ECHOES OF MELBOURNE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 515, 21 June 1881, Page 3

ECHOES OF MELBOURNE.

(From odr Own Correspondent)

The Lamont case almost occupies as much attention as politics. It is proceeding slowly, and the lawyers are making lots of money out of it; Mr Halroyd, who is engaged for the legatees, getting a refresher of £100 per day. Tho latest developement in the case has been a spiritualistic seance held by Mr James Smith, one of the Argus leader writers, and known as the Incarnationist, at which, if we are to believe the Harbinger of Light, the spirit of Mr Lamont obtained possession of a medium and informed his "old friend of other days" (Mr Smith) that he had been deceived by Mrs Jackson and Mr McGeorge, but that the money would do them no good. He also informed Mr Smith that he had not yet got out of the "earth plane" which means no doubt that he is compelled to wander about like Hamlet's Ghost, compelled to see Mrs J. and McG. enjoying their illgotten wealth, and further, that these two were once possessed by good spirits but were more in the hands c-f evil ones. The spiritist world is quite in a flutter at all this, and disused tables and planchettcs have been brought out of lumber rooms and set to work, while neglected mediums who in the days of disbelief had to make their bread at shoebinding or bossing a sewing machine, are now earn ing an honest penny by getting into trances. At one of these newly formed circles the othev night, believers Avere greatly shocked. A friend of a " sitter" was called up and asked what position he had attained in the spiritual world, had he got to heaven? " No" was the reply; " are you in the other place ?." was asked, " No" was the reply," but I have hopes." The believers stated that an evil spirit had obtained possession of the medium. It is very improbable, that the Lamont will be set aside, but we have yet to wait for the Smith side of the question. A revolution has been worked in our Council. A young man of thirty has obtained admission into that house of venerable greybeards. He was treated as his impudence deserved—only one of the bald-headed "sheepists" shook hands with him. It is not improbable that our Police I Commission will propose that there shall be appointed a permanent Board to deal with all complaints against the police and those made by the police; to hold secret conclaves, evidence given in which cannot criminate the witness. This, most of the members think, is the only way to do justice and to prevent corruption. The great meeting of the Reform League was marked by farcical occurrences, without and within. The League meet in chambers in Collins street, and next to their office is that of a gentleman who was that evening giving a rehearsal of a play to be presented at the Benevolent Asylum for the amusement of the inmates. The League meeting was held that night in a larger room near by, but this was not known to some of the members. The result was that the amateurs were constantly disturbed by enquirers. " I love thee, only see," an amateur would exclaim. " Is tin's the Reform Lcagoo meeting ? -: ' an enthusiastic politician wouid ask, peeping in, The funniest oeeurr-iice wr.- when two Reform Leagues: catno up just as two young amateurs were engaged hi a

stage quarrel. " Good Heavens !' : exclaimed one ILL. to the other, "they're fighting ; we'd better not go in. I hoar Longmore throttling yomo one, and there's Mirams thrashing Walsh with his umbrella ! " and these two wont down stairs at the double, and so two votes were lost.

The story of the gentleman whowent down to Jericho and fell among thieves, and was rescued by the Good Samaritan, is very affecting, but there is little chance of its being re-enacted in these unsentimental days. I have recently heard two versions of it which reversed the moral. One is, I think, a trifle old, but it is good enough to relate as a companion sketch to the other, which only occurred last week. A traveller was proceeding through the bush in a very doubtful locality, when he heard a great commotion on the road, and thinking bushrangers were abroad, he fired off his revolver and was gratified to hear horses galloping away. On proceeding further he found a traveller tied up to a tree. " What's the matter with you" ho asked. " Oh, sir," was the reply, " how glad lam you have come! Some bushrangers tied me to this tree and were about to rob me." " Had you much to lose ?" " Two hundred pounds, sir." " And they bolted when I fired ?" l ( Yes." " You are sure they are gone! " "Perfectly certain." "And you can't get loose ? " " No; I am tied securely." " Well, then," said the ttavellcr, dismounting, " I think I will get off and finish the job. Last week a lady who lives in a house that overlooks one of our parks was watching her children, who were playing about among the trees. Presently a gentleman, respectably dressed, came staggering along, evidently under the influence of liquor, and the children fled. The poor inebriate could not stagger far, and seeing a soft grassy couch under a tree, lie laid clown and went off to sleep, Naturalists tell us that although not a vulture is in sight when a camel falls in the desert, in a few seconds the air is full of them, winging their flight to the feast. A few minutes after the intoxicated man had gone off to sleep a tramp loomed into sight, and after carefully looking all round to see that the coast was clear, he took off the unfortunate's boots and vanished with them. He had hardly got out of sight when another honest man came along, and seeing how the land lay, ho stretched himself alongside the sleeping man, as if to join in his slumber, and abstracted his watch and chain and emptied his pockets. A third adventurer arrived upon the scene, and finding he had been anticipated, contented himself with the gentleman's belltopper. The finale was reached when two knights of the road came up and endeavoured to pull off his coat, splitting it up the back in the attempt. However, by this time he had recovered a little,, and the thieves had to make tracks, while the poor wretch rose up to find himself sans everything but his body clothes, and made a run to some shelter. Should any of your folks come to Melbourne, let them not sleep in the parks.

The Royal Squadron has arrived at last, and the newspapers and society have gone crazy over the event. Fancy Snobocracy having in its midst three princes (only two of them are detained at Albany) one of whom is heir to the throne of England the other to that of Battenburg, wherever that may be, a real earl the son of a " dook " and hosts of scions of the nobility and wealth of England! why, it is enough to turn Toorak and East St. Kilda crazy. The Squadron beat about for such a long time waiting for the Baehante th.t our ladies were worked up into an hysterical state. The weather was bad for their reception, Queen's Birthday beingcold and wet, but they had great doings at Government House and got on splendidly. Really the number of titled persons in democratic Melbourne is quite appalling now. The tars had also a good time of it and got drunk, were robbed and spent the evening in the watch-house with the greatest pleasure imaginable. What a contrast English sailors are to the Japanese, French and Italians, not one of whom during a long stay put in an appearance before the " beak."

" The Pirates of Penzance " has been at last produced, and the universal verdict is that it is a weak copy of "Pinafore." The mush and libretto seem to me forced, the humor in the latter particularly. The story is even more exaggerated than that of " Pinafore," without the peculiarly national fun and humor of that successful opera. It relates the adventures of gentlemanly pirates and their apprentice, who at last, after beating the police, give themselves up when called to do so in tne name of the Queen, which they revere, and, it being found out that they are the sons of noblemen gone astray, they are straightway married off to the Admiral's twenty female relatives—he is another Sir Joseph Porter. The humor is strained, the music an echo of " Pinafore ', or a bold filch from some seldomplayed opera. The best-played character is that of Ruth, a maiden of 47 (another Buttercup), who loves the pirate apprentice, though the latter is made out to be only five years of age. The piece has not taken. Miss Pomeroy has been giving us " Macbeth," representing*the h.rome as a tortnagant an I fury, and the critics have fallen upon and mauled her dreadfully. " Jeantcs " has run for five weeks at the Bijou, to the delight of everyone.

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