The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-02-28


tlemen, and on the floor of either house
he has been the recipient of many courte-
sizes. He is looking in excellent health.
SPECTATOR.
News by the Latest uaiis.
1t is reported from Washington that the pub
lie debt statement March LIST will show re-
duction of four or five millions.
Senator Wilson has withdrawn his motion to
reconsider he bill removing political disabili-
ties from about 5000 persons in the South and
it now goes to the President for his signature,
The ice is so strong in the Hudson at Castle
ton that loaded teams cross and ice cutting has
begun.
The large skirt factory of Fl. B. Fenton, at
Danbury, Conn, was burned by an incendiary
Saturday morning. Three hundred men and
women are temporarily thrown out of employ.
The schooner Benjamin Butler, Capt Fow-
Ter, from Elizabetbpert, N. j., of and for Prov
idence, was run down and sunk off Watch
Hill by steamer Thetis, early Friday morning.
The vessel was cut in two and went down in
stantly. Four men were lost, viz: Capt. Fow-
Ter, Joseph Northrup, James Mckenzie, and
colored cook named Amos Malbon. The mate,
George Northrup, was picked up after being
in the water half an hour, and did not recover
for several hours. The wind was blowing
gale at the time. 1t is thought that the schoon-
er's lights we're obscured by ice.
While playing upon fire in Charlestown,
Mass, Friday night, the steam fire engine
"Howard" exploded her boiler breaking the
leg of Isaac W. Bracket, the foreman, in three
places and lnficting other severe injuries, also
iniurng Albert G Smith, the engineer, and
scalding several persons near it.
Samuel May, Esq, an old merchant of Bos-
ton and for years leading anti-savery man
and advocate of the Temperance reform, died
last Wednesday. aged 81.
DR.. David Mcdaniel, Of Darlington, N. q.
physician OF prominence. was on trial in the
Supreme Court at DIVER last week for per-
forming an illegal operation on Elizabeth Cur
rier, Of East Rochester, in July, 1868. After
an absence Of ten hours the jury was discha e.
| ed, being unable to agree. It is said they stood
for acquittal and 4 for conviction. The case
has been tried once before, resulting in dis.
agreement
The news from the coal regions of Pennsyl.
vania is to. the effect that a general strike
among the miners has been decided upon, to
begin. Tuesday, March LIST. From the secret
manner in which the arrangements for sus
pension of work has been agreed upon between
the workmen therei is great difficulty in getting
\ at the real cause Of their grievances, but it is
generally Understood that the difficulty arise,
from the recent decline in coal at New for,.
1t is even telegraphed that the Lackawans
Coal Company has received orders from thu
Chief of the Miners Union to Immediately
discontinue the sale of anthracite coal in New
York and Eastern markets at the low auction
rates. The Schuylkill Company will also strike
The directors of the Fulton Fire Insurance
Company, of New York, resolved not to exac
gold in payment of bonds and mortgages giver
before the passage of the legal tender act Thi.
determination was arrived at after a thorough
discussion of the subject.
| Foreign Items.
A strike is imminent among the cotton mill
at Bolton, Eng.
The Bremen steamer Schmidt is now thirty
seven days out She is in command of Capt
Schore, and had on board when she left Bre
men 298 steerage passengers.
The Pail Mall Gazette, in referring to the an
niversary of the birthday of Washington, say
that though Gen. Washington was a man O
narrow views, neither wise nor acute, yet b.
would be lost and astounded at the spectacle
of affairs at the American national capita
now.
1t is stated that the Emperor Napoleon i
dissatisfied with his Cabinet on account of it
inability to reconcile the opposite parties in tn
Corps Legislatif, and its tendency to extrem
measures not sanctioned by the majority a
instanced in the vote on the question of sup
porting official candidates for the Chamber.
1t is stated on good authority at St. Peters
burg that the Persian government has acced
ed to the request of NJ. Bezer, the Russian
| Ambassador at Tehorap, tia. slae Fersfan s.~4
on the Caspian should be open to Russian
ships By a recent order of the Shah of Per
STA Russian vessels are already admitted to the
harbor of Enseli.
The PROSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN JAPAN
"A Yokohama letter of Jan % states that the
prosecutions of japanese. who have been con.
v,rted Christianity at Nagasaki, having
again commenced, the representatives of the
foreign powers waited upon the Government
of Yeddo and protested against the perse cution
| The united action of the ministers brought to-
gether corresponding body of officers Of high
| rank for the Government. and the proceedings
| between them were of the must interesting
| character. The japanese replied with spirit
| that the matter was one belonging to them
alone, and that they were not responsible to
foreign powers. They gave as reasons the fear
| that the PROSECUTING of their people may lead
to spirit of discomfort aud finally undermine
the time houored institution of their Govern.
ment, which is based ON the Mikadoship. The
MikadO is held by the Japanese to be lineal
descendant of the Goddess OF Tensbiodarpip.
l ho mot mi Gf fhoir h., t. L
head of the ShintO religion, aud to ackuowl-
edge any other faith necessitates the recogpi-
ton of another bead spiritually higher than
he. One of the foreign ministers asked why
Buddhists were allowed in Japan uumolesed,
and the Japanese replied that the Budohlsts
recognized the Mikado. The proselytes so far
as is known are Roman Catholic converts of
The Jesuts, who have still great influence
over The people As the Pope is their head be
necessarily comes in direct spiritual conflict
| with Mikado, whose creatures lain that
| since the country has again been open 20 for
| eIgn intercourse the Jesuits have commenced
| tnelr labors among the people with repewed
energy aud alarming success, carrying their
zeal SO far as to hold secret meetings by night
| and bave taken possession oil one OF the ten
sacred temples for their especial use The
| japanese deny that the persecution is one OF
any great severity, as they do not separate
1amilIes, out furnish them with food and
! Clothing, and merely distribute them among
the various princes, who have control over
them and are charged with preventing Them
from forming any organization which might
be dangerous to the welfare Of the government.
The PORTLAND, SAco AND PORTSMOUTH
| RAILROAD MATTER.-It will be remembered
that from June 1868 to June 1869, the Port
land, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad Com.
pany received under protest from the East
ern and Bost,n and Maine Railroad compa-
! MES, the payments for the lease of their road
In currency, claiming that by the terms OF the
lease the same was payable in coin. In the
latter part of 1869 the matter was compro-
missed by the payment of $4,000 in full dis
charge of such claim. Application was made
by the Directors of the Portland, Saco and
Portsmouth railroad last summer to the Su.
preme Judicial Court of Maine for directions
a IN which class Cf Stockholders bo &1 On mn