THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1359, 26 June 1872, Page 3

THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE.

(From the Auckland Evening Star, June 22.) We fear the San Francisco Mail Service is sick. We sincereiy regret it, still it would be folly to try to close the eyes to the fact. The effort to obtain the half-million of dollars subsidy from the American Government has been shelved in the Senate, and the debate on the subject drew aside the veil that hides the congressional lobby in a manner that makes somewhat hopeless ' a renewal of the attempt. America is the land of big efforts, but these necessitate means so extreme that a failure is a very big failure, and leaves the defeated force exposed to destrudion. California and the Western States fought bravely in Congress, and the magnitude of our growing commerce and the advantages of a share in it, were effectively illustrated in the righthand of our fellowship stretched across the wide Pacific, and our plaintive wail, " Come over and help us ; " while the star-spangled banner floating in perspective over the wide Pacific threw a mellowed patriotic tinge over Australian wool bales and New Zealand hemp. Unfortunately it has been to no purpose, and the gorgeous images of American eloquence rivalling that of a New Zealand runanga, has unhappily vamosed under the withering sarcasm and indignant remonstrance of the senators of the Atlantic States, as if tonched with the spear of Tthuriel. The rough handling received by the boats on the line was enough to shiver their timbers, while the unveiling of the motives involved in the support of the subsidy was performed in the vigorous style characteristic of the Americans when there is anything that their hands find to do. Amid loud cries of " question" the debate was brought to a close, and the amendment to " table the question," which in American parliamentary language means shelving it, was carried. However we may regret it, the service at the present hour is in a very unpromising position. Whether we look to East or West, to America or Australia, we can find but little comfort for the occasion. The darkest hour usually precedes the dawn, according to which principle we should anticipate an immediate and glorious success to the service; for certainly it must be admitted that the position of the service is very dark.