 0 4 llf PRICES OF WELSH MINING SHARES. Shares. Company. Paid. Price, 1000 Abergwessin 7 — 10000 Banwen Iron Co 6 6L 8000 Blaenavon 50 174 10000 British Iron, New regis. 10 13 Do. do. scrip 10 10 1000 Cwm Erfln 34 31 3000 Dyfngwm 10 12;1 6100 Ga(lair 2 2 100 Grogwynion. 5 1000 Llwyn Malys 5 — 3600 Llynvi Iron 60 50 5000 Merionethshire Slate and Slate Slab Co. It 2 40( 0 Pennant. 1! 1 100 Penrhiw 30 65 10000 Rhymney Iron 50 13 10000 Ditto New 7 6^ 2500 Rhoswhiddol Mine — 10

— i>— TO THE REV. HENRY GRIFFITHS, PRESIDENT OF BRECON COLLEGE. My DEAR SIR,-I beg to thank you very cordially for the kind manner in which you have answered the letter I ad- dressed to you in the PRINCIPALITY of the 7th ult., and to express ifiy deep regret that my lengthy absence from home in the north of England has prevented the possibility of my noticing it sooner. Perhaps you will not deem me intrusive in submitting my impressions to your consideration with a view of having a little more light upon the subject. As it is not so much my object in this correspondence to ascertain the correctness of your views as to know them, and to fix your proper standing in relation to the subject of education, it must not be taken for granted that I assent to all positions which I do not dispute. I understand you to say, That the Normal School was started merely as an experiment for three years, to be con- ducted-entirelyol1 the voluntary principlc;" "that in conse- quence of many of our friends wishing to apply to Govern- ment for Legislative help, you pleaded in June, 1846, in the general meeting, for opening a correspondence with Govern- ment, &c. that when the resolution passed in the meet- ing at Brecon, in September last, to commit us irrevocably to the voluntary principle, two-thirds of the subscribers were averse to it, and that you had nothing to do with it beyond advocating Ls contrary;" 11 that you were not the instigator of the meeting held at your house in January last, nor the suggester* of the resolution for a Normal School in connexion with Government" that you have always considered the voluntary principle inadequate for the purposes of education in WalesM that you are decidedly opposed to religious education in a day school." These I believe to be the senti- ments uttered as implied in your letter. I cannot subscribe to your position that the Normal School was started merely as an experiment- far three years, to be conducted entirely on the voluntary principle. The many eminent ministers and excellent laymen of different denominations constituting the meeting at Llandovery did not journey from the dir. ferent parts of Wales, over hills and dales at a great expense, to blow a bubble merely for the sake of seeing it bursting at the expiration of three years. They had something more substantial, more grave and lasting in view. Their, united: purpose was to devise the best means to promote perma- nently the education of the Welsh people, High as my notions are of the intellectual quickness of the Welsh, and 1 high as my estimate is of the superior wisdom of the Llan- (lovery conference, I do not believe they intended arriving, at a plan to make the Welsh learned in three years. The insti- tution of a Normal School in Wales for Wales was only an ctecident, in the. deliberations of the Llandovery conference. It was after hearing your excellent paper on the subject, that it was resolved to adopt that means as the most permanent and successful to,accom.plish the end. The voluntary cha- y racter of the mpvement was not a part of the experiment, because tlie. nipeting liad unanimously arrived at an under-- standing on the point, before resolving to have a Normal School: Government akl was discussed freely and repudiated thoroughly and; yon will find: it as difficult to persuade yourself as to persuade those who watched your energetic movement in the onset, that you were not then full of faith in the voluntary principle. 1,"pu also, that many of our friends: were anxious to apply for Government aid in 18^6, and that yoo pleaded' for opening Icorrespondeiicl- with GoverBmettls, 8re., Voii Will par- don me for iiot femhiibtrihg that you, asearljjras Xuiife, 1646, pleaded for a correspondence with Governtbeiiit. I think you you did not do so in your public capa y. Itfe hearing that Mr. W. Williams, then AKp. ii)f Ooventry, pregsed upon the committee to apply fdr Government aid j that gentleman credit for patriotism in all "he sant reBpectin<r Z5 e an C Wales. But I -must say that he.was a^mistaken pa- triot; and no wonder, tor lie was about leaving the land of his fathers when the Sabbath schools- -were chasing away the fairies from the parish of Llarapumsaint, and when the goblin Dissent was about to appear in his native locality. Probably things did not appear very favourable there forty years ago, and he has never had the opportunity of witness- ing our progress nor to appreciate our principles. He is a man that Wales might be proud of as a senator, but not as oae to direct the energies of Welshmen for mental improve- ment. ■ It is also averred that two-thirds of the subscribers were averse to tbe resolution passed by the general meeting in September last, committing us irrevocably to the voluntary principle, and that you had nothing to do with it "beyond ad- vocating its contrary. My memory is here again treacherous, unless yours is so. In the committee the preceding evening, we found it difficult to agree to a resolution to suit our Wes- leyan friends. Mr. Crowther would trust himself in the vo- luntary boat only in the sight of Government land, whence he might have a life-boat in case of a wreck. The principle of the resolution was suggested by yourself,, and was framed and written by me and was submitted to the meeting on the following morning, when it passed without a contrary voice. Two or three Brecon gentlemen entered the meeting after the passing of the resolution, who disputed the pro- priety of it. I did not hear your voice nor see your hand against it. Who the two-thirds of the subscribers are it is difficult to conjecture nor is it easy to account for the un- reasonable amount of modesty interwoven with these beings. Why did they not speak in the meeting? Why was not their voice heard in some direction ? Either then or after- wards, if we turn to the conferences of different quarterly meetings and assemblies, we hear nothing but plaudits at the decision of that meeting. Every public meeting in every -part of the country in favour of education, cheer the princi- ple of that resolution most enthusiastically. A squeamish squeak from a bastard memorial at Llanfihangel Nantbran, which nobody is willing to own, is the only thing that I have been able to hear against it. The two-thirds ought to lay aside their bashfulness, hold up their heads and spenk out. I am heartily sorry, on account of the meeting held at your house in January, that a meeting, called for the alleged purpose of providing for the children of the town," should happen to be composed of the Normal School agency committee and that that agency committee should hap- pen to stumble upon a Normal School in connexion with Government, while in pursuit of another object was, to say the, least, a very extraordinary circum stance; especially as it happened just two days after the meeting at Llandovery, wherein it' was unanimously agreed that Swansea was the most fit place for the Normal School, &c. There was not a whisper against the decision of that meeting from any gentleman from Brecon; suc-h a sugges- tion could not have entered unto any one's head AT a meet- ing to provide for the children of Brecon unless he had carried it there in it. I am far from wishing to attribute unkind motives to the proposer of such a resolution but it had the worst tendency, and I am unable to reconcile your being a Government educationist with your speeches and general acquiescence in the voluntary arrangements of the educational movement. In your eloquent and masterly speech at the Swansea meeting, having highly applauded the Borough-road School for its many excellencies, you 0 :deeply deplored the circumstance of its receiving jC750 per annum from the public purse as a blot upon its character. The general tone of your speeches left an impression upon my mind of your insuperable objection to Government money. I blame you not for changing. Every man, after reading and thinking to the extent yon, seem to have done, has a right to change. I have changed a little* too, in another di- rection. It was the Minutes that changed me. By coin- paring the past with the present, you seem to be only a con- vert of recent date to the non-religious training system in day schools. It does not appear to me that the schoolmaster is likely to supplant the minister that ought, to maintain a footing. However, your suggestion had not the very best ng tendency, especially when our agent is out seeking the co- operation of ministers and churches for the new Normal School at Swansea. Asking your forgiveness for the liberty I take in writing thus to you, and wishing you scucess in all that is great and good, I am, dear sir, yours rpspectfully, Llanelly, July 25, 1848. HEBJ,

MURDERING BY LAW. TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRINCIPALITY. Siit,-With feelings of unmingled pleasure, I received the intelligence that the prisoners left under sentence of death in Cardiff gaol are reprieved during her Majesty's pleasure. Public feeling calls aloud for the extinction of capital punish- ment, and the substitution of an efficient system—an all- powerful system—of retributive justice. To any one acquainted with the general history of nations, it will appear at once, that no code of laws, however perfect, is calculated to; stand for an indefinite period of time, but requires many modifica- tions, and even alterations, to suit the advancement of educa- tion, of human feelings, and of religious sentiments. Ignorance is as palpably evident in the construction of very many of our criminal laws as in the times, the men,, and the circumstances which give rise to most of them., The legislators of ancient times were a rude unfeeling race of men, uninformed and barbarous. Wars abroad and mur- ders at home were the sports of those past times. And a we always to be governed by (let us not call it) ancestral wisdom, but ancestral barbarism ? Common sense answers, no. Then again, the working classes, the serfs, the obse- quious vassals of those who tyrannised over their intellectual, as well as their physical, powers, were distinguished by a very little more of fine feelings and religious developments, than the cattle to which they devoted the principal portion of their attention. I will admit that in the eariy stages of our history, and in the infancy of our national ex- istence, a severe code of laws was required to. restrain the turbulent and bloodthirsty passions of the lords of the soil, and also to curb those propensities which would very frequently break out into wild and insubordinate actions in the unruly oonduct of their slaves. In those days, reason and religion had no control over the base passions of mem But now things have widely altered. At the present time, our nobi- lity would not be willing to be styled tyrants j our gentry would not like to be called barbarians; and the labouring classes would fling away with consummate contempt the names, serfs, vassals, villains, &c., &c. In all tilis, I most heartily rejoice, but why not alter our laws to suit the titiiei ? The things that suited the nation in its infancy will not do for its manhood. The old garments must either be altered or wholly thrown away. We must not be bound too tight; let us have fair play, and plenty of roam to step forth in life march of civilisation. We have arrived at an epoch in our national histoiy, which most imperatively calls for a total chftnge in our semi-barba- rous laws, If any one will plendthatthere was a necessity in ages gone by for a life-destroying statute, let that indi- vidual look to the all-important changes. which have taken place in general society, and then let him ask himself, is it not full time to expunge these unchristian relics of the dark ages from the British code of lawsZ. Are we in the present age to be constantly entramfnelled in the chains forced by ignorance, selfishness, and cruelty? Mercy and justice will answer, no. Let our legislators reflect on* the thought that our country abounds with men of fine, human2, and generous feelmgs; and these men are not unfrequently forced into the jury-box to give judgment 011 some ignorant fellow-creature, and thus mads most unwillingly the instruments of death to one, who the other day walked amongst them in the vigour of youth, and in the consciousness of manly strength; one who most probably never enjoyed the untold advantages of good precepts and moral instructions; nor ever had a sin^ia' religious sentiment instilled into his destitute mind. I am aware that the advocates of' capital punishment at- tempt to persuade the world that those who plead for its

present crisis for the numbers who land daily in this town in order to work for the Saxon during the harvest, are I have been 9 told unprecedented. So much for their desire of "getting back repate.From our correspondent.