OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 3926, 24 September 1875, Page 3

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

(From our own Correspondent.)

Melbourne, September 18. Will the date of this letter astonish the readers of the Star? Everybody connected with the Ringarooma thinks she will bring your news in an incredibly short time. May they prove true prophets concerning her speed sml good luck on this and all her voyages ! She is truly a most exquisite model, and, if she only had a bowsprit, would be perfect. To my eyes, a ship without one looks like a man without a nose; but perhaps that is a more landsman's whim.

We arc still uncertain as to the ultimate fate of Mr Berry and his crew. The Opposition insist that they have an absolute majority. The Ministerialists, at best, only expect just to escape defeat. The experienced know pretty well what such a state of things will end in, so probably about the time you read this the paradise of office will be closed asrainst the graceful Peris who now people its " purloins." If thoy had been in the least wis<>, they would have had a chance, but how far they were from that may be seen in two facts. They raised a loud ciy of retrenchment and increased the estimates by over L 90,000 : they professed to reform the railway rates in decreasing the charges to consignees, but the lesult of their action has been au enormous increase and a los ■, to the revenue at the rate (it is said) of about L2OO 000 a-year. A* for their scheme of taxation it was meie absurdity, not worthy of even a moment's criticism. " iiy-and bye" was their only answer to all questions ab mt policy. The Exhibition attracts inci easing numbers of visitors, nnd there is some talk of extending the term during which it will be open. The Sunday amusements question has taken a turn that its agitators hardly expect 'd. The Oommissionars of the Exhibition and the Town Hall Sub-committee of the City Council were the two bodies whom this intolerant minority wero using as their tools, and both have fuile 1 them ; the former had not leverag-3 enough, and the latter broke in their hand.s. The C'o;nmissioners, by a majority of one, decided to open their show on Sundays, but since it is held in a building not their own they had to consult the Trustees of the Public Library, to whom it belongs, 'i hese Trustees declined to concur on the ground that last session Parliament negatived Mr Wood's motion to open the public institutions on that day. As to the Town Hall several "dodges" were tried by the anti-Sun-day people to avert the defeat which they knew was inevitable if the usual course to get a decision were followed. The most notable _ of these was a phbiscite. (How curious it is to note the distir.crive features of despotism in all racfs and countries I If a tyranny is to be set up, whether by a Ponaparte or an Anti Sunday party, the plebiscite is the pet instrument. Luckily for peace and wrdor it was found that a plebiscite would cost money which the Council could not legally pay, and that it was an abdication of the Coiii.cii's functions besides. S > it was abandoned, awl with it all tho complex plans of ballot box personation, &c, so well known ia Js'ew York, and so utterly absent, hitherto, from English communities, by which alone success could, have been secured in the Sunday abolition move. The a tator ha to face th?

Counotl, were beaten by fifteen to eight, and the sub committee men who so grossly abused their trust resigned m a pet. It remains to be seen whether the odd coalHon of "iSpiritunlists," Bomanists, and Unitarians for this attack on Christianity will hold together. A little scandal at the Ather.reum was exposed, just in time to pievent a gross fraud. [t seems that instead of pi> serving for inference the files of papeis, magazines, Ac., the Ccmmi'tee have taken to silliig thein, :n 1 occasionally deplete the library of tin: institution in a similar way. jSomiually these sale.H are by auction, but in leality some members of the Committee, took advantage of their position to " free select after survey," aud without competition such " lots ''" as seemed good in their eyes. A subscriber by a letter to the papers made the tiling known, ami some severe comnients on tlio peccant committeemen weie pubWished. Excuses and Hide issues were rained on the public, but the facts were not denied. 'J'he " selections " were, however abandoned, notwithstanding all the "fencing" that had been .done about them. With all these breaches of trust by committee?, councils, municipal hodiis, commissioners, &c, pressing on one's mind, does it not appear that an alteration in the law is wanted ? \Ye create a number of < 'oiporutious to manage our business f r us ; to execute their functions we indue them with special powejs and immunities, and they thus acquire interests, not coincident with those of their creators, to advance which they employ freely those particular sifts. Thus the Assembly has its "privileges," and they ennot be checked at all; other bodies have something correspondtug, and any attempt to check their lawless doings can only be made through a Court of Equity, at imminent lisk of failure, and at the expense of our own funds, in charge of the delinquents ! Very likely they are to behave themselves under such circumstances ! How would it do to pass a very short Act indeed, providing that for any -such breach of moral duty as those now aliuhd to, the members of the corporate bodies should be personally answerable in damages to any member of the public? Perhaps, the objection may be raised that no ono would take oihee then. But has the .objtctor ever thought what an inestimable 1)1 -ssing that would probably be? Only imagine the Lower House completely evaporating. What a blessed condition ! Ko more " tall talk ;" no more political crises ; no more jobbery and corrupts n. But I forgot. Newspapers would hardly be required—there would be so little news; special correspondents would be like Othello when his "occupation was gone." 1 am mum. Why should I be generous in suggesting public benefits at the expense of my own pocket? Be governed, dear public; be fleeced, and be happy. I rarely talk about crimes in myleUers. I don't like them as subjects, an \ T don't think they do any good as objects of contemplation. But the Bank of Victoria robbery mystery has b- en solved in so unexpected a way that I must say a word about it. One of the exchange clerks named Ghinn had taken over 1.2,000 in notes while going round from bank to bank. His colleague absent from the counter for a few minutes, and on his return the loss was discovered. A man named Sawers, a teller, was suspected, and, odd to tell, an investigation showed that he ac ually ha 1 defrauded the bank considerably, and !h was committed for trial. He denied all knowledge of the stolen notes however. It semis that the detectives were quite at f,:ub, and but for "circumstances" would i.e\..T have found out the truth. Young Ohiuu

had been very caudess to concealment, had a horse, a gun, &c, aud quantities of iiw clothes. The latter excited the suspicions <.it a member of the household, search was made !.y lis father in the boy's room, proof of his gui-t was found, and he confessed the whole. ihr; father nobly performed a very painful d.sty and gave up his son to justice. Cheat sympathy and admiration are expressed for him. lie, is a wealthy man, and af the liiyiif.st respectability. The bitter disgrace brought upon a 1 the family by the boy's crime should surely have a deterrent effect up"n athers tempted in like manner. Your readers will regret to hear of the serious illness of the Rev. A. M. Henderson, of the Collins street Independent Church. Mr Henderson's health was apparently restoied by his late vi.nt to New Zealand; bub unhappily the benefit was only temporary. Renewed application to study caused new and more serious symptoms to appear : a slight premonitory attack was followed by temporal y hemiplegia, and this by a recurn of Irs former i lness. IVledical advice forbids any professional labor for at least twelve months, and oou usels a voyage to England. Tin congregation aie to be called together to determine on the wisest ccuise to be pursued under these circumstances. The Congregation at Chalmer's Church having long sought a »uocessor to I>r Cameron in the co-pastorate with Dr Cairns, has some prospect of a Retirement in the person of Mr Max we'l, a minister lately arrived coining to no definite work, but understood to be open to engagement. After a season of unparalleled rainfall, the signs of approaching summer come tardily on. An occasional fine day is followed by cold and wet, and even an untimely frost ventured to put in an appearance last week, (.'olds and bronchitis are still, as they have been for months, very prevalent, whilst spitting of blood i=s described by one duetor as almost epidemic. But I suspect that he either exaggerates oris supposed to be a specialist in su hj c.-h■':-; and so sees more than his shave of them—perhaps a little of both.