VICTORIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 601, 7 August 1858, Page 5

VICTORIA.

' Qur : regular news from Melbourne, via SydJiiey, are only up to the Bth ult. .. ... i ; JDr. -Tierney was re-elected for the "Western Province, at Belfast, on. Monday, without op".positiori. He was proposed by Thomas Jenjkins, Esq., and seconded by -Mi*. Patrick Gleaison. Dr. T'erney was not present. '.-.'■ :. '■ ' : :; The Ist of July was kept at Melbourne as a holiday, in commemoration of the separation of the colony of Victoria from New South ,Wales., Thousands of persons assembled ,on , ;tliat day in the Richmond Paddock for the purfpose of witnessing the ceremony of turning the ■first sod of .the Melbourne and Suburban Line ;of Railway. The time appointed was thres o'clock, but his Excellency, the Governor and isuite did not arrive until four orclock, having : been detained at the review of the Volunteer ;Yeomanry. Corps up to that time. His Excellency on arriving was loudly ; cheered, and after having been shown the. plan of the proposed ;line of railway by the chairman of the board, jproceeded' to raise tl:e first sod. '■ Owing to the iciilpable- want of management displayed by the railway'authorities (*ays: the c Argus,') and the itotal disregard they showed of the comfort or accommodation of their visitors, by not taking jthe necessary .precautions; the crowd "rushed past "/the temporary and fragile barriers that .had been erected, and his Excellency had great difficulty in escaping from the mob that, amid the most unearthly ..yells,, attempted to force a passage through a smallropening that was with difficulty cleared by the police) The scene that occurred at the so-called "'dejeuner " passes all deccription. Whether it was from the knowledge that there was only a small and inefficient number of polices or whether it was from the fact that the good things provided by the purveyors were too openly exhibited, it is impossible to say. One thing is quite certain, that the issuing of invitations by the directors of the company was a mere farce, and if they wished to exhibit their competency for managing an affair like that which the one in question should have been, they most signally failed.

: The"'-Melbourne" Mail' of the following day; thus graphically describes the scene that ensued upon the arrival of his JExcellency the Governor at Richmond Paddock:—Several thousands of well-dressed persons, including a large number of; ladies and children, had been quietly waiting for more than an hour to wit-, ness the ceremony, but when it was actually about to take place the spot on which his Excellency and suite had taken their stand was " rushed" by a mob of vagabonds, who" were with difficulty prevented from putting the Governor himself to serious personal inconvenience. They entirely prevented the respectable portion of? the •assemblage from seeing the ceremony. On his Exceliency proceeding to the large tent in which refreshments had been provided, matters became still worse ;the small body of police on the ground proving utterly inadequate to hinder the rowdy mob from: dashing at the wine and eatables, and seizing and appropriating them vi et armis. The portion of the tent railed off for the accommodation of the Governor and his suite was in imminent danger of being encroached upon by the noisy crow.d that surrounded it,;: pushing and yelling in the most hideous manner; the brief ..addresses'of his Excellency and the other -speakers'being interrupted by the additional- noise of the crash of glasses and falling of tables. It is needless to add that the pi-oceedings were hurried to a close with all possible despatch, and that the Governor and his suite appeared glad to escape from the place. .-'• >■ - ■•••■• ■■ '■ '■'■■•

The Temperance League of Victoria held its annual festival on the Ist; In the morning the members breakfasted -together at tlie Temperance Hall, in Russell-street, and a conference was afterwards .held, at which the officers.of the •League for the ensuing year were appointed, arid its financial business disposed of. 'In the evening a tea meeting was held on a monster scale, in the Exhibition Building, the interior of which, filled .with ■ nearly;2ooo.persons, presented a most striking and cheering contrast to tlie gloom of the impenetrable atmosphere of fog which overhung,all parts of the city. Seldom, if ever, has the Exhibition Building exhibited so gay and festive an appearance; the ground-floor and galleries were . thronged to :their full extent's unusual brilliance being imparted to the scene by the presence of a large number of ladies, a great proportion of whom were in evening dress. We copy the following from the ' Age • ' —

On dit that Mr. Duffy will contest the Western province with Mr! Vaughan; at the coming election. The President of Land and Works, like Mr. Fellows, begins to see that there is a career for a man of talent in the Upper House; but we'fear thut there would bo a very brief career for his colleagues hv the. Lower House, if they have not his • assistance. Mi\ Duffy, proposes to bo represented in theCoinmons by his deputy, tho Hon. G. S. Wagg Home, Esq. ;Wo hear that Mr. William Kerr has been appointed a stipendiary magistrate at ICeilor. In this instance wo believe that the benoficiairo is not a Uoman Catholic, which proves that tliero is no rulo without an oxcoption.

Tho Melbourne jcorreypondent of the ' Sydney Morning Herald,' writes on.the Gtli July.—Mr. iW. Nicholson is expected'tp\ arrive in this 'colony by the Victoria/ and a number of his ifriends are, anxious ~tc meet him with a congratulatory address —both on the sucreßsful operation of the ballot here and his able advocacy of it afc home. A preliminary meeting was hold "yesterday at the Criterion Hotel, and a general meeting, will be, called on Thursday at the Mechanic's Institute.. '. .;,..,;.„.:.... ; Artillery, practice on,a rather extensive scale took place oV Saturday., from the Sandridga. battery, ' wheu ; ;six of ; the ; heavy ' guns .were manned, partly .by Sandridge, and partly by Williamstowh. gunners. A floating stage, sitpporting' a flagstaff was^placed 1100 yards put, and ;the practice 'was most superior—the sixth 'siiofc' cutting the flagstaff-in two; The Williamstown gunners" seemed to' be the be^t trained. ißall practice with field guns afterwards was not so good. The Governor, Colonel Anderson, I andrnost of the officers were.present, and there i Iwere. some 3000 spectators. . Three mortars of large'calibre have been set oh their beds, and will shortly be practised with from;this batten-. There has been nothing;whatever doing of importance in trading circles, either by private 'or public sale. .Several of the parcels of oats advertised for .sale by auction, were withdrawn. Flour and grain of all kinds have been perfectly quiet, nor does there seem any inclination to operate -until arrival -of; intelligence as to the probable coming supplies. ! It is rumoured (says,the.' Herald' of tlie Bth) that Capt. MacMahon has tendered his resignation of the Chief Couimissianership of Police. The reason assigned is stated to be his dissatisfaction at the removal of one of the superintendents from a district in the interior to hfiidquarters. • ; : ■ — A meeting of .the ■Volunteer Yeomanry was held, on the 6th, Colonel Ross in chair,'for tin; purpose oftaking into consideration the conduct of Lieut. Home, M.L.A., ab the recent presentation of colours to the corps. " The press \va< •not admitted, but...we have been informed that on, Lieut. Home's being ordered by Captain Burton to issue the word of command, he refused to do so,. sheathed his sword, and rode, away. The .colonel: then ordered him to draw his sword and return.. On this ho. replied that he: would not, and went off the ground. -.Lieut. Home then addressed the c>rps in defence, and excused himself by saying that Capt. Burton's manner in.; issuing the word of command was offensive, andibhafc hi consequencehe (Lieut. Home) lost his tamper. The corps decided unanimously that the charges brought by Captain Burton were fully proved; and by "a majority, that the Colonel be requested;.to take ■ the necessaiy steps to' have Lieut. Home removed from his post. He was afterwards cashiered, y r • • ' •'•■ ' ■