The North Wales Chronicle and Advertiser for the Principality

EXPLANATION BY MR JOHN WILLIAMS (OWERNHEFIN). I beg leave to submit that early in the month of February, 1882, finding that liavid Jones, the elder, then tenant ot Rhydybod, was iu difficulties, and that Evan Jones, his son, who bad been for some time working the fatm with his father was desirous of beooming tenant and retaining the old home, the matter was considered by Mr O. S. Wynne and myself, and as it was the custom on the estate to allow the kion of an outgoing tenant to have first claim, it was decided that Evan Jones should have the farm provided he could oommand the capital neoessary for taking to the stook. This was communicated by me to Evan Jones. It transpired, however, that Evan Jones wle at the time embarrassed by being personally responsible as surety in some of his father's affairs, and it was arranged, with Mr 0 S. Wynne's sanction, that his father-in-law, Hugh Edwards, of Caeoooh, should become the nominal tenant on his behalf, and Hugh Edwards did so in Maroh, 1882. The peouniary transaction between Hngh Edwards and Evan Jones and myself arose in this way. In 1879 I lent Evan Jones's brother, David Jones, of Dolfawr (not on Sir Watkin's estate) .£100, and in 1881 I lentbim and bia father, David' Jor.es, of Rbydybod, a farther sum of E200, both on promissory notes only. David Jones, tather and son, tailed early in 1882. The sum of f.520 was then required by Hugh Edwards and Evan Jones to buy the stock of Rhydybod from the trustee under the liquidation, and they pressed me to advance it, stating they would make good the lose I had sustained through the failure of David Jones the elder. The proposal came from them and was parely voluntary on their part as an inducement to me to lend them the £ 520. 1 agreed to advance the money but the transaction had no reference to tbe tenauoy of tbe farm, wbich in any eveDt would have been let to Evan Jonee,la previonly stated, if be had been in a position to stock It. I positively deny that any part of the debt of David Jones, the elder, or any other sum of money whatever, was secured to me by EnD Jones, either alone or jointly, ai consideration for the tenancy of Khydybod. I further bag leave to state emphatioally that I have never received pecuniary or other consideration from any person in respect of a tenancy upon any estate with which I have been oonneoted. This 1 am prepared to swear. upon oath in any court. John Williams. Gwernhafin, Bala, 4th Ootober, 1893. FTO the Editor.] Sir,-Will you kiudly allow ma to state tnrougn your oolumns, that I most emphatically deny the charges and insinuations which were brought against me before the Land Commission at Bala by witnesses under the protection of that Court. That becoming responsible for part of his father's debt to me was the condition upon which Evan Jones could have the tenanoy of Rhydybod, is mani- featly untrue, as the selection of all tenants upon the Glaullyn Estate, rested entirely wi h Mr 0. S. Wjnne, Sir Watkin's chief agent at that time, and no estate paymeat or allowanoe was rr ade by me without bis sanction. It can soarcely be necessary to point out to all fair-minded men the iojustice of base insinuations being oast without any attempt to substantiate them, and without uotice which would afford an opportunity of refuting them. I challenge anyone to prove that I ever used my position IS agent to extort a single penny from, or lo show favour to anybody, but it would appear that any act of be-friending a neigbbour in distress ia lifthla tn he attributed to base and interested  "7- moI1Y8B.-I am, &o., I- motives.—I am, &o., John Williams. Gwernbefin, Bala, 9th Oct., 1893.

■ TUESDAY'S SITTING AT LLANGEFNI, j The Welsh Laud Commission resumed its sittings at Llangefni for the purpose of oommmcing the inquiry in Anglesey. In the absenoe of Lorl Carrington the chair was taken by Lord Kenyon, the other Commissioners present being Sir J. T. D. Llewellyn, Professor John Rhys, Mr Grove, Mr J. M. Griffith, and Mr Richard Jones. Mr J. E. Vincent (instructed by Mr rge Owen, Carnarvon) again ."tched the proce> ;s on behalf of the ?rth Wales Property De ence AaMoiation. Mr Llewelyn Jones, of Denbigh, and Mr Kllis Jones Griffith appeared on behalf of the agitators. When the proceedings commenced, the Town Hall pr.- sented a meet dreary appeai auoe, there being not more than fifty ptople all told in the building, including about a dozen reporters, the Commis- sioners, and the representatives of the different parties. There were probably not more than a dozen farmers in the assembly. The first witness was Mr J. Morton Pritchard, J.. Gora, Holyhead, who made a very interesting statement dealing with the landlords of the ooanty generally, and the effect which the proposed nostrums of the agitators would have upon a coanty like Anglesey wbtre the large majority of the landowners are of the tenant farmst class. Mr Bryn Roberts having stated at Carnar- von that he would like to see the land more gener- ally divided, and the landowners' ranks swelled by un accession of Liberals and Nonconformists, the present witness, basing his remarks on his exper- ience of thirty years in Anglesey, said that if the state of things suggested by Mr Bryn Robots were brought about it would be most disastrous for the agricultural interests. He divided the landlords of the oounty into two classes, A auel B. (Joder Class A he included from 15 or 20 of the largest land- owners of the oounty, such aB the Marquis cf Ang- lesey, Lord Stanley of Alderley, Lord Boston, Sir Rionard Bulkeley, Sir George Meyrick. the Hon. Frederick Wynn and ethers. These own probublv three-fourths of the land in Anglesey. In Class B he iuoluded 200 Eimall owner, who are eiiber tenants of their own holdings or otherwise. Class A, representing tbe old nobility, aro all Churchmen and Conservatives; Class B, Nonconformists and Liberah Class B exact about 75 per oent. more rent than Clasa A exact. Owing to the agitation now carried on by some interested and some ignorant person* oiass a have, unfortunately, been selling land and Class B baying. It sometimes happened that Class A bought a farm or two from Class B. When Class A b.nght rents were reduced, when Class B bought rents were put up. Witness ventured to w>Art. that there was not a tenant on the laud of Sir George Meyriok who would not be filled with oonsternation if it were announoed that Sir George intended to sell, llewo ild give instanoes to Bhow how the ren t3 rtile(i on the e-^tatss of Clasa A and Class B respectively. £ ir George Meyrick ia a large owner In the neighbourhood of Aberffraw and the average rent ie 18? an acre. Almost in the iddl- of Sir George's ev?tateis a farm owned by am;Ol b Class B the rent there charged is about £3 per aore. Another oase is a farm wbioh was formerly owned by a in Cla.s B. The landlord was a Weslevan. Witness said ho himself was a W8¡"yan. The firm, when owi)-il by tbe Wealeyan small owner, was r-rited at £100 a year; it was bought by Sir Georg* Meyrick and the rent was immediately r-duced to £ 45 a year Uu was authorised by Mr Riohards, the vioar of Aberffraw, to mention another instance. Mr Richards has a farm now vacant it is surrounded by Sir George Meyrick. The farm has hitherto been let at an aver- age rental of 18* per acre. Mr Rioba'.dshaereceived five or six applications and has been offered E3 an acre. Witness wished to traverse the suggestion that bad often been made before the Commission that the landlords aro like hawks on the look out for opportunities to raise the rents. He oould give instances to show that the landlords of Class A iu the County of Anelesey were not of this ob-r-eter. Thii" it'»f»rmof Ty'nlon, in the parish of Aberffraw was l't in the time of the late Captain King at an avi-ra'-e rental of 16s p=r acrs. Th9 es ate came to Lord Stanley. mnd as it wos under-rented eve-ybody expected that rcn s wiuld be raised. There had, as a matter of fact been no increase. The late Hen. W. O. Stanl y had his estate re-valued in the prosperous lim,s-it had not been previously valued for over 30 yeirs. During that time eomo nine or ten farms on the estate bad been greatly improved, and ir was feared that the rtnW of these would be increased Somll falmB were vtrv slightly increase-, but the rents of the improved farms remained the an me T hey are still the same A farm of the name of Groe-wtn on the estate of I rd Ktanl-y became vacant some time ago in consequence of the death of the previo' b tenant, an old m.n who left no teirs. There was no claim for compensation. Witness him-elf applied for the f8o'm, and would willing'y have given 50s per acre for it. The farm was I-t to another, and th e rent w f) not raised. Again on 'he tlst .te, of ¡;ir R ohad Bulkeley a h, m w. nt vacant about six years ago. It was 1 t at about Igii per ice, and eing conveniently ei uat--d ther' were 45 appli- cati ns f r it. Oce man went straight to Sir Richard and offered 30a an acre for it. Sir Riohard called his agejt and ai-ked since when farms on hia es at" Wire let by auction. "he agent taid that that waB n jt the case, bir Richard gave the farm to ano her applicant at a r. ntal of 17s an acre, thus actually reduciug the otigiual reut. Wi ness th-n gave two iiia ances of the disastrous effect to agriculture which resulted when land passed cut of the posses- sion of Clasa A to Class B. Receutiy a farm was b. Id, but 20 ac es were taken off. The rent not witi standing was ra ted by £70. Another farm, from which 60 acres were tak. n off, was bcught by a Bit ling tenam at such a h'gh figure by a Htting tt-nMV at aach )t h'gh Bg ure formerly psid in f<nt. Again, a place )", by Sir RioLard Butk* )? for ?20 a year was sold to a teuaut for L840. Witness submitted that these instanoes showea that the disastrous effects which would follow if the county gentry were compelled by tbe agitators to cell out. Passing on to deal with the estate of the Hon. Frederiok Wynn, against whom a tenant in Lleyn had made a oom- plaint that rents were high, Witness said he could give an instance, and it was an illustration of a farm of 170 acres which was let at a rental of 20 nar oent. balow the rating of the parish, although the rating in that parish ia supposed to be 30 per cent, below average reritala. The late Lord New- borough-from whom the Hon. Frederick Wynn inherited hie estate—bad four farms of an aggregate aoreage of 600 acres. He let the lot for E120. Lord Newborough subsequently spent about CI2,000 in buildings and improvements on these farms. Still the rents were not raised, and Mr Wynn to-day received only LIZO rent,or one per oeut. on Lord Newborough's outlay, whilst the farms go for nothing. Proceeding to examine the nostrums of the land agitators, the Witness said he did not quite understand what the objeot of the proposed land oourt would be. It it was to fix a fair rent aooording to market value then be said tbat Class A would benefit immensely thereby. If on the other hand it was the intention to fix fair rents oa the basis of the rentals paid to the land- lord in Class A on some basis below that figure, the result would be absolutely ruinous to the hundreds of small owners in the County of Anglesey, tie gave an instance to illustrate his argument. He know of a farm ot 220 acres on the estate of Sir George Meyriok which was let at jE180, or about 16a 6d per aore. Immediately adjoining is a farm of 16 acres, owned by a landlord in Class B. The rent is 9150, or El 16a 61 per aore. Supposing the latter was aooepted as the basis of fair rents, th( oonseqoenoe would be that three- fourths of tho land in the county owned by Class A would go up, and the tenant farmers would suffer. On the other band, if the former became the standard of fair rents, the whole of Class B would be ruined, especially suoh as bad mortgages on their farms. Witneis made a long statement showing the effect of giving fixity of tenure, but in the main he &,reed with previous witness that fixity of tenure would only benefit the sitting tenant. Dealing "ith the advantages oonferred by the en. closure of sheep walks, &a., by L)rd Penrhyn and Mr Asaheton Smith, witness recited the case of a farmer in Carnarvonshire who had the whole mountaic for 912 a year, although the walls could not have cost the landlord less than about P400. In reply to questions from the Commissioners, ine witness said he thought the general oondition of the farmers in the oounty was fairly good. He oould say from experience that the amount of the deposits in the banks, if stated, would fairly astonish the Commission. He did not care to mention the names of the farms to whioh he ha3 refetred, but sinoe the Commissioners pressed for the names that Henllye Wen was the name of the farm let in Aberffraw for £3 an aore; that Bodwyddolwen was the farm onoe owned by a Wesleyan that Lleifiog Fawr was the farm which Sir Riohard Bulkeley reduced from 188 to 17a an sore and that Fferam Fawr was the name of the farm which a ClaBS B landlord had put up by £ 70. When farms had been sold il Anglesey they had first of all been offered te the tenants. Religion and politics had nothing to do with the letting of farms, bnt a farm:-r had oomplaiued to him that b,c,aee be (the farmer) was a Churchman and Conservative he could not get certain privileges whioh a neigh- bouring Radical and Nonconformist farmer enjoyed. Witness did not oare to give the name of the com- plaining farmer in publio but he would give it in writing to the Commission. The evidence, which is oertainly as remarkable as any yet given in North Wales, occupied the whole morning, and Mr Pritohard vacated the witness* obair when the Court adjourned for lunch, wnen me \UWUJ' diooe a again met, Mr John Thomas, of Llanfair- yngbornwy, who said that be had won a prize in the Carnarvonshire and Anglesey Show for the best managed farm, comi-I.ined that in a recent Bale be had paid E2800 for his holding, and no account was taken of the fact that ha himself had apent qmt9 92000 in impioving the farm. He wanted fixity of teuure which would give confidence to farmers to spend money and labour in improvine farme and in reclaiming waste lands. Mr Richard Hughea, ten- lint farme-, of Cefn Mawr,came forward to give evi- dence on behalf of the Anglesey County Oosuctl, ard said that the present morlo of levying poor rate was unfair. The latest statistics showed thtt8,491,600 had been paid in poor rates by landlords, farmers, and ricoaviers. He thought that poor rate should be collected on the same basis as income tax, and thus the farmers would be relieved to the extent of 35 per cent. Witness himself is a free trader, but he was bound to say that whilat free trade had benefited the community at large, it h d brought disatiter to masy farmers.-Mr Owen WiI. liame, of Caerdegog Uchaf, Llanfechell, who with biaanoeatorabadooeapiedtbe farm for over 200 years, next gave evidence. He bad receipts to show that the rent at one time was ?4 a year. The farm had been greatly improved at a great ex- pense to the tenants, who had drained, built, and hauled building materialti. Afterwards the witness was told that the farm was to be sold, and the price fixed at £1000. Considering that he h.d spent so much money, he determined to purchase rather than forfeit the improve- ments. Witness said that a great many in. etanoes of the came kind had happened in the county. In one oase a widow had received notice to quit because she was going to marry a man against whom hè estate agent entertained an objection. In ?r.?.,examiiiation witness said that the agent referred t) WM Mr ThomM Prichard, Liwydiarth Esgob, agent to Sir George Meyrick. —Mr John Jones, farmer and blacksmith, of Llan- fairynghornwy, aleo spoke of the hardships which farmers had experienced in having practioally to purohase their own improvements at the land sales. -Mr George Owen, of Carnarvon, secretary of the Proper I) DeCtnce Association, next came for ward, and tendered three tiles of returns for the Counties of Merioneth, Carnarvon, and Anglesey. Eaoh of such returns was signed by the landowner or his aooredited agent. No choice had been madu ot such returns, but all that had come to hand had been inoluded. The retnms showed, iu separate columns (I), N..m. address, and county of owner; (2), acreage and rental (3), temporary abatements sinoe 1883 (4), per- manent reductions aiaoe 1883 and (5), observa- tions aa to rise and fall of rents, for the most part over fifty years.—Two faroQTs next give evideuce, viz., Mr William Riohards, oi YnyafaWr, and Mr Hugh Pritohard, of Mioffordd, LUngaffo. The former oomplained of the insufficient protection given to the farmer by the present law of trespass, e.nd the latter that be was obliged to buy his own improvements when be bought his farm at the salt' of General Owen Williams, Craigydou Estate. Mr Owen Grilffto, the sua-agent ou tbe estates of Major Lloyd, ofPlas Tre^aiun, aud Mis Jones- Parry, gave evidenoe as to thean estates, bit uotbiug of impJrtatJo, transpired. The relations between landlord and tenant were good, neither politics nor religion being oonsidtred irt lettiug farms. The remainder of the silting was taken up by two tenants who had perjonel grie»auoee to lay before the Commission.—The first of those was &1. John Williams, of Cemmaes, who aid that yearB ago he had been a tenant of a farm owned by Mr G. J. Robeite, of Trefartben. He bad been obliged 10 leave because he could not make his way there. The farm v only 150 acres in extent. It bad been purohaBed by Mr Roborte, Trefarthen, for £ 1600. hnd he e-asted E160 in rent from witneas.-Richard Jane., Tyddyn Hio the other witness, referred to the bardahip-i which had been experienced by his pirents. Hie father in 1856 was obliged to lenve a nn»ll farm without any compensation b<-c»use ti e farm was to be sold. His flatb (r removed to another farm, and the same thing »*:airj happened. Tins witness oreatcd a good deul of amusement by his caustic critioism of the oonduet of land agents and altirlv- men. The agent of Lord Boston's estate in 1856 was a ourse to the oouutry, but," added the wit nees, the present agent is a pattern tn Wales." The clergy, he thought, ibfiaenced the landlord?, and that influence was detrimental to the farmers If the landlords were left alone, things would go on all right.

Ii WED NESDAY'S SITTING at LLANGEFNI. The attendance tit the Town Hall, LUngefni, on Wednesday, when the Wel.h Land Coinmis- g on resumed their iiiqutry into the condition of | alfaiis in Anwiesey. i-tiowoti little improvement up iu that of the previous day. With the exoep- turn nt getitleitien dii-pctly interebte' very tew of the general pub ic had put in au appearance I when the proceedings commenced. Lord Car- I rington was again in his place all president of I the Commission, and tijo only aoseutees were Mr Suebohm and Mr Brymiwr J> nrs, Q.C., M,P., the latter of who o, it it, state naS lelt England on a trip to Italy. Mr Thomas Pilchard, of LlwjdiarUi Esgob, extimined by the Cfiairman, said lie ».is ageut to Sir George Idty.-ek and on • t'i>-r estates in Anglesey. He WàII a larmef, laudjwnni, county couuoillor, foiiuitor, chairman or UOird uf lIuar. diaus, Hum, Sanitary Authority, iiiid Ab,etibmeijt Committee <»f Anglesey Union. SIr George Meyrick's estate was about i7,000 acres in extent, and tie wished to speak of that property in particular, ajid of the western part of the couhty in general. Witness was steward of two fnanors here courts were held. The most recent enclosures were those of Bodaton in lti68, Llaufechan in 1866, aud IJwltlchmai in 1870. He believed thut some ot the old squatters were considered as treehoiders, but tile most receut xquatters had to pay. Tbey were Crown lauds, aud the Crown sold everything except the minerals, whether it belonged to them or not. Tue trustees or an Indepenuent chapel had to pay R23 2s for the land on which the chapel was built. Ats to the commons, there was no btatute here as in Lancailire to prevent the catting of the grass. The persons interested in commons were those who had btock, those who made mats, and poachers. The Cua?rman: What do you mean by poach- ers ? W.tness: People wandering about catching rabbits. Do you call them poachers ?--Certainly, my lord. The fiportin4 belongs to the lord of the manor. There is a popular impression that the commons belong to the community at large, and the public generally have rights on them. As a matter of fact, the people who exercise rights are tenants of the manor and are cottigers. Are there no public rights on the common P — Rights of way; I know of no other right. Con- tinuing, he said that there were about twenty owners of 1000 acres and upwards in the county. All the large owners resided a considerable por- tion of the year either in this or the adjoining county. There was a sort of family reeling between landlord and tenants on the old estates. Politics and religion made no difference in the selection of the tenants. Tenants were chosen either because they were related to the old tenants, were good farmers, had means, or had been good farm servants. Sites for chapels had been given or leased on nominal terms whenever asked for. Witness handed in an agreement which was drawn up in 1875, after consulti- tion between the agent and the tenants, but stated that as legislation had since made the greater part of it void, another agreement would be prepared, which would be very much simpler. The oppressive clauses were nerer used. The Chairman And they might as well come out ? Witness replied that they were encumbrances, and were going to be taken out. Plots of land, after the style of three acres and a cow, had been let for some five or six years, and so far the system had worked very well. He objected to having the agreements on the estate trans- lated into Welsh, because he knew that in cases where wills had been made in Welsh, there had been so much dispute about the definition of legal terms that it cost more than the property was worth. Sir George Meyrick's estate was valued in 1806, and at that time there were a large number of leases for lives which fell in between the years 1842 and 1860. It was again valued in 1871 by a competent valuer. The average rent on the estate was 16s 7d an acre, but considering the abatement of 20 per cent. made last year, the average was really only 14s 3d per acre. Once when a tenant complained about his rent, an arbitrator was appointed,who decided that the rent was not too high, and yet the landlord paid all expenses. The 1871 valua- tion showed an increase of about 12 per cent., but the farms as a whole were let under the valuation by four per cent. From 1883 to 1885 abatements were -made of five per cent. in 1885-86, 10 per cent. in 1886-87, 15 per cent.; in 1887-88, 15 per cent.; in 1888-89,10 per cent.; in 18^9-90, 5 per cent.; in 1890-91,10 per oent. in 1891-92, 20 per cent. There was to be another 20 per cent. this year. The rents were only paid once a year, and notice of the abatements was always given. When the leases to which he had referred fell in the farms were in a poor con- dition, and in some cases the owners were com. i polled to consolidate holdings, but there had .?len no consolidation of any account since 1870. It was almost impossible to persuade many tenants to act according to the Agricultural Holdings Act or an agreement. The landlord received no notice of improvements, and could hardly be expected to pay for things done with- out his knowledge. Consent had and would always be given if the improvements were real. The Chairman: Is the Agricultural Holdings Act any use ? Witness said the tenants could not read it or abide by it, and no Act could work unless there was an improved system of valuation. Except near coverts, tenants were allowed to catch all rabbits in any manner they chose. In many places they neglected to keep down the rabbits, and in one parish a man who was employed for the purpose killed 763 couples in a month, the proceeds being distributed among the tenants in proportion to the amount of work they had done in maintaining the fences. Rabbits were ruining some farmers, and he would like to see every one of them destroyed. There were a great many complaints about dogs killing sheep. Trespassers in pursuit of water- cress, plovers' eggs, and mushrooms were very numerous. People would hardly believe the amount of mushrooms there was in the county. During the ten years of the nominal season 200 tons of mushrooms were sent away from Anglesey, which would represent something like jMOOO. Mushrooms were wholly the produce of the soil; if they belonged to anybody they belonged to the farmer who paid the rent. He suggested that the law of trespass should be made summarily punishable just as trespass in pursuit of game. Asked about railway rates, TIe ..id the r,il,.y companies encouraged the dealers and not the farmers. There was only one railway in the county, and they charged what they liked for intermediate stations. For instance, it cost 16s lOd to bring a sheep from Chester to Llangefni. He should think that about one-third of the land in the county had changed hands within the last fifty years. There was now an immense number of small freeholders. The Chairman: With what result ? Witness Mid it was not a failure so far, but they had not felt the pinch yet. The sales began in 1854, and had been going on at the rate of 1000 acres a year ever since. On a great many of the farms the rents had been raised almost invariably on the sales. Questioned as to the accommodation for labourers Witness said that many of them were such ruffians that they spoiled anything in the shape of furniture put in their rooms. By ruffians he meant rough mannered men, who if pots and pans were put in a room would have them broken before the next morning. Except for house accommodation the labourers were better off than the farmers. There was considerable emigration of joiners, carpenters, and jerry builders to Liverpool, and he believed that ti?r ??fisistants in the large drapery estab- lishments in London were mostly Welshmen. The trade depression began in 1880. The first cause was bad seasons, and th"n carnq foreign competition. For ign stock and corn paid no sort of taxation, whereas home produce was very much overburdened with local, rates. Besides labour was dear and strikes had upset everything. As to remedies, he thought that an improvement would result from the opening of new xnarkets for manufactured goods. He did not go in for protection in any way, but it seemed to him quite suicidal to handicap home produce. Land should be relieved to a ureat extent from the burden ot rates. He would sugg st that a ship, for instance, should pay a tonnage rate towards maintitining the Navy. The Chairman: What are the relations be- tween the landlord and the tenants on this estate ? Witness: Very friendly. A certain section of the Welsh Press have done all they can to create bad feeling by depicting landlords as villains of the deepest dye, who ought to be swept off the face of the earth without trial or hearing. I band in specimens of the scurrilous literature and translations for the benefit of the Commission. In answer to other questions, Witness said that in nineteen years 219,400 had been spent in repairs and improvements on the estate and no interest charged except in one or two special cases. Lord Kenyon: Don't you think that if farmers farmed better they would compete better with the foreigner ? Witness Yes, but it is so disheartening when you have to pay everythin g out in rates. They are so handicapped to begin with. By Mr Griffiths: There were sales two years ago, and the tenants were paid large sums of monej as compensation for improvements. The system throughout Anglesey as to valuation was that the outgoing tenants' valuer valued too high, and the incoming tenants' representative too low They then appointed an abitrator, and after drin?ing a bottle or two of whisky I they split the difference (laughter,. Mr Griffiths Are thefe no teet,tal umpires ? (laughter). Witness: I have no doubt there are, but I do not think they get much custom. Professor Rhys: Who provides the whisky P (laughter). Witness: Oh, the outgoing tenant. It is his interest to get as much as he can (laughter). The valuation is held in his house. By Mr Griffiths: He had known of land being sold at 70 years' purchase. He could only ac- count tor that by saying that the rent was very low. To Air It. Jones: Farmers under lease ought to be the best farmers, but they were not as a rule. In answer to Mr Grove, Witness said there were many instances of sons of farmers becoming doctors and lawyers. The charge of 163 lOd for bringisg a sheep from Chester to Llangefni in- cluded the cost of removal from the show-ground to the railway station. Mr Grove: It appears to me a most unreason- able charge, and one far above the maximum power of the company. Witness: But a ram according to the A«t is not a sheep (laughter). They charge twice as much for rams. Professor Rhys questioned the witness as to the labourers' cottages in Aberffraw. He replied that the people there made duck ponds in their houses. If he were to turn a person out because he made a duck pond in his floor, he would be called a regular brute. Professor Rhys: But if he had a cottage with a wooden floor they would not manage a duck pond so well ? (laughter). Witness: They would make a hole in the floor (laughter). But suppose a duck pond was made in the backyard p The idea of their keeping their ducks in the house is because their neighbours wiil steal them (laughter). I am talking facts now I am not jok ng. They keep animals of all kinds when they have no accommodation for them. Proretsor Rhys And all this happens in the ancie-it and royal village of Aberffraw (laughter). Witness: Yes where Prince Llewelyn once was ruling" (laughter). Continuing, he said that farmers could not control the labourers. In some phCB they went out larking at night all over the place, pulling gates off and all that sort of thing. One effect was the lirge proportion of illegimate children. In answer to questions by Mr Ellis Jones Griffiths, for the tetar^ farmers, Witness said that the tenm^ arranged among themselves as to who should give evidence before the Com- mission. He had seen some of their statene-its, which he hal told them to send direct to the secretary. 0 it of 255 farms on the estite there had been only 23 notices to quit acted upon in the last 21 years. Twenty-seven tenants had during three years received ,;Cll69 as compensation on oale-. He never interfered with the religion or politics of the tenants, nor had he ever induced or attempted to induce any tenant to attend a political meet- ing. Witness admitted having written the following letter to Mr Samuel Owen, dated November 7th, 1835: — "I know yon were a Liberal, but von were always a good friend and upholder of liberty and religion, which are in Aerious danger from Mr Chamberlain (laughter). I am glad to hear from Mr John Hughes I am not wroniz. Can you attend a public meeting at Aberffraw, of which notice will be given, to support Captiin Ravner, and sava few words as to land, &c.P-Yoiirs truly, THOMAS PRICHARD." The reading of the letter was followed by hisses and a warning from Lord Carrington to clear the room if such demonstrations con- tinued. Witness explained that by inducing he under- stood undue influence, and he certainly used no undue influence among the tenants. Mr Owen did not come to the meeting mentioned. Wit- ness did not consider that letter an. instance of interference in politics. LORD STANLEY of ALDERLEY'S EVIDENCE. Lord Stanley of Alderley was the next witness lIe said he held land ia about thirty parishes, owning 5700 acres in Anglesey, besides his lanfl on Holyhead Island. In his opinion commons were very much better allotted and divided at present. Their valho was very snull to the few people who made uFe of them. He found by his books that he h "ti spent twics as much money npon the bouses of tenants who did not speak a word of English as upon those who did. As to the religion of the tenants, he had nothing whatever to do with that. The difference between the sects were very small, and did not concern him. In regard to politios he had only had two electioneer- ing expfrienoea. He had never had anything I'ke a political eviotion, or an eviction at all. At the last election he let it be known that he preferred Mr Lewis, the sitting member, because he had been a good, honest Radioal all his life, whereas Mr Morgan Lloyd called himself a Liberal Unionist, .,1,1 tnnlr nn a nuantitv of Raiio.1 ideas for .&. '.f" "1-- the sake of catching votes (laughter). When he first osme into the property and ",put into the Home of Lord he let it be known in the all, of a bve-eleotion that the tenants should vote 88 they pleased. After that a Consecutive country gentle- man oalled upon him and stated that preasnre was being brought to bear on a tenau; who wished to vote for the Coooerv",t¡VE candidate on the pretence thuf. tint wis his (vituesa'al wish; To that wit- nes< replied f-aS what he had sa'd wai that his tenants mitrht vote as they ple«»ed, but ot the two gentleman e*i' Write me that," and he did eo, hnt added, Don't make any use of it However, th, gentlenan did 80 and male a poster of it, sending it all over the place, Proceeding,Witness said he had always done his beat to prnoide old Welsh binks from the old Welsh maonsoripts. He should be obliypd if Pro. feefor Rhys wo011 msnjoD what was the Welsh for tnrrpp (1111 htøtl. Profess ir It iy. I am not here to answer ques- t.inna Manff^t i. His Lord h;r> "iii if was a word which vry few" educated W(.14hmn knew (laughter). Then) WIU no d,I L'r le'e9 nn his estate. He "as not altogether iu favour of them, for hA aereed that leaseholders were generally bad farmers. He bad inherited a few leases, and some of the lessees were certainly very slovenly farmers. References had been made before the Commissioners as tn the dimunition of population. In the ereit majority of farms there were either bachelors, widows, nr old women married to yotins men (laughter) He was sorry to see th-it one member of the Commission ho, c, been using Malshusian language, calculated to enconraue what be must oonsider a misfortnnp. Tn South Wale* ? Commissioner asked a witness if a man of twep'v-five wruld not ha a comfort to a woman of fifty (laupb'er). Professor Rhys If '-our will r'a 1 the evidence voo wiJIllnll that the Commissioner* were not ame d on 'hat point, (morA laughter). Lord Stanley of AlWey I am verv jad to hear it (renewed laughter). Proosading wi'h hisgeoeril evidencs his lordehip said thai the r.ntq of his 5700 acres of land averaged ahont 17,3 91 an a.e He kuew of no letting to the highest bidder, and should not listen to any if there were aueh. The monev spent on tho Anales^v estate, irrespective of the Holyhead "st»te. from 1R52 to 1871 ..áø £3086, and from 1872 to 1892 E4475, He had also spent £579 upon covered mirket fil^C" »' Amlwch, which was a binetit to tbe firmer". He had never heard of a case of a ten^n* farm-T who had not. reoeived sufficient compenra'ion for im .rovements. The Chitirman Iø oomptnsation given for the grneral improvement of a farm ? The Witness replied that the Royal Agricaltnral Siciety gate prizes far the best anitivatod far|jn. In his opinion ^amekti pers were good friends of the farmers, and in his own case pointed out to him many things tbat tenants required doing. He had constantly been asked to purchase farms which the occupier had bought. He bad purahaaed two in thai way, and bad been asked to purchase a great many more. Iu reply to the question as to what remedies he suggested for improving profits from land, tbe Witness toggeeted the re-impomtion of the duties on foreign elks which were levieu before the Cobden treaty, aud ihe rt-impoBition of a shilling a quarter registration duty on all grain, which was thrown away by Mr Lowe when Cbanoellor of the Exchequer. Aooording to Mr Chaplin tbat would have brought two years ago two and a quarter millions of money. lIe also advocated the imposi- tion of 5a per quarter upon colonial and Indlln wheat, and iOs per quarter for Russian and American wheat, the example of France showing that 5saquarter would not affect the price of bread at all. It bad been said, conoladed bis lordship, that the Welsh farmers were afraid oi the landlords' agents and keepers. He would say they were most airaid of the preaohers. A number of his tenants wtre willing to do this, that, and the other, but they did not venture to do go, and it was fear of the preaohers that kept them back. ReplyinR to qu?scions his lordship said he declined to ?ive abatements of rent on prinoiPle'j The renta had not ben interfered with in prosper- one times, besides wbioh he preferred to make per- manent reductions rather than give abatements. As a rule, the labourer had 10s a week pocket money, and had nothing to provide but bis clothing. Mr Ellis J. Griffiths (for the tenants) Don't yon think a labourer ought to buy a book occasionally, and contribute towards his obapel ? Lord 8tanley Certainly buy books, but if the labourer went to ohuroh he would not be expected to contribute anything (laughter). In answer to a question from Mr Vincent, the Witness said he owntd land in England as well as in Wales, and aaw no reason why there should be a land court in Wales any more than in England. The rents were not higher. Mr Hugh Williams, of Pantysaerisaf, in the parish of Llanfairmarhafarneithaf, stated that he was a small farmer and manure agent. Although they worned very hard it was diffioalt for farmers to live. The clauses in many agreements were oppressive, and Welsh tenants often signed such agreements without, knowing their o,intents. Some rents were reasonable, and some were high. He understood that Mr J. Bryn Roberts, M.P., was one of the trustees of a property of whioh be bad oomplained. In reply to a question put in by Mr Robertp,M.P., Witness said he was not aware that the property was managed entirely by tbe tenant for life, whose agent wa& Mr Roberts, of Gwydryn. THE FAMOUS LLYSLEW CASE. Mr David Owen, telioitor, Bangor, submitted a long statement, in which he stated, in the capaoity of solicitor to several tenants, that having been br ougbt up on a farm be bad had special opportuni- ties of studying tbe land question in the County of Anglesey. Tbe rent roll of the oounty had doubled in the laat seventy years. In 1815 it was returned as X81,000 in 1890 it was CI84,897, though during that period he estimated tbat the landlords hdB not spent 9100,000 on improvements. The system which enabled a landlord to send a valuer to raise rents without regard for the tenants' improvements worked grievous hardships, of which be could give some instanoes. The Crown property had been disposed of to private owners for a nominal sum, which was a great misfortune, and foreshores bad been claimed by adjoining land- owners, much to the less of farmers who had been in the habit of carting seaweed and sand for manuring purposes. An attempt was reoently made by two landowners, with the consent of the Board of Trade, to prevent the carting of sand and gravel at Cremlyn, near Cemmaes, and an aotion for trespass and for an injunction was brought against a farmer in the County Court of Anglesey. Tt.e Board of Trade and fie landowners failed in their action, and the farmer was able to establish a right by prescription. Rents were always fixed by the landlord or his agent, aooording to their own goodwill, and the tenant had either to accept the landlord's reut.1 or leave. Some large farms were let at very fair rentals. In one case in whioh wit. nes was concerned the tenant offered to refer a dis. pate as to an advance in rent to arbitration by' some competent valuer, abd to pay the, oosts, but the offer was refused, and the tenant bad to leave. As to cultivation, Witness said that in the district. in which be bad been brougbt up there seemed to be a healthy competition in farming, but the landlords took advantage of every improvement made by tenants to raise the rents, with the resulr that farming in that district was almost paralysed. Speakiog generally, the tenants used to make all improvements at tbeir own cost, and when bnilding I was necesfcary the landlords sometimes allowed tiw bjr, slate, an 1 lime. Fences, gates, and posts werd invariably made by the tenants. He knew of agreements where both cnatom and the Agricultural Holdings Act bad been excluded. Farmers did not often apply for written oonsent to execut.. improve- ments they seHli 3<1 to prefer doing them, and truBteit that tbeir landlords would not disturb them. Often they W6re deceived. He bad never heard of a case where the outgoing tenant had ob- ained sufficient compensation for hia improve. ments, nor did be know of a single instance where compensation bad been given for the general improvement of a holding. In on9 oase a olaim was sent in for general improvements to the soil, bnt it was disallowed, although the landlord recovered the Bnm of £ 2 10 j 31 for dilapidations in the buildings, and this on a farm where tbe tenant had spent several hundreds of pounds on permanent iraprovo ments and lost all. The Agricultural Holdings Act did not allow sufficient freedom for the proper cultivation of the soil, for reclaiming waste land, and for the general improvement of farms. The period of pxtJliustion-21 years—under the Act of 1875 was far too limited, and this was the basis of agreement) too often. Game should become the atailuce property of the oultivat <r of the soil. The Ground Game Act was a failure. As a rule pheasants cost landlords more per bead than they fetched in tbe market, not ta take into account tbe damage done to crops by the birds. An attempt bad recently been made to e&tiblish a union between landlords and tenants, which for obvious r¡¡\"ons was cot a success, and tbe tenants were now without any union for self-protection. While a threat number of tenant farmers were in oom- fortable circumstances, the majority lived from hand to mouth, and some were at their wit,' ends to kn >w bow to meet their engagements. Pro- prietary farmers had increased lately owing to property coming into the market, and some who bought thirty or forty yfars ago bad done well, and their farms wore now free. The farmer's sou who rtlvod at home was not much better off than a labourer, whereas those who went to busi- ness succeeded in life, frequently returned and bought land, while their brothers had to "lave for the r livelihood. As an illujtration of the manner in «h oh landlords tyrannically exerted the powers which the pr«eut state of the law oonferred upon them, the Witness iot meed the well-known and almost historic case koowlI as the Llyslew case. LVvs?ew is a farm of 251 acres, belonging to the Bottwnoa Orammar School, and situated in the parish of Llaoidan. A tenant of the name of Jolin Hughes 8ucp.ppiied his father in the yesr 1864 at Llyslew. [0 1872 he agreed with the trustees nf the sohool f r a lease of 45 years at a reiitil of £220 pjr annum. The trust es included, anongst othfrs, the bishop of Bangor, Lord Newborough, Lord i'e rhvn, the Detn of Baiwor. Mr W. BulkeleyIInghes,andCo!»nelWynneFinch Af er the I-asi had been executed by nine out of eleven trustees, the late Mr Hu'kil !y Hugh's refused to execute the lease, because be thought the iru-tee,3 had n > right. to grant a lease for more than 21 vars, and he warned the tenant that it waa not legal. The 'rustees however, never repudiated the Uase during the life of the lessee, and the latter, relying on ihe wora of honour of the leading "oble- mM and getry of tbe n?ighbonrhood, spent over £ 2600 in p rmanent improvements. When the firm was b-ought 'o as nearly a stiti of perfection as posaiMe the lessee died. and his only sister went on the fa'm. Rhe settled with all the creditors of her brother, and was in a position to carry on the farm. She mada repeated applica'ions to th. trustees that thev would not take advantage of the doubtful validity of the lease and terminate it. In November, 1887, she received notice to quit, and although strong efforts wers mode to induce the trustees t > allow h'r to r.main, and although influential deputa. uons of leading agr,culturists, justices o the peace and oth-rs waited 011 the differtnetruslee-, all appeals wtre unavailing. The end was that an ao'ioo foi ej so'inant was brought against, the only sister of the man who had improved the farm she wns evicted, and plao-d on a stool in the middie of tbe roai, a oripple, and homeless. She never bad a penny compensation, »nd was not even paid for the marure and seeding left on the farm. The farm was sub»qaently let at a rental of £::120 to a man of the ntme of John Evin(i, Rn1 wiluess asserted that tbe tenant, John Evans, had himself admitted in a letter to a Welsh newspaper that in applying for tbe farm he had laid special stress on the faot, that he was a Tory and a Churchman. Witness admittetl that althrtngb it was constantly said that landlords let to Chnrobmsn and Conser- vstives in preferenoe to Nonconformists and L berala, it wig diffloalt to prove the charge. In the Uywiew CM*, howevM. he contended that then was a near approach to documentary evidence on the eabjeot. He b0 .W that within a radios of two miles of Llyslew there rere three farms whioh were formerly let to Nonconformist Liberals, but were now held by Tory Churchmen, the changee having taken plaoe within the last five year*. The Witness next referred to the ease of Glan- traetb, in tile parish of LIanvoghen9dl, occupied by Mr Rcbert Hughes. In 1889 the tenant spent £ 400, besides haulage, on the farm buildings, -he landlord agreeing to allow him 1:20 a year for four years of ttiti rent towards ths expen-e. However, before the list half-year's rent was pstd. aod the ICIO allowed, the farm was pat op for sale by aaotioo, and the tenant was obliged to pay the fall va ue for it as if the whole building hid beeu done at the expense of the landlord. Adjoining witness's old home was a farm cared Bodxurao, which, until recently, belonged to General Owen Williams, formerly of Craig\don, but now of Great Marlow. It measured about 260 acres, and was oocapied for nearly forty years by the late Samuel Owen, as tenant, at a rent of E170, which was con- sidered high. He told witness many a time that he had spent from 92M to f2500 on permanent im- I provements. Just when he got the farm into a good condition the landlord advanced the rent by E40 a vear, and not satisfied with that, in two years afterwards be made another advance of 970, whol!' on the tenant's own improvements, besides which he compelled the tenant to take a lease for fourteen years or leave the farm. Before the expiration of the lease the farm was sold, and there was not the slightest doubt the tenant had to pay E2000 to E2500 for improvements which he himself had made. Cases suoh as this had had the effect of paralysing good farming in the distriot. The laat case he would mention was that of Trtriffi, in the parish of Lleoboynfarwy, belonging to Sir George Meyrick. Its redeeming feature was chaO it went far to support the argument in favour of com. palsory reference, or the establishment of a land court to settle disputes between landlord and ten- ant. The farm, which was on a very high hill, measured 100 acres, and was let to witness's grand- father in 1787 for 925 a year. It was JE71 a year when witness first remembered it 30 or 35 years ago. His father improved the farm more than any other on the same ebtate, and be bad to pay dearly for it. He died in 1868, and the ft nt was fiacd to JE85. and afterwards to JE90, all tbeee advances being made before the landlcrd ever fpmt a penny piece on the farm. His father therefore paid an advance of 184 per cent. on hi; own im- provements for many years, and during his mother's widowhood there was an advance at the rate of 260 per cent. in about eighty years. In his opinion it was monstrous to think that any person oould enrioh himself or his creditors by simply confiscating the whole of a man's labour and energy, and putting the improvements by a struggl- ing tenant ap to sale by auction to be sold as his owu property. He did not believe in free sale of tenancies as a rule. Welsh farmsrs wanted fair oonditions of teoanoy and see irity for improve- ments, not for the purpose of selling their rights, but in order to secure their homes and to go on improving them. Abatements depending upon generosity were bad in prinoiple, because thy tended to take away the independence of the farmer. There ought be a sliding scale of rent on the principle of tbe tithe commatation. The average prices of various farm produce might rule the soale. The landlord would thus benefit on an improved market and the tenant on a falling market. By Lord Kenyon The tubular bridge acrsss the Straits bad been a great benefit to the oounty, but why the landlords should get all the advantages he did not know. He entirely disapproved of the sale of tenant-rirbt,and did not think a land conrt would lead to that; in fact, he would prohibit it except in oases where the landlord could not pay for the improvemrnts. To Mr R. Jones He did not understand exactly what was nnderstood by a land court. He thought it would be a very awkward tbin4 for both landlords and tenants if they had to be constantly applying tbe one for an a 1 vance and the other for a reduction of rent. Replying to Profeasor Rhys, he said he knew several farmers who hot for assistance received from members of their families who bad gone to towns, would not have been able to pay their rents, and would have beoome paupers. I Witness, in answer to Mr Richard Jones, said that be should think the County Councils woald be tbe body to set the sliding; soale in motion. Mr Richard Jones: You think they have not sufficient work already (laughter). Replying to questions put in by Mr Vincent, Witne.s said be bad not beard that Sir Riohard Bulkeley would not settle what the compensation was to be nntil his various sales were completed, but he would be glad to bear that such was the cise. Witness mentioned tbat as soon as the tenant of Oaebrith was asked for information for evidence he refused to oblige him with any more he W"3 afrail. In reply to farther questionsWitncss said that on the day after his father died his mother aad Children were given notioe to qait, the agent saying that if she could bring up a doctor she could pay more rent (shame). There was a great deal of hesitancy on the part of tenants to give evidence from fear of the agents more than the landlords (a laugh). Not a penny had been paid to Mra Parry, of Llyslew, by the trustees, tenant, or anybody elsa (shame). At the conclusion of the witness's evi lenoe tha Commission adjourned until the following day.

LLANDUDNO. Death OF MR ARTHUR Watton.—With genuine regret we record tbe decease of Mr Arthur Watton, tbe sad event taking place at his residence at Deganwy, on Wednesday week. Mr Watton, who was the son of the proprietor of the" Shrewsbury Chronicle," was popular in all this district b canae of his genial disposition and other good qualities. He was sorionsly ill some time back, but latterly had recovered, in a g.e"t meascre, his former health and aotivity. His death will therefore come as a mournful surprise to many, ST. Gbobbb's IIALL.-All latt week the boarl6 have been oocupied by Madame Wanda Ztleska aId her "Mirisbka" Company. In this sensational drama the Russian actress appears as the Gipsy Queen,"iiad introduces several characteristic dances. In the fourth act the wrestling bear Mi,bk. appears and amuses the audience considerably. Madame Zaleska is supported by a talented com- pany. Next week Mr Pitt Hardaort's Company is ani:ounoed with 'The Shaoghrauu," Robert Emmett," and Current Cash two nights each. WEATHER REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER. The month of September was neither very warm nor very dry, and in these respects it was in marked contrast to tbe whole of the preceiJiD summer one;, yet the sggre gate rainfall did not cxceed the average, nor did tbe mean temperature fall far short of it. Indeed, except for a cold wive which set in on the 20th, and continued for about a week, the t mean temperature would have beeu considerably above the average. And as regards rainfall, it was remarkable only f)r the frequency of its occurrenne, particularly in the latter half of the month. The mean temperature amounted to 56-8 degrees, and was only 0 7, or two. thirds of a degree under the Bveragp. Tbe extreme maximum temperature (715 degree") occurred cn the 4ih, and the extreme minimum (44 deL!,ee" on the 23rd, thus showing a range for tbo month of 27 5 degrees, which is less than the average by 2'6 dearies. The mean of all the maxima was 61.3 dsgrees, and of all the minima 51'7 degrees, mak- ing the mean daily range 9 6 degrees, which is 0 23 degrees under the average. The total rainfall amounted to 2 87 inches, being 0 25 inches or five per ceut. below the average Of this amount 160 inches or 557 per cent, fell during tha day, and 1'27 or 44*3 par cant, fell during the night. Tbe maxi- mum fall in one day amonuted to 0 65 inobes and occurred on the 20th. This was tho only really Wet day in the month, and the run ftll pretty con- tinuously, but generally speaking the c.in fell in short, sharp, and sulden shuWrrs, and often with brilliant sunsbite between the showers, but notwith- standing the frequency of the showsrs the tneMi humidity of the atmrsphere (76 5 ptr ccnM was 1*8 per cent. blow the average. The prevailing winds were chiefly from the west or south-west, and were generally moderate in forc', but, a galo of oneid lw able strerig-h occurred on the 23rd, another of still greater strength on the 29th, aud on the former day there were some hail showers. No thnnderoccnrred in the month, AS far I koJ')w. No lightens was seen. Barometric pressure was more varied than in August, and the range auro ted to 1 260. The extrems maximum 130340 inches) was registered on the morning of the 12,h, the extreme minimum (29 080 inches), on the morning of the 29th. and the mean for the month amounted to 29 81Z inches. Ttie rainfall at Llyndnlyn. as I am just informed by the town's engineer. Mr E Pa'ey Stephen!. ): C.E., amonuted to 14 80 inohes, which is about the average, and considerably in excess of the fall in the corres- ponding mouth of last year. -,TAAPS Nicjl, M.D., Warwick House, 5th October, 1893.

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