The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-04-07
News and Other Items.

In the suit of Francis D. Moulton vs.. Henry
Ward Beecher, the demurrer of the defendant
has been sustained, with leave to the plaintiff
to plead anew on payment of cost.
Four powder magazines in Salt Lake, Us alb,
exploded Wednesday, destroying several build
ings and killing six persons. One of the killed
was mile distant from the explosion. The
damage in glass alone is $4,000.
A bill introduced in the New York Assem-
bly, provides that either party may obtain d.
vorce for adultery, willful desertion, abandon
ment, cruelty or intoxication, or when either
has been in prison for three or more years sub
sequent to marriage.
The Albany Journal says that everything
seems to promise an abundant fruit crop. The
winter has neither been too coldeuor too warm
to do any material injury to either the fruit
trees or the vines. The prospects never looked
more favorable, to the farmers of Western New
York especially, than they do now, of excellent
fruit and cereal harvest.
The House Committee on Commerce has
voted to report adversely the joint resolution
requesting the President to appoint three COM
missioners to confer with the other commits.
sioners to be authorized by Great Britain to in
vestigate and ascertain on what basis treaty
of reciprocal trade for the mutual benefit of
the people of the United States and Dominion
of Canada can be negotiated
Sir A. T. Gait has issued pamphlet on
church and state, in which he suggests an or
ganization composed of Catholics and Protes-
tants, irrespective of creed, nationality and po-
litical party, for the maintenance Of the civil
A. ~; tim
thoroughly in earnest, will bring, he thinks,
sufficient pressure on the rulers, both at Ottawa
and Qeubec, to insure their compliance, aud to
settle for the present generation, at least, the
proper and harmonious relations of church and
state.
The best "April fool" in Brooklyn was per-
petrated by two young scamps, who sent to 40
different clergymen notes requesting their pres
ence at one of the hotels at 3 o'clock in the af-
ternoon "to perform the marriage CEREMONY be
tween Louisa b. Campbell and Ferdinand L..
Bristow." Over so responded, and Tor over
half 40 hour the perpetrators of the sell looked
on while ministers of all denominations walked
up in quick succession to the hotel clerk to ask
for "Mr. Bcistow." Rev. Fulton was among
the first arrivals, but he saw the joke in an in-
slant, and silt OUT with speed. Talmage and
Rev. DIR. Storrs sent notes by telegraph boys
that circumstances, over which they had nc
CONTROL prevented them from attending, but
Beecher made no response. One absent.mind
ed clergyman had forgotten his note and the
name, and hunted through the register for some
time in hopes of fading it.
The project to build Shakespeare memorial
theater at Stratford on-Avon, preached last
spring, has advanced considerably. An asso.
citation has been incorporated, with the mayor
and corporation and several citizens of STRAIT
ford, and Messrs. Chatterton, Blackstone, Soth-
ern and Ben Webster of the dramatic profess
sion, as governors; and about two acres of land
have been bought, which will be laid out as 6
public garden around the future building
which is to contain, besides the small theater
an art gallery and library. They even talk OF
endowing the theater, SO as TO make it a school
of acting. Stratford has had no theater since
the tearing down of the old one in 1872 Or
the 23d of April, Shakespeare birth is to be
commemorated by special performances in the
English theaters in aid of the project, and
American managers have been asked to do like
wise, and probably will.