Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1874 — EPITOME OF THE WEEK. [ARTICLE]

EPITOME OF THE WEEK.

Condensed from Telegrams of Accompanying Dates. Friday, Feb. 20.—A Madrid dispatch announces the capitulation of Bllboa to the Carlisle... .The United States steamer Dispatch has started from Key West for Havana, in consequence of reports that Consul-General Hall has been obliged to fly from a Spanish mob * and take refuge on board oi a British iron-clail. ....The Ohio State Board of Agriculture lias decided to locate the State fair at Columbus for the next five years.... The Kansas State Grange commenced its annual session at Topeka on the ISth. One thousand Granges were represented.. The reports of the officers show the affairs of the Order to be in an excellent condition, although but a small amount remains in the treasury. The financial interests ftTe shown to have been economically managed, and the State Business Agency is on a satisfactory basis. On the 19th resolutions were adopted requesting llie State Legislature to pass a prohibitory liquor law,and declaring that no person who retails liquor shall be admitted to the Order; also declaring that the greatest good and the highest happiness of an enlightened, virtuous and prosperous people are the legitimate results of thorough and practical education diffused among the masses. Hon. M. E. Hudson was elected Master of fifie State Grange.... The State Grange of Tennessee assembled at Gallatin on the 18th in its first anuuai session. Nearly 500 subordinate Granges were represented, there being between 500 and 000 delegates present, many of them ladies. Saturday, February 21.—A London tel- . egram gives the following official announcement of the new British Cabinet: First Lord of the Treasury, Disraeli; Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir StaffordNorthcote; First Lord of the Admiralty, George Ward Hunt; Secretary of State for the Home Department, Kicliard Assheton Cross; Secretary of State for the Foreign Department, Earl Derby; Secretary of State for the Colonial Department, Earl Carnarvon; Secretary of State for War, Gathornc Hardy; Secretary of State for India, Marquis Salisbury; Lord High Chancellor, Lord Cairns; Lord of the l’rivy Seal, Earl Malmsbury; Lord Presi- .. dent of the Council, Duke of Richmond; Lord John Manners, Postmaster-Generai.... The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has decided that, under the Constitution, a woman can be a member of a School Committee ...The Ohio Constitutional Convention lias given the Governor veto power, subjeqt to reversal by a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly.... The Executive Committee of the Illinois State Grange have issued a call for a delegate meeting of the Granges in the State to lie held at Bloomington on the I4th day of April next, tff ratify some amendments to the bylaws in reference to organizing county Granges.... The Ohio and Missouri State Granges “have adopted declarations of princieach Grunge fully indorsing the principles set forth by the late National Grange at St. Louis. Monday, February 23.—Late dispatches from Nagasaki, Japan, announce the prevalence in that country of an insurrection caused by the failure of the Government to inaugurate war against Corea. At last aeeounts the insurgents were so near Nagasaki that the foreign residents were preparing to leave.... According to dispatches from Madrid severe lighting lias been going on in Biscay for several days. Portugalite has been abandoned, and the garrison of Vinarose, numbering 200, were taken prisoners by the Carlists. Gen. Dorregarray with 2,500 insurgents hold the heights above Somorrosto. The Republicans lmve taken the first height with heavy 1055.... Cardinal Autonelli lias addressed a circular letter to all Bishops, citing them to Roma, as the Pope wishes to see them before he dies.... According to telegrams received in London the capital of the Asliantces has surrendered and King Coflee and his family have been taken prisoners.... On the afternoon of the 22d an engine ran off the track atUniondale, Pa., on the Jefferson Branch, between Susquehanna and Carbondale, aud fell down an embankment seventy-five feet, instantly killing Conductor John R. Harding, Engineer Cramer, Fireman David Cramer and Brakeman Thomas Rapley... A New Turk dispatch says a praying crusade against intemperance lias commenced in that city and vicinity. The churches are generally moving in the 'matter. The Trustees of Trinity Church havq.decided to no longer lease the property of the church for purposes of liquor selling, and other churches are requesting tlieir members to stipulate that their property shall not hereafter be used as saloons....A boy ten or twelve years old, the son of T. Jones, of Windfall, _ 1ud.,~ while ids'- parents were at cliurcli a few nights ago, attempted to kindle a fire with coal oil, with the usual result. The boy died the next morning.... The Missouri State Grange on the 21st adopted a resolution requesting the Missouri Senators and Representatives in Congress to use their influence to secure the improvement of the Mississippi River add its tributaries.... According to dispatches of ther22d the Women’s' Temperance movement was spreading in lowa and Illinois. In Oswego, Lexington and many other places in Illinois, and in Davenport, Dubuque and elsewhere in lowa organizations had been formed and preparations made for a determined assault upon the salodn-keeperß and their patrons. The -same condition of affairs prevailed in Indiana. In Chicago a praying band consisting of 8,000 women was about to 1 *C'organized, according to the Times of the 22d. Tho city was to be divided into districts and each., district given over to a band of fifty praying women. ’ Tuesday, February 24.—Late dispatches State that 200,000 persons in India were faniishing for want of food, and that half a million would have perished had they not been relieved by the Government.....At a late meeting of tfie Royal Geographical Society Sir Bartle Frcre announced that he had come to the conclusion, after conference with Dr. Kirk, that the report of the death of Dr. Livingstone was true. The Queen, at the instance of Mr. Gladstone, has granted a pension of £I,OOO per annum to the children of Dr. Livingstone... . A Washington dispatch says the friends of temperaffee In that city have determined to commence an active crusade against liquor selling in the capital.... A call been published for . a convention of delegates from the Northwestern States to ~be field at Rock Island on Tuesday, March 24, on the subject of cheap transportation. The call Is Issued by Major James M. Allan, delegate from the Illinois Farmers’ State Association to the late Cheap Transportation Con-

vention at Washington, he having been ap*pointed by the Decatur Convention... .Three hundred men went adrift in East Saginaw Bay on the morning of the 23d on a cake of ice, on which they had built a fishing village, and which was driven away from tlie shore by a strong southwest wind. They were carried out Into the lake, when a change of wind to the west brought them up to the eastern shore of the bay, where two hundred of them managed to escape at different points. Two of the men were drowned in attempting to reach land. One hundred men were still on the Ice up to tlie night of the 23d. Wednesday, February 25.—Chin Lan Pin tlie Chinese Commissioner of Education, was a recent visitor at the Executive Mansion in Washington. He expressed a hope that the intercourse between the United States and China would grow more general and that the existing friendly feelings may never be interrupted.... The Rhode Island State Prohibitory Convention, recently in session at Providence, made the following nominations: For Governor, Henry Howard, present incumbent; Lieuten-and-Governor, W. F. Sayles; Secretary of State, J. M. Addeman, present incumbent; Attorney-General, Edwin Metcalf; General Treasurer, Henry Gaff.... A State Temperance Mass Convention, composed of women and men engaged in the temperance crusade in Ohio, was recently held at Columbus. Dio Lewis was made President. The proceedings consisted of speeches, one of which was made by Van Pelt, “ the reformed saloon-keeper,” singing of hymns, reading letters from sympathizers, and the formation ot a State Bureau, which shall send speakers and workers to aDy place in need of them. The convention formed a permanent organization to lie known as the Woman's Temperance Association of 0hi0.... The temperance excitement in Valparaiso, Ind., on the 24th, was at fever heat. For several days _ before tlie ladies had besieged the leading saloons after the style of their Ohio sisters. Their services were largely attended. On that day the Mayor issued his proclamation ordering them to desist. The ladies replied with a counter proclamation, in which was embodied the following extracts from the Seriptures: Psalms ii. I—4; Acts iv. 18, 19; Acts v. 29, and a short address to the public. The Grand Jury was in session and had found a large number of indictments against tlie liquor-sellers. At one saloon In the afternoon, while the ladies were conduct ingfa prayermeeting on the sidewalk, a bucket of dirty water was thrown upon them from tlie balcony above, completely ruining tlie dress of one lady and thoroughly sprinkling the rest. The ladies of Richmond, Ind., visited about thirty saloons, but their efforts were not crowned with success up to the 24th. Tlie movement had developed to considerable extent in various towns in Illinois, lowa, Kansas and Nebraska. Thursday, February 26. —A report has been received in London that a great battle has been fought at Aeroomba, on the Gold Coast, between the . Asliantces and the British forces under Sir Garnet Wolseley. The British papers say a great disaster has befallen the British arms, aud the only course left for the commander is to retreat to the coast. Peace negotiations had been pending, and had been so far advanced that it was announced that tlie end - of tlie war had been reached, but these have all failed in consequence, of the determination of Sir -Garnet to treat with the Ashantee King at Coomassie. The battle lasted fromsTx o’clock in the .morning until three o’clock in the afternoon. A large number of officers and. men were killed. It is reported that tho communication of the British with the rear is thfeatened....The Boston School Committee, notwithstanding the decision of the Supreme Court of the State, have voted—--44 to 40—not to reconsider tlieir former action refusing to allow the women elected to occupy seats as members of tlie Board... .The Maine House of Representatives has refused to pass the bill abolishing the death penalty, the vote beiug 57 to 73.... A Detroit dispatch of tlie 25th says no definite information had been received in regard to the ice-floe at Bay City, hut tlie general opinion was that all had escaped... .The lowa Anti-Monopoly Convention met at Des Moines on the 25th, with sixty-four counties represented. Thomas Mitehel was elected President and J. M. Weart Secretary. Resolutions were adopted favoring tlie faithful administration of law; demanding honesty,' economy and purity Inofficial life; favoring a true system of civil-service reform; opposing a protective tariff; declaring that all corporations are subject to legislative control ; favoring a modification of the banking system ; opposing grants of public lands to railways ; declaring that tlie pretended repeal of the back salary law is a gross fraud upon the people, and demanding its unqualified repeal; demanding thatall public work, including printing, be let to the lowest responsible bidder, aud inviting all men, regardless of past political views, to unite with them in remedying the evils from which the people so generally suffer. The following State Central Committee, was chosen: J. Ilartenbower, O’Brien County"; Frank Brown, Washington; J. Weaver, Cedar; J. M. Weart, Buchanan; J. O. Crosby, Blackhawk; L. B. Nelson, Tama; E. N. Gates, Jasper; G. F. Parker, Warren; J. F. Bishop, Union; H. Jackson, Greene.