MELBOURNE.

Evening Star, Issue 3516, 30 May 1874, Page 3

MELBOURNE.

(From our own Correspondent.) May 21. The great event of the week has been the assembling of the new Parliament, which was opened by commission on Tuesday last. There were the usual pomp and ceremony, the usual formal robes, the usual idle oaths ; but in this instance formality was burlesqued by a ludicrous incident. Sir Redmond Barry, on whom devolved the task of reading the formal announcement that Parliament was opened, had presented to him an old form, bearing the date on which the last Parliament was opened. Unfortunately, whoever presented it to his Honor had omitted to alter the date, so as to render it applicable to the present year. It never seemed to have been thought that such an alteration was required ; still less that a person of Sir Redmond s astuteness would overlook so obvieus annnachronism : but be did. Accustomed, it may be supposed, to place qnquestionable reliance upon the documents placed in his hands, he read on, nothing doubting, and formally declared Parliament spened for the transaction of business this date of , in the year of our Lord, 1871. Horae practical genius, however, discovered his Honor’s error, and, consequently, that part of the ceremony had to be amended. Sir Redmond, in his customary urbane and precise style, apologised to both Houses for the inadvertence, and added the three lost years to his chronology. Oh Wednesday his Excellency Sir George Bowen, attended by his staff, opened the business of the session. He was escorted to the House by a detachment of cavalry, who guarded his precious person until he was safely delivered to a guard of honor, who protected him during hra progress through the portals of the House. Ibere all danger ceased, excepting that resulting to from the dashes of bright eyes adorning pretty faces. Ladies were present in multitudes ; perhaps ladies of all ranks, but they were all handsomely dressed It was precisely the thing for Sir George Bowen who acquitted himself in his usualscholarly manner. 3 hose who are particularly curious on such matters may obtain a tolerably full and particular account of the matter from the Melbourne morning journals of May 21 The evening papers go in for the cynical, and

profess to sneer at the forms and ceremonies adopted here. In this, I look upon it, there is much “cant.” These papers are not regarded with much favor by the well-informed, and therefore they seek to please the people. They go the wrong way about it; for, however cynics and moralists may condemn the frivolity and emptiness of form and ceremony, and condemn them as being only the superior war paint of the savage, they have their uses : they point to our traditional law and order, and are exponents of the principles handed down to us from our fathers—they connect us with the throne. The time may coma when the intellect of mankind may discard them, but we are not ripe for that yet. A volunteer looks well in his uniform, and is proud of it; a Governor looks well in his uniform, and is proud of the opportunity of letting people see it, and of following in the suite of Majesty; and whatever may be said to the contrary, people like to see it—-in proof of which may be adduced the crowds that assembled to witness the procession, and the crowds who formed the audience within the walls of Parliament. As for the peech itself, it was one of the barest of bare outlines of the work of the past year, and of that proposed for the yeir to come. The E.iucaticn Act. and its working, are firstspoken of inlaudatory terms, and so far there are grounds to think with good reason. Then reference is made to the railways in course of construction, and the intention is expressed of proposing now ones, when those already authorised are completed. I doubt whether this restriction will please those anxious to derive immediate benefit from the lines. The remaining themes for gratification were the completion of thegr-tv-ing dock, the Geel„ng waterworks, the Malmesbury reservoir, waterworks at Sandhurst, and at several towns in which advantage has been taken of the Loan Act. These peans were for the special benefit of the Legislative Council, whose dignity could not be troubled with the more practical suggestions provided for the Assembly. Those working bees required different treatment. I omitted to notice the common ground of financial prosperity, on which both Houses were invited to rejoice. Having attended to tf/Vfy important point, his Excellency alluded to the work for which this Parliament has supposed to have been specially elected—the reform of the Upper House. It does not appear, at present, that a very strong feeling prevails on the subject. Mr Francis is understood to be prepared with a scheme, which, knowing that gentleman’s character, I am not astonished to hear pronounced “crude” by some very able men. I should not be surprised should the whole thing be shelved, so far as chauge of qualification is concerned; nor are the advocates of the Norwegian system of both Houses voting together on disputed points, in an overwhelming majority, Tne remaining subjects pointed to in this Speech, which, according to the ‘Argus,’ is “couched in such mellifluous language as almost to disarm criticism,” were “local self-government,” “mining on private property,” “representative reform,” and a distant view of “revision of taxation.” “ Mellifluous ” as was the Speech, it did not escape unscathed in the ordeal of discussing the addresses in reply. In the Legislative Council the Committee appointed to draw one up “ regretted that the question of the revision of the taxation of the Colony” was to be allowed to stand over. Its adoption was moved by Mr Wallace, and seconded by Mr Sargood, senior partner in the Dunedin firm of Sargood, Son, and Ewen, the junior member of the Legislative Council. Vlr Wallace avoided comment, but Mr Sargood made a very good and somewhat lengthy speech, replete with sound practical sense. He especially pressed upon the Council the necessitjr of an early revision of the tariff, in order to prevent the utter annihilation of Victoria’s intercolonial trade. 'ie was not sanguine enough to imagine free trade would be adcpted for many years to come, but he was anxious for the establishment of an Australasian Customs Union as a first step towards Colonial federation.” He expressed his belief that Queensland, New Zealand, Tasmania, and South Australia would be willing to unite on that question. After some little discussion, the address in reply was adopted by the Council. It was not quite so gently dealt with in the Lower House, The address in reply was moved by Mr Munro, who gave some interesting statistics on the result of the education scheme, illustrative of its working. According to him one-fourth of the whole population, 206,600 children were entered on the rolls for 1873, being an increase since 1872 of 70,640. This immense increase and the alteration of system have rendered the erection of sohoolhouses necessary, and in every part of Melbourne elegant structures for the purpose are iu course of erection. Mr Fraser, whom many in Dunedin will recollect as one of .the firm of Fraser and Cohen, seconded the motion of Mr Munro, and all seemed to be going smoothly until Mr Grant rose and moved the adjournment of the debate. r l he Government did not oppose the motion, and therefore the matter remains undecided. In the Supreme Court, a divorce case is pending, at the suit of the lady. In legal phraseology, it is entitled “ Bishop v. Bishop,” The lady, after some ten years’ or more experience ofl married life, complains that, through constitutional defect on her spouse’s part, she is still virtually unmarried, and on that ground desires to be set free. It has now been in progress some days, but it is really almost a private investigation. The public are not admitted, and, as a consequence, all kinds of rumors are afloat. It is understood that the revelations are of an uncommonly exceptionable character; but of that I cannot speak. The lady is said to be good looking, somewhat fascinating, and not very sensitive. The ordeal through which she passed was, however, too much for her nerves on Tuesday, and she went off in hysterics ; but in other respects she gave the fullest and most private information, to establish her case, with perfect coolness. It is understood that the case is likely to last until Wednesday next. The harvest has turned out insufficient for the wants of the Colony, and as that of South Australia is also deficient, a good prospect of a favorable market is opened up for the farmers of New Zealand. Whether the bread question will tend to hastening the abolition of the protective system remains to be seen.