AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2176, 28 April 1870, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

The ladies are coming to the front in New South Wales. “ A mother ” appeals to the rest of her sex to take up the question of immigration, since, as she says, “ the men are too much afra d of losing popularity to move in the matter. ” On behalf of the housewives of the colony, she asserts that while they are contented to be governed by their husbands, they will not (at least without a struggle) suffer themselves and their husbands to be governed by their servants. And with a view to prevent a continuance of this ignominious state of things, she proposes to raise L 30,000 by subscription to promote female immigration from Sweden, Denmark, and Germany. Let us, she says, “ for once act in concert; let us use some of the money now wasted in ‘ dress, ’ and render ourselves respectable in 'the eyes of the world by showing ourselves capable of a great effort for a noble purpose. Is it nothing that strangers come into our houses and insult us by their impudent defiance before our husbands, our sons, and daughters, and dictate to us what we shall do even with our own children ? Is it nothing, when sickness invades our dwellings, to feel ourselves unable to secure one honest kindly heart to give us necessary help ? So far from it, we are perhaps left to close the eyes of the being dearest to us on earth. Of what value are all the gewgaws and tinsel of fashion then.” It is stated upon pretty good authority that out of the thirty-four members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly who combined to put the Macpherson Ministry out of office, no less than twenty-four were ex; pectant Ministers. The success of the Melbourne Meat Preserving Company is shown by its ability to declare a dividend of 10 per cent., and to cwry a balance of upwards of L9OOO forward to the reserve fund. The importance of its operations to the wage-earning class may be inferred from the fact that about L 24.000 was expended on labour and material by the company during the last half-year being at the rate of nearly LIOOO a week. By the process employed by this company L 32.000 worth of meat has been saved and utilised during the past six menths. The financial results of Lyster’s opera season have been unprecedentedly favorable, and the receipts in sj>ite of bad times, have averaged not less than LIOOO per week. The Melbourne Town Hall is to be opened with a grand musical festival. Mr C. E. Horsely, the well-known composer, has received a commission from the Mayor fo compose a cantata to a poem ly Mr Henry Kendall for this important opcasion, and the chief direction of the music will be placed in Mr Horsely’s hands. All the available musical talent in Melbourne is to be engaged, and the local Philharmonic Society have p>. solved that “in order to make'the musical ceremony worthy of such an important event, all the resources of the Society should be placed at the service of the Mayor for the occasion.” The coolness with which Colonial street boys behave when spoken to is often more annoy in" than the mischief they actually do. Lately three lads were charged with insulting behaviour. The complainant, a stout lady with one eye, who lived in Little Latrobe street, gave evidence to the effect that the boys smashed a window in her house, and upon being remonstrated with, replied—“You’ve got one eye out, haven’t yer !” to which the complainant replied that she had lost one visual organ, hut that she could see with her remaining one as much as other people could with two. After further parley they informed her that “ Now we’ll knock yer other eye out ; and as we’ve broken yer windows, we’ll bust open yer door. ” And they immediately set to work kicking and hammering at it till the door was almost off its bilges. When asked by the woman whether she had ever injured them, they replied, “Oh, no; we’re just doing it for fun. ” The " young imps ” were arrested and fined L 3 each. On the night of the Claud Hamilton’s departure, Mr Mathews was to have made his debut before a Melbourne audience in his own comedy of “Married for Money,” and that wonderful monologue “ Patter v. Clatter. ”