English and Foreign Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 817, 29 August 1870, Page 3

English and Foreign Items.

CONGRESSIONAL ACTION IN REFERENCE TO THE AUSTRALASIAN STEAM LINE SUBSIDY. The bill introduced into Congress, providing for a subsidy to an Australasian steam line, having been referred to the Committee on Commerce was favorably reported back, with several amendments, which we give below. It is right to mention that the number of round voyages per annum will be increased from twelve to thirteen, so that the trips may be made alternately with those, of the P. and O. Company's steamers: Ist. Proposals for the service are to be published by the Post mast er-General in various newspapers in Washington, San Francisco, and other cities, for the period of 30 days. ' i 2nd. The points at which the steamers shall touch are Honolulu and such other ports in the Paciilo Ocean as may become necessary for coaling purpose*. 3rd. The number of round voyages per annum, between San Francisco and Australian ports, shall be twelve. 4th. The President of the United States is directed to invite the Governments of the Sandwich, Fiji, and Society Islands, New Caledonia, N;w Zealand, and the Colonies of Australia, to. unite with the Post Office Department in establishing mail communication between the United States and their Governments, by means of the aforesaid monthly iine of steamers. stli. No proposals shall be considered which shall amount to more than 300,000 dollars for twelve voyages per annum; nor unless the same is from a citizen ot the United States of undoubted character ; nor unless the proposals accepted by the Postmaster-General shall bo acceptable to a sufficient number of the aforementioned Governments, and that distinct and separate contracts, containing similar provisions, be made between such Governments by the accepted bidders for additional subsidies to said steamships. 6th. Said steamships shall be constructed of the best material of either wood or iron, and upon improved models, with all the modern improvements adapted to seagoing steamships of the firstclass. ° 7th. The Postmaster-General shall have tho power to terminate the contract at any time, in case of its being underlet or as signed, by giving two years' notice.

The installation of the Earl of Carnarvon as the Deputy Grand Master took place on the Ist June, at a Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, held at the Masonic Temple, Great Queen-st. London. On the sth June, while the Rev. MiArmstrong was preaching a sermon on the uncertainty of life in the Wesleyan Chapel, Bulioi road, Bootle, a young woman, 25 years of age, named Ann M'Ciusky, fell back in her seat, and died instantly. A walking match is reported to have come off a short time ago for a thousand jruineas. between a noble lord and a baronet. The thing to do was to walk up a high mountain in Scotland, the nobleman walking backwards with heavy boots on, the baronet walk ng forwards, but with a! heavy umbrella, the match to como off on a windy day. 'The umbrella man was defeated. Hobart Pasha, before taking his departure for the East, had an interview with Mr Cbitders, and - was assured that the cordial assistance'of the English Admiralty should not be wanting in order to improve the Turkish Marine. The Turkish Navy is making rapid progress, and affords employment to 20,000 men. On May 31 the statute of the late Lord Palmerston, which has oeen recently erected in the position allotted to it in the north transept, was unveiled in the presence of Lord and Lady Shaftesbury, Lord Granville, Sir George Grey; Sir Eobert Feel Mr and xVlrs William Cowper Temple, Mr and Mrs Mippialey, Mr Arthur liinuaird, and the Dean of Westminster. The monument stands immediately above Lord Paluierston's grave, and faces the monument of his master in etatesinanship George Canning.

ij The ereat case of " Tiehborne v. Tich- ■ borne," which has been »o long before the I public, is to be again postponed, owing to [ the pressure of legal business. Tins cause , celhbre cannot now be beard till the siti tings after Michaelmas term. Ned Wright, well known for his efforts to reclaim thieves in the neighborhood of 1 the New Cut, on June 12 appeared at the 1 Agricultural Hall, Islington, as one of the special preachers at the series of religious services for working men. Mr Wright's forcible and homely appeals were listened to by a very large congregation. In their rope trade report, dated Ist June, Messrs G/awock, Bibby and Co., of Liverpool, thus allude to New Zealand

' hemp rope: —" This new description oi ' rope is increasing in favour. We have had several very satisfactory reports of its wearing ; and, as it is now the cheapest rope in the market, we recommend any who have not used it to give it a trial; but as the quality varies so much, the greatest care is necessary in selecting the hemp. The strong fibre makes the best rope, and this we can work best by machinery." A short time ago, a melancholy, and in many respects singular death from hydrophobia occurred at Yonkers, Westchester County, where the horrifying circumstance engrossed an unusual share of attention. To medical men is is another rerrible illustration of the fact that although poison conveyed by the bite of a rabid animal may remain dormant in the system for an indefinite poriod, its power to torture and destroy life does not deteriorate. Tha New York Herald thus chronicles the sad affair: —The victim, Thomas Lamb, who was in his 24fch year, was by trade an engineer, and employed at a foundry in the village named, throughout which he was well-known as a trustworthy, industrious man. During last winter, while employed in a neighboring village, deceased was bitten by a ferocious bloodhound, owned by his employer, and although the wound inflicted by the fangs of the brute was not very severe, the animal was at once des patched, and the affected part having rapidly healed the oecurrence was soon forgotten by the deceased. On Tuesday of last week, deceased was united in marriage with a young woman whose mother had bitterly opposed his attentions to her daughter. Having by the exercise of a little strategy realised their matrimonial wishes, the married pair had scarcely reached the domicile of the bridegroom, when the mother of the bride made her appearance, and after, on her knees, imploring curses of vengeance on tha luckless couple, fervently prayed that her daughter might bo a " widow in less than three months" It appeal's that the diabolical imprecations of the mother had a most depressing effect on the minds of the young people, and the following clay d ceased evinced symptoms of the awful malady, the seeds of which had been sown in his system some months previously. Medical skill was resorted to without avail, and on Friday, the wretched man, in one of his paroxysms, escaped from his attendants, and after reaching some open lots, disi layed cat-like-agility in bounding over fencts, and otherwise disporting like an animal. He was subsequently secured by two of the Yonkers police, who found it necessary to handcuff the madman, on arriving at his home in Brook street. Either the sight or sound of water would throw the patient into the most agonizing convulsions, and as the malady developed itseif, he would bark like a dog, snarling and snapping at those who were near him. He continued to grow more violent and dangerous, so that many hours before his dissolution, it was deemed necessary to bind him with strong cords, and while in this condition his struggles, shrieks and howls were truly shocking uutil death ensued as above stated.