American Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XV, Issue 41, 3 February 1888, Page 3

America n Notes.

A GOOD deal of surprise has been caused in Lowell, Mass., by the arrest in London on an accusation of being engaged in a dynamite plot of Thomas Callan a man very well known in the town alluded to. Callan has been arrested in company with a man named Harkins of Philadelphia, and has been committed for trial, it is alleged, for having a quantity of dynamite in hig possession. The man who served bravely in the war, bears a very good reputation in Lowell, where people know him as sober, hard-working, and in every way respectable. He was not connected with any secret society, and had only left the town for a short, time with the permission of his employers as work was slack. The Mayor of the "town has written on his behalf to Secretary Bayard, who, however, replies that his department would have no right to interfere, beyond that of preventing arbitrary treatment or a denial of justice to any American citizen.

A match for the hand-ball championship of the world was played at Brooklyn on November 30th between an American who is a native of Ireland and an Irishman who is a native of America. The antagonists had'played against each other at Cork last year, the Irishman winning 6 games out of 10. The men are respectively John Lawlor, who was born in America and taken in his infancy to Ireland, and Philip Casey who was born in Ireland and brought in his childhood to America. — Casey on this occasion was the victor, showing splendid play during the two hours and a half during which tbe contest lasted.

A strike of negroes on the sugar plantations in Louisiana has resulted in riote in which a number of the strikers have been shot. — It is said that the negroes had no just cause of complaint, and their conduct is attributed to designing men interested in exciting prejudice against the labour organisations of the country. Besides the deplorable loss of life, the planters have bean heavy losers in the matter, and the whole affair has been lamentable in the extreme.

A monument is about to be erected in Portland, Maine, to the memory of the soldiers who fell in the war. It will be of granite supporting an armed figure, and 72 feet in height. Among the names of the soldiers engraved upon this monument many owned by Irishmen will occur.

Some indignation has been caused by the discovery that in the factories at Cohoes, New York, children are commonly employed who have not reached the age of 13, prescribed by tbe law. As in the case of every child employed, an affidavit is required as to its age, it ie evident that a good deal of false swearing has been the rule. The notary public, one of the prominent mill- owners, and several parents have been served with warrants and a full exposure is looked for. As some of the parties concerned are leaders in the religious world a little scandal is also expected.

The bridge across the Mississippi at Dubnque, lowa, has been opened with great rejoicings. In the principal speech made on the occasion, the speaker alluded to the fact that persons were present who had rowed across the river in canoes, and witnessed the Indian life of the country, long before the city of Dubuque came into existence. The chief success of the work was ascribed to Mr. Bernard J. O'Neill, the president of the Bridge Company. The bridge, whose total length is 2,800 ft. and which is built on Beven piers supported on piles, is the only one of its kind on the Mississippi.

The movement among the slaves of Brazil to obtain their freedom, is one that gains general sympathy. Indeed, even in the country concerned, but little resistance is shown to it, and it has the warm support of the Catholic Church there. There was a law passed in 1871, that the children of slaves, born thence forward, after an apprenticeship of 21 years to the owners of their mothers, should be free. But the condition now bids fair to be set aside, and the absolute freedom of the whole population to be declared without much further delay.

A statue has been unveiled at Lexington, Kentucky, to General John Cabell Breckenridge, who was Secretary of War in the Cabinet of Jefferson Davis. He had served as Major of the 3rd Kentucky regiment in the Mexican War, and had been elected Vice-President of the United States in 1856. He was a member of the Senate, but withdrew from that body and took part with the Confederate States on the outbreak of the rebellion. He distinguished himself in that cause on several battle fields, escaping to Canada when it failed.

A case which hag been tried in one of the New York courts, ihows to what a state of destitution the poor are often reduced. It was that in which a sewing woman sued her employer for 20 cents which she claimed as due to her. The evidence brought out the fact that the woman was paid one cent and a half for making a pair of trousers, and that it would take her two or three days to make thirteen pairs, the price of which she claimed. Nooning that has been exposed in connection with the miseries of the London seamstress could surpass this.

The discharge of Land Commissioner Sparks is looked upon as a victory for land-grabbers and monopolists. Mr. Sparks during his term of office has been most resolute in opposing 1 everything of the kind. His resistance to the abuses existing in the Land Office was found displeasing to higher authorities and has resulted in their dispensing with his services. The worst consequences are expected as a result.

Mr. Paul Blouet more commonly known as Max O'Rell, his norn de plume, has been lecturing in New York. He professes an ardent desire to see the English and Frsnch nations understand eaoh other, and forsake their prejudices for mutual love and respect. He haa given a glowing picture of peasant life in France, and describes the peasant woman especially as the ch'.ef strength of the country. Her industry is incessant and it is equalled by her common sense. Franca he Bays with her 6,000,000 landed proprietors is tne richest nation in Europe. Unfortunately tnere is another side to the picture.

The Rev. J. T. Diary ea of the Central Congregational church at Boston is a man of large views, and who is not afraid to express them. Here is a passage from a sermon preached by him on Sunday November 27th :—": — " It is alleged, also, that our public school system is in danger from attacks from Roman Catholics. Let no man say the Catholics are hypocrites. We have invited the Roman Catholic Church here and given it a fair field. Lst it beat us if it can ;it ought to." The speaker argued that he was more secure to-day in his property, and his daughters were safer because of the Catholic Church. So much in the way of fairness. If he was in the Roman directory he would urge the same measures they do. He wished we had in our American Government anything like such magnificent statesmanship as is exhibited in the papacy. We should hare order, prosperity j happiness.''