Current Gossip

Among the articles on exhibition at a recent meetiag of the Bhode Island Kistorioal Sooiety was the veritable watck worn by Boger Williams when he lanili'd at Plymouth Rock. It is in good condition, and still running. Coiistltnt'oual Amendment Bepresentative Lawrènoe, of Ohio, has introduced in Congress the followisg propösed amendment to the Conutitution : Art. - . tso claim agaiust tho United States Bhftll be paid miless preeented ia purmiance of law by th9 ciaimani-withia ten years after haviiig lep il light and capacity to do bo, or witliin snch leea period as ïnay be prescribed by law. A claim rejected by an authorized otiicer, or ïeported adrerBely by a committoe of oitber liouso of C mgresa, ahall not be reexamiscd or paid unlees withiu bíx years after sucli rejection or adverse report. A Singular Wlll. Col. Samuel J. Anderson, a noted Bouthera politioian of the old school, recently committed suicide at Atlanta, Ga,, by blowing out his brains with a pisto!. He had previonsly mnde his ■will, nnd among other bequésts was tne following : 'ToBobert Toombs - my pistol, with my recommendation that he rid tho world of his presence by im♦itating my example. " We are not advised asto whether the ex Senator contemplates acccpting the bequest and imitating the example of tho rash Anderson. Most likeiy he will not. Suicide of a Clergyxuan. A inost. remarcable and shocking oase of suicide occurred in Washiugton on Sunday of last week. A Presbyterian clergyman, pastor of a church, holding a liigh social station, was detected in the act of stealing a book ; was mereiles'ly exposed in a newspaper ; set nis house in order ; and, while the bells were ringiog the peoplo to ohurch, ■without even providing for his oni congregation, out his throat. The facts are more pathetic than any comnient upon them oould be. The clergyman ■was wealthy, and had been previously nnspected of insanity. No Jnstructlons ceded. ïho Chicago Ocean, having stRted that "the loóse way in which Americana get married in foreign countries induoes a Washington correspondent to cali public atkntion to the importance of the international law of niatrimony," the Detroit Free Press tartly observes: "We should hardly ihiuk the Chicago people would need any instrnction in íegard to 'loóse ways' in getting married. Judging from the divorce business transacted in that oity nothing could well be looser than the ' iooae way in which Americana get married ' ih Chicago, unless it be the loore way in whioh some of them don't get married. " Sewing Machino Patenta. The sewing machine companies are again petitioning Congrees for an extensión of what is known as the Wilson patent, wtuch is simply a contrivance for feeding the machine. The original patent ,was granted twenty -five years ago, nvA about eight years ago extended by í%o Oommiseioner of Putents. The control of it is noif in the hands of four cornpanies, to whom it was sold by Wilson for the sum of $50,000. The original patentee, and the compasies who now own the patent, have made enormous fortunes out of it, and an extensión would be simply a charter authorizing them to charge six times as much for a sewing machine as its oost. The average price now is about $55. Tlie Hos Case. Tho nncertainty in which the fate of little Charlie Ross is involvea is more painful than ever. When the dyiug burglar on Long Island made his confession of imrtieipation in the abduction, it w;is confidently hoped that, though no particulars were given, tho solution of tho myetory was near at hand. Ie was assumed that, with the death of the abáuctors, the reasous for 'conoealiug th child wculd cease to havo any force, and that his oustodians, whoever thcy migbt be, would gladly give hjm np. But as the days pass wituomt any ñirther tidiDgs, the hope ■wliicA was exoited flïmiuishes, oud the fear that the secret to be unraveled involves Boraetliing worse tiian abduction again comes uppermost. Sh.it ';ói on the Spot. Mr. Thomns Keilly, of New York city, lately addretsed a noto to the eminent jurist, Chr.ilos O'Conor, asking if thore was tot Hotoe ptmctiliou etiquette to be observed iu dealing with miduight bnrghrs, in roply to which inquiry Mr. O'Conor says tliat men who devote thefr Hvea to houeebrcaking as an occupatiou can har-.ïly be eaid to have any rights which others are bound to respect. Their habitual pursuit jnstly condemns them to outlawry. At kast such is their condition while prcvling in tho night time within or aroutid the dwellings ol their intended victims. When, in the nttemptto executo a feloaious enterprise, they happen to be elain by the famüy whom they are seeking to plunder, public justice, Mr. O'Conor thinks, will institute no astidious semtiny. BeVcher-TlItoa. Tilton and Beecher have a temblé time over their scandalous little affair. Their legal bouts put one very much in tnind of tho scrirnmage botween Sally and tho bar, as related by Sally's husband, a disinterested observer of the tourney. First Sally was on top, and then tho bar was on top, until in a short time it became a difficult matter to éistinguish the woman from the bruin. Iu tlie jnatter of that bill of particulars l'ilton was flrst on top, then Baecher mounted the tossed Theodore, by a suocessful appeal to the General Term ; and now Tilton seema to have climbed Henry Ward again, by the reversal of Judge McCue's order requiriog Tilton to specify. Decisión and appeal, reversal and appeal, are getting to bo deoidedly monotonous. We f.jar there wan too much truth in the remark of a philosopher of the Josh Billings school : " One side is afeard, and the other dassont go to trial."