The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-03-27
RELIGIOUS AND EDUCATIONAL.

Bishop Hare, of the Protestant
Episcopal Church, confirmed 120 In
dams last year.
The Methodists are increasing rap.
idly in Sweden. During the past few
months revival meetings have been hello
generally with large results. In one
place sixty new members have been re.
ceived.
Nearly five hundred shopkeepers in
Zurich, Switzerland, have asked the
city council officially to suspend all
trade on Sunday. They have been led
to take the step by the increasing num-
Der of open shops. The practice was
begun by few, but others have since
felt compelled by business interests to
follow their example.
1t is proposed to build in certain
districts on the Western frontier of
Kansas churches made of sods. A few
such already exist. The walls are of
sods, the roofs are covered with sods,
and the floors are of earth. A church
can be built, in size about 26x36, for an
outlay in money of only ten dollars,
and this has already been done in at
least one instance. A wall of sods, if
properly built and protected, will last
100 years.
The observatory for which James
Lick left fund is to be built soon, q
site having been selected on Mount
Hamilton, fifty miles from San Fran
cisco, and 8, 900 feet above the sea level.
The principal instrument, if the testa-
tors directions are carried out, will be
"the best telescope in the world" but
its size, character, and maker have not
yet been decided upon, and some pre-
liminary experiments will be made.
The shifts to which teachers may
be driven to find punishments for chill
dren, when the use of the rod is for
hidden, was curiously exemplifed at
Harrow, England. A complaint was
there made, at meeting of the School
Board, that a girl who had been caught
copying, had been forced to stand for
two hours in the middle of the school,
with card tied to her forehead on
which was written the word "sneak."
Intelligence has been received at
the Rooms of the American Board of the
success of the appeal of the Rev. Edwin
Adams to the Government of Austria
for liberty of worship. He is permit
ted to have worship in his own house,
in the presence of invited guests, after
giving due notice and paying for the
service of policeman. Children be-
tween the ages of six and fourteen be-
longing to any of the religions recog-
nized by the State are not permitted to
attend. The cost in legal fees of every
service is 81.
The Methodist Episcopal Church
had, at the close of the year 1879, L.
524, 006 members and 176, 296 probation
ers. The gain in members for the year
was 21,608, and the loss in probation
ers 5,467; so that, taking the total of
members and probationers-1,7 700, 302
the net gain for the year was only
6,146. The number of churches was
1886, which shows an increase of 1916.
The value of the churches is estimated
at S62, 1920, All, being decrease of &c.
228, 721 from the previous year.
For the first time in sixteen years
the American Missionary Association is
free of debt. During the past year it
paid off an indebtedness of $37, 3S9.
Among the colored people of the South
an important work has been accom-
plished by this association. 1t has at
present in the Southern States eight
chartered institutions, twelve high
schools and twenty-four common
schools, with total of 1853 teachers and
1907 pupils, in all of which Christian
knowledge and character are feature
of the instruction. In addition there
are about 5000 Sunday school scholars
under its charge.
In a recent debate in the Prussian
Diet on the Catholic question the min
lister of public worship, Herr Won Putt
hammer, who has been thought to favor
much milder policy than his prede-
cessor, DIR. Falk, said the State, al
though it had been obliged to defend
its rights, had never lost hope of see
ing the end of hostilities. A compro-
mise, however, could only be effected
on the basis of existing legislation
There should be an end of dispute over
principles, and more attention be given
to facts. Herr Windthorst, the Catho-
lie leader, hoped the negotiations be-
tween Bismarck and the Vatican would
DE brought to q successful conclusion.
Unless they were, the Church was pre-
pared to take up the cudgels again.