The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-08-16

Prussia, because 1.-THE russians are hh9oe"
Saxons"
That is good enough for Harpers' Draper.
General News.
A large number Of italian and Irish labor
ers have been employed ON some improve
ments at Mamaroneck, Westchester county,
N. Y, but they have been on bad terms with
each other, the Irish manifesting disposition
to domineer, and the others frequently retail
iating. On Saturday afternoon about two
hundred Italians were gail cred in front OF
the contractors office, waiting to be paid
They were nearest the pay window, the IRISH
men being in the rear. John McGrath at
tempted to push his way to the window, but
was knocked down by the Italian foreman,
Manuel Zerega, and badly beaten by the other
Italians. John Connors came to his rescue,
and was followed by alarge detachment of
Irishmen, who attacked the Italians with
great fury. Sticks, stones, bludgeOns aud
knives were used freely. The Italians, who
were mostly armed with knives, fought like
tigers, but being outnumbered by the Irish
men, had to retreat At the railroad station
they made a feeble stand, but the IrishmeE
charged en- DldSse and broke their ranks, driv-
ing them pell nell from the field. The Ital-
ians carried their wounded with them
McGrath and Commons, the two Irishmen first
injured, were severely used being pounded
almost to jelly. Alter the riot the Irish
went to the Italian barracks at night, and
elected out the women and children, driving
the whole party out of the place, who after a
weary tramp of sixteen miles reached Nor
riSiana.
Last week the people of the Mohawk val
ley experienced one of the most destructive
storms that ever visited that locality. Tho
Utica Observer has columns filed with ac-
counts of the food, and the damage inflicted
upon life and property. A large number of
houses were struck by lightning, and much
damage was done to trees and mills. Crops
we're destroyed, barns burned, and one or two
churches struck by lightning. One man rid
ing home was struck by lightning, and thrown
from his wagon. His horse was discovered
going loose, and persons went back and found
the driver in an insensible condition, but he
was restored to consciousness. The water in
| the Mohawk River and in the creeks and the
| canal, rose faster than was ever known be-
| fore. The rain came down in such torrents
| that all the streams rose suddenly, and great
fears were felt for the safety of the Erie Canal
Banks. The greatest fears were felt for the
camel in the vicinity of Whitsboro, where
| several breaks have occurred heretofore The
| water washed over the banks, and it was only
by the most strenuous exertions of large
gang of men that the State and the cOmmu-
nifty were saved from heavy loss.
Saratoga was excited Friday night over the
| exploits of venturesome tight-rope per-
| former who gave an out doors exhibition. He
walked over the street. swung head downward
from trapeze hung in the middle of the rope
and executed other insane feats While the
performance was at its height New York
wag circulated the rumor that the gentleman
in tights was "Reddy the Blacksmith )" that
he had given up his vocation of keeping a
public house IN the metropolis and was staff
ing out upon an extensive tour of walking
ropes and wires. Everybody believed it and
and the excitement increased ten-fold. 1t
was not discovered until late in the evening
that the story was "se'' and the performer
was an individual bearing the not uncommon
| name of Murphy.
On Saturday Secretary Boutwell, is address
ed the Boston Shoe and Leather Association
on the subject of the decline of American
commerce ane the reduction and funding of
the public debt. Mr.. Boutwell, thinks the first
stepis to bring the public credit up to par, and
this can be done either by reducing the debt
by continuing the redemption of bonds, or by
reducing the rate Of interest. He is confident
that great reduction in the interest account
can be made without reference to the war in
Europe, but does not say that any offers have
been made III this country or elsewhere for
the low interest bonds authorized at the late
session of Congress. The address is fair,
candid statement of his own theory for a re-
duction of taxation and funding of the public
debt, and is wholly Invested of political bias.
The frequent occurrence of the titles Crown
Prince and Prince Royal in connection with
the movements of the Prussian troops, has a
tendency TO confuse readers as to the identity
of these military leaders. Frederick William
the Crown Prince, the next king of Prussia,
commands the left of the Prussian army He
was born in 1881, his father being the present
King, and his mother Queen Louise of Sake
Weimar. He is not direct descendent OF
Frederick the Great, but is a great-grand neph-
ew of that monarch. The other Prince Fred.
erick Charles, commands the centre of the
Prussian line. and holds the rank of lieutcn-
ant general, commander OF the third army
corps and chief of several regiments. He is
one of the bravest men and most accomplish
ed officers in the Kingdom, and in the first
Schlesiwg- Holstein war, in the suppression OF
the republican revoutionists in 1S4S, and in
1866 he rendered himself conspicuous by his
skilful handling Of troops, and won his pres
ent rank at Sadowa. His father l., Prince
Frederick Charles Alexander, third son of
Frederick William Ill King of Prussia. He
is therefore nephew of the leigning King and
cousin to the Crown Prince, or as he is some
times called, the Prince Royal He is AZ years
old.
France is following the example of the
United States in suspending specie payment,
and the adoption of legal tender currency of
paper. The Bank of France, after paying
100000 of specie in two days, suspended
several days ago. On Thursday, M. Magne,
the new finance minister, carried a bill
through the Chambers declaring that the bills
of the bank of France shall be legal tender;
that the bank shall not be obliged to redeem
them in gold or silver, but that the proper
circulation of the bank shall be limited to
1,O00,0O0,00o FIR, S00,00O000 fir. to he applicable
to the uses of the government; finally, thai
similar privileges be conferred on the bank of
Algeria, whose paper circulation is limited to
100000 jr.
Seventeen years were the limit of the SUI
premacy of Napoleon 1. Seventeen years the
restored Bourbons reigned. Seventeen years
Louis Philippe occupied the throne, and we
may safely predict that seventeen years will
Lo Tho IornaSt pariod aIIoft cd nv tho bopd Of