THE PANAMA MAIL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIII, Issue 557, 5 March 1868, Page 3

THE PANAMA MAIL.

The s.s. Lord Ashley arrived in port on Monday morning last, with the English mail via Panama. A summary of the news to hand will be found annexed. (Prom the Panama Star and Herald.) London 3rd Jan. Napoleon has issued a legislative reform decree fixing the numberof representatives and apportioning the seats in the legislative body. The recon struction of the Austrian Cabinet is perfected. Belgium is about to reorganize the Cabinet. Baron Yon Goltz, Prussian Minister to France, was received by Napoleon as ambassador of the North German Confederation and expressions of national good will with the most peaceful professions were interchanged on the occasion. King Victor Emanual advises the Italian people and Parliament to remain calm during a crisis in which the kingdom is “surrounded by foes. 5 ’ General Menabreais likely to complete the new Cabinet of Italy. Napoleon received the foreign Ministers at the Tuileries on New Years Day, when the most friendly and pious assurances and aspirations were uttered by his Majesty. Baron Marochetti, the sculptor, is dead, Austria forbids recruitments for the Papal army in the empire. The residence of Mr Chas. Mathew, brother to Father Mathew, near Cork, Ireland, was lately attacked by Fenians. An armed party concealed in the house met the marauders with a galling fire and routed them, wounding some of the men. The bonds of the Panama Bailroad Company were placed on the London market. 1 Dr Livingstone, the African traveller, is reported alive and well in Africa. Despatches of the 3rd inst., say : A Brussels newspaper states that the French police seized the Fenian headquarters in Paris, where they discovered most important documents throwing light on the conspiracy against England. Amongst the documents was, it is said, a plan for the burning of the British channel fleet. All the papers were forwarded to London. The Commander-in-Cbief of the British army was in extraordinary activity against a Fenian movement. His precautions were mainly directed to the counties of the south and west coast of the Island, where a revolutionary “ landing ” was looked for. General Menabrea has not completed the Italian Cabinet, and the kingdom is feveifed by political agitation. Antitax riots have broken out in Lisbon, and the Portuguese Cabinet has resigned. Napoleon is said to have abandoned all idea of a conference on the Roman question. The diplomatic assemblage on the Eastern question in St. Petersburg is interpreted as indicative of war. Turkey protests in a strong note against the active machinations of Russia to foment revolution among her Christian subjects. The Sultan addrsssed Napoleon “urgently ” on the subject, UNITED STATES. The President held a New Year’s reception at the White House on the Ist, jyhen he was visited by the foreign Ministers, the officers of the army and navy, the Congressmen, the Chief and Associated Justices and the members of his Cabinet. General Grant, Chief Justice Chase, Speaker Colfax and most of the Senators, representatives, and Cabinet members also held receptions during the day. The Lincoln National Monument Association have called for designs and plans. They propose to commence the monument certainly by next anrlrttf, r o* Governor Bullock, of Massachusets, was inaugurated on the 3rd January. His message to the Legislature favors a restrictive liquor law, and treats largely of the educational system of the State. He also favors General Grant as the candidate of all, withbut distinction or party, for the Presidency, The Louisiana Convention on the 2nd inst. adopted article thirteen of the new constitution declaring equal rights for all complexions in public conveyances and to be present at public entertainments.

General A. D. M‘Cook lias been or dered to relieve General M'Kenzie, who recently suppressed the Brownsville “Ranchero” [newspaper] in the command of the Ptio Grande border.

General Cnnby has issued an order suspending executions and staying proceedings ia certain cases, and providing for a homestead exemption. The order issued by General Sickles prohibiting the distillation of liquor and the opening of bar-rooms is revoked

lu the Louisiana Convention on the 31st Dec., articles eleven and twelve of the new constitution, declaring that labor shall not be regulated by law and that no religious test is required as a qualification for office, were adopted.

The term of office of Governor Pier point, of Virginia, expired on the Ist January; but as no provision has been made in the way of a successor, he continues to hold the position. Governor Chamberlain, of Maine, was inaugurated on the 2nd January. In his address he favors the paying of the obligations incurred to our national debt fairly and squarely, but not all in one day or in one generation. He thinks it would be better to let those who come after and reap the benefits bear some of the taxes.

Our correspondence from Silver City, Indian Territory, contains an interesting account of the campaigns of General Crook in Southern Oregon against the Indians. On the 28th of November a severe fight occurred near the South Fork, in which nineteen soldiers were killed, one of whom, Lieut. John Madigan, lived in Jersey City and another Carl Bross, in Newark.! N.J.

The records of the Coroners’ office in this city for the year just past show that there were forty-two homicides and eighty-two sucides. Of the persons included ia the list of homicides thirty-two were males and tea were females; and of those included in the list of suicides sixty-two were males and twenty were females. Thomas Walch, a boy of nineteen, was hung at Newark, N.J., yesterday, for the murder of Patrick formy, on the night of the 4th July last. He met his death boldly, having taken a cool view of the gallows the day before while he smoked a cigar. Not a movement was noticeable in the body when the trap fell, and he died apparently without a struggle. One of the teniporarily appointed sheriff’s assistants fainted at the sight of the banging man.

A steamer laden with 3,600 bales of cotton gave way yesterday at New Orleans, her guards breaking, and her cargo mostly being precipitated into the Mississippi, twenty men being either drowned or crushed to death.

A severe gale on the Ist January, blew a passenger and platform car off the track of the Harlem Railroad between Boston Corners and Capake stations, down an embankment 15 feet. A stove in the passenger car turned over, but the fire was promptly extinguished and the passengers were exhumed, only five of them being hurt and none of them seriously.

The first National Bank of Bay City, Michigan, has failed, with deposits amounting to $75,000. L. C. Hopkins, a dry gco.ls merchant in Cincinnati has failed, with liabilities to the amont of $1,000,000. MEXICO. Special telegrams from Havana contain news from Vera Cruz, Mexico, to the 27th of December. Congress was occupied with the consideration of the proposed constitutional reform. The rebellion in Yucatan was becoming more serious, Merida had been captured by a party from Havana, and a descent was meditated on Sisal. Gen. Alatorre bad been ordered to Yucatan with 3,000 men to quell the rebellion. It was reported that an order had been issued bauishing from the country all persons who hud been convicted of siding wilu tne iiiiuoiiulists during the war. Later advices state that General Diaz had been ordered to take the field • v. ~i._ m , IQ X UCHliUii JL in cc aiuicu SCuOvuGrS of the national government were blockading Sisal. Active measures will be used to quell the rebellion. CHINA AND JAPAN. By special telegrams from San Francisco we have au abstract of late advices from China and Japan, dated respectively the 27th of November and the 6th of December, The Tvcoon of

Japan had resigned his powers to the Mikado. Yeddo and a new port oa the Island of Sado are to be opened on the Ist April. The Imperial Chinese forces, have met with a severe repulse. - 1 - py » t.ipiuii'iij took place ut iV j ■ chung on the 20th of November, by which many lives and much property was destroyed. The Viceroy’s palace was blown into the air. The United States Consul at Amoy has made a treaty with the Formosa savages by which wrecked seamen will bo protected. Commodore James T. Watkins had died on board the Costa Rica. General Van Valkenburg, the Minister to Japan, was married on the 25th of November to Mrs Schayer,. of New York. An international regatta was held at Shangae on the 28th of October, and the races opened on the 30th. COMMERCIAL. London, 3rd Jan. Consuls closed at 92| for money in London. Five-twenties were at 72| to 77| in London and 77 in Frankfort. The Liverpool cotton market closed firm at an advance of |d, middling uplands rating at 7|d. Trade was very active and the report from Manchester favorable. Breadstuffs active and advancing. Provisions slightly declined.

[Special Telegraphic Despatch to the Star & Herald. I New York, 11th Jan. General Menabrea bad succeeded in forming an Italian Ministry.

The West India Sale debate in the Danish Legislature has been ad!j mrned. Arrests and prosecutions for Fenianism continued in Ireland, and a number of telegraph, clerks in Belfast were committed charged with treason.

The members of the British Legation togetiier with the archives, had reached Havana from the City of Mexico, en route, for England. A majority of the Senate Military Committee have decided against the validity of the President’s reasons for suspending Mr Stanton, The Senate is yet to act on the matter. Pacific Mail 114. Gold, 138 f [Special Correspondence of the Star and Herald.J Washington, 10th Jan. Congress re-assembled on the 6th January, after nearly a fortnight’s re» cess to celebrate the holidays. Senator Sherman introduced a bill in the Senate to make the United States five dollar gold pieces agree with the French twenty-five Francs, with a view to the unification of the world’s coinage. In the House of Representatives a resolution was adopted inqiring into the expediency of authorising the Southern Convention now in session to appoint all the civil officers in their respective States; also providing for the forming the five Southern military districts into one, to be directly under the command of General Grant.

Resolutions censuring the President for removing General Sheridan and thanking General Grant for upholding Congress were also adopted in the House.

The bill to repeal the internal revenue tax on cotton of two and a half cents a pound was taken up in the Senate on the 7th January and passed, with an amendment providing for the resumption of the tax after 1868. The bill has now passed both Houses.

On the 9th inst., ia the Senate, a resolution instructing the Judicary Committee to report a bill to abrogate the State governments in the South was discussed at at considerable length, but no final action was taken upon it. In the Senate on the Bth January the bill to prevent the further contraction of the currency and to take the discretionary power from the Secretary of the Treasury of contracting it was taken up and discussed at considerable length, but no definite action was taken upon it. There is no doubt but what it will pass as there seems to be a growing feeling among Senators and Representatives that the further expansion of the currency will give an impetus to business, and cause the present dullness, stagnation and depression prevailing all over the country to disappear. Everybody is crying “ bard times,” and Congress appears to be willing to do almost anything to stop that “cry.”