Welsh Journals

Hrw^stlt Wemxevy dfoagasme. Vol. 2. JUNE, 1894. No. 18. The General Secretary of the Magazine would be extremely obliged if the correspondents in the various parishes would let him have their contributions at latest by the 20th of each month, and would let him know before that date if they do not intend sending anything. Unless this rule is observed it is absolutely impossible to get the Magazine out punctually. LLANIDLOES. The Disestablishment Bill, which concerns itself very little indeed with disestablishment and very much with disendowment, has at last been introduced into the House of Commons. It has been discussed in the public press from every possible—and impossible— point of view, and we do not know that much remains to be said. But the said discussion of the Bill has shown us one thing which we have always been loth to believe, i.e., that our opponents are fighting more for money than for principle. We have again and again been assured from a hundred platforms that the Dis¬ establishment party disclaim all enmity to the Church and the clergy, they wish for nothing but equality for themselves and freedom for the Church. It is some¬ what strange, therefore, to find that the only grave criticism brought against the Bill is that it is too generous to the parsons, i.e., it does not take away at once or after a definite term of years the money that belongs to them for their lives. Curates are not to be compensated even to a farthing's worth ! Meanwhile let us impress upon lay people that the Bill takes away the revenues of the Church without any compensation whatever to the Church as a corporate body. Under this Bill,when the present generation of incumbents has passed away the Church will be penniless. The present incumbents are treated not with generosity but with strict justice, they are allowed to retain what is their own. But the clergy are not the Church ! and the Church is literally left penniless. Stay, not quite penni¬ less ! Mr. Asquith kindly leaves her what has been given her since 1703, some £13,000 per annum. But Was not the Church of England exactly what she is now before 1703? We believe that the Bill will do good, that it will open the eyes of many Nonconformists and of many lukewarm Church people to the real aim of the Disestablishment party, and will force them to declare themselves boldly on the side of truth, honesty, and justice. A highly successful entertainment was given by the choir of the Church Band of Hope, in the National Schoolroom, on Wednesday, May 16, when there was a very fair attendance. The Bev. W. D. Roberts, who has organized and carried on what is now a very flourishing society, has throughout worked with inde¬ fatigable zeal and devotion, and the success of the entertainment, which was entirely due to him, must have been extremely gratifying, as it was certainly honourable, to him. We append the programme, the whole of which was carried out with a high standard of excellence. PROGRAMME. FIRST PART. Chorus .... " Industry (Dr. Garrett) . .Band of Hope Choir. Recitation............" Tit for Tat " ........Maggie Owen. Recitation........" Left by the Train ". .Sarah Ellen Cleaton. Song.............." The Boy Musician "... .Lilly Williams. Recitation.............."No!"............Pryce Williams. Dialogue ..................Cassie Jones and Sarah Morgan. Song and chorus...." Kiss me, Mother " ... .Florrie Phillips. Recitation.........." Temperate Be "......Beatrice Roberts. Recitation......" What would you think?"... .Mabel Wilkes. Duet.........."Father, God and Saviour ".... Sarah Hamer. and Annie Evans. Recitation........" Keeping his Word "......Mary Phillips. Recitation........" Three Little Kittens "......Jenny Hamer. Song........"Have you seen my doll? ". .Ellen Jane Phillips. Recitation.." 'Tis better to mend them than let them wear out " Sarah Morgan. Recitation........" Curing a Drunkard "......Annio Evans. Chorus............" The Golden Shore " (Sir John Stainer.) Band of Hope Choir. SECOND PART. Children's Cantata...." Queen Revel " . .Band of Hop© Choir. God Save the Queen. The characters of the cantata were apportioned as follows :—Queen Revel, Celia Roberts ; Old Mother Hubbard, Annie Evans ; Kind Sir and Pretty Maid, James Owen and Sarah Morgan ; Jack and Jill, Willie Hamer and M. A. Shone ; Little Jack Horner, T. Pryce Williams ; Little Bo-Peep, Cassie Jones ; Piping Tom, James Owen ; Mary Quite Contrary, Mary Phillips; Jack the Giant Killer, Richard Walters ; Red Riding Hood, Sarah Hamer. The epilogue was delivered by Annie Evans. We must not omit to record our sincere thanks to Mrs. Marshall for the loan of the piano, and to Miss Marshall for the effective use of it. The proceeds of the entertainment, after paying expenses, will go to provide for the annual picnic, which will take place as soon as possible after the Day Schools break up. The National Schools have recently undergone two examinations, one in Religious Knowledge, conducted