VICTORIA.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 59, 6 February 1884, Page 3

VICTORIA.

(from ora srsciAt. correspondent.) Melbourne. Jan. 21, 1884. 1 Mtst begin by telling you of a small fly that exists in Victoria, which, although of what is called the “household" genus, is a remarkably tantalising little beast. I dare say it was once of the pure English breed, but is now “ pure Colonial,” and like most Other things and beings that come to Victoria, has deteriorated both in mannets and btlstoms. Like the “ well-bred” larrikin, they behave worse iii the street than in the house, coming upon one in swarms, and defying even combined efforts to get rid of the nuisance. Description is next to impossible, the only one, not of a tiresome nature, being that they pounce down upon your nose, in your ears, and generally buzz round your head with a ferocity that combines the sting of the nettle with the nocturnal melody of ♦he mosquito. Your New Zealand flies are Innocence itself compared with these, but theft ybiir colony is far behind Victoria in unpleasant possessions! . .But writing of nettles, bate you seen a par. I carte Across the other day? That wbuld be &n absurd question were I not to Jell you what it is about. Well, here it is, a* copied from the Britieh Trade Journal:— ** Great attention has been bestowed in Germany within the last two yeats upon the cultivation of the common nettle. From it an immense number of articles are made, and Sere is scarcely a branch of textile industry which it cannot be used. The growing of nettles has become part of the business of every small farmer. The crop never fails, no Weather affects it; and it requires planting Bujy Once in every ten or fifteen years. The labor of cultivation is small, and as it needs but three or four inches of earth, many a piece of unprofitable land, and even old quarries and gravel-pits are thus turned to aecount. A manufacturer in Dresden has succeeded on obtaining from it the finest thread known to the trade, so fine that 10,000 metres of it (or rather more than sixty miles of length) weighed only two and a-half pounds:’* This puts Me in Mind of the time when your sheepfarmers looked with horror on the common thistle till Mr. John Chamber’s of Te Mata in Hawke's Bay, brought his large intelligence to bear on the matter, and found that it was beneficial both to the land and the stock upon it, to let it grow. Possibly science and observation may some day utilise the thistle for the manufacture of articles bjiukl ift Value to those of Dresden ; at any Hte we are discovering, rather late in the day, truly, the fact that everything, which a beneficent Creator has given to man, may be profitably turned to his advantage. I don’t think the nettle is common with you, though in these Colonies it is as universal as it is in England | and I should not be surprised if its production is turned into an industry. Phylloxera has been scientifically settled as existing in thia Colonyi and it is decided to tiproot the vines and shut up the vineyards infected with it. Some time since a few Specimens of the infected vines were sent from Victoria—notably from Geelong—for thorough examinatiou by entomologists in London, the result being a recommendation that all the vines be destroyed, and the ground in which they grew to be either burnt, submerged with water, or saturated with bisulphide of carbon ; but the worst feature is that the vineyards are to be closed from use for some years so as to Insure as much as possible the total destruction of the insects. Xs phylloxera exists in many vineyards in Victoria, this is regarded in the light of a great calamity, in view of the large and increasing consumption of Australian Wines, and their growing popularity abroad. Foremost amongst "social” matters, if I may so class the. criminality of the time, it 19 satisfactory to find tost some, at least, of our magistrates are determined to cleanse, ftot only the Augean stable, but as many other of the sinks of iniquity and immorality with which this gay and festive city abounds, as eome under their notice; It may be no news to relate that one Nathan, a Jew timepayment furniture-dealer, doing an extensive, and, it was presumed, a respectable trade in Rourke street, was recently sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment, without fine, for supplying with goods and furnishing some half-doaen houses for the use and occupation of the soiled doves of society. It was estimated that Nathan had..been receiving an income of about £l5O a week from this source, and as he is not by any means the only one in that line of business, a pretty good guess can be made to what extent the traffic was and is carried on. The others I Mentioned have taken alarm, which has spread to big centres, such as Ballarat and Sandhurst, and a general clear out being the result, as well as the large army oi the dcmi'Wmde being noticeably reduced, but, assuredly to burst out again in some other concealed form. The efforts of our Victorian custodians of morality are too spasmodic to effect lasting good, and no steps are taken in any direction until whole communities are so scandalised that the pollution becomes unbearable. As with the racestveeps, so with the cultivation (and, indeed, I might say the growth) of harlots. It was known for years to the Press, who now raise their voice and hands in holy horror, that this Nathan was only one amongst a number who dressed up, and supplied with everything but money, these unfortunate women who were permitted to parade, and advertise themselves in the public streets, and to do other outrageous acts of manner and gesture, to the most intense disgust of of every virtuous woman and every rightminded man. The only condition that latterly was imposed by the police, who have their own “ pets ” among them, being that they must not actually “ accost or solicit.” They, however, were not debarred from being accosted or solicited, nor from “ winking,” nor “ whispering ” as they passed; in fact, every latitude was allowed them so long as they “ behaved ” themselves, and did not stand still on the pavement. One of the other “ social ” items I allude to is the use of the lash, which is now becoming “ fashionable,” particularly in cases of assaults upon females, and they, I regret to say, are not on the decrease, especially on children and girls of tender years. But the lash does not yet prevail in Melbourne; for, although a spurt took place in the general feeling not long since, indicating that special legislation was required to make its adoption general, such is the strange anomaly of human sentiment, that deputations waited on the Government urging the suspension of the lash, except in extreme cases of violation of the law. If the ravishment of women is not sufficient for these would-be purists, it is difficult to understand what they want. However, their action had the effect of suspending the passing of any law on the subject. I am glad to find that the N.B.W. magistrates think differently, and have recently imported a new idea into the floggings they impose—an idea that should act as brine rubbed into the bleeding backs of these cowardly ruffians that waylay and debauch defenceless females. Instead of giving long sentences, and so increase the Colony’s expense for their maintenance, they record short ones (say, two or three days), with scanty fare, and the whipping to be inflicted just before their sentence expires, when they are turned out into the street, bleeding, and exposed to the derision of the spectators, and as (it is hoped deterrent)

examples to their comrades in crime. This occurred recently, but the prisoner hailed a eab (theta was more than one gn that occasion), end sa he escaped' anything more than just temporary observation. Pseudo . philanthropists will say this is cruel. Cruelty should form no unnecessary adjunct to punishment; and, I dare say, if a poor devil has nowhere to go when cast adrift, he would be allowed a little prison comfort until such times as he recovered sufficiently to move about. In that case, the sentence for the (primitive infliction would have to make that provision; It is strar"® what an amount of morbidity there is in' composition of some persons, and their number is not small. One can hardly believe it, but it is a recorded fact that at Wooloomooloo lately over a thousand persons congregated outside the watch-house, when it was known that four prisoners were to be flogged inside; If it was to hear the yells that escaped them, the utmost satisfaction must have been given, for we are told, with great attention as to detail; that the sufferers could be heard all over the prison. (To be continued.)