Litchfield enquirer., 1871-11-23

aubAOlkty UuuCE buc nlUks L&du6 bU0 tflDk0 summons required by law that the doors should be opened, and then called upon the workmen to break them open. This
 was done, when the Abbe, striking an at. titude, proceeded to enter his protest,
 'snow that hammer and axe had broken
 down the refuge of the Virgins of the
 Lord." This discourse was peremptorily
 brought to a close by order of the officials, l who entered the cloisters. There they found the kneeling nuns yelled from head
 to feet, recitiDg their beads. The Abbe
 with another theatrical gesture. said
 Retire. my daughters" They arose,
 bowed with humility, kissed the abbatical
 ring, withdrew. The next morning Tow
 of carriages, belonging to certain of the Roman nobility, were drawn up before
 the doors of the convent. The nuns, SUD-
 ported by their worldly sisters. entered
 them, and were driven to their new abode. Before leaving, they or their friend the Abbe had written upon the wall, the warning of Belshazzar; Remember
 Montana "Viva Plus IX., pope, king and sovereign" and various other interest ing legends.
 SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALIsM. commit
 tee of London scientific association ap- pointed to investigate the phenomena of Spiritualism seem to be unable to account
 for them all satisfactorily. On the other hand two distinguished men of science write as follows: .t- .... MT Ct. Fl. Lewis writes that '.iu my experience, and it has been large, the means (of producing tha so called spirit ualistic phenomena) have always proved
 to be either deliberate impostnre, aided by the unconscious assistance of specta- tors, or the well. known effects of expect ant attentions" while Prof. Huxley sends the following answer to an invitation: Sir: regret that 1 am unable to accept the invitation of the council of the Dialec- tical society to cooperate with commit tee for the investigation of ''spiritualism. |" and for two reasons. In the first place, have no time for such an inquiry, which
 would involve much trouble and (unless it were unlike all inquiries of that kind have known) much annoyance. In the second place. take no interest in the subject. The only case of 'spirituaIism" l have had the opportunity Of examining into for myself was as gross an imposture
 as ever came under my notice But sup. posing the phenomena to be genuine
 they do not interest me. If anybody
 would endow me with the faculty of lis- tening to the chatter of old women and
 curates in the nearest cathedral town, should decline the privilege, having bet ter things to do. And, if the folks in the spiritual world do not talk more wisely
 and sensibly than their friends report
 them to do. I put them in the same cate
 gory. The only good that can see in a demonstration of the truth of Spiritual. ism" is to furnish an additional argument
 against suicide. Better live a crossing
 sweeper than die and be made to talk
 twaddle by a medium" hired at guinea seance. am, sir, etc.,
 January g. lS69
 The following case brought by Mir. Dal- ton against Conductor Beers of the Nang-
 atuck railroad came to final decision in our Supreme court at Hartford last week The plaintiff paid from Bridgeport to Naugatuck to the defendant, who was the conductor between Bridgeport and Strat. ford. The plaintiff afterwards changed
 his seat from the back to tht forward part
 of the car. The conductor, after passing
 through the cars again after leaving the junction, was deceived by the change of
 position of the plaintiff and honestly be-
 lieving the plaintiff to have come on at the junction called on him for his ticket.
 The plaintiff said he had no ticket and had paid his fare to Naugatnck, and re.
 fered to his seat-mates at the other end of the car, who confirmed his account of
 his previous location in the cars, and who thought and believed he had paid his fare but were not positive. There was dis pute between the plaintiff and tue defen. dant about the matter, and analy the de- fendant called tue plrntiff liar, scound- rel and and fraud. On arriving at Seymour, the conductor again demanding and the plaintiff refusing the fare, the
 plaintiff was elected from the train, by
 which his clothing was torn and disarrang- ed. The court of common pleas decided for the plaintiff, allowed ten dollars for actu- al damage sustained, and fifty dollars toward expenses of consul in the prosecu. tioE of the suit in view of the aggravated character of the assault. The supreme court affirmed the decision of the court below. a 88.
 MT. George William. Curtis attended the Cabinet meeting in Washington, on the 3d instant. and presented the plan of the civil service commission. After a long discussion, the subject was post poned to future meeting. It is under stood that the deep and growing interest in this subject. shown by the people throughout the country is fully shared in by several prominent members of the administration, and that they will give careful attention to maturing methods of reform before the meeting of Congress Students of the subject everywhere tend more and more to believe that the power to reform the civil service already lies in tue executive, and that the want of the country now is not so much further Iegis- lation on the subject as earnest and Yigor. ous action by the President. The effects of the great verdict of New York on Tues day last in favor of honest government cannot fail to be deeply felt at Washing. ton.-N. F. Post. s,4-9 sgg3 a,,t Ts. A clergyman in Tipton, lad. has had somewhat chequered career in the last five months. During that time he has buried his first wife, become engaged to three women, married one of them, got 8 divorce from her, been sued for breach of promise by another. and suspended from the ministry. He has just married tn e woman who was suing him, and joined a different church, and thinks now of re- tiring from public life. q < a9 4 M