The New York herald., 1869-04-30

brutal Treatment Of italian nIssic Boys.
There are numerous Italian boys who 60
about our city in groups of three and four
They pick up few pennies here and there by
entertaining people with music. These boys
are, in great part, kept by some person who
pretends to support them, and who, frsm day
to day, sends them out to gather what they
can from the public Few in our city are
cognizant of the suffering to which these little
fellows are exposed and the brutal treatment
they receive from their masters. If they
return home at night with certain satisfao-
tory sum they are given bread and water and
sent to their apology for bed. If the amount
fails to satisfy their brute owners they are
frequently soundly thrashed and sent to bed
supperless. There appears to be little chance
of escape for th em from this cruelty. If they
endeavor to reach the country districts they
claimed by their masters, who, representing
themselves as parents or guardians, have
found little difficulty in holding on to the boys,
who rarely speak English. In some cases tho
cruelty practised upon them for endeavoring
to escape has been worthy of the Inquisition.
Flax has been wound around their toes and
saturated with oil to this fire has been applied
and the most excruciating torments thua
inflicted. Where is Mr.. Brace, of the Chill
dren's Aid Society? Where are the philan-
thropists who are, with fearful eyes and aching
hearts, contributing weekly to the missionary
cause among the South Sea Islanders2
SPAIN BOTH RELIGIOUS AND LBERAL.-lO
passing through revolution Spain is deter
mined to avoid the religious excesses which
disgraced the first revolution in France. On
Tuesday deputy entertained the Cortes with
a speech which had in it little too much Of
Tom Paine. The Cortes would not listen. Tho
deputy was put down by the president. In
spite of the furious assistance which came to
the atheist orator from his republican friends
the obnoxious resolution had to be withdrawn.
At the same sitting certain Canon Montevolu
offered an amendment to the new constitution
now under discussion, to the effect that tho
present unity of the Catholic religion and
worship should be maintained in other words.
ment in the new constitution. The amend
ment was rejected. It Is thus manifest that
Spain means to be at once religious and
liberal So far, so good.
THE SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPH CAsE-BARNUMs
TEsTIMoNY.-In thfs queer spirit photograph
case Barnum, the Snowman, has been exam
ined as a competent witness in the general
humbug business. A very competent witness.
He testified that he had devoted some time to
the detection of humbugs that he had seen
great many "spooks, and thought it was only
necessary to see them to believe in them; that
the woolly horse was wooly and curiosity;
that the mermaid was represented to him to
be what he represented it to be to the public;
that he never endeavored to have profound
belief regarding Joice Heth, whose spirit
could not be brought down at his request to
Bogardus' gallery, because, he was told, the
old lady's vitality was too much exhausted;
and finally, when asked whether as a public
entertainer he ever presented matters to the
public falsifying the facts and taking money
therefor, that he may have given the naked
truth little drapery. The modest Barnum is
maniiestly an old fossil belonging to the pre-
historic period, long before Rev. Black Crook
Smiths ''naked truth" was exposed at Niblo's
Garden.