Welsh Journals

PARISH MAGAZINE FEBRUARY, 1907. It Is -with feelings of sincere regret that we record that the Rev. Francis G. Jones, the Vicar of the neighbouring Parish of Eglwys Rhos-, has felt it necessary, on the grounds of ill-health, to resign his charge. The great work he has done and the universal respect in which he is held causes his decision to affect very tenderly his many friends. We cannot refer to this important event at the length we would wish, but we desire to take the earliest opportunity of expressing our gratitude to him for his ever kind and ready help and co-operation in all good work, and our best wishes for his speedy recovery to good health, so that he and Mrs Francis Jones and their much-loved little daughter may spend many happy and useful days together in the future. * * -M CHURCH INSTRUCTION AND DEFENCE. Churchmen and all friends of the Church have been greatly encouraged by the excellent, and in the best sense, stimulating meetings held in Llandudno on Thursday, the 10th of last month. The meeting for Church workers was held in the Church House in the afternoon, when the Rector presided over a large and representative gathering of Church workers, clergy and laity from Llandudno and the neighbouring parishes, including The Vemble Archdeacon Evans, Canon D. Jones, Rural Dean, The Rev. J. P. Lewis, Vicar of Conway; Mr H. Kneeshaw, J.P. ', Mr Arthur Hughes, member of the House of Laymen and of the Church Represen¬ tative Council• Mr Nathan O. Jones, the Local Secretary, and other well-known Church workers in the neighbourhood. After the Rector's opening address Mr Harry Phillips, who represented the Central Council of the League for Church Instruction and Defence, gave a clear earnest and carefully worked out state¬ ment of the work to be done by Church- people at the present crisis, with special reference to the Schools and the work of Church Defence. Mr Phillips was fol¬ lowed'' by Mr Kneeshaw, Archdeacon Evans, and Canon D. Jones, all of whom delivered impresisive and encouraging speeches, and at the close of the meeting the Secretary enrolled seveiral new mem¬ bers of the League. In the evening the Town Hall was crowded to its utmost capiacity with one of the most intelligent, respectful and serious minded audiences ever brought together in the town. It was one of those occasions when people wanted to listen be¬ cause they wanted to know, and who came^ together with that consciousness that they w u: be spoken to by men who* understood the seriousness of the subject and who knew how to deal with it. They were not disappointed. "The best meeting ever held in Llandudno" was the expression heard on all sides for days after, and our Nonconformist friends were not at all be¬ hind Churchpeople in their praise of it. All felt that the high water mark of what such a meeting ought to be had been reached. While the audience were settling down some appropriate hymns were sung, and at the appointed time Mr R. S. Chamber¬ lain took the chair. He was supported on the platform by many of the leading resi¬ dents of the district. In an effective opening speech thei Chairman soon got the audience into the right mood for the even¬ ing. The first speaker Was Mr Arthur Hughes, who gave a clear and forcible de¬ scription of the present sitate of the Edu¬ cation Question, and ruthlessly exposed the false nations of Nationalism that have, been fostered in certain quarters, and de¬ scribed the principles upon which an equitable solution of the problem should be based. The speech has been published at length, and so we need not dwell upon it. The second speaker was Mr Harry Phill'ips, who as Aldermian Phillips be¬ came so well-known throughout the coun¬ try. He combines sparkling humour with intense earnestness, and he spoke at his 'best. He exposed the weakness of the arguments of those who seem bent on de¬ stroying the influence of the Church for good, and shewed the power for elevating and improving the people and great scope and need for co-operation in all good en¬ deavour with such good feeling* and force as to bring convaetiion to all. The last speaker Was Clainon T>. Jones, R.D., Who spoke in Welsh, and his