The Pontypridd Chronicle and Workman's News

THE SHOOTING AFFAIR AT TREORKY. THE YOUNG MAN BffiFORS THE f MAGISTRATES. A CAUTION TO SHOOTING SALOOJfJ KESPERS. At Ys;rad police-court on Monday, Thomas' Thomas, a yonng man from Tylorstown, waa charged witn shooting the girl Ellen O'Brien, of Cardiff, whereby her death was caused. The evidence connected with the sad oootkrrenoa is reported in another column. The Stipendiary said, after tasting th« gua, that it was the lightest trigger he had ever handled' The slightest touch woaid fire it. Hd considered more bhme was due to the conductor of the saloon than to to the accused. There °ltgbt to be an experianoed man looking after the saloon to, control the use of the guns. It was very wrong to. leave a girl in charge. Addressing Nathan Unwin, his Worship sa.id this ought to be a caution to, him. He ought to have a proper man in oh&rge. He ought not to give a gun like that to a man who had no experience in the use of firearms. He. considered him much more to blame for the. death of the unfortunate girl. He did not see any good would oome from commiting the prisoner for trial, or from adjourning the case again. The man, therefore, was discharged. =======^==S====S ..ltl>

THF WEEKLY PAPER THE BEST"- MEDIUM. The Honourable H. H. Warner, senior mernbst of H. H. Warner & Co., who are known the world over on account of their colebrated SAFE remedies,and ulR spend annually in advertising a sum that would be a large fortnne to any man, recently said, in an intes* view with a New York Tribune reporter, that be re- garded the weekly paper as the surest to repay judicious expenditure of all classes of newnpaperpo]>> lications. t!I would rather have a hundred tnsusaflil weekly circulation," said he, "than two hundred fttfC fifty thousand daily. The readers ot a daily papec rarely ever read it through: it ia simply glanoeaoTer* the salient points of news are indicated by big bead* lines: these are read and the paper is tnen thrown aside. But with the weekly the case is diflwcal. 1ft the country, where a family takes only OK twe weekly papers, every word and every line oi it is reaA over ana over again, and in many instances thopafCB is afterwards lent to neighbours. Advertising in sMl a medium is certain to bo remunerative, the adVMte tisemont is sure of being read-which is the irst saw Ieideration—and if skilfully worded general!] 1" the purchase of any commodity advertised*

Births,Marriages,& Deaths DEATH. HARMS.On the 4the instant, at Chapel-street, Pontypridd, Sarah, daughter of Mr Beniamia Harris, aged 10 years.—Much sympathy is felt for the parents ana family of the deceased. The interment took place on Thursday, at Rhonddb Chapel Burial Ground.

DRUTAL ASSAULT ON TREAUff MOJSIAIS r UNPROVOKED VIOLENCE ON A YOUNG MAN. At the Pontypridd polioe-oourt on Weduesd »y f; (before the Stipendiary), William Davies, ageU 22^ « waB charged with assauloing William Penuy. ,j It appeared tnat cpmpUintnt and two or three i friends had boon up for a wa k on Tretlaw Mmi it- > ain en Saturday week. On their return comoUin- ( tnt turned aside. His friends walked onward. When they were a.b mt 40 yards off d^feucunt r acoompmiwd by s,aie friends came up tj hiaii. Defendant took off his coat, rushed at him, struck him a violent blow on the face, threw him to the ground, ani knooted him savagely. C implaiaanfc was unoonscious for about an hour and a half, and > was unable to work for three days. The assault was quits nnprovokeri, complainant never having aeen or apok«t%to d efendant before. Fined 40/ and costs.

vefleeted the opinions of the electorate whom he 3" theheneet to represent in Parliament. (Ap- mlauae). He could not veyy well represent their opinions without knowing what their opinions were, %nd it was only on snob ooo*»ioii» as the present that be had an opportunity of coming into olote «ontaot with them, and cxsbange opinions upon the questions of the hour. (Applause). He looked "POD the gentlemen sent there by the various disricte as representing the views of those districts, suad as being responsible to the districts for carrying on the work of Liberal organization; and 4M snob he always liked to elicit their opinions and to consult them on importaut matters. In this way lie hoped to continue to represent them faithfully and fairly, and whea he failed he could only return to them 11 e great bonour and responsibility they bad conferred on him. H-;1 did uot suppose, how- ever, anything of the kiud would arise, and he trntted the pleasant relationship existing would continue. (Applause.) As far as be could learn from the newspapers and other sources* he wl\II entirely in sympathy with the oonst;tuancy. (Ap- plause.) In conclusion, he expressed great pleasure at seeing aiieb a large number of representatives brought together from all parts of K ast Glamor- ganshire. Mr P.S. Johnstone, Cardiff, having briefly addressed the meeting, L The Rev. Aaron Davies proposed a vote of thanks 40 the Fresident for his services daring the past year. Mr D- Cole seconded, and the motion waa carried with aeelammation. Rev. W. I. Morris Pontypridd, proposed a vote of tbaDk- to Mr D. Ellis, the hon. see. for his servicea daring the year; This also was carried unanimously, and the con- ference was brought to a close with cheers for Mr A. ThomM.M.P. THE PUBLIC MEETING. In the evening a public meeting was held in the Town-hall, Pontypridd, when the chair was occu- pied by Mr T. Williams, J.P., Gwaelodygarth (President of the East Glamorgan Liberal Asaooia- tion), who was supported by .r Alfred Ihomas, M.P., Rev. A. Davies, Pontlottyn; Rev. Dr. Itoberts, Pontypridd; Mr Walter H. Morgan, Pontypridd; Mr F. Soniey Johnstone, Cardiff; Jdx Idris Williams, B. yn Giss; Mr Henry Lewis, Albion Colliery; Mr J. Griffiths, Porth; Mr T. Morgan, Fron; and others. There was a large audience, and the proceedings throughout were harmonious and enthusiastic. nUtSIBBKT's ADDBSS6: THE LOCAL OOVSRNMSNT BILL. The Chairman, wan, uu rteiu^j, tUB greeted with great applaud, icrn.tmed ta..t ue was vety pleased to he iiff juiaii an opportunity of meeting such a large seoti'ju uf uLt irctuid la the town of Parity- .pridd, iu ooauecu >u wiL'i tue annual meeting of theEist Giaiuvr^au Lioeral A-.»> ooiafcion. Some j of .them ii.,l aiet tu.t ait«»raooo ia conference, and appointed orhoertj tor one co.tnug year. They had pusaca aererai lenoiu ioas otariug upon the important questiom of itie day, and that meet- iog wan ooQveaod tJ •lidciidd vaiious topics ;onJ the burning quest ions of publics. (Olioeia.j They wouid nuuinil, in ttie course of trie evening, reaoln- tions bearing <4J.! tuts Liah question, and another in favour uf tue 11.cst1.tJÜ"iIlwent oi the Jfinglish (>Charch in Wales. (Applause.) Taeie would also be several resolutions Orougat forward relating to the Loc..l Government bill which was now before tne ttjaotty, and would shortly be discussed ia Parliament. Ttis was a question wuich had already created considerable commotion iu all parts of the -country. It was well to give full consideration thereto, and look at it full in the face. They should look at ita advantageeand its disadvantages. The more they considered the provisions of the Bill the less popular tney were. i'uare were in it a great many defectp. It certainly aimeoi at what it was tnost desirable should be brought about. The defects contained in the bill should be removed, and he felt eure that a perfect Bill was possible for submission to Parliament. At the conference in the afternoon a number of amendments with the view of improving the Bill were submitted for consideration, and also objectionable clauses. They would have various resolutions submitted to the masting bearing on the decisions arrived at in the afternoon. Possibly they would be asked to send a petition to Parliament in- favour of amending the bill, and in opposition to the undesirable clauses therein. Firac, 01 ail, tuoy should object to the proposal that the high sheriff of the county should act as returning officer in the election of members of the district council. He thought this work should be entrusted to the chairman and clerk of the district council, as the members of the council should direct. The chairman and clerk could do the ework of conducting the election of members as effi- ciently as the high sheriff. This system was now adopted in connection with the elections of the various local boards. The work wlaa accomplished very effectually, and perhaps more so than it entrusted to the high sheriff. The high sheriff could only be in one place at a time, and he must consequently appoint deputies. He could not see why this system should .be adopted when they had able and efficient men in their own midst. (Applause.) Another resolution they had passed in the afternoon—one which would -tend to improve the BJil-was in a favour of a clause .for the removal of the South Wales Toll Gates. (Loud cheers.) It was a great hardship that Welsh people should have to pay tarnpike tolls, and also in all probability have to pay tne objectionable wheel tax on carts and wagons. In that way they would have .-a double tax to pay, while cheir English friends would only be called upon to pay the wheel tax. (Cries of "Shame.") In England, he reminded the meeting, the toll gate system had been abolished, and why should not the same privilege be extended to Wales ? If the views of the country were made known to the officials of the government, he had no doubt they would withdraw the clause relating so unjustly to the toll gate system in Wales. Let them unite to express their views freely and openly, and thus save the double ttax which it was intended to impose. (Cheers.) The next proposal in the Local Government Bill was that to alter the contribution made for all indoor paupers. This should be modified so as to make the unjust house test less stringent, and render it more equit- able to those districts where there was a smaller per- centage of indoor paupers. In Wales there was a smaller number of indoor paupers than England, and a smaller number in England than there was in London. The proposed imposition of 4d per head would work detrimentally to the interests of the Welsh people. (Shame.) In Wales the people had a very repugnant ieeljhg against the idea. ot going to the workhouse. (Hear, hear.) They would rather starve than go to the workhouse. (Renewed applause.) The proposed clause would afford encouragement to the guardians to drive the paupers into the workhouse, and the natural consequence would be that the majority of our workhouses would have to be enlarged. This would be acting very cruelly towards poor people. lJnder these circumstances they should object to pay the proposed impost upon iudoor paupers. Another point of objection which they felt deeply upon was the great injustice that royalties and ground rents should escape their fair share of taxation for local rate purposes. This was a question which had been before the country for some years, and it was a very proper question. They would not be satisfied until they had succeeded in having royalties, way leaves, and ground rents included in the assessment for local rates. They had their big landed proprietors who received large amounts from ground rents and other sources, and it was very unfair indeed that they should escape the payment of rates. The landlords would have their pound of flesh, and they left the ratepay- ing public to shift for themselves. ("Shame.) He (the chairman) had land of his own, and by letting it oat for building purposes it paid at least eight times as much as it would in any other way. For instance, land that would let at live shillings per annum for Sizing would command a rental of 93 or £3 10s annually if built upon. Then why should the landlord eseape his fair share of taxation. (Cheers.) He hoped pressure would be brought to bear upon the govern- f86ji Valise the taxation between the ground landlord and other parties interested. Another ques- tion m the Bill which required amendment was the Sroposal as to ex-officto members of the councils. The ays of ex-omcio members were over. They did not want a privileged class. Let them all sail in the same boat, and if they coald not get elected, they oagbt to be satisfied to stay at home. (Applause.) If the ratepayers had confidence in them they would elect them. (Applause.) Then the qualification of the chairman of the County Council was objectionable. He must be qualified to be a magistrate before he was entitled to preside. The councils ought to have free- dom to elect their own chairman. (Applause.) After referring to the amendment of the proposed Irieuaial elections, and the control of the police, as dealt with at the atternoon conference, the chairman proceeded to speak of the licensing clauses. Four hundred Acts of Parliament had, he said, been passed to regulate the drink traffic, but no such attempt as this had ever b en made before. The annual license had always been recognised, with the neosssity of spplying for its renewal before the year expired, and a reduction of licences had been going on for the last six or seven )a years at the rate of one thousand licenses per annum all over the country. (Applause.) But, according to this Bill they could not reduce the licenses without paying c )tnpenatttoo. The general impression was that for every public-house closed, the compensation won d amount to £ 2,000. They had one hundred and fifty threa thousand public-houses, and if they were to have Loeal Option, wore the ratepayers to pay that enormoua sum of money ? (Cries of "Shame.) .Li- censes were for the accommodation of the public, and if the public said "we don't reqaire them," was it fair to force them to pay ? ("No.") The people who would benefit by such a proposal were brewers and distilUers, ard it wa? very unreasonable to compensate people woo bad already madefonanes by those houses. ( AppUme.) Pension them, ifcdeed I If they pensioned Ruyootiy, why not p6QflioQ tb6 bfctniMdfl ftnd the sor* rants who would get nothing by this Bill. (Ap- plausj.) T 18 Chairman having to leave by train, vacated the chair, and asked t:ie Rev Dr Roberts, as Vice* Churraan, to take his place. D & bsrts, on taking the ohair, proposed a vote of thanks to the president, which was carried. COERCION A FAILUftH KVBB atNCE PHABOAH II HIEB IT. Mr T. Morgan, Fron, Pontypridd, then pro- p ~)8«d :— "That this meeting emphatically protests against the coercion practised by the present Government, believing that the perpetuation of a policy ofinjaattce and wrong, as administered by Mr Balfour, is not justified by the peaceful attitude of the Irish people; and strongly urges the necessity of granting the Irish people powers of self-government, satisfactory to themselves and consistent with the integrity of the Empire, according to the proposals of Mr Gladstone's Home Rule Bill. (Applause.) btnw In the course of a striking Welsh speech, Mr M organ declared that coercion had never succeeded. Pharaoh tried it on the children of Israel; but it t rned oat a failure. (Applause.) Patriots, suoh as Moses was, rose from among the downtrodden cation in every instance, and in the case of Ireland they read of Parnell, Dillon, and Sexton, who led tie people in the day. of their oppression. Atten- tion had bi80 drawn to the condition of i reland, and many of the most talented and enlightened men in the country now stooi in the ranks of those whe cl nmod justice to their Celtic brethren. (Ap- plause.) Mr Gladstone's policy bad already done good, fcr the mere hope of its realisation had been the means of diminishing crime, and there was every reason to believe tnat if Home Rule were granted to the would become peace- ful and prosperous. (Applause.) This, coupled wit1! the failure of the polioy of the past, and the demand made by eight out of every ten of the people for Home Rule, certainly influenced him and others in desiring to see Mr Gladstone's polioy adnntnd. and in rnndamninsr the D'iBsint? and ad- ministration of the Tcry Coercion Aot which oreated crime and made oriminals. (Applause.) Mr J. Griffiths, Porth, in seoonding the resolu- tion, referred to the fact that when the question was bef re the country it was simply that of equal lawfi to Ireland and England on the one hand, and Mr Gladstone's Home Riile proposals on the other. Both parties repudiated coercion. But, since the advent of tb6 Tories into power, Ireland had been scourged with a Coercion Act which even British rnle in that unhappy country had previously known nothing like it. Its administration was cruel. ("Shame.") When that Act was passed crime in Ireland was 35 per cent. less than in Englaud and Wales, and 47 par cent. less than in Sootland. So that the present government wanted an extra oriminallaw to contend with very much less crime in Ireland than existed either in Boot- land or in England. Every man imbued with any love of freedom must feel indignant at suoh a monstrous distinction being drawn between one portion of Her Majesty's subjects and another, and what made this Act even more hateful was the fact that it was administered by persons who were on the opposite side in politics from those to whom it waa intended to ap¿ly. It was so shabby-so un- English, and so un Welsh, that every heart must o ndemn it. (Applause.) He heartily seconded the resolution, and would have done so if it were doubly as strong. (Applause.) REV. AA.BON DAVIES ON HIS VISIT TO IMLAND. Rev. A. Davies, Pontlottyn, rose to support the resolution. He said although be had always been a supporter of the polioy of Mr Gladstone, he was stronger than ever in his desire to support it since he had had the honour of representing his country- men in forming part of a deputation whioh had visited Ireland. (Applause.) His feelings of sym- pathy were aroused during that visit, and he could not help protesting against the tyranny of the Crimes Act, and the extreme manner in which it was being administered. They weie told that they had the same laws in this country, but nothing of the kind. He was present at a place where a member of parliament stood his trial because five years previously he was proprietor of a paper which dared to oritioise the Government. He gave some interesting incidents ot his jonrney, and especially of a trial, when Mr Timothy Harrington, fprgetting his trial, reached his long arm, and cordially shook hands with him. He deolared jus- tice in Ireland was no justice at all, for they aimed at a conviction at any price. He gave an account of his visit to the Boenes of eviction, and mentioned one feature, where, alongside the lakes of Killarney, as soon as Mr Gladstone's Act was passed, ten farmers were turned out of their hold- to prevent them benefitting by that measure, and the land turned into a park. Another point of interest which he visited was Coercion Hill, where he found groups of farmers living in little hnts got up by subscription, and some of the people who lived in those houses had been subject to tyranny and persecution of the most atrooious kind. One person had, when being evicted, been thrown from road to road and ditch to ditch eleven times, and there were numbers of people who had been thrown out into the wide world, with no home to go to, simply beoause they could not pay impossible rents. (Shame.) There had been 86 coercion laws and seven eviction laws passed since the Act of Union, but the last Coorcion Act was the most cruel of all. The best men the country had produced were imprisoned-Sexton & O'Brien had been sent to prison, and would probably be again sent, and if they sent Dillon again they would no doubt attain their object to slaughter him. (Cries of "shame.") Reference had been made to the attempt which Pharaoh -made at coercion, but he declared that Pharaoh's ooercion of the children of Israel was as nothing compared with the way in which the Tory Government had dealt with the Irish nation. (Ap- plause.) When in Ireland he saw so uiuch simi- larity between them and the people of this country that he could scarcely realise that he was out of Wales, and indeed he was told in one place that that the most popular man in the district was a man of the name of Davies, and after the reoeption given to the Welsh deputation there he thought when he wanted to go to parliament the best plan for him would be to go to Ireland and obtain a seat foe Limerick. (Laughter and applause.) The resolution was then put to the meeting and cai ried. THE DISESTABLISHMENT OF TKJ: CHURCH IN WALES RELIGIOUS SHEEP-STEALING (P). Nov. W. I. Morris, Pontypridd, proposed the following resolution :— That this meeting feels that the question of the Disestablishment and Disendowment of the Church of England in Wales is ripe for legislative enaotment, and trusts that the time is not far distant when the anomaly and injustice will be removed, and when ttthea will be nationalised and religious disabilities for ever done away with. He said they were marohing on in spite of emer- gency men and others who were really helping them to bring about the disestablishment and dis- endowment of the Church in Wales. The resolu- tion described the establishment and endowment as an injustice. They had felt it to be snob, and they were not in need of signs of that. He referred to the Holloway Foundation, in London, where MI educational institatioPj expcenlj intended to be for the benefit of the public, irrespective of I denominationalism, had been now placed in the hands of trustees, the chairman of whom was the Archbishop of Cunterbnry, and tba meetings of which committee were held in the Arab bishop's Houao in London, and recently, in order to secure the appointment, as matron, of a. Church of Eng- land lady, although over the prescribed aa;e, application was made to the Charity Com- missioners for leave to waive the question of age, and at the same time to frustrate the tlIain object when the institution was founded, namely, the securing of unseotarianism. The Bishop of Llandaff in his triennial charge said that a lot-ge number of those lately confirmed were once Nonconformists. What did confirmation mean ? Well, at any rate, it meant being placed under the hands of the Bishop in order to be brought into the oommunion of 'the Church, and he supposed they answered questions out of the oatechism, and then they be- oome communicants. He kne-v that in some cases people took offenoe for not not being allowed to be communicants becau-e they were not confirmed. What was the Bishop more than the chairman of that meeting or the Kev. Aaron Davies What was there ic the Bishop's hand that shoold cause a moral change in the person on whose aead it was placed f They knew the apostles had something to confer; but the Bishop of Llaud&ff had been making the best of the assertion that many of rho-te confirmed were from the ranks of Nonconformity. (A voioe "He doesn't tell the truth.") The Bishop see reed to glorify in proselytising-in sheep-steal- ing. (Laughter and applause.) Was ttiab worthy of a bishop f (No.) Let him boast of converting people who never went to any place of worship. As to the present controversy with regard to the secessions of ministers from Nonconformity, they had been trying in the columns of the WttUrn Mail for the last week or two to scrape together the names of all the seoeders for the last 30 years. And what was the result ? That they showed the seoeders during that time to be two annually. How far was that in accordance with the Bishop's statement that large numbers were seeking admis- sion into the Eetablisbment ? He was very glad to P8 Dr. Walters for once on his back. He was an old war-horse and would seldom give up, but even when on his back would fight like the owl. Yet he (Dr. Walters) had taoitly admitted that he was beaten, although ha hed not said it in so many words. Now would Churchmen allow them to give a biographical sketch of every Beceder r (Ap* plause). And would they make a boast of those seceders afterwards P (Applause.) He was our- prised, that, considering the easy admission into much a place, more had not applied. (Applause.) He considered tithes were national property, and the Church was using them to proeelytise. He was very pleased to find that the National Liberal Association had taken up the disestablishment and disendowment question as one of the planks of its platform. Tnat was a step in the right direction. With patience for a short time those great ends would be brought about, and Bishops would then be like other men. (Applause). He had muoh pleasure in moving the resolution. THE BISHOP AND CONFIRMATION. Mr H. S. Davies, Pontypridd, seconded, and referred to the Rev W. I. Morris' remarks with regard to the statement made by the Bishop of Llandaff that a large number of those confirmed in his dioreae were converts from Nonoonformity. The Bishop woutd have shown afar greater degree of Christian charity if he had given the number of those who were not in the habit of attending places of worship at all. (Applause.) If these had been oonfirmed he would have been pleased. But pro- bably the Bishop oould not do so. (Laughter.) Some time a;co references were made in the press to large numbers of persons having been confirmed in this district. He happened to know of churches not ten miles from Pontypridd where numer JUS candidates were presented for confirma- tion. They had been brought from three par- ishes, and not from only one as had been stated. Many of the candidates were not willing to be oonfirmed, but they had been urged to do so by those interested in the church. They were told that by being oonfirmed they were not bound to become communicants of the ohuroh. By those means the numbers were formed, and he would ask them to form their own conclusion as to what that meant. Those who were oonfirmed were not willing to be so, and they certainly did not become members. The only object that the ohurchpeople had in view was the getting up of large numbers, and that was done regardless of anything else. ("Sbame.") He would give them an instance of one who had been oonfirmed. A young man who had been forced under the hands of the bishop, after coming out of church, was met by a number of companions, jocularly asked him—"O, you have I been oonfirmed, have you P" The young man looked grim, muttered a deep broad oath, and ¡ answered "yes." That showed the quality of those who had been confirmed. (Cheers.) He (Mr Davies) had very great pleasure in seconding the resolution which had been proposed by the Rev Mr Morris. (Renewed cheering.) The Chairman, before putting the resolution to the meeting, remarked that there was another feature of the Church question which he should like to point out. Who paid the bishops and olergy their salaries ? Why Protestant Dissenters. (Applause.) Tithes were national property-they were their own property. (Continued applause.) Churchpeople wanted to prooelytise Nonconform- ists. Were they as Nonconformists willing for that ? (Cries of "no.") Certainly not. The resolu- tion was then put to the meeting, and carried with aoelamation. The Chairman said they had now come to a very important item of the evening's business. It was important in more respeots than one. He would call upon Mr Sonley Johnstone, Cardiff, to move a resolution with reference to the local Government I Bill. THE SLAVE TRADE AND THE LIQUOR TBAFFLC, Mr Johnstone compared the Local Government Bill to the English alphabet. If they expunged the whole of the letters in the alphabet of the bill, then they could safely let it pass. (Laughter and applause.) First impressions with regard to the bill were of a favourable character. It had the ap- pearances of a very fair measure, but when they came to look into it they found that every clause was doomed. The Bill possessed all the singular characteristics of Tory legislation. (Cheers.) All Tory billit were palmed off on the country, as it were, post free-(Iaughter)-but when they came to look into them they found that they had so much to pay that they could not afford to aooept them. (Applause.) The same remark would apply to the compensation clause of the Bill. He thought he could safely describe the lioensing olause as one of compensation. It was looked upon as a kind of local option scheme. Upon calculation they would find that if the licensing clauses were passed the national debt would be increased to a most serious degree, and in the face of this fact he felt sure that the country would be content to wait for another measare, and not allow the bill to be passed in its present form. Tory Governments had already done irreparable mischief, and they oertainly were not going to allow them to do any more. They were trying to pass a law oatensibly to put an end to the liquor traffic, and this they sought to do at the expense of the people's pockets. ("Shame.") The Government hoped that the bill would be a popular one, and presuming on this hope they launohed it out reoluessly upon the country, but by this time those who were at the outset warm sup- porters of the measure now shrank from is in dis- gust. They revolted against it. The compensa- tion clause of the bill would doubtless represent the expenditure of fully two or three millions of money from the national purse, but the Govern- ment would probably push the measure into law, and then they would see how unsatisfactory it would work. He did not think, however, that ad. vantage would be taken of the provisions of the clause, but that the people would wait until another government had gone into power, and brought about repeal of the obnoxious clause, (Cheers.) It was contended by some that the compensation paid to slave-ownera for the Ubera- tion of slaves formed a preoedent to the payment of compensation to publioans, but he did not reoog. oiae any such precedent. The slave trade was re- garded as a disgraoe to any civilised country, and the payment of compensation to slave-owners was not reeorted to on the ground of principle, but rather that sach80 disgraoeful syitem of tracing should be done away with at any cost. (Chsers.) Be moved "That this meeting, having considered the Loeal Government Bill now before Parliament, present a memorial, signed by the chairman, to the President of the Local Government Board embodying the fol- lowing objections and amendments to the Bill, viz:- (1) That a clause for the removal of the South Wales toll gates be inserted in the Bill. (2) rhat the elec- tion of the members of the district councils be eon. ducted by the chairman and clerk of the district councils, and not by the high sheriff of the county. (3) That the proposal to pay 4d per head for indoor paupers be modified, So as not to encourage undue enforcement of the "House Test," and be made equit- able and fair to district* with a low percentage of in- door paupers. (6) That provision be made in the bill giving power to assess directly royalties, ground rents, and way-leaves for local purposes. (6) That both the county and district councils be composed of elective members only. and that no special qualifica- tion be imposed upon the chairman of the county council. (6) That the connty aud district councils be elected for four years, half to retire in two years, and the remainder at the end of the four years. (7) That the control of the police force be entirely transferred to the county council. (8) That the most objection- able clause awarding compensation to licensed vic- tuallers for the taking away a right not vested in them by law be expunged, and that a direct veto 818 to granting and renewing licenses be given to the rate- payere." The Chairman oalied upon the honourable mem- ber for the division to support the proposal which bad been so ably moved by Mr Johnstone. gaygag eoVDElOUTION or THE IRISH POLICY. Mr A. Thomas, M P., rose in oomplianoe with the request, and the hearty applaufs with which he was received was indeed a gratifying testimony of the high esteem in which he is held amongst bis constituents. The, honourable gentleman prefaosd his address by saying that Mr Johnstone had ex- plained that the text afforded by the Local Govern- ment Bill objections w.-is a long one, but he would curtail his remarks by straying from the subject a little, and say a few words in regard to the policy of the Government in Ireland. He regretted to have still to condemn that policy. He would be glad to say that it was better, even if such improve- meat came from a Conservative Government. He WM not one of those who thonght that no good could possibly come from such a source.—(laugh- ter)-but the evil suffered in Ireland at the present time was worse than it had ever been before. Had time allowed, Mr Davies could have given them a still more thrilling and heartrending account of what was snffered by the Irish people at the hands of the Government. He had told them that among the many bad laws in force in Ireland there was one which empowered the magistrates to sentence a man to eight days' imprisonment for merely saying "Hear, hear." (Loud cries of "Shame.") He thought it would have bean far better often- times to give a man eight days for not saying "Hear, hear," at some of their political meetings. (Laughter and cries of "Hear, hear.) The laws practised in Ireland were iniquitous, and their feelings as fellow-countrymen had. oonsequently been aroused to sympacny. ^applause.; xu tne name of England and English justioe, let them give Ireland fair-play. (Renewed applause.) Englaud had made many mistakes. bat her love of justice had never been questioned. The sentiment of pity was being increasingly extended towards Ire- land, and the disgraoeful and discreditable manner in which the people were being treated by the Government was being watched by the whole civilised world. It was the usual rule in courts of justice that judges should afford the accused every reasonable opportunity for acquittal, and if there waa a doubt the prisoner was given the benefit of that doubt. That was the usual rule, but that had been overlooked in Ireland under the rule of the present government. Instead of the aentenoes upon prisoners being decreased upon appeal, they had actually been inoreaaed. ("Shame.") He thought they should do all they could to bring about a change in the present state of things. Their great leader, Mr Gladstone—(loud applause) -was content to let things go on as they were for the present, believing that the tide of public feeling will rise still higher, and thus swamp a government which was composed of Conservatives and sham Liberals. (Cheers.) Referring to the recent war seare, Mr Thomas said that war,scares sometimes ocourred, and these made people afraid. It was said that the army was inadequate, and we were at the mercy of any enemy who might come to attack us. It was said by the poet that "Cowards die many times before their death," but he thought himself that it was a pit, that they did not die right away at once. (Laughter.) There was another class by which the war scare had been encouraged, and that was those who had an inter. est in war, and who sought war for the parpose of enriohing themselves. The first class was a die-. grace, but the latter was far worse. The war soare, however, had been checked, and there was no fear of General Boulanger inducing France, in its pre- sent relations with the sister power of Germany, ever contemplating the invasion of this country. (Cheers.) If they wished to inorease the army, and thus make it more effective in case of necessi. ty, they had only to give home rule to Ireland, and take from that unhappy country the 30,000 soldiers, and 10,000 constables who were now, under orders from the Government, doing such dirty work there. Reverting to the Local Government Bill he thought a certain amount of credit was due to the Conservatives for introducing some sort of a mea. a are in view of local government. He was strongly opposed to the principle of selected members on the proposed County Council. (Hear, hear.) For eleven years he had been a member of the town council at Cardiff, and there met aldermen, who. he was aorrv to sav. came under the category of eeleoted members. The men who best served the ratepayers were those selected by the ratepayers. (Applause.) His experience in connection with the Cardiff Council was that once a man was made a selected member be changed for the worse, as he was no longer responsible for his actions to those whom he represented. It gave him great pleasure to meet his constituents that evening as their elected member. (Cheers.) Se- lected members never had to face the ordeal of eleotion, they were virtually life members, and that, he considered, was not right. Unless they were prepared now and then to face the eleotors, they should retire from the office. His chief ob- jeotion to selected, members was that the principle waB a wrong one, and an ex-ojfficio member of any authority was very much out of place. Proceed- ing to refer to the South Wales Turnpike Act,the hon. gentleman remarked that he had given notice of an amendment to Clause 1 of the Local Govern- ment Bill in favour of the abolition of the Sauth Wales Tollgates. When he had the pleasure of addressing the House of Commons recently on the same question he was assured by Mr Ritchie, who had charge of the Bill, that upon an amendment being proposed the government would give it their attention. He thought there would be no diffioulty with regard to the abolition of this old impost. The first amendment on this point was down in his name-(obeers)-but he wished to explain one thing. Mr Dillwyn had prepared an amendment to the same effeot, and during a conversation with that gentleman he (Mr Thomas) at first refused to put in his amendment, but on being pressed he consented, and he afterwards found that his mo. tion had been placed before that of his friend, Mr Dillwyn, although he would have preferred its being plaoed after it. The amendment was for the abolition of the turnpike toll system in Wales, and it would be seconded in the House of Commons by Mr Dillwyn. (Applause.) However, he was glad that the matter had been taken up. and especially so inasmuoh as he understood that a new turnpike gate had been plaoed at Oilfynydd a few weeks ago. (Hear, hear, and "Shame.") There were many things in the bill that he objeoted to, and was ready to oppose. Amongst other things was the proposal to pay 4d per head for indoor paupers to be modimed, as he considered it an undue enforcement of the house test. He had been in- formed by gentlemen who were chairmen of boards of guardians that if these olauBes passed in their present form they would have a prejudicial effect upon poor people, who were now relieved oat of doors with 1,6,2/ or 3/- per week, and who, al. though really deserving of outdoor relief, would never think of entering the house. That would be a very greet hardship mdeed, and he was sure that the Welsh members would never consent to such thing. there waa another clause which ottght to he introduced into the Bill, namely, oae to assesi for rating purposes royalties, ground rents, and way leaves. He was very much astonished indeed mat something bad not been done in this direction in the past. He found that noblemen and otherst who were reaping immense fortunes, generally speaking, did not contribute, at all events indirect taxation, anything towards the looil rates in respect of the enormous sums they re oeived from the sources mentioned. The ohairman htd already given them some idea of the great increase in vaiue whioh took plaoe when land was used for obtaining minerals from it as compared with its vale as build- ing or agricultural land. There was very little time to enter into this and otier important ques- tions which he would liked to hire dwelt upin. He would, however, just tonoh upon whtt was now a burning q nation .aamely, the pom pensation olause of the Looal Government Bill. It was possible that something could be said for compensation, but he must way that he oould find nothing for it. Let the people judge for themselves, and give them an opportunity to say whether they wanted the traffic, or not. They were told in the first instance that they were going to have local option, but what sort of loc,41 option was presented in this bill. Well, it WflB some snch looal option as this. It was like locking a man in prison, and after binding him with handcuffs and fetters, telling him that he was a free man. (Great laughter and applanse.) That was something like the local option proposed to bt. given in the bill. Why should they not trust this new authority with the whole thing. His experi- ence of authorities was that they were not very fond of running to extremes. (Hear, hear.) Far be it from him to say that no man deserved to be allowed to keep a public house, but they knew his opinion of public houses. (AppUn«<> ) He would tell them further than that. If alive two years hence he intended disestablishing one public house, and that without asking for compensation. (Laughter and applanse.) Perhaps some of them were surprised to hear him say snoh a thing, but amongst some property which he had inherited was a public houce, two years of the lease of which was yet to ran, and aocording to this bill the pro- I posal seemed to be to compensate, not the ocou. pier of the house, but the person who occupied a similar position to him in regard to that honae. Still there was eomethirg to be said for the bill. For the first time in history they were going to apply to local affairs the same principle as that. which applied to imperial politic?. Men—almost every man to day—could vote for a number of Parliament, but they bad not hitherto the same extensive voice in matters of local affairs. For instance, they had no voice whatever in quarter cessions. (Hear. hear, and shame.) The affairs of the oounty were administered by magistrates who were not in any way responsible to the people who paid the rates, but this bill planed county affairs in the hands of the people's representatives. (Applause.) There were, of course, certain quali- fications provided for in the bill, and to those quali- fioations he (like the ohairman) objected. (Ap- plause.) Those things showed the cloven hoof ef Torviam. ^Renewed annlanae.^ Thav had t.hn -¡- \——rr——— ""j principle in the bill, but the battle of Liberalism was not yet over, indeed he saw more danger to-day with regard to their falling back than before. They were allowed, as it were, to take their own course, which was the most dangerous oourse of all. They had obtained a share of freedom. They had lost the incentive, perhaps, to fight their battles as of old, but he hoped the principle of Liberalism was strong enough, and even yet active enough, within them to make them fight their battles manfully as before. (Applause.) And the day was not far distant, he believed, when the country would go baok to its old love of iberalism, and of the party which had done so much:for England, and thus made it the great nation of the world. (Loud applause.) The resolution was carried amid hearty cheering. way DMS THE CHURCH PROGBICSS IN TH8 RHONODA VALLEY ? Mr Idris Williams, Brynglas, Porth, was the next speaker. He said he had the most important resolu- tion of all to bring before the meeting, and it was one which deserved their attention, because unless the resolution he had to move was passed, all the previous ones would pass into nought. The subject of the resolution was their representative in Parliament, Mr Alfred Thomas. (Load applause). They were aware that unless he was a good man, and up to what they heard him talking about that evening, all their resolu- tions would be blown away like bubbles; unless he went to Parliament, and represented their views there, all their views would be worthless. If they judged Mr Thomas by his past conduct in the House of Commons they could safely entrust themselves to him to carry out their views iu the future. (Applause) He had just expressed himself with regard to the Conservative Government.BilI, and his views agreed uniformly with those of the electors generally. Also with reference to another resolution which had been Sassed that evening—as to the Coercion in Ireland— [r Thomas was A1 at Lloyd's. (Laughter). On the Disestablishment question, he was likewise warmly in harmony with them, and as a further argument in favour of Disestablishment, he might say—if what had been advanced by the Bishop of Llandaff was true with regard to the progress of the Church, why not disestablish her ? (Laughter and jeers). What were they laughing at ? (Renewed laughter). They could not sea, through that. The Church was making progress as alleged. It had been said by Lord Aberdare, in the course of a speech, while opening a reading room at Mountain Ash, and comparing the district now to what it was when he was a boy, that at the time there was only one clergyman in the whole district, and the clergyman who lived at Swan- sea, paid a small salary to a curate to officiate in his Slace. Now there were sixteen clergymen in the same i8trict, and that showed that the Church was making progress. The Majority of those clergymen were supported by the voluntary contributions of the people. In Mountain Ash there were five clergymen and four out of the five were kept by voluntary con- tributions. He contended that so long as the Church in Wales disestablished herself in this way she pro- gressed. (Applause). Tha Bishop of Llandaff nad said in theRnondda Valley—and he (the speaker) had a right to say something about thiB, being a resident of tne Yalley—Churches had greatly inoreased. That waB true—tne number ef Churches had increased. was true-the number ef Churches had increased. These Churches had cost £60,000, and of this sum J66,000 was contributed out of the Bishop of Llandaff's fund. Where did the remaining £ &4,000 come from ? Why from the voluntary contributions of the people. A Church had been built at Treherbert by Lord Bute, but was Loid Bute compelled by the State to build that Church ? Certainly not. He built the Church voluntarily, and of his own freewill. Then, again, at Ystirad another Church had been bnilt at the sole expense of Mr Crawshay Bailey. Was Mr Crawshay Bailey obliged to build that Church? No. Then what was the result of the Bishop's contention ? Why all the Churches in the Valley had been built by the voluntary contributions of the people. These instances clearly proved this. So long as Churchpeople adhered strictly to their state connection there were no churches built and no clergy to officiate, but once they followed the work done by dissenters, new churches were found necessary, and the number of clergy increased. He fully agreed with the opinion of the Archdeacon of Neath, who, writing to the papers, stated—"The Church of England tree from state con* trol would be far more formidable a rival to DissenterB than she otherwise would be." (Applause.) This was the view of the Archdeacon of Neath, and assum- ing that this was the case, and a large number of persons had joined themselves to the Church in the Rhondda Valley, he maintained that they had joined in so far as they had become disdenters. (Cheers.) It was just the same in the case of Mr Chamberlain and the dissentient Liberals-—(hisses and groans)- they had joined the Tory party because they were no longer Tories. The church followed Nonconformists in tne matter of progress, and it progressed precisely on the same lines as Dissenters progressed. (Loud applause.) Their representative (Mr Thomas) was perfectly healthy on these questions, and he had great pleasure in proposing the following resolution: —" Tnat this meeting of the Eleotors of the Eastern Division of Glamorganshire begs to thank our honourable member for his services in the past, and to express our unabated confidence in him as our representative in the future." (Great cheering). THE CHURCH AND LiqOTTR TEAPFIC TO BE DISESTABLISHED. Rev. J. Pagh, Pontypridd, expressed great pleasure in rising to second the resolution which had bean so well put and spoken to by Mr Williams. (Applause.) He had told them that Mr Thomas was true upon the Disestablishment Question, and he (the speaker) felt proud of him on that score. But he candidly felt prouder than ever of their hon.member because he was so strongly opposed to compensation. He felt that the Welsh nation was strong and healthy on the point, aad he was glad to think that his hands were free to vote according to the national aspirations. (Applause). Tbe conduct of top Government in co,inectiou with that licensing cianse of the Local Government Bill re- minded him forcibly of the story he nad heard of 84 Irishman who bad stolen a pig. The case wa9 tried at the Assizes; evidence was given against the- accused, and the addresdea of counsel and judge were decidedly against him. jJet, after do:1, tlid jury found the man oot. guilty, and he w.»s a quitted. Wàai. then, WA.9 the reason of this stra.iK /crdict ? Why, all the jtuy bad received a share of tha pig. (Laugfc* ter). It was the same with tbe members of the Govern- ment, so many of whom will have s iare of the national pig of compensation for license3 wit'ili Id. (Cries of Shame," and applause). The Government would no doubt have the Bill passed in smt < of justice and fairplav. (Renewed cries of ih trne.) He was pleased that their member was not )f that class. The people of the Eastern isivision feifc strongly on that subjeot, and Mr Thonaas fully sy.npathised with them from the bottom of bis heart. (Applause). He felt thankful to heaven that night that their member was true to them on that point. Mr Thj nai was a Welsh- man, a Nonconformist, and a temperance man —(neat cheering)—and be was ia perfect hamony with the spirit of the Welsh nation, they were & temperance nation, and be hoped they would never be satisfied nntit the chnrcb and the Jiqaar traffic had been disestablished. (Loud applause). The motion expressing the fullest c jnSdenae in Mr Thomas was then put to the meeting and carried in an enthusiastic manner. Mr Thomas, replying, said he thanked them heartily f it the cordial manner in which the vote had been passed, and added that he was prepared to devote his life to their service, and he hoped to their satisfaction. (Applause). Mr Thomas concluded by rn wing a vote ef thanks to the rev. chairman, who had very well filled the place of Mr Williams, who was obliged to leave. Thie was seconded by Mr R. A. Lewis, National. Bank of Wales, and carried amid loud applause. The Chairman suitably acknowledge 1 tha compli- ment, and the proceedings then terminated.