MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1953, 25 September 1888, Page 2

MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

(From oub own Correspondent.)

Nothing of any importance his trans* >^od with regard to the coalatrika sinofl P^T^wroto. We m Melbourne had forntfea n^ ttl . Aa j. eßt i ma t e of any like'Xhood or a settlement arising tiom Iho conference latelj held, and so nobody is v ry keenly disappointed at the resnlc. The public is bearing the small deprivation of comfort, i 1 the shape of half gaa and hizh prices for combustibles philosophically enough, and would euffir little

if things were to go on co for the nsxt

six months. In the meantime ingenious anH never reciting speculators and eyndi • oito-rr.ongers are turning the stato of ajflc lira to account m ■ their own-, wpy«-v.» Already tbe prospectus of morj than one Victorian Coil Company has appeared m the papers, and though, perhaps, thay won't pay dividends for years, they certain'y will serv*e their purpose, of putting money m the projectors' pockets. I heard, by-the-way, one of our big speculators talking over this strike question . •« i'd strike 'em "he eaid . « « I tell you what it is. It wants some Melbourne men to have a hand m it. If half a dozen of us who can afford it were to buy up Newcastle, w»'d change things there and soon bring this blessed strike to an end." The man I heard say this m the Athenwum Club is a great boaster, bnt the idea of buying up Newcastle oertainly amused me. ■ .

There wai, by.thrway, quite a knot of prominent raon smoking their poat-pran. dial oigar last Saturday, when thiß conversation took place, Among them was a woll known Collins street solicitor who, has made a large fortune outn'da his pro* fessioH — m land. Wa)l, the t. k went on about tbe strike, and one gentleman largely connected with the coal industry gave hia views on the matter. '•♦ People don't half realise how serious the positian is, 1 ' he said. "I do, and I tell you the supply of coal is getting smaller and eraailer. The price is rising, aud the public will get loco and less ooal, unless the masters and men — «— «." " Ooalesc©," interrupted the Collins street solioitor smoothly, which I thought very smart. The anecdote is a trivial one, but a pun is a pun after all.

In these light and bizarre paragraph! *ooh weighty matters as transpired at the causa cetibre of Toy v. the Oolleator of OustoKiß oin hardly find fitting memorial. But I suppoee I must say something of what has been the great sensation of the week. Of course all my readers must be aware that the Chinaman Toy was a passenger on the fateful " Afghan," and was refused a landing In Australia. Senoa these tears— Jiinc illae lacryma; —that Is to say, the trial. And now the six mighty jadiolal minds of the Supreme Oourt have given a verdiot against the Government and found that the ezolnitoa of aliens Is illegal and unjustifiable. The jadgment came as a shook to all. The dootrine that the Government can do do wrong has been so generally aooepted, that Constitutional law has been regarded merely as an abstract theory. And surely It is the very Irony of fate that an awakening to the stern truth should have been brought about by a Chinaman. Great Heavens t what a humiliating dtnouement after all our gasconading and rhodomontade and high-handed autcoraoy that a more Inilgnlfioant wretch of a Chinaman should have taught the whole of Australia a lesson. It Is a national disgrace, for alt the oolonies are sailing m the same boat and must; share the obloquy. The outcome of it fall we have of course not yet seen, but I think now the Government will have to defend many an aotlon of the same kind. It Is terrible to think of— that the Gillies Ministry, m yielding to the voice of popular clamour, should have plunged the oomtry into suoh a slough of predicament that it may take thousands to eztrloate It. /

* ***""«*»«* tnr*n hour OV 00 l&»t wee***" at the spring sate r~oT~gtffir guaep up at the head of Collins street, and was muoh impressed by what I saw. It seems a remarkable thing to ma to see mere fourlegged anatomies of enloutad wool sold at foot, five, and six hundred guineas eaoh. But such was the. oase, and I suppose they are worth the money ta those who want them. After I left the> salelweUto the Public Library. Oot of cariosity I turned up the Australian Year Book, and turned up to ths figures of our wool exports. ' Then £ could understand soraethrog of why sheen, fetched such prices. I found that last year there were about a million and a quarter bales shipped from Australasia. I suppose £20 a bale would be a fate average all round. Take It lower, even to aay the value was £20,000,000 only What an industry! What a gigantic Industry! What does It not suggest! The immense amount of money it brings to us—the enormous amount, of labor It employs— the fine fleets of veiHQll It requires—the great factor It. is in?tht> making of theas colonies. Truly, Au*. tralia owes muoh to wool. After sating theae figures I am sure now thai gold la good, wheat is good, wine 1b good, bat wool Is best of all. „ ... ..{■ '>'-'.- The Assembly, by an overwhelming majority of 61 to 25, has at last rid itself of the burden of the wantof-confidenoe motion, whloh, like another Old Man of the Bea, has for nearly a month hung round ita nebk and brlppled Its action. The termination of thla orlsit Is at all events a t relief to the country at large, and a ajjghi of eatlsf action is being breathed throughout all the oolony at the prospect of some, progress being now made, wtthpraotioal business; In the Honso, I heard last night that Mr Wrlxon the AttorneyOeqeral, v^lll shortly take his neit on tha Supreme Court BeDoh, and that tb© Premier, Mt GUllea, will , relieve . Sir Graham Berry of the Agent-Generalship early In the beginning of the year. Sit Graham will then return to Vlotorla, and following the example of Mr Service, seek a seat In the Oounoli.

I muafc cay something about the tbaatrai, whioh, however, just now are rather m the doldrumß, and load iv complaint against the Exhibition, with He attractions of evening concerts. The only new thins to mention is tho troupe of Spanish students brought out by Martin SimoDsen, which appeared for the flwt time at the Royal on Saturday fcyening. Th© entertainment is deoidedly novel, though v O s^ no f very varying features. ; :The Students" proper number 16, and play on njendolines, guitars, and one or two other string Instruments. Theirexeoa. tion is marvellous, and the musio they difloourse highly effective. Then there is a ballet with two principal figwxmUs. and also a lady singer. The entertainment is wholly Spanish, and is a mixture (accord, ing to the proffcamme) of bpktoa. caret* leras, tarantellas, fandangbs; i and other long-named itema of doubtful nature. Mr Biraonsen tells me he ib going to send this troupe right through the colonies, so I dare cay most of my readero will have* an opportunity of hearing it.

And whilst ou the subject of theatrloal*. I might as well finish np by telling jou •bout a charming yoong lady I had the pleasure of hearing a day or two ago. This is Miss Detohon, a yjung American beauty over whom London loolety appears, to have gone half crazy for the put Im, years. She Is now In Melbom-^ t m j i m going to make ae-sktended Australian tour. The entertainment she glrea Ii of a moat nn Jque description* Gifted with • Toioe of almoßt TenttUcqaiU power Mlia Detchon- Imitates thews' of -bird., bringing them Into her raoHatloiH In $h» moat natural and surprising manner. Ta me the thing w»» new, and I enjoyed It Imuently, I daresay u»y readers will thluk so too whe« they have »h opportunity of fudging. Farewell I **