AUSTRALIAN CLIPPINGS.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2232, 2 July 1870, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN CLIPPINGS.

The immigration regulations of the present Government of Victoria, have been discussed in the Assembly, and have elicited opinions of the most opposite tendency. While some of our ablest politicians condemn the regulations $s a complete surrender of the opinions of the Ministry, as expressed by the Chief •Secretary and Attorney-General, in their addresses to their respective constituents, the opponents ? of all assisted immigration profess to be equally disatisfled with them. To some of these men any measure of the kind must be distasteful, if wo are to accept Mr Vale as their oracle. Ho refers to the densely peopled cities of China and other countries, for the purpose of proving that population per se is not prosperity, and in order, it is to be presumed, to push the antithesis to its extreme limit, and to go to the very foundation of the question, he contends that the greiit’eaf happiness existed when Adam and Eve had all the world to them r selves This ingenious and remarkable specimen of a “politician” as ho styles himself, has gone into opposition because his transcendent abilities were not recognised in the construction of the present Cabinet. The general public are certainly disappointed at the half-heartedness of the Ministry o.i this Immigration question after their largo promises, and it is difficult to reconcile such a raeagae provison for the introduction of population with an advecacy of the longtalked of lino of powerful steamers via the Cape, which were always regarded more as a passenger than a postal sepvipe, and as entitled to a subsidy chiefly on that ground. The Melbourne Chamber of Commerce, a short time since, appointed a sub-committee to investigate the subject of selling wool in England more fully in the light which has boon thrown upon it by the enquiries of the united committees in London; and at the last meeting of tbo Chamber CwßW'ttW * report on the subject was brought up, which is said to deal very exhaustively-with the Question. The report contained more than che committee could digest at oxje sitting • and so they have had it printed for the purpose of a more deliberate examination. The report is adverse to any r o’ cut changes in the existing system of warehousing and selling wools; but, at the same time, it takes exception to some of the conclusions adopted by the London committee; and it recommends several changes—amongst others, a reconstruction of the organisation known as the New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land Association, so that wo may have a fairly representative body in Loudon to derl with this and all other commercial questions of Australian interest. The Melbourne Town Hall, about which newspapers have for sometime past been speaking with a kind of hushed awe, as if the subject were too grand to bo carelessly touched, is almost completed, and great preparations are afoot for the inaugural ceremony. Tread that the Mayor of Melbourne proposes to spend L 3,000 out of his own pocket in feting the public on that great occasion. What a noble munificent!—and what a very great occasion ! Really a Town Hall seems to be the most important of institutions—the one building needful to make a city perfect—the crowning glory so to speak of a long scries of architectural triumphs. Having myself a strong prejudice against mayors and aldermen, 1 fail to see the usefulness of Town Hall. They may be ornamental, and expensive, and imposing; but I doubt whether they are worth the money paid for them ; and I am sure that to spend L 3.000 upon the inauguration of one is a sad waste of money. Consider how much good might be done with that handsome sum of money—how many paupers it would feed and clothe ; how maiiy of the sidk it would help to heal. But I forget. Society does not take much note of people who feed the poor and heal the sick, whereas society has a great affection for people ■ who spend thousands of pounds upon public balls and concerts. So peyhaps this expenditure of IfflOOU iqay be a good investment. His wealthy worship may pine for good society, ihay long

.•fortho sweets bfgetttaity, may hanker after admission, to the halls of the aristocracy, and may consider ,'these objects of desire cheap at.L3.006; I have only one other remark to make. I hope the new Town Hall will be finished before it is inaugurated. Then will it indeed bo something of which Melbourne may be justly proud, then will it be a thing hitherto unknown in that great city—a completed public building !

Some laughter was excited in the St. Kilda Police Court, Victoria, lately, by the case of a man named William Allen, who, going home probably a little overcome, missed his house, and walking into the wrong one, got into a lady’s bedroom, and proceeded to retire for the night. The lady awaking, of course screamed, and litiding liis mistake, went quietly away. Ho was called upon next day for a formal apology, which he declined to give, as he had by that time forgotten all about the matter, and a summons was accordingly issued for being unlawfully on the premises. The Bcncu, considering that they could not inflict a fine, and that the offence was not sufficiently grave to be punished by imprisonment, dismissed the case, on condition that the prisoner paid 10s to a charity.

As an illustration of the class of immigrants that were forwarded to the Colony from Great Britain, Mr Vale asserted in the Legislative Assembly on the 7th iust-, that a mayor of an Irish town lately received a vote of thanks upon his retirement from office, the chief ground of such being that he had cleared the town of females of (juestionablo character, by providing them with passages to Australia. Mr Vaie looks upon Mr Torrens’ scheme of sending out to the Colonies four or live hundred thousand souls before long as nothing more than an attempt to foist upon the dependencies cf the British Crown a class of immigrants totally useless, and who, from their inability to provide for their families at home, are rapidly sinking into pauperism. —Daily Telegraph

The Melbourne towu hall is to be opened on Aug. 9th -with a grand concert, to be followed by a ball on the 11th, to each of which some 2000 citizens, besides all the mayors of Victoria and the adjacent Colonies will be invited, and on the following Saturday ft frea concert will bo given. It is thought the Duke of Edinburgh will be present at the festivities.

The Press of Melbourne have of late been allowed by courtesy to examine the AgentGeneral’s despatches, and] take their own notes, hut a new order has been made that an abstract of the information only is to be furnished to the Press. That abstract tells ns that Mr Verdon has addressed to Earl Granville a letter on the subject of the increased postage on newspapers as affecting this colony injuriously. That he h-d sent us some samples of meat preserved at the Royal Victualling Yards, Deptford. With regard to Professor’s Gamgee’s process, Mr Vc don says that the tallow packing will not answer for steamers, but that highly favorable reports had been received of samples scut by sailing vessels. Mr Verdon, in announcing the chartering of another ship for emigrants, gives it as his opinion that the provisions of our new Laud Act are likely tp operate beneficially in promoting voluntary emigration. In reference to Professor Gamgee’s moat preserving process, the “highly favorable reports” could not have been sent from here, for the sailing vessel which recently arrived at Melbourne, having on board a considerable quantity of the meat sent in various forms to test the process, found it necessary to throw some of it overboard —while some which had been placed in a special apartment erected on dcclv for the purpose was washed away. None arrived V.erc in a fib state for human food. The previous arrival in a mail steamer was landed in such a “high” state of “preserva? tlou," that when opened in a large warp, house, it was found necessary to ventilate it by opening all the windows. The despatches are accompanied by two pamphlets pa the wire rope' system ot transport, whiqb Mp Verdon thinks may he found useful on the gold-fields, The difference between this wire railway and the lino advocated by Mp Dyer consists chiefly in the substitution of a wire for a longitudinal beam with single rail upon it. The following announcement is contained iu an English journal received by this mail;-!‘A new arrangement fpr rail: ways will shoptjy come before the public? under the title of the Pannier System. A single row of piles carries a continuous girder, on which the train runs, ths carriages hanging down on each side to within a very short distance of the ground. The carriages are so arranged that anv we 'ight on one sine to the extent of a ton will not affect the action. The small quantity of land re* quired, cheapness of construction, and speed are the advantages claimed for it. Mr Samuel, C.E., has taken the invention in hand, and we shall doubtless soon hear more of it.” This will be recognised at once as the veritable “ donkey railway” which received the enthusiastic report of Sir William Denison, the hearty derision of some, and the indifference of the rest of the New South Wales community. Bushranging has most probably received its quietus in the death of Thunderbolt and iu tiie capture of Power. The conduct of the constable, Walker, is most praiseworthy, and it is pleasing to find it has been properly rewarded. Thunderbolt true to his promise died game; but would doubtless have been alivo now, if he had not been foolhardy. Abandoning his horse was his fatal mistake ; and o.:o that the constable took immediate advantage of it. Thunderbolt with nil his crimes, appears to have a decided objection to blood-taking, and his career has been specially noted for this. Even that trait in his character peeped out iu the last act of his life : when hand to hand with the constable, sooner than use his pistol, he endeavored to disable him by brute force. Power was captured unawares, and very fortunately too. He turns out to be a moat despicable object. The Melbourne papers have a good joke about his capture, ■Shortly before the event one of the members of Parliament—Mr Longmore to wit —neglected no opportunity of reviling the Victorian police on its inefficiency, and it was thought the result of his declamations would bo some startling alterations in its constitution—possibly our Mr Branigau would be “ sent for.” While this talk was going on two officers and a sergeant quietly set out iu search of the bushranger, and the first intimation Melbourne received was of his capture ; of course, there was a reaction and nothing can now be said too strong in praise of the force, Mr Longmore is to he made to eat his word 4, and- according to Punch, the bushranger’s head, sent on the best charger in the laud, is to be presented, to that lm’ gentleman.