Bank Defalcations

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 19, 1867

Bank Defalcations

Bank Defalcations are turning up quite plentifully. In the Mechanics’ National Bank of Baltimore, a defalcation has been discovered, amounting to $300,000, running through a period of twenty-seven years, and implicating the general book-keeper and paying-teller, who have been in office all that time. At Boston, a speculating firm has failed for a million of dollars, carrying with it the First National Bank of Newtonville, of which one of the firm was a director. At Hudson, N. Y., the cashier of the First National Bank turns out a defaulter to the amount of $50,000.

Catholicism in New Orleans.—Dr. Newman says:

“Sixty Roman Catholic priests are to arrive in this city next week to open schools for the freedmen. Romanism seeks a new life in this country through the blacks.”

European Parliaments.—The proceedings of the European parliaments are this year of more than ordinary importance. In England the reform question has never before assumed so important a character as at present, and the world will therefore listen with unusual interest to the debate on the Government reform bill. In Germany, the first Parliament of the North German Confederation assembled on the 23d of February, and the Austrian Parliament will be opened in a few days. The action of both will have a far-going influence upon the reconstruction of Central Europe. In Eastern Europe, the Turkish Government at length sees the impossibility of further opposition to progress and reform, and therefore has convoked an assembly of representatives of all the religious bodies to aid it in the execution of the most necessary reforms. In Italy, in France, in Russia, in Sweden, and (in the probable case of a successful revolution) in Spain, the proceedings of the representative assemblies promise likewise to be of uncommon interest.

Poisonous Air.—Some one has been making an analysis lately of the air we breathe in a theater or other close house, containing a thousand or more persons. He carried into a theater at 10 o’clock at night a bottle of ice placed on a plate, and then collected the vapors which rapidly condensed on the outside of the bottle and flowed down on to the plate. At first this vapor thus collected had the smell, the taste, and, so far as could be determined, every chemical quality belonging to the waters of the most deadly fever marshes. Under the microscope, this water was at first clear, but soon, that is to say in a week, it was found to be full of fine animalcules, various forms were seen, and still the work of destruction was going on. At last, but three hideous monsters were seen—microscopic monsters, of course, since they were contained in a drop of water—and these were still fighting to see which could devour the other. At the end of three months the water became clear and miasmatic again.—Paris Cor. N. Y. Times.

Internal Revenue Law.—The following has just been issued from the office of Internal Revenue: The Act approved March 2, 1867, amending existing laws relating to Internal Revenue, requires the assessment of annual taxes heretofore made in the month of May to be made on the corresponding days in the month of March. The principal changes in the law respecting the income tax are those increasing the exemption from $600 to $1,000, and the repeal of the tax of 10 per cent. on sums above $5,000, so that the law now imposes a uniform tax of 5 per cent. on incomes in excess of $1,000.

National Religious Convention.—A National Religious convention, the object of which is to secure a national recognition of the being and providence of God, of the authority of Jesus Christ, and the supremacy of the Bible in Civil affairs, met on Thursday evening in Philadelphia, Judge Strong presiding. Addresses were made by several eminent divines, and letters from others were read, expressing sympathy with the movement. An amendment to the Constitution was proposed, recognizing “Almighty God as the source of all authority and power in civil government.”

Remarkable Telegraphic Feat.—The closing quotations and transactions of the London and Liverpool markets, Saturday last, dated at 4 P. M., were published in New York Saturday afternoon. They were received in that city on time, at 12 M., just four hours before the boards closed. The dispatch took less than one hour to come across the Atlantic, and having been transmitted immediately to San Francisco, the quotations of the English markets probably appeared in the first editions of the afternoon papers in that city Saturday. Surely, this is progress.

Destitution in the South.—The statement of General Howard, Commissioner of the Freedman’s Bureau, transmitted to the Senate by the Secretary of War, states that 32,622 whites and 24,238 colored people in the South will need food from some source before the next crop can relieve them. The number of rations required in one month is 1,070,000; for two months, the probable time required, 8,535,000. At twenty-five cents per ration, the estimated cost will be $2,133,750. Of this, $625,000 has already been appropriated, leaving $1,580,750 to be provided. The destitute are apportioned as follows: Virginia, 2,500 whites, 2,500 blacks; North Carolina, 3,000 whites, 2,000 blacks; South Carolina, 5,000 whites, 5,000 blacks; Alabama, 10,000 whites, 5,000 blacks; Florida, 500 whites, 1,000 blacks; Georgia, 7,500 whites, 500 blacks; Tennessee, 1,000 whites, 1,000 blacks; Mississippi, 1,862 whites, 2,038 blacks; Arkansas, 1,000 whites, 500 blacks; Louisiana, 300 whites, 200 blacks.

Since the report was drawn up, a statement has been received from the Assistant Commissioner and Governor of Georgia greatly exceeding the above amount, but a large appropriation is not recommended for Georgia before another estimate shall be made, based on thorough inspection.

—The Springfield Republican, of Mar. 9, 1867, says: A new and fatal disease is prevailing among the cattle of Wolfboro, N. H., and vicinity. It usually terminates in death in three or four days from the first attack, and the town authorities are taking measures to check its spread by slaughtering the diseased animals.

—A German edition of the works of Andrew Jackson Davis, the American seer, has been brought out at Breslau under the supervision and at the expense of a rich Russian convert to the harmonial philosophy.

Telegraph Statistics.—The third edition of the History, theory and practice of the Electric Telegraph, written by George B. Prescott, one of our oldest telegraphers, and good authority on this subject, gives the following as the number of miles of aerial telegraph in operation in the various countries of the world:— Great Britain, 65,012; France, 71,034; Russia, 36,663; Austria, 22,230; Prussia, 24,149; smaller German states, 25,000; Italy, 20,120; Spain, 17,743; Belgium, 3,773; Switzerland, 3,720; Turkey, 6,571; Greece, 3,000; Holland, 2,800; Portugal, 2,000; Denmark and Sweden, 10,000; total in Europe, 313,815; in the United States, 120,000; British American provinces, 20,000; total in America, 140,000; in Persia, 2,500; India, 10,994; Australia, 14,000; total number of miles in the world, 481,809.

Riots in Europe.—The recent riots in Belgium, have their significant lessons for France and England, and the legislative bodies of both countries are urged by the press to take heed quickly. The Belgium coal miners, in a district near Marchiennes, struck two days ago for higher wages. They at once marched to other mines and forced the workmen there to join them, threatening to cut their ropes if they went down into their pits. Thus, swelled to a mob of some two thousand, they stormed flour mills, piled up barricades, and lost blood until they were quelled, but the disturbance bids fair to break out again. The fact is, this side the water, important corporations are everywhere starving their workmen to death; and higher wages or trouble must come. The night before I left Liverpool for London, it was very cold and the poor were distressed, and I heard one gentleman say to another, “If this weather holds long we shall have trouble with the workmen.” And I had not been this side of the channel ten days before I took up the London Times of the day preceding and read that the Liverpool workmen had “made a disturbance”—a bread riot—on one of the coldest days of the season, but “it was speedily quelled.”—Cor. Springfield Republican.

Display of the World’s Industry.—A “Universal Exposition of the Products of Industry and Art of all Nations” is to be held in Paris during the six months succeeding April 1, 1867. Its aim is to exhibit the progress of art and manufactures, and of all the sciences in supplying the necessities of society, among all the nations of the world. The government of France is to erect a palace for the Exhibition, 1,600 feet long, and 1,200 wide, covering an area of thirty-five acres, to cost $4,000,000; besides, making provision for living products of agriculture and horticulture, animals, and models of villages. Compartments have been allotted to the Christian governments of Europe and America, and to the Mahommedan and Pagan nations of Turkey, Persia, Central and Southern Asia, China, Japan, Africa, and Oceanica. There will be a display of different races of savages at work in their rude industry.