MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1902, 26 July 1888, Page 2

MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

(From. oub own Correspondent. )

I pass a good deal of my time m the sacred products of Parliament House, and of late I have been there more fr qu-mtly than usual, bring interested m the nice little game battedorfl and shuttlecock honorable members have been playing Bince the session o,ened. They have maniged to waste three weoks over the reply to the address, and now are profiting by the accident to the leader of the oppoeitinn, Mr Bent, to take a rest Next month the exhibition festivities commence, and while there. is juakeliug to be done, members always object to work. I see the result clearly enough. At the end of the session there will bo ths usual slipshod work done, and bills will be rushed through without proper consideration. Such is Parliamentary procedure m this happy colony — half reoeßS, one-third pleasuring, and tho balance of the time spent m passing crude and immature measures, which have only to "be remodelled during the ensuing 8es?iioo; And yet there are some who hint that members do not earn their £300 a year A libel 1 on the face of it, a libel. We are so well provided with threatres and all places of amusement In Melbourne, that it gave me quite a surprise to hear from a speculative friend that a new theatre Is pro'eoted m town — this time m r Collins-street,, near Spring-street, What Is more, he informed me that a prominent London theatrical manager is one of the partners m the enterprise/ and it is to be bis special duty to keep up a constant supply of the best home talent, and the latest London success, But, will another theatre pay) I think not, for we have fonr at present, besides music-halls and places of that Ilk However, I welcome the idea cf a new theatre as a sign that we are increasing m wealih and importance.

I was at tbe Exhibition again last Saturday, and coald see very little change from last week. What kind of an opening it will be on the Ist, I cannot think — for things do not seem a bit more forward . The horrible scaffolding for the switchback railway, . almost right against the sou ih face of tbe building, is the greatest eyesore and disgrace imaginable; Whatever oould have possessed the Oommlisslonera to allow such a huge wooden erection to be pat up, paases my ~ understanding, unless, as 1 suppose, It is a pleoe of jobbery' m touch with sundry other arbitrary proceedings on the part of the management. • Then, again, a great deal of dissatisfaction is being expressed at the faot that admission on^days when the ohoruß Is to sing Is to be one shilling more than 00 ordinary days. Tbe merobbrs of the chorus give their services free, and so the pnbllo wants to know why It is to be foroed to pay. Then there is muoh dissatisfaction about the issuing of Invitations for the opening ceremony. The Country Press seems to have bean entirely overlooked, the Invitations Committee passing them over with lofty disdain. Many public functionaries have received snobs, whilst, on the hand, insignlßoant individuals, who had a little influence, have managed to push themselves into (notice. .It got put m print that our ohlef Secretary, the Hon Mr Deakln, applied for a ticket of admission for a lady he wished to escort to the ceremony, and was promptly refused. If the Committee oan say no to a Chief Secretary, one may be sure they are carrying things with a high hand

"Will the future man be a teetotaller?' Is a question I. caw a week ago m one of the papera, and I should answer yeß, at all events m Melbourne, considering the number of Coffee Palaces there are nocr m the city* It is very evident the disciples of Sir Wilfred Lawßon are becoming more aod more powerful, or whera would be the raison d'itre for such' mammoth structures as the Federal Coffee Palaoe for Instance'? Here we have one of the finest, handsomest, and' most spacious buildings In Melbourne ereoted for the non-aloohf Hats ; ono that surpasses every hotel la the city, and that Is a perfeot little town m Itself. Teetotallers cannot complain at all events ; there 'wants are looked after r'ght royally here m Melbourne. The niece fact of ouch a buildiug aB the " Federal "* balng raised In their honor proves it, for there is not another house of entertainment like it m the Southern Hemisphere.

The Bnrke v Slavin glove fight has been the talk of the town daring the week, and the disgraceful scenes at the doors on the part of those who failed to get admittance has been tbe auhject of general opprobrium. Personally I detest such ex£ hibltlons, for I once bhw a man killed m a p:lz9 fight m America, bat I attended ihis one on press butineas. I was astonished at seeing half the prominent men of the city there — lawyers, doctors, Members of Parliament, et hoc genus omne t Admittance, .cost £1, and yet hundreds were turned away. It ia trnly a lamentable state of affairs when men supposed to be cultured and refined ocowd to such exhibitions, and talk of it and discuss It with the greatest gusto for days afterwards • Punch, generally a vapid print, sattrlzas tha subject rather smartly as follows : There ia an illustration of a Melbourne man taking his son to school. Pointing to the statue of Burke and Wills, he says "Now Johnny, I want you to know all about your country's heroes. Now who is that monument erected to :" ." I know, father," answers young hopeful;" " Burke end Slavin."

But after all we are no*; so bad, though wo In Melbourne have our grave faults, being eager for pleasure, extravagant, and worshippers of Mammon ; We have mauy thlDgs to pride ourrelves on. I would quote, par exemple, the agitation that haa been going on for a Foundling Hospital.' As usual tbe Government has been too supine to move In the mattar, and so the public has made np its mind to take the matter In hand. Already one of our public men, Mr (J. R. Staples, haa come forward with an offer of £1000, and tha Mayor promises substantial Bnpporb, so that m a very Bhort time I feel sure we shall have a goed fund m hand wherewith to endow the hospital, Yas ; whatever may be Melbourne's faults — and they are great — uocharitableness cannot be ranked amocg them, and be it remembered, " Charity is the scope of all God's oomminda."

We have rather an eqolvooal kind of visitor here just noT In the gentleman whom one of the weeklies designates "His Disgrace the Marquis of Qaeensbarry." He came ont with the London Gaiety Company aa cavaliei' servente, whilst rumor has It that one of the principal figurantes la no less than the Marchlonesß of Q<ieenaberry, Ho is rather a good-looking man,: tall, well-made and handsome, but looks dissipated and fast Why I mention him ia because he has been muoh talked of last week In consequence of acting as referee at the Burke v Slavin prfzvfight. His entry into into the arena was one hardly consistent with the dignity of an English Peer, for he ollmbed through a window and stumbled on to the platform where the fight was taking place. Altogether, I am afraid from what I have saen of the noble Marquia that; he is rather a b'aok sheep, and I hope he will not contaminate our Melbourne youth, for he has already collected around him a gathering of sportIng young blocch who worship at his j shtine. I must confess, however, that I met him a fortnight or so ago at a theatrical supper, and he oonducted himfelf quite discreetly, though perhaps he did Indulge m a little too much champagne.