The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-02-05
Brief Otlings.

TIE White Family are to give concert at
Saccarappa this evening.
The union temperance meeting at the Allen
| Mission last evening was fairly attended. The
addresses by Mr.. Nesbt and others were very
| interesting.
A st. Johnsbury merchant bought bill OF
$4,000 worth of groceries in this city this week.
! How is that for Vermont trade these dull timee.
The Catholic Union are preparing to bring
out "Brion Borihma' about the 22d inst.
The floral decorations presented to Miss
Waldron last evening were rom her friends at
the Preble. They were made by Dee & Doyle,
Boston. They will be on exhibition at Nc
Duffee's to-day.
Mr.. Devln was unable to oh ain a hall to
lecture in, in this city.
Mr.. Samuel Lincoln fell on the icy sidewalk
yesterday afternoon and injured himself very
severely.
The Cadets have their first assembly at
Army and Navy Hall next Wednesday even
ing
The February number of the International
Railway and Steam Navigation Guide has
been received by Chisholm Bros.
A musical association has been formed in
Deering, and Mr.. Arthur Jordan elected presi-
dent.
The horse cars were on runners yesterday.
The sleighs have been reprinted and look quite
nice.
The Advertiser says that it is reported that a
change is to be made the first of the week in
the offices of General Superintendent and
General Ticket Agent of the Eastern Railroad.
MIR. Deviin and the BiddefOrd Catholics.
Mr.. Arthur P. Devlin, who has recently been
lecturing in Saco and B!ddeford on Romanism,
feels somewhat aggrieved at the treatment he
received there, both from the populace and
from the authorities, and wishes to state the
circumstances under which his lectures were
given there. Mr. Devin says he is an Irish
man ard was born in ireland, but has spent
most of his life at Orange, N. j., where he was
engaged in mercantile pursuits. He was
brought up in the Catholic faith, but becoming
convinced of its error, renowned it and subse-
quently devoted portion of his time to the ex.
posure of its fallaces. -Four or five years since
he lectured in some parts of Michigan and ex-
cited the hostility of the Catholics to such an
CAlCAu tudt III OuO OiLy lC was lhOpUCos CuliuS
the present winter he has been lecturing in
New England. In Massachusetts he met with
no serious opposition, but in New Hampshire,
at Dover and Portsmouth, his experiences
were of much the same kind as in Biddeford.
Last week he engaged the City Hall in Bid
deford for lecture, paying the usual price,
$25, in advance. Sunday morning last he
spoke in the Methodist church in that city, and
it was announced there and in four other Prot
estant churches in the city that he would deiv-
er lecture on Romanism in the City Hall, on
Monday evening At the close of a free lee
ture in the hall on Sunday evening, Mr. Dew
lin, who was present, announced that he had
decided not to speak 10 Biddeford Monday eve
nirg, but would speak in Saco on Tuesday
evening. Monday morning he was waited on
by delegation of Protestant ministers, who
promised to stand by him, and in compliance
with their urgent request he concluded to lee
ture in Biddeford that evening, bills in the
meantime announcing the lecture being posted.
At the appointed hour an audience Of 400 or
500 persons, large part of them church MEM
bers. assembled and Mr.. Devlin commenced
his lecture. Soon number of roughs present
ed themselves at the door, knocked down the
doorkeeper and rushed into the hall and com.
menced a disturbance which eliminated when
three Irishmen went on the stage and knocked
the lecturer off The City Marshal had by this
time arrived and he. with number of citizens,
got Mr.. Devlin to his hotel in safety. Mr..
Devlin complains that the authorities did not
do their duty, inasmuch as there were no po-
licemen present to prevent disturbance.
Tuesday evening be lectured in Saco, and
though the aldermen refused to let him the
hall for the next evening, at the request of
many citizens he has announced a lecture there
next Tuesday, these citizens, as Mr.. Devlin
puts it. proposing to see if board of aldermen
can prevent free speech by refusing to let the
hall. Mr.. Devlin denies that his langu age is
Incorporate or ungentlemanly or that the evils
of Romanism are exaggerated by him.