The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-10-30
TIMELY TOPICS.

TIE compulsory school law in New
York, which promised SO much at the
time Of its enactment, has already become
Il dead letter Out of the $4,000 children
which were known in january to be tru-
ants, only 3G5 have been compelled to
attend school, and their attendance for
six months has cost the city $4,000. 1t
1t takes time to learn, but sooner or later
people must learn that there are social
wrongs which Indirectly affect the state
that laws alone cannot control.
GALIGNANI states that the sounlinrs
for tho submarine tunnel between Eng
land and France are being carried on
actively. They arc at this moment li-
rcctcd to the part of the straits near the
English coast ut a few miles from shore.
Each evening the vessel which carries the
commission returns to Dover, Calais or
Boulognc, and work is recommended the
next day. The engineers charged with
that important labor, NM. Laroussc and
l'avallc, are perfectly satisfied with the
results obtained and so far nothing has
occurred to destroy their provisions rcla-
tive TO the depth.
DR.. FRANCIS WHARTON, in an article
in Lippincott's Magazine, discusses the
relations of spiritualism and urispru-
dcncc. "What attitude" he asks, els
urisprud cncc to assume toward person
who, charged with an invasion of the
laws OF the land, sets up defense that
he was acting under the constraint of a
superior spiritual power? What attitude
is jurisprudence to assume toward those
who exercise such power for an illegal
cndW DIR. Wharton has no doubt that
mediums are responsible for acts done
while profcssedly cntranccd and. for the
acts of persons whom they may get un-
der their control
AN appeal is now before the New York
supreme court, involving the question of
the right to assess churches for street i'm
provcments. Three churches of New
York city unite in cndeavoring to escape
the payment Of certain assessments for
term of the court that, under an act
thirty-fvc years old, which has been once
repealed-the repeating act being after
ward itself repealed-thc churches were
! exempt from assessment, as they were
free from city tax. The prominence
given to this case may stimulate the gen
eral discussion, which has not been in
frequent of late years, concerning the
exemption of church property from tax
alton.
TURKEY is afraid that Russia will
take Constantinoplc and kick the
Crescent out Of Europe. Russia is afraid
Prussia will take Finland and Poland
Austria is afraid Germany will take Aus
tria. Germany is afraid France will
take Alsacc-Lorrainc, and France is
afraid that Germany will take the
province of Champagne, as Won 0loltkc's
soldiers got such first-class taste of its
sparkling wine during the 1870 campaign
England is afraid her scattered provinces
will take themselves and leave her only
nutshell to crack in her own little isle.
Spain is afraid the United States will
take Cuba.
TIE last on dit from Paris is that the
Empress Eugene lately requested Pres;
idcnt MacAlahon to permit her to visit
Paris for twcnty-four hours in the most
private manner, and that the result was
a prompt refusal. The French Govern
mcnt permits the Bourbon Princes to
reside in Paris; has placed the Due
dAumale Gone of them) in command of
one Of the eighteen Egrand divisions of
the French army; permits the Prince
Napoleon (,Jcromc) to reside in Paris
but, in the most peremptory manner,
forDids the Prince Imperial, a pcnnilcss
young gentleman nineteen year old, and
his mother, widow with narrow means,
to set foot on French soil The only
plain reference for this is that President
MacMahon and his. responsible advisors
have no fear of the Bourbon or the
Orleans pretcnsions and 'prctcndcrs, bu
arc infinitely afraid of young Napoleon
and his brother.
TIE foods which dcsolated Toulous G
and itA ncighborhood last spring, after
the melting of the winter SHOWS, have
been cqualcd, if not surpassed by those
which fnIjowad ei,rht dnvs of rnin loct