Ffynh 8Ji

Dear Mr Asquith,

I understand that a deputation of Welsh members propose waiting upon you to press for the adoption by the Govt. of Mr Lloyd George’s amendment to substitute a national council for the Commissioners to be appointed under the Welsh Church Bill. I think that you ought to be acquainted with the fact that the Welsh members are by no means unanimous on the question. I was present at the first meeting of the Welsh members at which the amendment was discussed and strenuously opposed it. The sense of the meeting was so evidently against it that Mr Lloyd George proposed to adjourn the discussion stating that the amendment would not be reached for some time and this was agreed to. I was not present at the next meeting and I think if you will enquire of the deputation you will find that there was only a small minority of the members present and so Mr Lloyd George got his way.

The Church party may support the omission of the word commissioners but they will certainly strenuously oppose the substitution of National Council therefor.

The object is to help on the question of Welsh Home Rule, a movement that has no hold whatever on the Welsh people at large. When it was first mooted in my constituency,I opposed it on the ground that we ought not to fritter away our strength in starting new and crude movements but rather to concentrate on the question of disestablishment & nothing more was heard of it in Eifion.

I hope the Government will stick to the Bill on this point & if that is done the support of the amendment will collapse.

(J. Bryn Roberts, MP, to H.H. Asquith, 18 May 1895, Bodleian Library, Oxford, Asquith Papers [Tip: daliwch Ctrl a chliciwch dolen i'w agor mewn tab newydd. (Cuddio tip)] )