The weekly Anglo-African. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1859-1861, 1859-10-01

OUR PHILADELPHIA LETTER.
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 20, 1859


oe appreciated by the people Since the
unsatisfactory disposition of Mr.. Geo. W.
Comes case in the lower court, he has laid
the matter before the people, and public
meetings are to be held in some of the
churches, and from others collections are
solicited, which will doubtless be given, for
the purpose of having the matter tried in
higher court On last Tuesday evening
meeting was held in the Pearl street Bap-
fist Church, by way of introducing the
matter to the public Mr.. VIM. Stevens
presided, and Mr.. J. V. Cato acted as Sec
rotary. Speeches were made by Messrs.
Rev. James Underdeu, VIM. Eel. johnson,
Geo. w. Comes, and others. The latter
gentleman read an encouraging letter from
VIM. S. Pierce, Esq., an Abolitionist, and
member of the Philadelphia bar. A CON-
mittee was appointed to make all neeessa-
ry arrangements for future meetings, con-
sisting of Messrs. Geo. w. Comes, VIM.
II. johnson, F. d. Bassett, and Jonathan
Miller. 1t was rainy and disagreeable
evening, but that did not prevent the peo-
pie from attending; there was quite large
number in attendance Before the meet
ing adjourned, eight dollars was collected,
and handed over to the chairman of the
committee, and another meeting announced
for tomorrow Tuesday, evening. The
matter Of testing our right to ride inside
the cars has been laid before twelve other
churches, and if the same spirit is mani
tested in each of them as was shown in the
Pearl street Church, which is one of the
smallest in the city, there will be no diff
Guilty in collecting the required amount.
An article in your paper from the pen Of
DIR. Smith reminds me of an organization
in this city" The Pioneer Chess Club of
Philadelphia" .Messrs. VIM. Fl. johnson,
A. S. Casey, Chas. S. Bundy, E. j. Au-
gustus, and j. Venning are some of its
most efficient members. 1t has president
and secretary, and has constitution gov
erning its members in the game, etc. The
club meets in the Phoenix Social Assembly
Rooms on Friday evenings.
The Sunday car question occupied the
attention of the Court of Quarter Sessions
nearly the whole of Friday and Saturday
last, without coming to determination.
Evidence was heard, and the case was
ably argued on both sides before Judge
Ludlow, the author of the infamous charge
in the case of Comes Us. Barrett, referred
to fortnight ago. At the conclusion OF
the summing up in the case of the Com
monweath rs. Jeandelle, Judge Ludlow
said that as he was a .judge of both the
law and the facts, he would not be too
hasty in delivering the decision. Other
duties would occupy him during the week,
and when he was prepared to give de-
cision he would notify counsel" This is
so different from his course in the Comes
case, case involving the rights of about
thirty thousand persons, that even casual
observer is struck with his extreme par
TALLY. If the appellation unjust Judge"
was applied to him for that case alone, it
would not only suit him, but it would be
one of the mildest terms in the judicial
nomenclature that could be selected for
him.
To look at the dark side of the pic
ture, one would almost conclude that Phil
adelphia was faint representation of an
cient Babylon, as described by Herodotus,
in certain respects, for, in addition to all the
other outrages committed here upon
human beings, there was an alleged at
tempt by father to outrage the person Of
his own daughter. The Individual who is
charged with this crime is no other than
an ex-functionary of the law, Ex-Alderman
Binder. 1t was the custom of the ancient
Babylonian women, once in their lives, to
attend at the Temple of Venus and prosti
tute themselves to strangers; but this be.
ing religious rite of heather people, il
bears no comparison in enormity with an
incestous attempt on the part of one Of
those superior beings before whose august
presence inferior things die out" But il
the charge is unfounded, how sunken, how
low in the scale of moral worth must that
individual be who would call upon God tc
witness lie in order to bring disgrace up
on parent. The defendants daughter
Miss Henrietta Binder, stated the facts III
the case under solemn oath before Alder
man Hebficht. She is about sixteen year;
of age. The defendant was held to bal
in the sum of $500.
The afternoon prayer meeting to which
made reference some time since, at the
Masonic Hall, South Eleventh street, below