Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-04-14
formalities either prescribed by law or other.

formalities either prescribed by law or other
wise.
In like manner the Constitution Of the United
States guarantees that "The right of the people
to be secure in their persons, houses, papers,
| and effects, against unreasonable searches and
seizures, shall not be violated; and no warrants
shall issue but upon probable cause, supported
by oath or affirmation, and particularly describ-
! ing the place to be searched, and the persons
or things to be seized"
Who is safe from such unreasonable searches
as that of Monday last? What house is there
in the State, occupied wholly by defenceless
women that may not be the next scene for
froc of party of rude men? Let the con-
stituents of any of the gentlemen composing
this committee consider how they would relish
an invasion of their residences and q disturb
ance of the privacy of their families by such
inquisitorial parties as this.
The revolution was taught in vain if the
great American principles Of private right and
domestic security are now to be set at naught.
Nearly all the Boston daily newspapers, with
the exception of the Bee have remarked III
terms of severe censure upon the alleged con-
duct of the individuals who visited the school
in Roxbury. The atlas estimates the number
to have been seventeen-all of them members
of the Legislature. Its list is as follows:
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE on NUNSERIas.
Senators-Hon. Street Evans Of Essex;
Hon. Gilbert Pillsbnry, of Boston. Represent
atives-Mr John Little6eld, of Foxboro'; Mr..
Joseph Hiss, Of Boston; Mr.. Nathan Ring, Of
Middleboro'.
yoLUNTEERs-ALL MEMBERS OF THE IEGIsLA-
TURE.
Hon. j. e. Carpenter, of Norfolk Jerash-
meel G. Pratt, of Roxbury; Geo. f. Williams,
of Boston; A. E. Stetson, of South Scituate;
Abner Holbrook, of Weymouth; Jeremiah Mil
Ter, of Ludlow; William B. Nav, of Roxbury;
Joseph II. Streeter, OF Roxbury; S. A. Brad
bury, of Boston; w. r. Penniman, of Brain
tree; S. d. Warriner, of West Springfeld; John
W. Langdon, of Wibraham.
Total.-Members of the Committee, 5; Vol
unteers, II; number of omnibuses, q caterer
to the committee, mine host of the Norfolk
House number of the ladies in the school, 10.
On Saturday, the article from the Advertiser
was read in both branches of the Legislature,
and pronounced by the members of the COM
mittee to be false in nearly every particular,
and joint committee 10 investigate the mat
ter was appointed, who were instructed to in
quire into all the charges made by the Adrer-
tiser. The committee was composed of Messrs.
Carpenter and Pierce, of Norfolk, on the part
of the Senate and Messrs. Chaplin, King, Viii.
der, Taft, and Fitch, in the House.
The Nunncry COMMITTEES.
BosToN, April 10, lS55.-The Legislative
Special Committee appointed to investigate the
charges against the Nunnery Committee, held
an adjourned meeting at the State house this
morning. AT the opening of the meeting, the
chairman, Mr.. Carpenter, Of the Senate, stated
that he was absent from the Senate Board at
the time of his appointment on the committee,
and as he was party directly interested in the
investigation, he deemed it to be his duty to
decline serving, which he should do on the
opening Of the Senate. He therefore called
upon Mr.. Griffin, of Charlestown, of the House,
to take the chair. The committee had sum-
moned the ladies connected with the school at
Roxbury, one of whom, Lady Superior, Mary
Aloysis, was present az the opening of the
meeting.
The Lady Superior was accompanied by
Samuel May, ESQ.,, who stated that she had with
her a statement Of the transaction, signed by
five ladies, who preside over the school.
The Sergeantatarms then administered an
oath to the Lady Superior, after which the
statement was read by the chairman of the
committee.
The statement is mainly the same as that
published in the AdUertiser. The committee
then proceeded to an examination of the Lady
Superior, who testified as follows:
Il should Judge that the committee num-
bered about twenty individuals; ! attended
them in their examination of the house one
of the committee, who gave his name as Mr..
Evans, tarried after the others had left, and
told me he was a Catholic in st. Mary's Church,
Baltimore, and that he desired to return to the
Church.
He asked me if would give him permis-
sion to visit me, saying he would like to have
some pleasant conversation with me. / de-
clined giving him permission. He asked If the
bishop would object to his visiting me. / told
him he would not, though we received but few
visitors. He shook hands with me twice, and
appeared very familiar. / was much offended
at his conduct then, and feel more indignant
every time think of it.
~ told the Committee when they entered the
house, that a lady was sick. When the MEM
bers Of the Committee entered her chamber /
was present. They bent so closely to her that
she has since stated that she felt their breath.
| had previously desired the patient to remain
quiet, as if asleep when the Committee enter
ed. While / was conducting a part of the
Committee, other members Of it we're going
about the house by themselves, examining the
closets, sinks, &C. &c.
81 was not present when one Of the gentle
men took hold Of the rosary"
Upon being asked if she could describe the
gentleman who desired an interview with her,
the witness replied that she could not well de-
scribe him, but that she could recognize him
if she saw him.
Mr.. Evans, Of the Senate, was then intro
duced; whereupon, the witness said that he
was not the gentleman who requested the in
tervew, and who gave his name. Subsequently,
Mr.. Hiss, of Boston, was introduced, when the
witness said that was the gentleman who gave
his name as Evans.
The Lady Superior was then further ques-
toned by Mr.. Charles Hall, jr.
blr. Dawley, of the Senate Committee, then
questioned the witness more particularly as to
the conduct of the committee on visiting the
chapel. She stated that the members Of the
Committee, to the number Of ten, had opened
the door before she arrived. She had intended
to have opened the door and admit the Com
mittee, but the door was opened before she had
time to do so, and there we're so many gentle
men about the door that she could not enter