Cylchgronau Cymru

" Old Beecknock Chips/' 22 FEIDAY, DECEMBER 23rd, 1887. COUNTY AND BOROUGH EVENTS—1887. A very eventful year is fast passing away, and, as is our usual custom, we will proceed at once to ■chronicle the chief county and borough events which have left their mark or impress (more or less) on our local annals. Politically, the year has been one of ■turbulence and strife ; religiously, especially in "Wales, professing Christians are at bitter war one with another: some are so blind or ignorant that they will not separate great first principles from sectarian tenets. We believe every man and woman should be allowed to worship God as their hearts and consciences dictate, and not according to any State-enforced laws and rubrics. We believe in Free Churches the world over, and shall, so long as ■God gives us life, never cease advocating the great first principles of Civil and Religious Liberty —no, we will never cease, unless Force and Tyranny should decree that we must join Mr O'Brien in Her Majesty's Prison—either at Brecon or Tullamore. Socially, the year at home has been characterized by the Jubilee rejoicings. Educationally, and scienti¬ fically, we stand as we were at the commencement •of the year : there are useless dole charities and educational endowments in our county that should be more generally used for the education of the people, that are now solely diverted to class and sectarian purposes, and so far as any provision has been made for technical and scientific education in our county, why, we are as benighted as the South African ; and while the Classes are labouring hard at their Greek and Hebrew, the plucky Germans are coming over in shoals, and are rapidly taking the place of our clerks and professional men. English¬ men are very prejudiced and pig-headed, and never will commence to learn until it is too late. Our whole commercial education system sadly wants put¬ ting on a new and reformed basis, so as to prepare and fit young men and young women for the calls of modern civilized life. We must here stop, after having touched the fringe of several very compli¬ cated subjects, and proceed to give our annual resume of local and county events. January. 4th—Quarter Sessions : Rate necessary for general purposes, ljd. in the £. The committee recommended no police rate, as they expected to receive from Government, in March, £1,460, being half the pay of the police. One prisoner for trial. 12th—Lord Iddesleigh died very suddenly (created quite a sensation at Brecon). 14th—Spirited meet¬ ing of Brecon Literary Institution subscribers. 16th —Mrs Margaret Thomas (late postmistress at Brecon) died. 24th—Fatal accident to Alfred Evans, near the Brecon Railway Station. 26th - Grand invita¬ tion ball at Castle Hotel, Brecon. February. 3rd—D. J. Powell, Esq., J.P., died at Bronllys Court. Interred beneath the Chancel of Llywel Church, on the 8th. March. 5th—Mr James Howells (town crier of Brecon and sexton of St. John's) and Mrs Aneurin George__two old and respected inhabitants—buried in the Priory Churchyard. 8th—Brecon Town Council meeting: Statement of accounts of the Avenue New Road sub¬ mitted. The Mayor (James Williams, Esq.), sug¬ gested that the Committee of the National Eistedd¬ fod of Wales should be invited to hold the 1889 Eis¬ teddfod at Brecon : no resolution passed by the Town Council. 9th—Eisteddfod at Builth. 22nd—Royal National Eisteddfod: Meeting of the inhabitants of Brecon at the Gas Office, Lion street, the Mayor (James Williams, Esq.), presiding. 26th—Destruc¬ tive Fire at the Brecon County 'limes Offices. April. 15th—Speech by Mr Cyril Flower, M.P., at Llandrindod Wells against the Government Coercion Bill. 22nd—Paragraph in the Brecon County Times to the effect that Colonel J. Williams-Morgan, Bolgoed, had resigned his commission in the 3rd Batt. S.W.B. 5th—Quarter Sessions : Rate neces¬ sary for general purposes, Jd. in the £ ; for police, Jd. in the £. The chairman congratulated the ratepayers of the county that the whole county business and the charge of the police could be met by so extremely low a charge. Three prisoners for trial. May. 27th—The Town Clerk of Brecon (Mr John Williams) died. Interred in the Brecon Cemetery on May 30th. 31st—Industrial Exhibition held for the first time at Sennybridge (highly successful). June. 2nd—Mr Gladstone passed through Breconshire, Presentation of addresses at Rhayader, Builth, Talgarth, and Talyllyn to the Ex-Premier. Pre¬ sentation of a bouquet to Mrs Gladstone at Talyllyn by the Hon. Mrs Fuller-Maitland. 2nd—Llan- hamlach Church re-opened by the Lord Bishop of St. David's. 4th—Mr Gladstone at Swansea, Presentation of an address by Dr. John Morris on behalf of the Brecknockshire Liberal Association. 7th—Mr G. Hyatt Williams appointed Town Clerk of Brecon. 19th—United Nonconformist Jubilee Celebration Service at Bethel Chapel, Brecon. 21st—Celebration of the Queen's Jubilee at Brecon. Procession of the Corporation, Clubs, etc. Pro¬ cession of Sunday-school children. Tea and sports in the Cricket Field. Bonfire on the Beacons, and other fires. Grand display of fireworks at the Camp. Military feu de joie fired at twelve o'clock noon. 24th—Celebration of the Queen's Jubilee at Clyro. 29th—Arthur Henry Whitcombe was drowned in Newton Pool, whilst bathing. 28th—Breconshire Quarter Sessions: Rate necessary for general purposes, ljd. in the £; for police, fd. in the £. Captain Penry Lloyd gave notice that he would move at the ensuing Quarter Sessions—"That the Finance Committee be requested to consider the estimates of the county and police rates, with the view of ascertaining whether the business of the county can be conducted with smaller standing balances, and to consider the Treasurer's accounts generally." July. 4th—The Breconshire Volunteers proceeded to Aldershot. 7th—Marriage of Miss Chitty and