VICTORIA. [From a Correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald,]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 830, 16 July 1853, Page 3

VICTORIA. [From a Correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald,]

The condition of this city becomes- every day more critical, aod.l dread to. look forward to its state; through the winter. Tboustndi of people •re "abovelled oat, upon our wretched wharf already, In dark and dismal nights, under pelting rain, and «rtih not •' chance of gaining a covering of toy kind. . Nay, ao inhumanly negligent are our local authorities, that there is not a single tamp there to fling a ray, of .light on tha scene of mite ry aad confuaion. The poor, emigrants are' actually compelled to '•tumble about on the'-dark, muddy, and daogeroiis Hirer-brink,, and to brave tht pitiless weather . through the night as well as' they can. . It it a great scandal and a great crime to any community, and especially to one to over rich as ours, to permit such a state of things, .when the erection of a few wooden sheds would remedy it. But really, these money-making trafficker*, with a few exceptions, stem to have lost < all sens* to the claims of general humanity ; and , people may die-— as some have already died — in these very streets, from sheer destitution, almost without a soul to pity them. k- •• * Yet there are a few benevolent people, even in Melbourne. Another attempt is being made to remedy these frightful evils, and I hope it will prove , metre successful than the previous ones. -The noble and indefatigable Captain Chisbolm is foremost, of coarse, and the press (to. do it justice) is earnest and. zealous in the cause of benevolence. , , , , With reference to the " Houseless Immigrant's Home," I think the whole truth did not come fairly out In tht discussion provoked by ■Professor Smith. The fact is,- the scheme was not a deceptive speculation to gain profit under >tit guise of charity. - The gentlemen who got it up were really in earnest, and did much to win applause • but afteMbe place was up, they could not afford the time .'to superintend its arrangements, and these became very exceptionable, and '■till are, so. - The thing* has been of some service, no douw ; but. tht real, benefit \Vould have been in carrying out the original design effectively— which has not been done, and herein the blame has been ; incurred. The accommodation is very wretched, and the, charges exorbitant, even for Melbourne { and, all because there is no controlling committee. , I have been seriously meditating lately on the propriety of the neighbouring colonies, especially your own, establishing agencies here for the purpost of taking up the surplus labour ibis winter, and'sending it on at once to where it is wanted. Let there be no more cry about want of labour : abundance of it is coming to this colony, and those who want it should secure it. At all events, my consolation is, that much of the misery awaiting new comers in this place will be averted by the immediate passage, of many "of them to neighbouring 'colonies. When the reservoir is full tbt water will find its own channel. ' 'Life in Melbourne is becoming some what more varied in its aspects.. It can hardly be called ", many coloured," for it has the sombre monotony of hue peculiar to a people who bave'but one object. Yet there are flying shades of some interest to the observer; The streets are getting as thronged as Cheapside; .every kind of human be)ng is. to be met in tbem— Europeans of all countries, Chinamen, Parsee merchants (stately looking persons 3 '! assure ySo), Lirscars, Van-

3 kees, (htwkeyed and bilious looking), and an j amazing proportion of the ions of Jacob. All are 3 busy, baying and telling, selling and boy ing, ■ " from morn till dewy eve.'* It puzzles me to r know where the rich bank of profit lies upon I which all those eager trades can diaw. How can # • they live and prosper, whea rents and labour and* v all expenses are so .enormous? It \a uot for me f to solve that enigma however. Talking of rents, I will give yon one instance i 6f how things go on in that line. A wholesale • warehouseman (well known in Sydney) has a ■ store in the principal street,, nepr- the, Club. -He ■ had it on leaae for;£l£s,i-year v The lease has ■ just expired, and he has taken the r.eneral -of it > for three years : at — what ..do you think ?— ; na less i than £2250 per annum And he would have !■ given £2500 rather than lose. it. This is a fact. The whole premises, when /first erected, did not co6t £700. The lucky owner Js:an architect who lives at Brighton. It is aiso^notorious that Mr. > A. C. Brown is building a stone store for Meae. • :- Tennent, the auctioneers, for^which he will get i per annum. » Everything is on the same i scale. Nothing less than j6j§oo or £400 a-year will procure the humblest cottage in the suburbs. A little wooden cottage of .fije smajl rooms, in a ' back street, without an 4§phx^ ground more than it stands on* Jets readily#or-£»*-«weekV'E Indeed, the difficulty is to get a lodging at any money. May Heaven help poor new comers', I say again! There is an immense 1 amortnt of activity in the building line; but.uhey ate ''principally trifling ventures. We wanta j and t the best enterprise -ever' engaged 1 in* would be to statt a bona fide company, with a Urge capital and an management, to erect long, lines of buildings in the city, — stores, shops, private houses, and public edifices: This would pay, despite the high price of labour and .'materials ; it would be a genuine goldmiuingcompanyrOf course, such affairs have been projected here; but they will end in smoke. People will not combine for general advantage, while each can gather a fortune for himself. " , <• _ On political topics, I have not time to-discourse at present. The new era hat not excited much attention— not even io. the journals. Oar despatches have been published, so that we knew the whole matter before you .ip; Sydney, did, j am myself inclined to exult Ja the -prospect opened up to the colonists.; but I am damped by observing their indifference to their privileges. Sir John Pakington deserves a, statue to his memory in each of the three cities of Sydney, Melbourne, and Hobart Town ; and the able State paper of the Sydney. Legislature — the memorable Petition of Rights — should he held as sacred as the Americans hold, their Declaration of Independence. That petition n was-that won oar political freedom ',-,'■ ■ - --- The new elections are to come off early next month, and several candidates are putting forth their claims. Without dispanging ; them in detail, I must say that these gentlemen's manifestos strongly appeal to .one's sense of the ludicrous. However, I suppose we shall get a senate of some kind ; and after the framing of- the constitution, We cannot fail to improve politically. The University Council has Jield its preliminary meeting. The construction of the Conncil is not quite so--- impartial ■ as I TKe r f)apers made it. appear ; for there is a large preponderance of one particular religious body in it.' 5 'Yet I hope and' expect it will work impartially;- There is a vast deal to be done in the way of building, &c, before the University can commence bus/iuess. Possibly, some yean may elapse before we reach the point you have gained in this respect. I am sorry to say that the scab is so very prevalent amongst the sheep in tba°pastoral districts that it is feared there-will not be a single-sound flock in twelve months here. This will be a frightful trial to the colony, ric.h as it is ; for , provisions-are'already at .famine prices^ hay, 'for ■ example, 13 £45 a ton; ancKhere'a hone costsr £200 a-yearfor^the bare'keep.^ Yet^ men. ride showy horses about town r as ranch; ii*'ever, J W morel ''»'-. "' r ~j * .<■"*'* » [?- 8-s *^* ~* "'~ There is « plan on"foot,' 'I hear, for'establishing a third -daily paper, to be called the 'Mirier. The concern will be a joint stock one, and already, ondit. £52,000 have been subscribed; ■ ~ '