THE WEBB LINE.

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 40, 1 August 1872, Page 3

THE WEBB LINE.

Rcconfc advices from IVew Zealand and' America (says the tt. b\ News Letter) arc nob t/tvorablo /or a continuance of the Webb lino unless aided by a subsidy from Washington. Thus far it Has been'sustained at the joint expense of JSew Zeultuid find W. if. Webb, tbe former paying a subsidy of JuSO,(K)O a year, tfie latter Josinn; a si mi hi r simount. 'ib' , arrangement at first ent.ered inl • > by Mr Vorfel, on iuibalf of New Zealand, vviib ]Vlr "Webb, waH Loo much in the interest of New Zealand to enlist the sympathy of Australia, ; and all effort* sinee made by Mr Yogfl to induce t,he Auwlraliuris to join JNew ZeJund in tlie enterprise, and (x> «haro the expense, have been met with promises tu bring ihe subj(!ft before Dim rnnpeetire Parliaments, the Ministry having , no power to act without their Ranction. The Chambers of Commerce of Sydney and Melbourne have been urgent hi their appeals to their respective Governments to alibrd temporary aid, but to wo purpose. The value and importance of the service in fully appreciated and acknowledged, ami nothing did so much to convince them of this as the presence of Ainerican purchasers at their wool sales. The respective Australian colonies have notified the Ho;n,e..Government that (he present postal service via Suez will terminate in 187' i, when it is proposed to arfor a fortnightly service via the Cape and via America alternately, with Melbourne or Sydney as the port of departure. The "News Letter" noticed a year ago the proposition of Mr liurstal t}o contract to deliver the mails in England in forty-five days from Melbourne, with satisfactory guarantee from leading shipbuilders iu England. Th..t jpl&n has sinco been matured by the London anil Australian Steamship Company, to perform the service in forty-five days. The population of New Zealand is to.o small and present business too light, while the demand upon her treasury to pay interest on money borrowed for internal improvements and development of resources is too great, to warraut a long continuance of the present heavy subsidy— equal to one dollar per head for her entire population. Whilst it is not probable that Mr Webb, with all his wealth and enterprise, will care to continue unaided much longer a business so unprofitable, with a subsidy from Washington he might be placed in a position to respond to the invitation, which Australia will give to the world to tender for the proposed service. It is evident that Congress will grant the subsidy for the service before its adjournment. The question then is, can Ihe service be maintained without it, arid, if bo. how ?

. I nines ('. Kisho.r, an enlisted man in the United States army, died in the Hospital at the Arsenal on Sunday l«*t of consumption, leaving a wife and child iu an ii.lmo.st destitute condition. The circumstances connected with the mercurial life and death of this unfortunate man arc of a deeply romantic character, and boar with them strong probabilities that the deceased was, if not in fact the long-lost Earl of Aberdeen, at. least his brother, or a younger member *if that distinguished family. On Sunday, May 12, ho breathed his last. Before his death, on the Saturday, it became evident that Fisher was desirous of making known some cherished secret which was weighing heavily on his mind, a.uV he called Dr. I'urcell to his bedside. He then informed the doctor that his name was not James C. Fisher, hut George Gordon Murray, and that he was. a member of the Aberdeen family, the head of which was supposed to have been lost at sea some six years since. Lottorvs from a brother and sister in Scotland addressed to him were shown, in which they spoke of their mother the Duchess. These letters are in the possession of Mrs. Fisher, otherwise Gordon Murray, and arc said to be.indisputable proof that Murray is of a distinguished and wealthy family. He married the servant of General Erston, by whom he has one child about two years old, and they, we bolievo, arcin .the charge/in some way, : of /the Newsboys' Home - New York Standard. Shortly since, a curate,of the Church:, of. England was attending Id a buriaVin the graveyard in con-" nection with his church. In the midst of the burial service a woman stepped forward, and, pulling the curate by the sleeve, said, "Sir, sir, I want to speak to you." '.' Well, but my ..good woman, you must wait till I, have done," replied the curate. " No, sir ; I must speak to you immediately. Do you not see. sir. that you are burying a man who died <>f the small-pox next my poor husband, who never had it?"

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