The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1880-03-05 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

WEEKLY GOSSIP.  Our talented townsman, Mr. John Thomas, the Queen's harpist, makes another appeal on behalf of a permanent scholarship for Wales, at the Royal Academy of Music, which he is desiroes of founding. It is proposed that it shall be competed for by candidates from all parts of the Principality, and to be open alternately to vocalists and instrumentalists. The sum of £l,OOO is required to accomplish this object, and 6' Pencerdd Gwalia" through his own influence, and the exertion of his countrymen and friends, has, succeeded in raising the sum of MO, which hasbeen invested in consols. When a previous appal was made, some of our good neighbours lien up to Welbeck-street, a respectable sum; and we hope that they will not be mute, now tha another effort is to be made. Cards may be ebtained for the purpose of collecting subscriptions.  Our teetotal friends will, no doubt, tell us that murder by alcoholic poisoning is of daily occurrence. Still when such cases as that of MisS M`Lean crop up prominently, the public mind is greatly shocked. Mr. Justice Ilawkini an a jury were recently engaged for several day in this case, and the culprit, Lewis James Paine, who was last week sentenced to penal serVitude for life, has been revealed to his countrymen as a moral monster. A notable peculiarity in this case consists in the fact that It is the only case in which the law officers of the crown have claimed a verdict of guilty on a murder charge in which the death agency aas spirituous liquors. There are many ways of taking life, and it is well that a certain class of people should know that they arc not justit,ed in encouraging objectionable friends to drink themselves to death.  Cowbridge, in common with sonic of the old corporate towns, has been the subject of inquiry by the Commissioners appointed to inquire into municipal corporations not subject to the Municipal Corporation Act. While the Commisioners state that it is not expedient that any of these corporations which are municipal in their character should continue in their present state, the think that many Of those which had come under their notice, are by reason of the smallness of their population and corporate property, unsuited to retain municipal functions. The Commissioners in such cases at these think that it would be advantageous in many instances to appoint Local Boards for sanitary purposes, and that in such cases tho property might be conveniently vested in such boards. Here then is a  futuro for Cowbridge, an opportunity for it to gorern its own sanitary matters instead of being a Sub-authority under a district body. if Cowbridge obtains direct power to manage its sanitary affairs, in addition to its local adminis tration of justice, and highway authority, it can only require a separate poor-law union to make its happiness complete.  If the defunct Ratepayers Association of Bridgend were only in existence, we should this week propose that its members make enquiry into the manner in which local property is assessed for income tax. To be detained for hours as appellants in the dark passage of a public inn, is bad enough, but to smart under an increased assessment in dull times, and when all classes of property are depreciated in value is a matter which calls for investigation. Perhaps, after all, those who have manipulated the assessment are best able to explain the why and wherefore.