OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4451, 25 June 1875, Page 2

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

(FROM OCR. OWN CORRESPONDENT). Melbourne, June 10. The dullness which prevails in commercial and political affairs at present has been somewhat relieved during the last few days by the performances of that sincere but eccentric political optimist Mr. George Higginbotham. This gentleman, whose character for truth and sincerity is wholly untarnished by the slightest whisper of slander, is always contriving to run his friends into difficulties. He is a warm supporter of the Ministry, and during the few days that have elapsed since Parliament opened he has done them more injury and more fatally shown their weakness than the whole Opposition. Mr. Higginbotham is not happy unless he is fighting ; he loves antagonism, and only enjoys life when in front of opposition, trouble, and difficulty. The bete noir of his existence at present is that the Ministry, instead of giving battle to the Upper House with a view to the reduction of its powers, or its ultimate destruction, is proceeding quietly with measures of grave national importance, and such as cannot be any longer wisely postponed. One of these is the amending land Bill, and the other the Bill providing for mining on private property. It is true that during the last session both of these measures were rejected by the Upper House, but it seem 3 hardly fair to jump to the conclusion that our worthy senators will repeat the same operation now. At all events, common sense dictates a further trial before resorting to coercive proceedings, which must inevitably terminate in another deadlock such as was once before inaugurated under the auspicesof Mr. GeorgeHigginbotham. There is no necessity for provoking hostilities by intemperate language and invidious remarks, a course which delights the mind of our battle-loving belligerent. There is too much of the republican element in his composition to admit of his gaining" any strong or sincere following in the Assembly. The Chief Secretary, Mr. Kerferd, replied to him in a manner which displayed at once his pluck and spirit, and echoed the sentiments of the reason *• able portion of our population. He stateA boldly that neither he, nor the administration of which he was the head, entertained the remotest idea of going to war at once with the Legislative Council, but that whan the- necessity arose he would be fonnd true to his post as leader of the Assembly,_and > faithful to the promises given on the hustings by himself and his colleagues; and further, that if Mr. Higginbotham conceived that it was necessary to commence hostilities at once, that he expected him to accept the responsibilities of the position, relieve the Government from office, and himself lead the assault. In this suggestion, Mr. Higginbotham did not appear to acquiesce, and resumed his seat, apparently discomfited. He has, however, returned to the charge, and contrived to induce the Assembly to receive a petition, which virtually accuses it of incapacity and dereliction of. duty in not having taken steps for the reform, or in other words, the subjugation of the Legislative Council The petition was received with a considerable amount of laughter, and members seemed to regard it as a good joke, but to reflecting minds it would appear that the laugh is against themselves.

The Opposition have manifestly . not been able as yet to determine on what point the Government policy may be attacked with unanimity and success, and any debates that have taken place since the opening of Parliament have, in consequence, been both feeble and uninteresting. Mr. McKeau, since his return to Parliament as member for North Gipps Land, has signalised himself in his usual fashion. Not content with interrupting speakers and giving vent to his personal animosity to some of the Ministers he has indulged in a virulent and incoherent attack upon a literary man, Mr. Marcus Clark, who at some period of his career hurt his tender susceptibilities. Mr. Marcus Clark, well known in connection with the Atish-alasian, " The Melbourne Monthly," and other journals, had been employed by the Minister of Public Instruction to compile a history of Australia for use in the State schools. His. remuneration cannot be considered excessive, since the price of the work to the Government is fixed at something under £2OO. Mr. MclCean, in his endeavor to gratify his personal pique against Mr. Clark, denounced Mm as incompetent for the work and unfitted for it on account of his past career, and the circumstance that he had once been insolvent and had procured his certificate without paying a penny in the pound. This invidious attack was hooted down by the House, and Mr. McKeau was shown that nothing solow and scurrilous as he attempted would be tolerated there. One of the greatest disasters which has occurred in Melbourne for years took place on the Bth inst., when the Victoria Sugar Company's factory was totally destroyed by fire. This factory has been in existence for nearly twenty years, during which time employment has been given on the average to 250 laborers daily. The conflagration spread with alarming rapidity; and in spite of the efforts of five

independent fire brigades and an unlimited supply of. water, the bulding and all that it contained, to the value of about £40,000, was . wholly destroyed. Tfe effect of the catastrophe is to throw a number of people out of employment, and to cause a slight advance in su"»"r. The' new ..sugar works belonging to Messrs. JosAua Bros, will, it is be able'ip p'wide for present consumption, withontak&fag anv material advance in the price -of the'-articfe. The Victoria Sugar Company will i">t be very heavy sufferers, for their premises *&d stock were covered by insurance to the extent of about £40,000, distributed in a number of offices. Another-old colonist ha 3 shaken off the mortal boil, in the person of one who, though fabulously wealthy, never showed any abatement of his desire to amass. He was familiarly known as Miekie Dawson, and though always considered a prudent, careful man, he died the other day, leaving no will, and property estimated to be worth one million and a half. Arriving here with such colonial celebrities as Sir John O'Shannesy, Mr. P. O'Brien, and the late Mr. Hugh Glass, Mr. Dawson devoted himself assiduously and successfully to the worship of Mammon. His prosperity-was ever on the increase, aud he was unremitting in hoarding and accumulating. He lived hard, worked hard, was a hard landlord, and died hard. He was penuriou3 to the last, and personally collected his rents from the small unhealthy dens that constitute the Little Bourkestreet rookeries. His horse had been trained to follow him on these expeditions, and the well-known and sagacious old brute could at last be almost trusted to call upon every tenant of the dead millionaire, without other guidance than his instincts and long-practised memory. Yet this methodical, careful, and exacting landlord, who had so frequently given notice to others to quit, when his own turn came had his mundane affairs in so confused a state that -there is no will, and his wife cannot obtain probate for want of evidence of his marriage. The preparations for the Melbourne Exhibition, prior to that at Philadelphia, are being pushed forward with vigor and energy, and it is anticipated that the forthcoming demonstration will far exceed anything of the kind yet attempted in Australia. Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, and South Australia will be all thoroughly well represented. Even Fiji, New Caledonia, and the Mauritius have expressed their intention to take part in the undertaking.