Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-03-29

Hampshire refused to adopt a proposed
amendment to the constitution of that State,
abolishing religious test which has been in
force for ninety-three years. The provision
alluded to prohibits Catholics from voting for
Governor or member of the Legislature,
and deprives them from holding any position
in the common schools.
- An extraordinary suit was brought before
a San Francisco court. Francis Skethngton,
who is penniless, sued his John, who is
very rich, for alimony and counsel fees: The
plaintiff urged that he was the author OF
Johns being and ought to be fed, clothed,
and housed in his old age at Johns expense.
Judge Wheeler ruled that the law did not
compel a son to support his father, and that
the old gentleman was not entitled to alimony.
The Messrs. Appleton have in press the
"Memoirs of Jefferson Davis" which will be
published during the present year. The mass
of valuable historical material which accumu-
lated on Mr.. Davis hands during the war
between the States, has been carefully preserv-
ed by him, and now, assisted by Maj. W. L.
Walthall, wel!-known literary gentleman
residing in Mobile, Mr. Davis is busily en-
gagged in writing his story of the part he took
in the eventful struggle which resulted in his
overthrow and that of the Confederacy over
which he presided.
- The amount required for the support of
the army during the next fiscal year, accord
ing to the estimate of the War Department,
is S31,9S4,975.9 allowing 27,500 fighting
men in the several branches of that service
The House of Representatives, r. Viii be re-
memhsrod, proposed to reduce the army to
$1,000 men, and appropriated $l2, 13O, 900 for
the ensuing fiscal year. The Senate passed
a substitute for the House bill leaving out the
section prohibiting the use of troops in South
Carolina and Louisiana, which substitute ap-
propriated $26,175, ,S7950, and provided that
none of the money should be paid for recruit
ing the army beyond the number of 25,OOO
enlisted men, including Indian scouts and
hospital stewards. The bill having failed, an
extra session of Congress is deemed necessary.
WIN. O'Brien, a pedder, whose home was
in Augusta, Georgia, was recently robbed and
murdered near Waynesboro in that State. A
negro named Ed Wells having been seen with
the peddler's pack, from which he was offer
ing articles for sale, was suspected Of having
committed the murder, which on being con-
fronted with the charge, he did not deny. The
body of Mr.. O'Brien was found concealed in
the woods near Buckhead swamp. The ac-
cused was lodged in Waynesboro Jail to await
a preliminary examination, but on the night
preceding the day appointed for the examina-
ton, a band of about twenty men rode to the
Jail, overpowered the jailor, and taking the
prisoner from his cell, shot him several
times, then hanged him by the neck, and while
his body was thus suspended, completely rid
died it with balls. The lynching party were
not disguised, but none of them were recog-
nized in Waynesboro.
The Steamer Great Eastern has generally
been losing craft for her owners, and has
changed hands several times. During late
years she has chiefly been employed in laying
or repairing telegraph cables; but even that
occupation seems now to be gone. She has,
for some time, been offered at Liverpool for
charter, and the chief proposals made for her
are from Americans anxious to send live cat
tie to England. She is said to be we'll adapt
ed to this trade, and eff $250,000 can be
raised to fit her with modern engines and
boilers" we are told "she would be able to
carry goods across the Atlantic at a lower
price than any vessel afoat." She is con-
slant source of expense, and is at present hav-
ing two iron masts put in her to replace the
wooden ones. Her treasury contains $4,000,
but the directors hesitate to declare dividend
until they know whether she can find employ
ment
- The Nevada Legislature, which has just
adjourned, passed an act for the punishment
of wife beaters. 1t provides that one convict
ed shall be tied to post in some public place
and there remain exposed to the jeers of the
passers-by fora period of several hours. A
placard on the breast will indicate the offence
Two chronic wife-beaters are now under ar.
rest, and the efficacy of the new law will have
prompt test. The Importance of providing
some humiliating punishment for those who
beat women seems to have secured more than
usual attention recently. A bill to establish
a whipping-post for this class of offenders is
now before the Missouri Legislature, and a
similar proposition has been brought forward
in Illinois, where the pillory once did exist as
means of punishment. There could be
nothing more humiliating, certainly, but it
would be scarcely possible even thus to hu-
initiate man who had descended to the depth
of beating woman.
- The present attitude of Mr.. Hayes to-
ward the fraudulent Governors, Chamberlain
and Packard, brings to mind the story of the
good little boy and his grandmother. The
little boy was the special pet of the old lady,
and the two were discussing the relative de-
grees of affection of each toward the other.
Finally the old lady resolved on test of her
grandchild's devotion. Johnny" said she,
"if either you or l had to die, which had you
rather it should bef" Johnny pondered the
question few moments, and then suddenly
Frightening up, replied, cheerfnlly: "Well,
grandma, l think l had rather you should
die, for I think I could stand the loss better
than you could" Thisi about the case with
the three fraudulent executives We have
named. It is death to Packard and Cham
berlain to 20 out, and it is death for Hayes to
have them stay in. Though the latter still
has an ardent admiration, closely approach.
ing affection, for both the others, Re thinks
he can stand their loss great deal better
than they could his and, therefore, ne bland
ly asks them to commit har.kari IN his be-
half Packard and Chamberlain, however,
do not seem to view the matter in this light.
Neau York Sum-
- The New York Tribune says: "Another
life insurance company is probably about to
sink into the oblivion of receivership. This
time it is small one, which for some years
past had done no new business. There is no
hope that its assets will bear fair proportion
to its debts, and the history of the World
Life Insurance Company will probably prove
as disastrous, compared with the amount of
its business, as that of the other concerns
which have recently gone down. A much