Welsh Journals

June 3, 1892. THE WELSH WEEKLY, THE LORD MAYOR'S BANQUET. A great Welsh national banquet took place on Saturday night at the Mansion House. The Lord Mayor of London (the Eight Honourable David Evans) was surrounded by his fellow-countrymen from all parts of the Principality, whom he had invited to partake of his hospitality, in order to signalise his year of office. The guests at dinner, besides whom a number of ladies attended the preliminary reception, numbered about 400. The gathering was thoroughly representative of Wales, including its foremost men resident in the Principality, and the principal members °f the Welsh colony in London. The Lord Mayor, Wearing his robes of office, and accompanied by the Lady Mayoress, received the guests in the saloon. Court dress and uniforms being plentiful, and the reception being attended by ladies, this handsome apartment presented a brilliant spectacle as the visitors arrived in rapid succession and made their bow. A novel feature of the reception was the appearance of the three youthful daughters of the Lord Mayor, who were dressed in the Welsh costume, and whose quaint, sugar-loaf hats attracted much notice. The young ladies occupied commanding positions on high chairs to the right and left of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoiess, and added not a little to the picturesqueness of the group. The banquet over, the Lord Mayor proposed the toasts of "The Queen," and the "Prince and Princess of Wales, and other members of the Royal Family." Lord Penrhyn then proposed " The Clergy and Ministers of all Denominations." He asked that numerous gathering of Welshmen to express their sympathy with that army of noble and earnest men who were devoting their lives to the finest of all professions, that of ameliorating the condition of their fellow-creatures. The clergy and ministers were the officers of that army, and when their commands were received their duty of carrying them out was discharged in a manner which could not fail to command the respect of all who saw the work that was being done, and they commanded the admiration of all mankind. He coupled with the toast the name3 of the Bishop of St. David's, the Bishop of Newport, and the Rev. Dr. R. Roberts. The toast having been received, The Bishop of St. David's, in responding, said minds who were lost more under the influence of patriotism than under that of vigorous logic might possibly think that if Englishmen were aliens in Wales, Welshmen were aliens in England, and subject to the same disabilities. He was quite sure they would agree that that was not the case; otherwise, his lordship would not be occupying the position he now held—(cheers)—and they, his grateful compatriots, Would not be sharing his great hospitality. The Bishop of Newport and Menevia said his lordship, in extending his gracious invitation to him, recognized that the progress and prosperity of Wales depended upon the labours of every one of her children, whether native or adopted. (Hear, hear.) And there could be no doubt that in the 50 years that had elapsed since the many thousands of Irish people who now constituted his flock claimed the hospitality of Wales there had not been much friction between the two races. That was owing, first of all, to the sterling qualities of his flock. But he must not forget the kindness of the Welsh people, and the kindness and thoughtfulness of the employers of labour in the Principality. He hoped that was a good omen for the future, and that the great question of labour would be solved in Wales by the thoughtfulness of the employers of labour. He hoped they would beat out and solve the great problem of labour that was before them. (Cheers.) The Rev. Dr. Roberts said Wales owed much to its ministry. They could not over-estimate the good that had been exercised over Wales in general by the ministry of the Gospel by those of all denominations. (Hear, hear.) There were many great names connected with Wales as preachers, and they could not read the history of Wales without being convinced at once that much of the moral and religious condition of that country, which was now so favourable and commendable, was owing altogether, or, at all events, largely, to the ministry of the Gospel, on the Part oE the clergy of the various denominations. He would not mention the names of those great men who stirred Wales from one end to the other by their powerful preaching, and uttered their earnest protest against the wickedness that was so prevalent a century ago. Under their powerful preaching the evil-doers skulked away into the darkness like birds of night. (Cheers.) Sir Hussey Vivian, Bart., M.P., proposed " The Navy, Army, and Reserve Forces." The toast having been honoured, Admiral Mayne responded with a few words, in which he declared his duty Was not to speak but to act, and Colonel Cornwallis West, M.P., replied for the Reserve Forces. Mr. Justice Vaughan Williams, in giving " The Hous.es of Lords and Commons," said he was proposing the toast at a somewhat critical period. There was, he believed, a dissolution in the air. He wished it was in his power to tell them what he thought a great many, of them would much like to know—when that dissolution was going to take place. He would like to say one word of the House of Commons from a Welsh point of view. He thought he could not offer it a more cordial congratulation than to say that the House of Commons now passing away had exhibited largely a Welsh attribute during the period of its existence. He spoke of Welsh enthusiasm—(cheers)—that enthusiasm which taught the Welsh so well how to congregate together and combine when they wished to support that which was good; and, what he conceived to be even more important, the Welsh power and enthusiasm to combine whenever they thought it their duty to do so, and to resist that which they believed to be bad. Although he claimed for the Welsh in particular this attribute of enthusiasm, which he believed to be a great feature of the Welsh character, he only claimed it for them as a distinguished Part of the great Celtic race. He asked them not only }o congratulate the House of Commons, but to hope that ln- the future House of Commons they might rind an abundance of . enthusiastic Celts, an abundance of enthusiastic members, whether Welsh or English, who would be always willing to do their utmost with enthu¬ siasm to support that which they thought right, and to combine to oppose that which they thought wrong. (Cheers.) The Duke of Beaufort, replying for the House of Lords, thanked the Lord Mayor for the kind thought of so hospitably entertaining so many gentlemen from the Principality. Mr. Dillwyn, M.P., responded for the House of Commons. The Lord Mayor, on rising to propose the toast of the evening, "Wales," was received with loud cheers. He said he proposed the toast with a heart too full to give expression to his sentiments and his feelings, and with words which, undoubtedly, must fail him on that occasion. He welcomed there probably for the first time such a distinguished gathering of the Welshmen of their country. That was not due to any disinclination on the part of any Lord Mayor to extend in the direction of the Principality the hospitalities of the City, but to the fact that for many years, if not centuries, it had not fallen to the lot of a Welshman to occupy the civic chair. When he (Alderman Evans) was elected to the position, his first natural thought was as to how he could show to his fellow-countrymen the esteem in which he held them and the Principality. (Cheers.) He then pictured something approaching such a gathering as the present, and though he had a vague notion of the form it might probably take, he never for a single moment anticipated that he would be that night supported on every side by about as thoroughly representative a gathering as was ever brought together. Wales had made rapid stride* in recent years, and if he said that those strides had heen notably in the cause of education—(cheers)—he did not think that he could be attaching too great an amount of importance to that movement. They possessed at the present moment three flourishing universities in Wales, and the best proof of the success of that movement was the knowledge that they were sending their students to Oxford and Cambridge in large numbers. They must not, and could not, pass over the excellent measure the Inter¬ mediate Education Bill, introduced and successfully passed in the House of Commons. Party feeling was put on one side, and without friction and without hindrance, and, therefore, without delay, thai> measure was patriotically passed. Now, what should he say with regard to Wales ? He must not refer to Wales as a mere geographical expression—(hear, hear)—but as the home of a people, a people with a past full of interest, a present rich in promise, and a future worthy of the race. (Loud cheers.) Wales had retained her oneness. She took her stand equal amongst equals, a nation amongst nations. Who, then, was Welsh? Not those by birth alone, for the love of Wales was shared and returned by those who had never trod the Welsh soil. (Hear, hear.) There existed in those who had never seen the land of Wales an intense love for her nationality and the Principality. The language might die, but the nationalism lived—(cheers)—the tongue might be dumb, but the heart spoke. This meeting to-night would assist in the further foundation of their national unity—the unity of a people not wishful and desirous of living as a people only.but of contribu¬ ting towards the greatness and unity of this empire. (Cheers.) There had never been in the whole history of this Empire any part in civil, religious, or military movements that had not been contributed to in a great measure by the Welsh people. The Welsh desired, therefore, to add all in their power in the future to the prosperity of the Empire and to its greatness, and to guard those interests in which they were all so deeply concerned. (Cheers.) Speaking, in conclusion, in Welsh, his lordship explained that he had lived in that great city nearly 30 years, and, though he might not be able to address them in Welsh as he would wish, still his heart was in Wales. As Lord Mayor of the City of London he bid them welcome. (Loud cheers.) Archdeacon Howell, who was very cordially received, responded to the toast in English. He said that the star o£ Wales was Just now in the ascendant. He did not think .that they needed anything more to make their national satisfaction complete excepting a Welsh Prime Minister. (Cheers and laughter.) He alluded to the orderly state of the Principality, as shown by the circumstance that there were often no prisoners to try at the assizes, and added that the Welsh policeman's office was a sinecure, so far as the Welsh parts of Wales was concerned. (Cheers.) Mr. T. E. Ellis, M.P., speaking in Welsh, also replied. He said: It is my privilege to respond to a toast which embraces, not alone that fair and lovely land west of Offa's Dyke, the ancient home of our race, but also that larger Wales which is formed by the life and love of its sons and daughters in the busy centres of English trade and industry, in the Far West of America, in the backwoods of Canada, on the sunny plateaux and in the rising cities of South Africa, in the military stations of India, and on the mission fields of Madagascar. Scattered as they are amidst strange peoples and midst the play of conflicting destinies, their love for their Welsh fatherland is deepened; they cherish an ideal and carry a purpose for xWales in their hearts. They are stirred by every effort made for the sustenance and decoration of the large life of their native land. They are proud to find that Wales is resolved to make its nationality worthy and beneficent; so to strengthen and purify it that it shall bring happiness to Welsh hearts, shed grace around Welsh homes, and make the Welsh name respected and industrious. They have learnt that we shall win freedom and respect by education and self-reliance. They, like us in the home country, face the future trust¬ fully. For neither stroke of calamity, nor the passing struggles of the day, nor the ease of prosperity, can shake our sense of the mysterious eternity reserved for the Welsh name and language :— Eu ner a folant Eu hiaith a gadwant, Eu tir a gollant, Ond gwyllt Walla. —" Their God they will praise, their tongue they will keep, their land they will lose, except wild Wales." And of wild Wales there shall be made a people like a well-governed household, happy, busy, beneficent, and effective in the world. That is our abiding hope for Wales. The enthu¬ siasm of our patriotism ehall be just, measured, and con¬ tinuous, and by living our own true life we shall take our due share in the onward life of humanity. (Cheers.) Sir J. R. Bailey, Bart., M.P., proposed " The Welsh Mayors." The Mayor of Cardiff, in reply, said he wished to convey to his lordship the congratulations of the mayors of Wales upon the distinguished position in which he had been placed. It was a matter of high import and appreciation in the minds of the Welsh people, and they were ex¬ ceedingly proud of it. The Mayor of Carnarvon said, as a Welshman hailing from the foot of Snowdon, and representing the ancient and historic town of Carnarvon, it was expected he would speak in Welsh. He said the Lord Mayor's patriotism was not a sentiment, but a living embodiment of a prin¬ ciple to improve and elevate the Welsh people. The Right Hon. G. Osborne Morgan, M.P., gave "Literature, Science, and Art." Having remarked on the fact that they had waited 170 years for a Welsh Lord Mayor, the right hon. gentleman said that if there were things that divided Welshmen, there were things that united them. Mr. Lewis Morris, in replying, commented on the beauties of the Welsh language. He trusted that this resurrection of Welsh nationality would lead Englishmen to become more interested in Welsh literature. (Cheers.) Professor Rhys briefly acknowledged the toast in Welsh and English. Mr. Phil Morris, replying for art, said the histories of Egypt and Greece showed that art alone was lasting. Wales he regarded as the most beautiful part of the United Kingdom. It was essentially the artists' country. Sir John Puleston, Bart., M.P., in proposing " The Health of the Lord Mayor," said he did not ask the com¬ pany to drink the toast as a mere formality. They were all aware of the patriotic fervour of the present occupant of the civic chair, and nothing gave his lordship more pleasure than to contribute to the prosperity of Wales. (Cheers.) The Lord Mayor, in replying, said it went without saying that that was a proud period in the events of his mayor¬ alty. That was the most representative gathering the Mansion House had ever seen, and he believed good must, and would, arise from it. (Cheers.) During his term of office he knew no politics. Many of them were opposed to him in politics, or rather in what his politics had been—■ (laughter)—and probably in what they would be. (Laughter.) They had, nevertheless, recognised him to¬ night in his person as a Welshman. (Cheers.) As civic chief of that city it was not his intention to enter into political strife, and in adopting that course he had made himself acceptable to all classes and to all parties. (Cheers.) He trusted the history to be recorded would not omit to include in its annals that a Welsh Lord Mayor presided over a body hitherto probably not brought to¬ gether, and one which probably might not again be brought together for some years to come. He desired again to assure them of his appreciation of their response to his invitation. Words failed him to give proper acknowledg¬ ment of his indebtedness to them. (Cheers). The assembly then broke up. NOTES FROM MANCHESTER. The Church Party has been very active here of late, and a new church has been opened. The structure is a tem¬ porary one, and is made of iron. It is anticipated that funds will soon allow them to build a stone edifice. I wish them every success, but am afraid their numbers will have to increase considerably before doing so, for the building they now occupy is sufficiently large for their wants. The opening services commenced on the 11th inst., when the Lord Bishop of the Diocese preached. Special services have been held each Sunday since. The clergymen officiating were the Rev. James Davies, M.A., Liverpool; Rev. E. T. Davies, B.A., Pwllheli; Rev. T. Lloyd, B.A., St. Asaph; and the Rev. W, Jonea, Llan¬ gollen. The annual tea-party and entertainment of the Moss Side Welsh Band of Hope took place on the 15th. Mrs. James Hughes (President of the Manchester Women's Christian Association), President of the Society, presided, and gave a very interesting address. A fair number assembled, and evidently enjoyed and appreciated the good programme gone through. The Manchester Welsh Band of Hope Union has decided to hold a musical festival on October 1 next. A book of hymns, well selected, ha3 been issued, and it is hoped that the gathering together of the Bands will be a great success. Pendleton Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chapel were fortunate in securing the Rev. Owen Prys, M.A., Principal of Trevecca College, to preach their anniversary sermons on the 22nd inst. Mr. Prys is very popular in Manchester, having resided here for a year, and won a great number of friends. His popularity as a preacher drew togethtr large congregations, who had the satisfaction of listening to very eloquent and powerful sermons. The Welsh Baptists at Medlock Street held their anniversary services last Sunday, May 29, when the Rev. Abel J. Parry preached ably and powerfully to large assemblies. The chapel, which has been lately renovated, looks well, and the church seems to be in a flourishing condition. , - • . Manceinion.