MOUNT BENGER.

Evening Star, Issue 3524, 9 June 1874, Page 3

MOUNT BENGER.

{From our own Correspondent.) ... June 6. Our member is at it again—becoming a distinguished public man. Perhaps I can supply the key to his anti-biblical crusade, which must have astonished a good many, acquainted with his religious proclivities. The fact is that at last election the Roman Catho’ic electors held the balance of power in Mount Benger, and the vast majority went with Mr Ireland. For my own part, I really consider they have, and will ha\ e a reasonable grievance so long as religious instruction of any kind is permitted in our schools, and deem them quite justified in organizing to redress that injustice, even though tae organization is affected—as, I am imformed it was in this case—by priestly letters of advice. But I do not believe in the ambition that induces a candidate to stultify his former opinions for a few votes; that makes his Holiness Pio Nono figure in a saraband with the Reverend Howler O’Rant in the Lady Huntingdon connection. In short, while devoutly believing in the three points of the Educational Charter—iree, Secular, Compulsory—l cannot give Mr Ireland the admiration he no doubt expects. I do not like doubtful converts, and I fear the Greeks bringing gifts. O, the beautiful snow! Crunching and squirting wherever you go; Chilling and killing with wintry blow— Giving one chilblains, as I sadly know ! It is not often I drop promiscuous into poetry. When “I does,” like Mr Wegg, I consider it an act of disinterssted friendship, particularly when I stop short at the fourth line. To tell the truth, I consider the present weather disgusting, and however much I may admire snow upon the peak of distant Soracte the Old, or in a wine-cooler, I decidedly protest against it underfoot, mudding the roads, or overhead, painting the rose. The present storm began on the 2nd and still continues. I have commenced to experiment on the human powers of hybernation, and shall communicate the result of my experiments next spring. The Government have slightly put their foot in it by setting aside as a deferred payment block land closely adjoining Messrs Herbert and Logan’s auriferous freeholds. Were this ground proclaimed a goldfield, and left open, a large mining population would be quickly settled, while it is too much out of the road to anywhere to be much of a success as a settlement block. Messrs Bastings and Turnbull know something of the matter, but the one is in the cold shade of Opposition, and the other is, I presume, too busy with last year’s balance sheet to be able to devote any time to minin'* questions. ° By the way, I see Mr Ireland has been making £>olitic«il capital out of the closing of a. road at Moa Flat. The road in question was a short cut, and measured some 300 yards iu length. From the solemnity with which the honorable member introduced the matter to the attention of the Council, a stranger might fancy it some 300 miles in length. Things have resumed their old humdrum condition; our next excitement will probably be the Roxburgh Municipal election. At present the Chinese storekeeper is the favorite candidate for the Mayoralty. He most likely will be opposed by his two European confreres.