News and Notes | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 20, 1882

News and Notes.

—It is said that Russia intends to reduce its army at the end of the year to 300,000 men.

—Twelve persons were killed by the explosion of a boiler in a corn-chopping mill, in Baltimore, on the 13th inst.

—News from Rio de Janeiro states that jewels to the value of £20,000, belonging to the ladies of the imperial family of Brazil, have been stolen.

—Governor Tritle, of Arizona, has written President Arthur to urge an appropriation of $150,000 for the purpose of putting down outlawry in that Territory.

—Five thousand Jews were expelled from Moscow during the Easter holidays. This would seem to indicate that religious prejudice is one factor, at least, in the persecution.

—The postage stamps, cards, and stamped envelopes, issued for the nine months ending March 31, amounted to $30,697,119. The requisition for stamps in one day last week, aggregated $694,106.

—Parnell has been released from confinement, to visit his sister in Paris. Although his release was only on parole, it is taken as an indication that the government is relaxing its coercive measures.

—A boy only fifteen years of age has been arrested in Omaha, in the act of stealing from the mail. He had been at the business for some time, and had taken over $30,000 in money and drafts, from letters.

—A bill has been passed in Canada, legalizing marriage with a deceased wife's sister. Those voting against the bill have given notice that they will appeal to the Governor-General for a veto, and, if this fails, they will petition the Queen to disallow the bill.

—A Washington firm of lumber dealers recently received a car load of redwood, direct by rail from San Francisco. This was the first consignment of lumber ever received in Washington from California. Redwood is in considerable demand for interior trimmings.

—A severe hailstorm, accompanied by heavy rain, visited the northern part of Texas, and southern part of Arkansas, April 12. The hailstones were reported to be very large, some of them ten inches in circumference. The damage to property in Dallas, Texas, is estimated at $150,000.

—The Legislature of Ohio has passed a law giving to every village in the State, that has within its limits a college or university, power to provide its own ordinance against the evils resulting from the sale of intoxicating liquors. Oberlin people were instrumental in bringing the law about.

—The announcement is made that the dry-goods firm known as A. T. Stewart & Co., have decided to close out their business. The business has been steadily running down since the death of A. T. Stewart. The failure is attributed largely to the loss of the Jewish trade, on account of the treatment of the Hebrews by Judge Hilton, manager of the estate.

—In the trial of a Chinaman for burglary, in San Francisco, last week, although the offense was clearly proved, it was impossible to convict, because one of the jurors objected that imprisonment is no punishment for a Chinaman. He assented to the fact that the prisoner was guilty, but said he would not convict Chinese of anything less than murder, with the death penalty attached. The Judge promptly dismissed him from the jury.

—A new bill, to restrict Chinese immigration for ten years instead of twenty, was passed in the House by a vote of 201 to 37. There is no doubt but it will become a law. Public sentiment in the East is quite strong against any restriction. A petition against any such measure, signed by nearly all the business men of New York, has been sent to the President, but large mass-meetings in favor of restriction have been held in Philadelphia and Chicago.

—The Municipality of Catania, in Sicily, has just completed the erection upon Mount Etna, of an observatory, at the height of 9,671 feet above the sea level. It is believed that in the Etna observatory, spectroscopic results will be obtained, which are impossible at all the previously existing astronomical stations throughout Europe. The site of the observatory has been so selected that, in case of an eruption from the crater, a stream of lava would be divided above the building, and would pass it without injuring it.

—A case was recently tried in San Francisco, in which a man brought suit against a street-car company, because a conductor had ejected him from a car. It appears that the man had no change, and tendered first a $5.00 gold piece, and afterward $20.00, in payment for his fare. The conductor refused to make change, and put him off. In the suit, the company claimed that its employes were not bound to make change. The plaintiff was awarded $800 damages.