—The Rome correspondent of the Journal des Debates writes to that paper that the pope will take up his residence in the United States if it should become impossible for him to remain in Rome.
—Two Japanese Christians are to be received into the California College as theological students.
—The American Tract Society celebrated its fiftieth year in Washington, April 4. The total receipts have exceeded $12,700,000, of which one-third was from donations and legacies. The expenditures for grants, colportage and the foreign-mission press have exceeded the entire benevolent receipts.
—A great Methodist camp-meeting is to be held at Saratoga, N. Y., beginning July 1, largely for the purpose of fraternizing the various sects of that denomination.
—The Lutheran Observer says:—
Four general Lutheran bodies and twice as many independent Lutheran synods now exist, without unity, harmony, or co-operation. They neither recognize nor extend fellowship, but denounce and antagonize each other. Strife and contention producing alienation and schism, have free course among them.
—Dr. Hall's church in New York has already cost $900,000.
—A Presbyterian camp-meeting is advertised to be opened this summer at Cape May.
—At a union meeting in the Baptist church, Stockton, Cal., May 2, Rev. J. Thompson, District Secretary and Agent of the California Bible Society, stated that the Bible is now printed in between 260 and 300 languages and dialects, and that there is not a nation in the world where it is not known.
—The editor of the Christian Union says:—
The whole world has been ransacked and explored; there is not now a corner of the globe where Christianity is unknown.
—The Phrenological Journal says:—
The whole heathen world is dotted with missions. Three-fourths of the earth's surface is under Christian government and influence. Surely is this not enough to fulfill Matt. 24:14?
—Governor Gaston and members of the Executive Council and of both branches of the Legislature; Mayor Cobb, members of the Common Council, and heads of departments; members of the faculties of Havard, Yale, and other colleges, and French, British, and other Consuls, were present at the consecration of the Catholic Archbishop Williams in Boston May 2. This indicates the honor that is coming to be paid to that church in this country.
—May 2, Beecher received into Plymouth Church 105 members.
—A San Francisco daily of May 2, says:—
The fair of Plymouth Church, Taylor street, which attracted almost the whole attention of the friends and members of the congregation last week, netted nearly $1,000. The balloting for the handsomest young lady was very spirited, and $300 of the above amount was given at the ballot table in two-bit pieces for the privilege of voting. Money! money! money! pleasure! pleasure! pleasure! This seems to be the burden of the churches now. The St. John's Episcopal church of Stockton, Cal., in advertising their picnic the other day, said: "There is an excellent floor for dancing on the picnic grounds, and croquet and other games will be provided." See 2 Tim. 3:1–5.
—The First International (Sixth National) Convention of Sunday-school Workers of America—including the United States and Canada—is to be held in Baltimore, May 11–13.
—The Baptist denomination has now organized schools for the training of colored preachers and teachers at such central points as Washington, Richmond, Raleigh, Columbia, Augusta, New Orleans, and Nashville, which together contain some seven hundred students.
FOREIGN.
MADRID, May 4.—King Alfonso received a Papal nuncio to-day. He said he was aware of his duties, gratitude, and affection to the Holy Father, and should fulfill them.
ROME, May 4.—The pope is again under his physician's treatment.
—It is proposed to re-establish the Inquisition in Ecuador.
—One of the curiosities of English ecclesiastical law is that while a clergyman of the Established Church may preach in the streets, in a theatre, or in a music hall, he may not preach in a place of worship belonging to dissenters.
—The question of disestablishing the Church of England is still vigorously agitated in England.
—Bedford, having tardily remembered Bunyan with a monument last year, Kidderminster, Baxter's birthplace, follows this season with a similar memorial to its worthy divine. The unveiling takes place in July, when Dean Stanley will deliver the address as he did at Bedford, and when he may be expected to say something more against "giant intolerance."
—The eleventh annual report of the Burmah Bible and Tract Society says that the Society was instituted in 1861, and held its thirteenth annual meeting Dec. 17. The report states that an edition of 3,000 of Genesis and Exodus, in a size fitted for permanent use and suitable for binding, has been published, and 90,000 copies of nine books and tracts, all in Burmese.
—The Episcopal Church has two churches in the City of Mexico, and nearly forty in other parts of the Republic. The Methodists also are gaining a strong foothold there.
—The Roman Catholic Bishops of England have agreed together to forbid English Roman Catholics joining the association known as "The Independent Order of Good Templars."
—Eld. Jones and his friends are meeting with much encouragement in spreading the light on the Sabbath in England and Scotland. They have just issued 2,000 copies of the tract, "Who changed the Sabbath?"
News and Miscellany.
By Editor
THE BUENOS AYRES RIOT.
A riot occurred at Buenos Ayres, Feb. 28, during which a fearful scene of confusion, carnage, and destruction prevailed. The Jesuit college building was burned. Quite a number of lives were lost. Great stock has since been made of this by the Catholics who affirm that this was a riot of Protestants against Catholics; and they have held indignation meetings in consequence, in a number of places. In regard to this the S. F. Chronicle says:—
It would be a mistake to suppose that the great riot in Buenos Ayres of February 28, which resulted in the burning of the Jesuit college, was incited by any spirit of sectarianism, or hostility to the Roman Catholic church. The full particulars of the affair which have just reached us, and which were published in yesterday’s Chronicle, show that the outbreak had its origin in causes similar to those which led to the expulsion of the Jesuits from Mexico, and the “persecution” of the Ultramontanes in Germany. The rioters who invaded the archbishop’s palace and destroyed the Great Jesuits’ college of San Salvador were not Protestants, but Catholics. Their motive was not enmity to religion, but the opposition to encroachments by the church upon the legitimate functions of the State. Their rallying cry, according to the account just received, was “Free Church and State.” There were 30,000 people in the mob; but the whole Argentine Republic contains only 10,000 Protestants, and it would be absurd to suppose that all these are concentrated in the single city of Buenos Ayres. The banners borne by the rioters were those of the Argentine Republic, of Spain, and of Italy. There was no American or German or British flags; whereas, nineteen-twentieths of the Protestant population of Buenos Ayres are English, German, and American. So far as can be gathered from the particulars in our possession, the excitement of the populace was kindled by the attempts of the ecclesiastical authorities to interfere with the civil power, and also with the subject of education. The first speech at the meeting which preceded the riot was made by the President of the University Students’ Committee, and its effect upon the multitude is described as inflammatory in the extreme. Nothing appears in the facts as now known to justify the belief that sectarian bigotry had the slightest influence in producing the outbreak.
LOSS OF THE "SCHILLER."
Dispatches from London, May 10, record the grounding of the steamer Schiller, during a heavy sea, on the rocks of Scilly Isles. Only 51 passengers had been saved. Carelessness is assigned as the cause of the wreck. It is proposed to embalm the bodies of the dead. A dispatch dated the 14th says:—
One of the crew of the Schiller has informed a correspondent of the Standard that the officers on board the steamer were drunk when she struck, and several passengers lay helpless until they were swept overboard by the waves. One hundred and thirty bodies have been recovered from the wreck.
STEAMSHIP "CADIZ" LOST.
LONDON, May 10.—The steamship Cadiz was lost near Brest while on a trip from Lisbon to this city. Sixteen persons were drowned.
THE PENNSYLVANIA LABOR TROUBLES.
WILKESBARRE, Pa., May 13.—A straggling fire was kept up by the striking miners from 10 o'clock last night until 4 this morning upon the Sheriff's force. At Hutchinson's breaker, four men went to work for Hutchinson this morning.
Yesterday about nine hundred men and women went to Fisher's and Whitehead's mines, compelled the miners to suspend operations, and then sacked their houses and appropriated the valuables. The strikers have become ungovernable, and declare that all new men must and shall leave the region. The success of the mob for the last two days threatens to cause a suspension of business.
OSCEOLA (Pa.), May 13.—John Sieny, the Vice-President of the Miners' National Association, was arrested here last night on the oath of Captain Clark, charged with conspiracy.
Sieny said, in addressing a large crowd of excited miners that there were times when persons were justified in violating the law, and that the men who came here now, seeking to take the places of those out on a strike, were robbing their children and wives of their bread, and should be treated accordingly. Sieny sent this furious crowd to Powellton, some three miles from this village, to drag the men from their work as they did at Fisher & Miller's works yesterday. Sieny is under the pay of the National Organization, and is believed to be paid by shippers in other regions, who are now working to keep this strike up.
BERLIN, May 10.—A number of Polish priests have been charged with instigating the attempt to assinate Bismarck. Several arrests have been made.
—A crowd of women mobbed the Old school-house in Konigshutte, Silesia, on Tuesday, declaring they would never allow their children to become Old Catholics. After much excitement the military were called out and they cleared the streets, which were full of spectators. Twenty were arrested.
SAN ANTONIO (Texas), May 11.—Generals Hatch and Davis, of the United States army, have arrived here from the Rio Grande. They report that Mexican raids are becoming more frequent and bolder, and that murders of Americans and friendly Mexicans are constantly occurring. The civil authorities on this side are under the control of Mexicans and they prevent the troops from making arrests. Unless summary action is taken the country between Rio Grande and Nueces will soon be in the hands of Mexican outlaws.
STORMS.
COLUMBUS (Ga.), May 4.—About 9 o'clock last night one of the heaviest hailstorms known for years fell in this vicinity for five minutes, some of the hailstones being as large as eggs. The storm was accompanied by a heavy rain and wind, doing great damage to the crops and fruit orchards.
TOLEDO, May 10.—A tornado passed over the village of Green Springs, Ohio, yesterday afternoon, doing much damage and killing two children. The course of the storm was from north to south, and its track about two miles wide.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN BROOKLYN.
BROOKLYN, May 10.—A disastrous fire broke out at midnight in the Planet Jute and Carpet Mills, destroying nearly the whole square. The fire originated in the basement, and is believed to have been the work of an incendiary. It is estimated that the total loss is over $500,000. Over 400 persons are thrown out of employment. The fire is still burning, and public school No. 4 and the Baptist church are in danger.
—The Russian government has signed a convention with Japan, by which the Japanese part of the island of Saghalien is ceded to Russia.
CROP PROSPECTS.
FOREIGN.—The Vienna Free Press says the prospects for crops in Syria are good. The Berlin Market Report, of April 10, says the weather has become seasonable and permits the farmers to work. Winter crops in Hungary and Austria look splendid. The Berlin Handels Zeitung, of April 12, says that frosts have done much injury to crops in Mecklenbury, and Roumania. Winter crops were badly damaged, especially wheat. In France, wheat has already suffered, and rye still more. In Russia, sowers are actually beaten off by the snow.
DOMESTIC.—Advices from the Eastern States report prospects of from one-half to two-thirds of a winter wheat crop, although this is partially made up by the increased number of acres sown, and the quantities of spring wheat put in. California reports the crops improving and the weather favorable. Expect three hundred thousand tons surplus.
GRASSHOPPERS.
CHICAGO, May 14.—Reports from portions of Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas, and Nebraska, state that the grasshoppers are already devastating the country of every green thing, and that the farmers are greatly discouraged. The pests seem to be young—at least they are very small—ranging from the size of a flea to that of a common house-fly. But their destructive powers appear quite as great as those of the full-grown insect. Gentlemen who have recently been on a tour of southwestern Missouri, say the grasshoppers are destroying everything green in that section. People are panic-stricken, and cattle and horses are dying by hundreds of starvation. They can find nothing to eat, not even in the woods, as the grasshoppers have eaten the buds and leaves from the trees. In Minnesota an investigation by a reporter of the St. Paul Press, sent out especially for the purpose, shows that so far only a portion of four counties are troubled with the pests; but deposits of eggs are found in other sections, and serious damage to the crops is feared.
Obituary Notices.
By John Norton Loughborough
DIED, at Santa Rosa, Cal., April 6, 1875, Sister Deeds, aged 38 years and 10 months. She leaves seven children to mourn her loss. Sister Deeds embraced the truth some four years since, and has ever been a true, humble Christian, ever faithful at the post of duty.
J. N. L.
Luther on Lager Beer.
In Luther's "table talk" we find the following opinion on lager beer: "The man who first brewed beer was a pest to Germany. Food must be dear in our land, for the horses eat up all the oats, and peasants and citizens drink up all the barley in the form of beer. I have survived the end of genuine beer, for it has now become small beer in every sense, and I have prayed to God that he might destroy the whole beer-brewing business, and the first brewer I have often cursed. There is enough barley destroyed in the breweries to feed all Germany."
Camp-Meeting.
By John Norton Loughborough
It is time to begin to think, and talk, and plan for our camp-meeting. The time of the meeting has already been decided upon by our committee, namely : to hold one week, commencing Wednesday, September 23, and closing Wednesday, September 30. The place has not yet been decided upon, although several places have been suggested. One suggested Alameda, but the difficulty here was that we would have to depend on wells for water. This proved a failure two years ago last fall.
We have been examining a place in Livermore Valley, half way between Sunol and Pleasanton, on the Central Pacific Railroad. The ground is two and a half miles from Sunol, and two and a half miles from Pleasanton, these villages being five miles apart. The ground is about forty rods from the railroad track. Undoubtedly arrangements could be made with the Railroad Company to stop a part of their trains each day at the ground.
There is more shade here than we had in Napa Valley, and a good stream of running, spring water passes through the grove. It will require about as much underbrushing and leveling as the Napa ground, but, being sandy soil will take less labor. The live oak and button or shittemwood tree affords most of the shade, and hardly a trace of poison oak is found on the ground. Plenty of hay and straw can be obtained on the same ranch. I have spied out this ground and report upon it. I have taken no steps to secure it, but have ascertained that there will be no difficulty in getting the use of it. I wait to hear if a site is offered any more accessible, central, or affording the same facilities in every respect. Where shall the camp-meeting be held? Take note and speak your minds.
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH,
President Cal. State Conference.
The Signs of the Times.
By John Norton Loughborough
We hope all the readers of the SIGNS have read carefully the statements of Bro. White, respecting the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, found on the last page of No. 26, and are preparing to act in harmony with his suggestions. We quote a portion of it as follows:
"And we wish here to state to all those who read the SIGNS that somebody has to pay for your paper. If you are interested in the reading matter of the SIGNS, and are able to pay for it, you should show your interest by forwarding to the Office a donation not less that $2.00, and as much more as your good will and means will allow."
The above statement is certainly reasonable, and commends itself to all. Those who are really able certainly do not wish to be furnished a paper at the expense of others, and those who are interested in the reading of what the paper contains will esteem it a pleasure to contribute of their means that such a paper may be sustained.
We call attention to another statement:
"Those who have gathered up names for the SIGNS and have forwarded them to the Office without pay, should not feel that their work is done. They should see these persons, or should in some way ascertain whether they are interested readers, or whether our precious paper is cast, unread, into the waste-paper basket. Those who do not wish longer to receive the SIGNS should notify their postmaster, whose duty it is to notify the publishers."
The above is plain and we hope will be read again and heeded by all. As far as the subscribers in California are concerned, we propose this week, to send out lists of the subscribers in each church, so that the business agents of our T. and M. Society, assisted by the members, may ascertain who of these subscribers are reading with profit, whose should be stopped, and whose continued. Also, to obtain all the donations possible on those papers which should be continued.
Those who read the SIGNS and give attention to the department marked "Received for the Signs" can readily see that these receipts must be greatly augmented by some means to meet $135.00 per number, the expense of publishing the same. We shall expect prompt action on the part of all and a decided improvement soon in the receipts for the SIGNS.
J. N. L.
Vicarius Filii Dei.
By Uriah Smith
THIS is the title which the pope of Rome wears in jeweled letters upon his miter or pontifical crown. It means, Vicegerent of the Son of God. In Thoughts on the Revelation, this title is referred to as that which probably contains the number of the beast, 666, Rev. 13 : 18. A correspondent asks us to give the numerical value of the letters found in this name to make that number.
The letters of this name anciently used as numerals, are as follows : v, 5; i, 1; c, 100; a, not used as a numeral; r, not used as a numeral; i, 1; u, anciently the same as v, 5; s, not used as a numeral; f, not used as a numeral; i, 1; l, 50; i, 1; i, 1; d, 500; e, not used as a numeral; i, 1.
We thus have the numbers, 5, 1, 100, 1, 5, 1, 50, 1, 1, 500, 1, which added together make just 666. It also answers admirably to the prophecy in the two remaining particulars; namely, it is “the number of a man,” the “man of sin ;” and it is the number of his name, this being his official title. — U. S.
Missionary Districts.
By John Norton Loughborough
By request we republish a list of the districts of the T. and M. Society of California:—
District No. 1, consisting of the southern portion of Sonoma county and Marin, including the churches of Petaluma, Bloomfield, and Green Valley. (T. M. Chapman, Director, Petaluma.)
District No. 2, consisting of the northern part of Sonoma county and Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Kalamath and Del Norte counties, and including the churches of Santa Rosa and Healdsburg. (Wm. Harmon, Director, Healdsburg.)
District No, 3, Napa and Lake counties, including the churches of Napa and St. Helena. (John Mavity, Director, St. Helena.)
District No. 4, Solano county, including Vallejo church. (J. S. Howard, Director, Vallejo.)
District No. 5, consisting of Yolo, Colusa, Sacramento, Sutter, Yuba, Placer, Nevada, El Dorado, and Amador counties, including Woodland church. (G. C. Martin, Director, Woodland.)
District No. 6, consisting of Tehema, Shasta, Bute, Sierra, Plumas, Lassen, and Siskiyou counties, and including the church of Red Bluff. (J. H. Disher, Director, Red Bluff.)
District No. 7, consisting of Aladeda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Calaveras, Alpine, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Mono and Mariposa counties, including the Oakland church. (D. R. Rickey, Director, Oakland.)
District No. 8, consisting of Santa Clara, San Benito, Merced, Fresno, Tulare, and Inyo counties, and including the churches of San Jose and Santa Clara. (Wm. Swinterton, Director, San Jose.)
District No. 9, consisting of San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey; San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Kern, Los Angelos, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties, including San Francisco church. (Charles Chittenden, Director, No. 733 Bryant street, San Francisco.)
J. N. L.
San Francisco.
By John Norton Loughborough
ON First-day evening, I spoke again in San Francisco. Though the notice was short we had a good audience of deeply interested hearers. The Lord gave freedom in speaking.
On Monday morning, I went with the Trustees to look at the church lot mentioned in last week's SIGNS. This lot 75x105 feet, which was purchased for $6000, is situated between two of the principal street railways of San Francisco. These railroads are Market St. and the Central. The lot is less than 100 feet from one of these railroads, and about 200 feet from the other. It is near that portion of San Francisco which contains the principal residences.
It was stated last week that the lot was about two blocks from where the tent stood. This was a misunderstanding. It is six blocks west of the lot on which the tent stood. It is on Laguna street near Tyler street, fronting the west. Considering the prices of property around it, it was bought at exceedingly reasonable figures for that locality. J. N. L.
A New Book.
By Editor
WE have just received from the author, Uriah Smith, a copy of a bound book, with this title, “A word for the Sabbath : or, False Theories Exposed.” This interesting and terse poem of 60 pages is put up in neat muslin covers, printed on heavy book paper, yet offered at the small sum of forty cents a copy, post-paid. Send in your orders which we can soon fill as we have ordered a quantity of them to this coast.
English Bibles.
By Editor
We will send any of the following English Reference Bibles, by mail, post-paid, at their respective prices :
The Lord willing I will speak at Napa, Sabbath, May 22, at 11 A. M., and also on first-day, the 23d, at 11 A. M.
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.
Quarterly Meetings.
The Quarterly Meetings for the third quarter will be held as follows:—
The State Quarterly Meeting will be held at Oakland, Cal., July 3 and 4.
District Quarterly Meetings will be held as follows:—
District No. 1, at Bloomfield, June 19 and 20.
District No. 2, at Healdsburg, June 19 and 20.
District No. 3, at St. Helena, June 19 and 20.
District No. 4, at Vallejo, June 19 and 20.
District No. 5, at Woodland, June 19 and 20.
District No. 7, in connection with the State Quarterly Meeting at Oakland, July 3 and 4.
District No. 8, at San Jose, June 19 and 20.
District No. 9, at San Francisco, June 19 and 20.
We will try to furnish ministerial labor for the State Quarterly Meeting at Oakland, and at the Red Banks meeting. The other Quarterly Meetings will be presided over by the directors of the respective districts, except No. 3, which, in the absence of the director, will be presided over by the Vice President of the Cal. T. and M. Society.
The requisite number of blanks for each district should be sent by our State T. and M. Secretary to the directors of the respective districts immediately, so that the directors can furnish to each church librarian their respective number—four or five more than the number of T. and M. members in each church. These blanks should be passed out by the librarians of the churches June 5, and then filled out and returned to the librarians June 12, so as to give the librarians ample time to make up their reports for their district Quarterly Meeting. The report of each church should be sent, or carried, to the district secretary at the Quarterly Meeting, so that the district secretary can make a report of the workings of the district for the quarter.
J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH,
Pres. Cal. State T. and M. Society.
Business Department.
By Editor
"Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully," (margin, negligently). Jer. 48:10.
Received for the Signs.
$2 EACH. Ann Eliza Eels, Lyman Tupper, Henry Hilliard, Mrs Newell Walsworth, Mrs R O Damon, Mrs A M Green, Mrs O D Washburn, M H Brown, B L Whitney, H L Warner, Mrs J Hunsayker, Henry Lancaster, Linny Martin, Geo Drew, J Pulse, Julia E Mc Dowel, Fred W Ansley, C R Lemont.
$1 EACH. H S Shannon, Mrs E Temple, Mrs Ellen Vannoy, Holman Peter, Mrs N B Jenks, S R Schrack, Theressa Denson,
MISCELLANEOUS. John Crawford 50c, Mrs Mary Cook $1.10, David Brown 25c, Miss Marion J McIntyre 25c, Levi Baird 20c, Z F Nichols 25c, Sarah Stalker $1.15, H Mosher 50c, Mrs J C Murphy $1.50, Mrs S Quingley $1.50, D P Taylor 10c, R D Wright 15c.
Donations to the Signs.
A H Clymer $15, J M Horn $3.
California Publishing Fund.
J Pulse $60, Mrs C Pulse $20, Jane Rowland $40, M G Kellogg $20, H C Blake $15, Elsie M Gates $20.