Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

8 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

FULFILLING THE PLEDGE.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

FULFILLING THE PLEDGE. We have witnessed in our own lifetime a marvellous transformation in the methods and the attitude of the Church in Wales. Yes, but where and in what degree in this, her latest and best phase, has the Church of England in Wales been most succesafnl P The answer, I think, is obvious and undeniable. She has been most successful just where, and just in so far as, by developing institutions like the Sunday School, and by throwing herself upon the voluntary effort and enthusiasm of the people (cheers), she has descended into the arena without either the advan- tages or the drawbacks of privilege and endowment, and has taken her place side by side with her Non- conformist sisters in a splendid and even rivalry upon a common field (hear, hear). In our opinion-certainly, it is my honest and delib- erate opinion-freed from her burden of past tradi- tions and of present encumbrances she will find that she has gained more than she has lost, and she can appeal as she has never done before to the hearts and the sympathies of the m&ss of the people of Wales (loud cheers).—The PRIME MINISTER'S last words in introducing the Established Church (Wales) Bill last Wednesday. Amid the Brummagem tumult of the last general election, Wales did not rest content with a sturdy defence of Free Trade. 1906 brought to the Free Churchmen of Cymru an inspiring New Year's message, voiced by Mr Lloyd George to the National Con- vention at Carnarvon. The Disestablish- ment of the Welsh Church," he said, has been an essential part of the Liberal pro- gramme since 1892. Nobody has plucked it out of the programme, and my friend, Sir Alfred Thomas, and I have the authority of the Prime Minister for saying that it is still an essential part of the programme." The Principality accepted this pledge, and almost immediately there arose in the land a lamentation, which even yet has not died away in our neighbourhood: "Such is the anomaly of our representative Government of the day that the 34 of the Welsh mem- bers represent one party only, and one- third of the nation-those of us who call ourselves Churchmen and Conservatives, are without a single representative in the House of Commons." Welsh Free Church- men had a strenuous fight against an un- holy alliance of the Castle, the Church, and the Public-house. But when the long expected measure came before Parliament on Wednesday there was no Welsh member to flaunt the determined demand that the nation has expressed for religious equality. Introduced by the same Statesman as in 1895, the Bill and the case for it remains the same, but the proposals, while sub- stantially identical, offer even more gener- ous terms to the Church, and are also more in harmony with Welsh national feeling. That the Government had not waited un- til the publication of the Royal Commis- sion's report on the Church in Wales was the plea wherewith the Conservative Churchmen opened the attack. The Solicitor-General retorted that the Commis- sion had nothing to do with policy, while with regard to the question of endowments, all the facts and figures had already been collected, and the Commission were now merely considering the terms in which they would make their report to the House. The Free Churchmen of Wales, with whom Disestablishment and Disendowment has been a burning question since the historic election of 1868, can spare no sympathy for the protesting tactics of those who cry out against guch "hasty legislation." Apart from the question of the Commission's re- port, the Opposition adduced no fresh argu- ments on the first reading. The familiar ideas and descriptive phrases that prevail at Church Defence meetings abounded. Mr Clive Bridgeman implored the Government to pause for one moment before they in- flict upon the country of Wales the sin of sacrilege; Mr F. E. Smith could not dis- tinguish the proposal to disendow the Church in Wales from any other act of com- mon t peculation; Lord Robert Cecil did not know in the least what is meant by a badge of inferiority imposed upon Noncon- formity by the establishment and endow- ment of the Church; Mr Cave drew an alarming picture of future risk of taking from every village in the country one who is there, to some extent, for the purpose of helping not only in religious matters, but giving, as a charitable person, help to every poor inhabitant of his parish; while Nonconformists farmers in particular would be interested in Mr Balfour's definition that a tithe is a debt." 11 As in 1895, so at the present time the motives of the Government in introducing the Welsh Church Bill are being impugned; the measure is not intended seriously, it is a mere sop to the Welsh members where- with to keep their constituents quiet! But the position of Disestablishment and Disen- dowment to-day is incomparably stronger than fourteen years ago. There is a solid phalanx of Welsh members, who vary in their personal religious creeds, and who po- litically include both the strong Individual- ism of our Borough Member and the Social- ism of Mr Keir Hardie, yet one and all are united on this particular question. The strong Cymric representation in the Cabinet itself has been and continues to be a weighty consideration. The minority in the House of Commons will lay their trust in the" Upper" House, but we venture to anticipate that the Bill is not so easily doomed if only Wales will display in no ambiguous manner her continued earnest- ness. Every Free Churchman in every town, village, and hamlet throughout the length and breadth of the country, all po- litical and other organisations which are pledged to support the principle of religious equality, are now expected to do their duty, and in no wavering manner declare that this Bill now before the country must become law. Let Montgomeryshire, at any rate, be not remiss. The County 'and Borough Mem- bers are sound and stalwart on this meas- ure, and their constituents may confidently look to them to take a leading part in the activities of the campaign that now re- opens.

-----A DUAL APPOINTMENT.

"THEY BLEW THE SMOKE AGAIN/'

DEPARTURE OF A POPULAR NEWTONIAN.

- Runaway Ho se in a Railway…

! " The Terriers."

Caersws Y. Forden.

SEEN AND HEARD.