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ARE[L;.>AUK A \T D \TIKUAM\X…

[No title]

TO THE ELECTORS OF THE COUNTY…

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-'..'I rpo TUB ELECTO OF me:;tU…

ABERDAHE AND ABERAMAN CONSUMERS'…

THE ELECTION.

Sacal l-ttteUtgcucf*

ABERDARE POLICE COURT.

MR FOTHERGILL AT ABERDARE.

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MR FOTHERGILL AT ABERDARE. On Wedae^ny evening, Mr Fothorgill ad- dressed a crow lod meeting at Oalvaria Chapel. Most of the leading inhabitants of tho town were present, and the honourable gontleman on making his appearanco mot with a most on- thusiastic reception. Mr Fothorgill, jun.,was also very warmly received. Mr W. Thomas, manager of the Gadlys Works, presided, and briefly introduced the proceedings. Mr Fothergill said Oentlemen, I must say that I am a little taken aback at this exceedingly cordial reception, and also at being so very aud- donly called upon to address you. I thought my friend, the chairman, would make a few explana- tory remarks, and so give me a little time to col- lect my thoughts. The fact is, I have been so busily engaged that I have hardly had five minutes to consider the subjects which I should bring before you, and instead of which I find my- self already before you, but not quite as well prepared as I should have desirei. You will re- member it is only some five years since we so constantly met at the last election, at which you received me with most surprising kindness, and rcturnod me with a m,j()t-ity of votes that was most gratifying to my feelings. Those five years hive passed over our heads, and certainly when I look upon the coujitonanc a of many of my frien'ls, I must say tliat time has dealt very light- ly with them. Whether it bo the prosperity which has blessed this district—and in blessing tho district blessed them—or whether it be our pure mountain air, but I cannot help feeling that time has not been quite so lenient to me. The truth is the hours 1 have been obliged to keep during the last five years in London have not been by any mea ns as healthy hours as you spend in the country 5 however, my consolation and hope is that I have given you satisfaction. (Hear, hear ) I went into Parliament, as you know, fresh from all th.! vocations of busiuess as your representative, pledged to support certain mea- sures with all my strength and p-ivver. f will tell you it is not only the speeches which arc ad- dressed in the Hall of St. St- piious are of most good, but members of Parliament, especially pri- vate members, are able to o a gr -at d al of ^ood in the coriidors, in the library, and in the smok- ing r oin of the Bouse of Commons. I must here confess to a slight weakness—f don't, smoke my- self, but I wish 1 did. It seems to me to be a very genial occupation, at all events, those who smoke seelD to like it; but although I don't sf.:oke myself, I am happy to sit with thoso who ùo, and they are good enough to overlook my weakness. The fact is, there is a great dual more practical work done in the spioking room of the House of Commojts than perhaps in <w'y other part of it. In the House itself men spodk under a sense of very serious responsibility. It is not trifling to a man to know that every word he utters is being reported. So it is now, not a single word but what I say is being clapped in black and white. To thoaa who have not tried it they may think it notlung, but those who have think it really does check the now of whit lie has to say. In the House of Commons you know that all is reported, and though truly you have an audience indulgent, but yet highly critical Now, the House of Commons, according to my experience—aud I have had some five years' —is exceedingly indulgent aid patient to those who talk about subjects they understand, but if a man is continually jumping up, and continually making speeches upon all subjects—which, of course, any man c tn do, because every one of us has an opinion upon all subjects-if he is con- tinually doing that which I have stated, he is ceased to be listened to. I have been careful when rising in my place not to attempt to c tch the Speaker's eye without feeling that laIn toler- ably prepared to tell the house something which I know, and perhaps winch the house itself does not know. I have always felt in the House of Commons that I, individually was nothing, but that I was one of the representatives of a very important borough, and therefore that I should be exceedingly careful in what I aiid on all oc casions. Now, it has been a very great comfort and consolation to know that, as lar as I am able to gather the opinions of you, my constituents, that when I have spokeu upon any subject I have expressed that which you approved. (Ci leers.) 1 come before you to-night again, friends, to ask you for a renewal of the support that you gave me five yoars ago. If I recollect rightly, fivo years ago we had several important matt"rs likely to come before Parliament, upon which you all hold decided opinions. You will rocolleot at that time the Irish Bill was one of those, and you ex- pressed a strong opinion u:)on the matter, and I pledged myself ¡'O do all that Jay iu my power, and by my vote to do as y m aetsired. Wo upo 1 that occasion came to a distinct understanding, and I repeatedly gave You my pledg; that I would vote for the disestablishment oi ciio Lis 1 Church. I havo fulfilled my pledges That Act was passed with gc:jer jl acclamation, and we have every reason to believe that it has produced a good effect. Tucn following that important measure, let me remind you that the Irish Lin J Bill also strongly fi"od your miuds, and when I mot you 1 asked your opinion about it, and I gathered from you that you disapproved of the tenants having no kind of compensation for their outlay. Those are two very important measures, but you are so familiar with these questions that I inwardly feel I am teHiug a thrice told tale, but I oaly mention them 10 order to remind you that when I give a pledge I fed it my bounden duty to fulfil the pledges I have given. (Ap- plause.) I therefore hope and believe, my friends, that when I undertake—as I shall d) presentiy-to support this or that measure, that you may be perfectly sure that I wi 1 do it. There was another measure to whiou I gave my hearty support, and which r-aliy interests us very much, and tbar- was the important measure known as the Judicature B II. The law of the land wai considerably improved, an I I supported that Bill with aiy vote In addition to tue Judicature Bill there was a Bill for the abolition of purchase in the Army. It was evident to my mind that the service io the Army, and n » o.her service, could be properly performed when an official position could bj obtained by purchase. In this case I voted iu accordance ^1,;h your wishes. There was another measure, of w ll°b wo shall obtain the full benefit; next luesday, I rnoau tho Badot. (Cheers.) I know it was considered by many that as a large employer of labour, a,, consequently, no doubt, wielding a large influence, and a man who pays from eight thousand to t n thousand pounds a week in wages—-it was sup- posed by many that I could scarcely be a true friend of it, because it was against my interests. they were wroag, beciu-<e it was my sinuere coa- viction that th j Biliot was the rinht of the work- ing man, and the right of every individual ia the community. It was the only way 10 which every man could express uss real ooaviedou. I »up_ ported th > Ballot with my f ill reasonable appro- bation. I promised you to s -pportit. I did so and oa every oco wioi I endeavoured with others to 'nake it as efficient a measure as possible. We ilow have the Billot in a tolerably effli,nt form. Wo have the pr.nciple of the Ballot ly whether the m ><ie of voting is as simple and efficacious as it migit be, I will n >t say. But I take this opportunity of begging you all my friends to be as particular as y'u cm p )s-) y b in not registering but in recording your votes, j Il may seem a very simple tiling to be given a sheet of paper, aoa to record your vot-'s. I my- self have had a little personal experience, and I know it is not as simple as is by some people thought. 1 had to vote the other day at Tenby on a municipal matter. I went into the room, and w.19 received with great civility. Tnere was an officer of the army present; he was a man ac- customed to make returns and filling up papers, and was an educated man. Doubtless, in con- templating the record of his vote by ballot, he read accurately the directions for voting, but he came out of the little apartment into which ho had entered for the purpose of voting, and he said to the officer present, I have spoiled my piper." (Laughter.) I could not help thinking this was a remarkable fact. lucre was a man accuit,Olned to filling up papers, and know what he was about, but he had the moral courage to go out and say he had spoiled his paper. It was possible in the process of the ballot if any person spoiled a voting paper to get another o n :c, c n in the miscarriage. Therefore, I beg of y »u that should any of you, by some inadvertentput a cross against tho name you did not mean to, have no false pride, but go at onco and confess tha mis- take, and get another paper. My turn followed to go and vote on the occasion referred to, and I was not very confident after the mistake made, especially whon the apartment was somewhat dark, and I had: not such powerful eyes as when I was twenty-five. In this instance at Tenby, however, the case wa3 more confused, for there were fourteen names, but next Tuesday you will have oulv three candidates to select from. which will be much easier, and mind which one you s.'l-ct. (Laughter.) Well, i tendered my rote all right, I believe, and did not spoil my paper.' New, to the man you vote for. I will not only tell y iu to take care of your papers, but be care ful as t) your men. I would ask you, L :t me be one of them." (Cheers.) Well, tho Ballot Act has been passed, and every one present aud every man in this constituency CllI, without fear or favour, vote for whoever he likes. (Cheers.) Having now spoken of the past be would eotae to the work that was proposed to be undertaken in the new parliament. These measures had been ably put by the Prime Minister, Air. Glad- stone, in his address, In the first place, there was a glance at economy, and he must confess ho was dis lppointed in the amount of economy of the last five years. He did not blame the Govern- ment for this, but the truth was that economy was more popular in the abstract than in practice. Air. Lowe proposed an actual saving of twelve millions and a half, but still the expenditure of the country amounted to £ 70,000,000. When, however, we considered that things cost twice what they did it was a matter for congratulation that it remained at that sum. In view of keeping the amount down to that sum, Mr. Gladstone, who was the ablest man he had ever m t, now proposed to do away with the income bx -a tux that was singularly demoralising and did a large amount of harm throughout the country. The working classes, too, had an important interest in it, because owing to the general prosperity of the country, and cons quently so large the earnings of working men, that many of them were receiving amounts which would bring them within the law and it had been suggested to call upon the em- ployers to make a r- turn of the earnings of their men so that they could be made to pay the tax. They would not relish that at all, and therefore all would feel glad that this iniquitous t IX was likely to be got rid of. (Cheers.) Mr Gladstone also intended to take away the taxes on the necessa- ries of life. He (the speaker) should be glad to see the tax taken off sugar-let luxuries be tax d and not n-cessaries. Having briefly alluded to the Education Bill, lie proceeded to consider the proposed equalization of the county and borough franchises, and expressed himself anxious to ob- tain for the counties the same privileges a* the boroughs alr -ady poss s-ied. In conclusion he dwelt UPPll the Welsh steam coal trad •. His hearers would doubtless remember the part lie had taken in proving the superiority of the Welsh steara coal over all o:h-r coal iu the world. (Ap- plause.) He regretted to state that the iron trade .)f the country was in a very depressed state, but fortunately for this neighbourhood we ha I the steam c'lal trade to fall back upon. Mr. Fother- gill again thanked them for the very cordial man n.'r in which he had been recei. ed, and resumed his seat amidst rounds of applause. An opportunity was then aff >rded any one pre- sent to put a question to the hon. gentleman. There',being 110 respons-, Dr. Price then moved a resolution expressive of approval of Mr. Fother- gill's past services, and pledging those present to do all in their power to secure his return. This was seconded by Mr. W. Dyke, and car- ried by acclamation. A vote of thanks having been accorded the chairman, three lusty cheers were given for Mr. Fothergill, and the meeting dispersed. I

MR. HENRY RICHARD'S MEETINGS.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF WALES.

MOUNTAIN ASH.

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