Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-07-06
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

An Inquisition.-The Know Nothings on
the Election Committee Of the Board of Alder
men Of this city are going quite extensively
into the old Romizh inquisition system, of
which they profess to have so great a horror
Yesterday afternoon the committee met at the
City Hall, and they voted to exclude reporters,
30 that the public may be kept in ignorance
Of their proceedings in the progress of the
Investigation into the frauds Of their friends
at the late election; and, we presume if pos
siole, for all time, 50 far as the points made in
favor of the contestants, are concerned
This determination can have no other posi-
BILE object, and demonstrates that if they can
succeed in carrying out their purposes, we are
no longer TO have a free government here, in
which the acts Of the agents Of the people
shall all be subjected TO the scrutiny Of those
whose rights are involved in what they do
under pretence of administering our NUM-
cipal affairs.
They also voted not TO be governed, in con-
strung the rights of their fellow citizens
under the charter of tho corporation, by the
interpretation put on that instrument by our
highest court Of Law. Or, in other words. to
set the views of French S Evans and Peter
M. Pearson, as TO the meaning Of clauses in
the corporation charter, above their interpre-
tatiOn by the District Court of the United
States in open session.
We propose to publish portion of the oaths
taken in the Know Nothing lodges, which have
an immediate bearing Oh the extraordinary
course of these two officials in this matter by
way of explaining how it happens that these
two individuals, neither of whom have probably
ever read twenty consecutive pages in a law
book, essay to assume the right of the supreme
sdjudicatOrs of the law here.
Want of room will not permit US to pursue
this subject further to-day. We have only to
add request tat all in this community who
have anything TO lose by the assumption of in
competent and secret political oath bound
society men Of the privilege of over
riding the decisions of our highest court in the
matter of the rights of their fellow citizens, to
keep their eyes and ears open to what is going
on in the sessions of this committee
Gutta Pereha.-We have repeatedly taken
occasion to express the opinion that the appli-
cation Of gutta percha (gum) 10 industrial pur-
poses, Is not only destined to drive India Rub
Der nearly entirely out of similar USE but to
prove far more advantageous TO society for
many other purposes, than its rival Not long
since we described The experiments with gutta
Percha goods for military purposes. made by
scientific officers Of the army, and their results
which were so highly satisfactory as 10 lead
to the introduction of gutta pereha fabrics
into the service forthwith. Subsequently sim
nar experiments have been made by order Of
the Navy Department ut the U. S. Naval Lab
sratory, at New York, with equally happy
results. Among them we find the following
Six pea jackets, made Of gutta percha
fabric, were baled in the same manner a the
cloth clothing for the navy, under a pressure
OF thirty tons They were then placed over
steam boiler IN :ae yard, and remained fol
sixteen days subject 10 an average tempera.
ture OF 100 degrees, at times as high as 2la
degrees. On examination, the garments were
found in the same state as when hacked
There was no adhesion of the folds nor 'any
decomposition Of the gutta percha. One Jacket
was dnpped IN water, rolled up and sewed in
the corners, (but not pressed and subjected
% the same heat for three days On examina.
ton, this, also, was found uninjured."
The result of these, and many other som.
what similar tests, of course induced the proper
officers Of the department to order consider.
Rbie quantity Of gutta percha goods for yari.