The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-09 00:00:00

LONDON,

between the fore and main rigging on the starboard
side, nearly to the water's edge, the vessel must have
gone down. A Dee boat that happened to be cruising
in the neighbourhood went shortly atter the accident 10
their ..sistance, and brought the vessel batty into this
h Arbour. _ _

Such was the force of the explosion, that pieces of the
tarpauling that covered the hatches, and pieces of coal
are found lodged in the tops. It is said that a French
vessel that had taken in a cargo of the same coal, and
was lying at Cardiff whilst th© Fortnnatus was loading,
blew up there. There is at present no appearance of
the coals igniting or heating in this vessel, nor had the
master any reason to fear that gas was generating. May
not this account for many coal-laden vessels that leave
England on foreign long voyages and are never heard of?

ST. DAVID'S COLLEGE, LAMPETER : its !
Assailants and Defenders. Respectfully dedicated to
the Bishops of Wales. P.p. 56. Partridge and
Oakey, Paternoster-row.
(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.) •
The contents of this pamphlet are not likely to
afford much satisfaction to the Right Reverend
Prelates to whom itiis inscribed. Founded, less than
one generation ago, by the late Bishop Burgess, to
be thenceforth the sole theological college in the dio-
cese of St. David, this institution has signally failed in
the attainmentof its special objects,and caused the Welsh
Church of the principality rather to regret the abro-
gation of the previously existing licensed schools,
than to exult in the superior use and excellence of
the institution which supplanted them. The first 17
pages of this pamphlet trace its origin, progress, and
decline in narratives compiled from the College ca-
lendars and from other sources. Certain particulars
regarding its endowments are then given, and various
controversial statements concerning the correlative
causes of its past and present ill success. On
one side is alleged utter mismanagement
in the departments alike of education and
finance, on the other want of funds and non-posses-
sion of the privilege of conferring 'degrees. Both
parties appear to consider the college as vitally im-
portant to the Welsh Church, but the assailants press
for judicial inquiry, reformation, and recurrence
to first principles ; while the defenders deny all
liability to blame, extenuate obvious and undeniable
results, and would fain resist exposure, and obtain
further pecuniary aid, to enable them to falter on in
their own old way. The following extract throws
considerable light upon the subject :
" In the course of the last session of Parliament notice
of a motion of inquiry into the past and present state of
St. David's College was repeatedly given in the House of
Commons. A copy of that notice is subjoined. The
text read straight through gives the document as printed
for the House, Feb. 24, 1551; and in this form it is be-
lieved to have been officially forwarded to the authorities
of Llanbedr College. The letters, words, and passages
here distinguished by italic characters were erased before
its return, and the marginal notes are the literal, verbal
and sentential alterations made. It is to be observed
that these alterations, thus utterly subversive of the
object of the motion, were returned to her Majesty's
Secretary of State for the Home Department.
" Mr. John Williams—Return of names of all the
benefices, whether sinecures or otherwise, transferred by
Charter, Act of Parliament, or otherwise, to Saint
David's College, Lampeter:
"'The gross and net income of each benefice,
whether derivable from lands, houses, tithes, or otherwise,
showing the items which constitute the ditjerence between
gross and net income; by whom each benefice has been
held and is now held; the dates of the various appoint-
ment. thereto, whether held by any officers of the Col-
lege or otherwise; also the date of the appointments of
the holders of those benefices to any offices in St. David's
College, and the annual income of such offices, with the
duties atteched thereto, with the source from which such
nc one is derived.
‘• • Also, the amount received in each term from the
t :dents as In College charges of tuition, rent of double
and single room+, matriculation, detriment fees, interest
of caution money, profits of batlery and dinners, and all
ntrer sources of Ihconic, from the year 1827 [1847] to
1850, inclusive; also the number of students in each
term :
Annual return of all " the means at the disposal of
St. David's College, Lampeter, setting forth all the
sources from whence derived, and the value thereof re-
speAlvely ; showing in each case the gross and net income,
and the items constituting the difference between gross and
net income, from 1827 [3lst Dec. 1847] to 31st Decem-
ber, 1850, inclusive:
" Returns of the various benefactions, donations, and
subscriptions made to the College, with the date thereof,
and by whom made, and how expended or applied, front
1827 to 1850, inclusive:
"‘ Of the names of the principal, vice-principals,
professors, tutors, and assistant tutors, and all other
officers of Saint David's College, from the year 1827
to 1850, inclusive; stating the date of their appoint-
ments and continuance in their offices, the objects for
which they were appointed, whether they always resided
and do reside in the College, and if not, the usual place of
their residence and its distance from the College, and
the titles of any ecclesiastical benefices or pieces of pre-
ferment, and value of such preferment, held by each
of such officers, whether ex-officers or otherwise, and
,the
distance of such preferments from the College.
Of the various amounts paid in salaries, or in any
other manner, to the principal, vice-principals, profes-
sors, tutors, and other officers of the College, in each
year respectively; also the amount laid out in each year
in the repairs of the College buildings, and other ex-
penses attendant upon the fabric, from 1827 L1847] to
1850 inclusive :
" And of the number of scholarships, exhibitions,
and prizes, their respective annual values, when and by
wbcm each was founded, when and upon whom each was
conferred, to whom and when paid, how long held or re-
tained by each scholar respectively, when relinquished, and
by whom succeeded, specifying in every case whether the
holder of such scholarship had any office in the College,
and of what nature, from 1827 to 1850 inclusive.' "
" Hence it may be inferred that the Visitor, Principal,
and other members of the corporate body of St. David's
College, have deliberately refused to furnish tho items'
which constitute the difference between the gross and net
income of each benefice, and the names of the persons by
whom the respective benefices have been held, with the
dates of their several appointments to office in the College.
They have likewise refused to give any account of the
Collegiate receipts and sources of income, of benefactions,
donations, subscriptions, and other means at their dispo-
sal, from t,hlhBaet2uvy7etoeare
tutors,
1827 to Dec. 31, 1847.
and
refused salenBd to
and others
sahtneadrt
se t
wthheeer
distances
ibsjatpeacputocs
appointed
eor
dfw
thhiec ihr
betweentrhee.
tp
hr f
yees Theysa or rs s
e
.pective residences and ecclesiastical preferments from the
College.
" They have refused to give an account of the money
annually paid to collegiate officers, and of the money an-
nually expended upon the buildings between the years
1827 and 1847.
" They have refused to afford information concerning
the dates, and as to the persons upon whom the several
scholarships, exhibitions, and prizes were conferred, to
whom and when the respective amounts were
periods of individual holding, relinquishment,and u
cession!
" In cases where many separate interests are involved,
it is vain for public bodies to expect for their transac•
tions tho safe reposo of perfect sccresy, yet defying all
risks of subsequent exposure and public contempt, the
citernpions Of St. David's College have thus ventured to
avow that they must and will conceal all that belongs to
the twenty years of their past history intervening between
1827 and 1847; but, being bard pressed, they reluctantly
consent to yield up, under compulsion, some few unim-
portant particulars concerning the last three years of
heir corporate existence."
A document such as this cannot fail to produce a
very strong effect upon the public mind ; no declara-
tion of examiners, no protest of church dignitaries,
can mar its force or abate its power. Nothing but
the testimony of Sir George Grey and Mr. Williams
of Macclesfield to its being an absolute forgery, can
prevent the overwhelming effect it must produce upon
the official and partizan defenders of Lampeter Col-
lege. Pp. 31-5 contain a synopsis of another Par-
liamentary paper which is scarcely less important,
striking, and conclusive. Indeed the whole of the
matter embodied in this pamphlet tends fairly, yet
firmly, to make out a case of mismanagement and
abuse against the collegiate authorities. We earnestly
recommend its attentive perusal to our readers, and
more especially to those who are conscientiously de-
voting their time and talents to the discovery and
remedy of political, ecclesiastical, or other institu-
tional abuses.