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MR TOM ELLIS ON "THE AITTICS…

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MR TOM ELLIS ON "THE AITTICS OF THE LORI S." At a meeting of the Council of the Merioselhaliizfr Liberal Association, Mr Thomas E. Ellis, M.P.. 9*6. ferring to the Parliament session just ended, MMt it was unprecedented in the number of its sitting?, the difficulties the Liberals had surmounted, and in Ü. splendid courage and leadership of Mr Gladatoa* (applause). Pessimists were cocksure in their pro- dictions of failure, but all such predictions falsified by the results. Not only that, but on Nor, 2nd Parliament would sit again to pass the Paririt and District Councils Bill, and the Employer#' Liability Bill. As to the grpat marplot of Liberal legislation, the House of Lords, it had completely spoiled the Sites for Places of Worship Bill, which, consequently, had to be abandoned as worse thas useless (" Shame "). The House of Lords had ajw hacked the London County Councils Bill by axtikfag out the betterment olauses, and, further, it—mpecu ally the ultra-clerical faction in it-had done ita ntr most to mutilate Welsh schemes for university, secondary, and technical education. They defeated the charter for the erection of the UniverailJ of Wales because Lampeter was Dot included, a afiuir theological Churoh of England college, mainly ouiw ported out of tithes, and with the Bishop of Srt. David's as its governing body. It had a scbool IW sectarian as itself attached to it, and the Joint Kdtf- cation Committee of Cardigau had relu-ed to let scholarships paid for out of the county rate bm ten- able at the school. Because this college, with its ridiculous government and its religious teste, W'a." not included, the Lords tried hard to delay, if not destroy, the charter, and because the school wsa not allowed to receive money out of the county rate, OW whole provision for enabling boys and girls to pro* oeed from primary schools to intermediate and t,%4vh-, nical schools, and thence to the university colleges, was ruthlessly cut out W shlime ") In the Merioneth- shire scheme a clause was inserted to goarDÐW thatschools maintained out of public funds should bÐ undenominational, and that the particular instruction should only be given under regulation* made by the county governing body. That ul&060 was maimed and mutilated. The House of Lor& oomaiitted these mutilations at the bidding of border bishop. In the middle ages, the Lords of th* Marches used their irresponsible power to deepoil Welshmen of freedom, laws, and lands. Mat the castles of the Lord of the Marches mtm in ruins, and their tyranny broken. Now, a Biøbop of the Marches, by means of his irresponsible power, played the shifty, slovenly, and vindictive gaIN OJ open and veiled foes of Welsh national moveMOSAP ("Shame.") They bore the mutilations of Welflb schemes with tolerable equinimity, because they knew the democratic forces were steadily wnd inevit- ably moulding events po all to make the influence border bishops upon Welsh national progress as dead as that of the Lords of the Marches (cheers.) '.n:.o.. antica of the House of Lords enabled them to realfe#' their hostility to the hopes ot Ireland. The electoftt* of the United Kingdom declared at the pol18 fm Home Rule as a principle and policy. After a debate of eighty-two ditya the bill passed all its stage*, and the bill thus passed was to bestow ou Ireland t- sweetness of peace, after long strife, and the pricelewf blessing of self-government. It was about to brigg relief to an immensely over-burdened Parliament, and to open up an era of progressive legislation. But from north, south, east, and west crowded tO gilded chamber in Westminster Palace some (cor" hundred odd individuals-(Iaugliter)-moritly sows ci descendants of persona ennobled, some for carwre 9fr honour, some of dishonour. Though represeataiMF- nobody but themselves, those lords spiritual a»l* temporal were able by n strange anachronism in British constitution to flout the declared opinions of the electors of the United Kingdom, and destroy stv biow the fruits of eighty-three days labour wtb** House of Commons (" shame)." The Lord* iMi never acted so ttudaciously since 1880, WUM they flung out a bill to afford protection to "b teuants who were being evicted under the etrewF" of the famine of 1879. But within twelve mouths the Lords had submissively to pass a drastic MM& sulendid Land Act for Ireiand, passed by XI" Gladstone through the Commons (cheers). Tnou^t' thure had been no open outburst of indignation IS the country at the last shameful act < f the heredi- tary and episcopal legislature, d=ep resentment Sinking into the heart cf the democracy cf tWw1 country (oheers). When the tim., came for pro- nouncing a verdict on this assembly of obstructive*, Wales would take a leading part (cheers). TISO House of Lords were bitterly hostile to every aspira- t'on and hope of Wales. lu a few months, WOUR would be face to face with the House of Lords, and would know from experience what was Ireland'# bitter grief at the dashing of the cup from its lips bp irresponsible psora and bishops. Home Rule baCt passed, and despite the action of the Lords, Ireland knew that the final oui.,inmnatioti of her hopes wu ouly deiayed for a few brief years. The eecondt pledge given by the Liberal patty was for Wobiv Disestablishment (cheers). As the SI ssion advanced the Welsh members felt the necessity, alike in the- interests of Wales and of the Liberal party, of press* ing strongly for the tulfilment of that aoieum Pledge- He co-operated heartily and enthusiastically in to. policy mainly traced out by his fellow member, ilT Lloyd George (cheers), iu the correspondence tfitb Mr Gladstone. That correspondence had, to hw knowledge, done most substantial service to tbV cause of Wales (cheers). In his suconri letter, of tb" 8th August, Mr Gladstone tactily assented to tbff position accorded to Welsh Disestablishment in íb. Newcastle programme. He laid diiect and marked emphasis on the irrevocable Parliamentary pki'jf# contained in the Suspensory Bill, in the debate, ni-ct in the splendid division taken upon its tirsd reading, and he finally promised that when tb. time arrived for settling the n,:x:t session's work, priority would, amidst conflicting claim*, be given to Welsh Disestablishment (loud chwers), Sinoe that letter was wri t ten two events bad happened which cleared up doub,ful points in Mr letter. Firstly, Home Rule had passed the Common?,, and the Irish Nationalists were anxious to help in. forwarding British legislation; secondly, the dater-, m,nation of the Government to ask their followers to sacrifice thei- leisure and holiuay to hold winter sitting. to pass useful measure-, such aa the L(.c.J. Government Bill and others (applause). The LocaI Government Bill would democratise boards of guardians, local boards, rural sanitary anthoritiee,, and parish vestries, and would enable working tneo- to obtain greater control of the affairs directly i elo- ting to the poor, such as charities, education, public health, land, and the amenities of a wholesome town aud village life (appliuse). Some people were aghast at the idea that the beat way to clear the decks for Disestablishment was to secure wiut-r sittings for the Employers' Liability and other like bills, but for his own part he had no doubt nor hesitation that- Welsh Disestablishment would be the leading measure next session (loud applause). During the last seeaio» the unity of the Welsh party had been *hr eatened. As tueir representative he opposed, on the one hand, the policy of letting their great question drift take its chance; and, on the other hand, he couid 110$, support the proposal for complete severance trom the Liberal party, before that party had had an oppof-- tunity to fuifil its pledges to Walea (hear, bear)*- Next session that opportunity would be obtained, and his conviction was strong that Wales have ample justification for its reliatice on tbv good faith of the Liberal party (loud clieeris), This session, though monopolised by the urgency of the Irish question, had not been fruitless for Walee. It had been a great satisfaction to help in getting the quarries of Wales placed under the special '■ provisions of the Factories and Workshops Act; itt securing a committee of experts to frame rules and-' regulations for the safe working of quarries; in securing the removal of Judge Beresford, and tbe appointment of a very able Welsh-apeaking lawyer? in helping forward Welsh intermediate schemcm; in obtlining a charter for the creation ot a Univereitjr of Wales; in adapting the primary school code and the admirable evening continuat on tchool code to the needs and circumstances of Wales, and in render- ing some assistance to the friends of education in various districts in North and Mil Wales in their struggles for good schools under elective control v and, abuve all, in appointing the Royal Commission on Welsh Land (loud cheers). In its immediate and its prospective effect this great inquiry would exercise -1. far-reaching influence (hear, hear). It was throwing a strong light up n many dark corners of Welsh rural life; it was exposing with quite dramatic force deeds of wrong petpetrated uuder the cover of the law; it was giving heart aDd hope to tho peasantry and it was the certain fore- runner of Welsh L'ind Act and a Welsh Housing of Labourers Act, which will give fair conditions ot labour, secure homes, and will enlarge the opportuni- ties to the tillers of the soil of Wales (loud cheers). ♦

[No title]

LLANFYLLIN ToWN COUNCIL,

MONTGOMERY TOWN COUNCIL,