OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9254, 7 January 1889, Page 6

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

[from our special correspondent.] San Francisco, December 16L The Maripoea has been delayed for a day owing to the late arrival of the Aurania at

New York, which seems to be a regular monthly occurrence. The Etruria and Umbria continue to make good six and seven day trips across the Atlantic, but they do not carry your mails, although they should do so. The Umbria has succeeded in beating the best record from New York to Queenstown, her running time being 6 days 2 hours and 22 minutes. The best westward passage on record is that of the Etruria, in 6 days 1 hour and 50 minutes. The City of New York, the new steamer, made the run from New York to Queonetown in 6 days 20 hours, which is, so far. her best performance. A delay in the transmission of the mails occurred at Chicago, some twenty-five sacks being left behind there. Fortunately there are now two daily through traine from New York, so that the steamer's detention will only be a few hours instead of a whole day. Ihe present made by the British Government to Captain Hayward, for rescuing the "Henry James" castaways, was given to that gentleman last evening by Vice-Consul Mason, at a dinner on board the " Mariposa." About thirty gentlemen were present, and the union or friendship between Great Britain, her Colonies, and the United States was warmly cemented. THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

The last session of the Fiftieth Congress is now in progress, and will last probably till February or March. The Senate has set earnestly to work on its Tariff Reform Bill, with a view to reducing the revenue, but, so far, nothing of interest in the colonies has been touched upon. One of the most important measures of the present session will doubtless be the admission of several of the Territories into the Union as States. A Bill has also been introduced with a view to dividing California into two separate States, known as North and South California, but this will hardly pass. The next House, to meet a year from now, will have a slight Republican majority, and it is probable that a special session may be called in March. The President, in his last message, urged the revision of the tariff laws " for the relief of those who suffer under the present conditions." He advocated " the establishment of communication by submarine telegraph with Honolulu, a plan that, if consummated, would fall in with the ideas of Sir Julius Vogel regarding the proposed Colonial-Pacific cable. He recommended a re-organisation of the Consular service, with a view to abolishing some that now exist, and which he considers unnecessary. He also asked for a careful revision of the immigration and naturalisation laws of the United States, tending to check the large influx of an undesirable population. Concerning the Lord Sackville letter, the President showed how badly he had been hurt, and displayed his temper in the following words: —" The correspondence in relation to this incident will, in due course of time, be laid before you, and will disclose the unpardonable conduct of the official referred to in his interference by advice and counsel with the suffrages of American citizens in the very crisis of the Presidential election, then near at hand. Also, in his subsequent public declarations tojustify his action, superaddinc impugnment of the Executive and Senate of the United States in connection with important questions now pending in controversy between the two Governments. The offence thus committed was most grave, involving disastrous possibilities to the good relations of the United States and Great Britain, constituting a gross breach of diplomatic privilege, ancl an invasion of the purely domestic affairs and essential sovereignty of the Government to which the envoy was accredited. Having first fulfilled the just demands of international comity by affording full opportunity for Her Majesty's Government to act in relief of the situation, I considered elongation of discussion to be unwarranted, and thereupon delined to further recognise the diplomatic charaoter of the person whose continuation in such function would destroy that mutual confidence which is essential to the good understanding of the two Governments, and was inconsistent with the welfare and self-respect of the Government of the United States." THE SITUATION IN SAMOA. United States Consul Sewell returns to his post of duty at Samoa by the Mariposa taking with him full instructions from the btate Department. Mr. Bayard, Secretary of State, has expressed his opinion to Baron the German Charge d . Affairs at Washington, " That the present unfortunate situation was due, not to any action on the of the representatives of the United states, but to the fomentation, by interested foreigners, of native dissensions, and to the desire, exhibited in a marked degree by those in charge of local German interests, to obtain personal and commercial advantages, and political supremacy. In the opinion of the United States Government the course taken by Germany in respect to Samoa, upon the temporary adjournment of the Conference in this city (Washington), cannot be regarded as having been marked by that just consideration which ancient friendship between the United States and Germany entitles this Government to expect." Official despatches have been, received at the State Department and the Naval Department from Vice-Consul Blacklock and Capt Leary, of the U.S.s. Adams. These reports substantially upheld the action of Mataafa and, while apprehending no immediate danger to American citizens or property, thought that an attack might be precipitated at any moment. In Congress, Senator Frye offered a resolution, which was passed, instructing the Committee on Foreign Affairs to inquire into the whole of the condition of affairs at the Samoan Islands. He considered this an imperative necessity, " although it might disclose an exceedingly disreputable chapter of history in American diplomacy. The action of the Germans he considered to be " an outrage and an insult to the United States, to which no great country would submit for a single moment." Since the foregoing was written Mr. Sewell has been recalled to Washington to give evidence before the Foreign Affairs Committee. His return to Samoa will consequently be delayed for a month. TROUBLE WITH HAYTI.

Complications have arisen with the Government of Hayti over the seizure of an American steamer, the Haytien Republic, by a Haytien man-of-war. The authorities persistently refused to give up the steamer, but Uncle Sam has determined to have her. The U.S.s. Boston was sent to Port-au-Prince, butj yellow fever breaking out among her crew she returned to New York. The Haytien Consul-General at New York, Mr. Baesett, was summarily dismissed by his Government. It is also reported that a German steamer had been fired into and sunk by a Haytien man-of-war. The U.S.s. Galena and Yantio have been dispatched to Hayti, under sealed orders, and they will be followed in a fewdays by the U.S.s. Richmond.

THE AMERICAN NAVY. The annual report of the Secretary of the Navy estimates the expenditure of his department to be 5,336,130 dollars for the current fiscal year. The high-power steel cannon for the navy, completed to date, consists of 2 5-inch, 24 6-inch, 8 8-inch, and 3 10-inch guns. A new design of a 6-inch gun has been completed, and 32 of these are in course of construction. The tube of these guns is hooped to the muzzle, thereby strengthening it against strains in the chase. The powder chamber has been reduced in diameter, thus saving sufficient weight there to hoop the muzzle without increasing the weight of the gun. The efforts of the department have been mainly directed to the construction of fast cruisers, having a speed of 19 knots and unwards. Notwithstanding the extensive improvements being made in the navy the ex penses have been reduced fully 20 per cent owing to the abolition of the extensive system of fees and brokerage that pervaded the de partment. PANAMA AND NICARAGUA. j The failure of the last Panama Canal loan draws attention to the fact that a syndicate of New York capitalists has offered to nutup 75,000,000 dollars to complete the Canaffo two years. The head of this affair is Mr. H U. blaven, of the American Dredging Company. m The Nicaragua Canal Company has been incorporated.all necessary concessions havinc been granted by the Costa Rica and Nicaragua Governments. The cost of construction is estimated at 65,000,000 dollars by the I United btates Government surveys The distance from ocean to ocean is 170 miles of which 40 miles will be through the Canal the remainder through Lake Nicaragua, the San Juan and ban Francisco rivers. The caDita.l stock of the company is 1,000,000 shares, of 100 dollars eaoh. THE COUNTRY'S CASH. The annual report of the Secretary of the Treasuryshows a fairly satisfactory condition of aifairs, and one that may be envied in some of the colonies. The total revenue of 2lfk Q i2SF unent ' f< ? the year endin S June 30th 1888, amounted to 379,266,075 dollars, of 7mwSrW?? 0 - T 8 fn ? m Customs a\id 124,296,871 dollars from internal revenue The receipts exceeded those of the previous year by 1862,797 dollars. The ordinary ex* penses of the vear were 259.653.9i3e dollars leaving a surplus of 119,612,116 dollars The expenditures were 8,278,220 dollars lees than

for the previous year, notwithstanding an m crease of 5,000,000 paid out in penK The estimated revenue for the present fiscal year is 377,000,000 dollars, and estimated e* penditure is 275 showing a sS" plus of over 101,232,000 dollars. The total accumulations on June 30th, 18Sq which can be used in the purchase of bonds will be 171,810 054 dollars, and the &£' tions are that the whole of the principal and interest on the 4-per-oent. bonds can oepTid before the year 1890 Having made such a favourable show, the Secretary of the TW sury recommends a reduction of taxation During the same fiscal year the imports of foreign merchandise amounted to 7*>3 957 1 1 j dollars, being an increase of 31,647,346 dnl lars over the preceding year. Only 13 44 «£ cent, of this mercandise was carried in American vessels. The total number of alien passengers who arrived in the country aa 567,510, not including those who arrived from Canada and Mexico. The tonna.™ built in $ United States during the yew was 218,086 tons as compared with 150 IS tons in the previous year. The total tonnage of the country amounts to 4,191,915.77 tons SCIENCE AND INVENTION moved about in different directions at wllf finally being brought back to the vervUot from which it was started. The bllfoon t cigar-shaped, 60 feet long and 45 feet in dia 2m&" the ?| ntre / ApropeUe?i JwvidS* ifeKingSa^d «& TeaSt theycaa hear the news at Bepheswere received at either end & and four minutes. n tnree A Bill has been introduced in Congress to establish a national pathobiological labor? Tory at Washington for the stuSy of con£ gious and infectious diseases. It will t specially in charge of two directors, one skilled in human and the other in animal

Experiments of electrical execution have been successfully made at Edison's labor* YEX'vl. TI V first victim was a calf weighing Ilb - i . Its resistance was 3200 ohms. An alternating current of 700 volts was applied lor 35sec, when the animal was dead The "fogdweighed 1421b, and had a resistance of 1300 ohms. A current at 700 volts nresfSSnw" 18 ?*. death - in ssec - A horße weighing 12apib, with a resistance of 11,000 ohms, v.-al killed with the same pressure.

ODDS AND ENDS. It is proposed to hold a gigantic world's tair at Washington. Several New York capitalists are said to be anxious to invest money in Australian enterprises, such an idea having been suggested by Mr. Joseph Evans, who is interested in a new railroad scheme.

William T. Colemanand Co. have made a settlement with their creditors on a basis of 60 per cent, to those who hold security and 40 per cent to those who are not secured One-fourth is to be paid immediately, and the remainder in three equal instalments in 9 18, and 30 months' time. ' The Cbineso Government is said to be anxious to ratify the Restriction Treaty with the United States that was in force when the ?v, X P rH lOnA - Cfc . Wa f sassed5 assed - , report that the Chinese intended to retaliate in the matter 01 trade is denied.

An example of the profits accruing from raisin growing is given at the vineyard of ColonerForsyth at Fresno. From 160 acres of vines he packed 24,000 boxes of raisins tL£ 3 68, whl °Q, realised 38,000 dollars. Ihe land was purchased five years ago, at 35 dollars per acre, and the owner refused 625 dollars an acre for it last year ™ «"? e , eX i Cite t ment r has been caused over the reported shortage of wheat in the colonies. Ihere has been considerable fluctuation in ton ' W IC advanced }° "early 20 dollars per ton, but has since declined to 12 and 14 The Pacific Mail Steamship Company has at Tohn ™T steamer > *o P Wat sL ££ f VS^α 8 yards in Glasgow. She is to be railed the City of Shanghai. Ihe s.s. Etruria recently had a rough passage to Queenstown. For ten houSX was almost under water. Ten seamen were seriously mmred, and one cabin passenger fV?^ n f Be " seless - The Allan line si i h tlS e cSt e ' Mr. W. C. Buchanan, M.H.R., of the Wai rarapa, remained for a few clays in San Francisco. He visited the beet sugar factory at £ 3 m company witliClaus Spree kles and was deeply interested in what he saw there. Mr. Spreckles has promised to give Mr. Buchanan a quantity of the seed, wnich he will take back with him, and test the capability of the soil of New Zealand for producing its own sugar. wett^S? 8 bee n discovered 35 miles southwest of the Faralloues. It is supposed to terft? 6 ? caused byasmart earthquake shock that occurred on November 18th, just before the Alameda left the dock on her last trip. The new iron steamer Yaquina Bay has been wrecked when trying to enter the bay 01 the same name on her first trip An American syndicate has been formed ££+** Caltal^°- f f.N 000 ' 0 ™ dollars to conBtruct a railroad in Siberia. Pwwi *?T- dnilmi * e un cruiser, built at ?rK^ hl rt°- w f das P eed ° 21 - 4 7 knots TO Bill has been introduced in Congress, Sf^ m /° r % e co n s triction of twosub2oS?nm flf harbour at a cost 01 <J,um 000 dollars each. They are to be armed with two .16-inch high-power rifle cannon, and pneumatic torpedo throwers.