SECULAR NEWS | AdventAI

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Oct 12, 1876

SECULAR NEWS.

—The first banks were established in Italy, in the year 808, by the Lombard Jews, of whom some settled in Lombard street, London, where many bankers have ever since resided.

—The Chinese in Shanghai state that measures have been concerted between the Taotai and the literati and gentry, to incite the people to destroy the Shanghai and Woosung Railway within two months, but that the Taotai was afraid to act on his own responsibility.

—Perhaps the largest coinage ever reported in the San Francisco Mint in one day, was reported last week, viz.: One million one hundred and twenty thousand dollars in gold, and one hundred and twenty-eight thousand dollars in silver, making a total of $1,248,000. In number there was two million six hundred thousand pieces of coin.

—The Japanese do not get weary of the endeavor to transform Japan into some likeness of an American or European State. They now have a Commission in this country visiting the schools, intending to learn the best methods of educating children. Another Commission, also now in this country, is ascertaining the measures taken by the governments of cities through boards of health to protect the health of their inhabitants.

—And now Greece has put in her plea for a piece of the Sick Man’s estate. The telegraph tells us the King demands the cession of Crete to Greece. This island with upwards of 200,000 inhabitants, geographically belongs to Greece, as it does also by race affinities, and has made some determined struggles to throw off the Turkish yoke. The fact that King George of Greece is a son of the Danish king, and husband of a Russian princess, will have a significant bearing.

INTEMPERANCE IN AMERICA.—Dr. De Marmon, in the New York Medical Journal, says: For the last ten years the use of spirits has, 1. Imposed upon the nation a direct expense of $600,000,000; 2. Has caused an indirect expense of $700,000,000; 3. Has destroyed 300,000 lives; 4. Has sent 100,000 children to the poor-house; 5. Has committed at least 150,000 people to prisons and work-houses; 6. Has determined, at least, 1,000 suicides; 7. Has caused the loss, by fire or violence, of at least $10,000,000 worth of property; 8. Has made 200,000 widows, and 1,000,000 orphans.

—At last the District Attorney of New York has succeeded in placing on the court calendar about thirty of the indictments procured, through the efforts of the “Society for the Prevention of Vice,” against dealers in obscene literature. Of the thirty, only one case, and that of a comparatively small offender, was ready for trial, but the promptness with which the offender was tried and found guilty is encouraging to the thousands of respectable people who were beginning to think that the District Attorney and his assistants noticed offenders of this class only for the purpose of shielding them. The future course of these indictments will be awaited with curiosity and interest by the most respectable members of society.

—Fearful atrocities are reported from different points in China. At Kienning-fu, in Fohkien, a mob surrounded the premises of the Roman Catholic mission, and set fire to them, burning two priests and sixteen converts, who could not make their escape. On the 18th of July, in the town of Yuen-shin-chang, in the district of Loui-kiang, placards hostile to Christians and Europeans were posted in various places in the market. About 9 o’clock on the morning of the 20th, a line of 4000 or 5000 armed men drew round the market to prevent Christians from escaping. They manufactured a large wooden cross, and tied on it successively all the Christians they could catch, and then cut them in pieces. Among the victims were two heathens, of whom one was the father of a convert, and the other a young girl of fifteen, whose brother was a Christian. The houses of the Christians were pillaged and destroyed. About thirty other persons are missing.

On the 22 the brutes went to the market of Peimow-chen, where they murdered four more Christians, but of this butchery we have no details. It is said that the principal chiefs of this band of assassins are emissaries from Kiang-peh, where the persecution first broke out, who are traversing the province in full sight and knowledge of the mandarins, to excite trouble against the Christians and drive out Europeans, and thus check any inclinations on the part of foreigners to extend their trade with the interior of China.—N. C. Daily News.