MELBOURNE.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 33, 10 February 1877, Page 3

MELBOURNE.

Tuesday. Sailed — Eingarooma, with the New Zealand Suez mails, January 31. ~Pdfefcpawata : — TK^Cable Conference, now sitting m Sydney, seem to be thoroughly impressed with one thing, and that is, that m. any duplicate line that may hereafter be decided upon, the land line through Java is to be avoided. Sufficient information has been placed before them to show that all the bungling and mutilation m the messages had been caused during their transmission over the Dutch lines. Nothing has yet been definitely decided upon, but it is more than likely that the Conference will agree to duplicate the cable between Singapore and Banjoewangie ; and perhaps also, as a greater means of security, to duplicate the cable between Port Darwin and the latter place. This would entail a heavy expenditure, and a proportionately neavy subsidy. The election fever is daily getting stronger. Candidates are begining to announce themselves, and also to hold meetings. The various political associations are astir, and there is every prospect of a very vigorous campaign within the next two months. Parliament stands prorogued till the 6th of March, and it is likety to be dissolved about the end of that month. The new Electoral Bill has considerably altered the boundaries of several of ■the electoral districts, and many of the old members are leaving their old loves, and are endeavouring to woo the sweet voices of new constituents. As yet none of the prominent politicians on either side have made any sign. • Mr Berry has been ruralising, and it is said maturing a policy, m company with his most trusted henchman. But the principal policy of the Opposition will be war to the knife against McCullocli. The Minister of Justice, upon being baaiquetted the other night by his late constituents, promised that at the proper time the Government would introduce a liberal policy m accordance with the matured public opinion. The public house question is just now the prominent one of the hour. Every Sunday the public houses m the city and suburbs are religiously closed, and the poor man is robbed of his beer for this one day. The publicans are not so much actuated by a due respect for the day, as to place the drinking public at an inconvenience, m depriving them of their Sunday refreshment ; but against this, et^Pjfc, Monday morning, the blank drunkards list at the police court tells its tatflfcin favour of the Sunday closing, and r sSce the novelty is worn off, the public would become quite used to the Sabbath abstemiousness. Many of the publicans already show signs of giving m, and before long it is not unlikely that the old state of things will be restored. A case of attempted murder and suicide similar to that which recently occurred at Emerald Hill has been enacted m Collingwood. A married woman named Dicker, cut the throat of her husband while he slept, and then cut her own. Neither are very seriously injured, and are likely to recover. There is a prospect of the Torres Strait Mail ceasing to run. The contract, which is only £20,000 a year, does not pay them. They have had several heavy losses, and hitherto they have been performing the service with new boats ; now the time has arrived when they require repairs, which will involve a heavy expenditure.