VICTORIA.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 90, 15 September 1863, Page 2

VICTORIA.

i (from our own correspondent.) MELBOURNE. September, Ist 1863. '< During the past week one object has engaged the attention of our citizens, to the , exclusion of every other topic, viz., the fancy ball given on Thursday last by His Worship the Mayor, Edward Cohen, Esq., of the firm of Eraser and -Cohen, auctioneers. To describe the bustle accompanying the note of preparation, the utter disorganisation of hitherto quiet households hy the advent of garments of the most fantastic guise, brought by mysterious-looking property men, combined with midnight visitations from theatrical hair dressers, the ordinary professors not being up in Toupees a la Valois, would task alike the capabilities of the writer and the patience of your readers. Never be ore since its foundation have the inhabitants of this city been so thoroughly unanimous. The all-important question has been, " Are you going ?" "How are you going?" and "Where do you get your dress from?" &c. Never was frenzy more universal. Well, the event has come off ; and a great success it was, a similarly gorgeous scene has never before heen witnessed in tlie colonies. The number, variety, and splendour of the costumes was amazing ; while the incongruities of character were most amusing. All classes -were amply represented, frjm His Excellency downwards, and ali thoroughly enjoyed themselves, not a single incident occurring to mar the evening's amusement, in addition to which, the refreshments were upon the most munificent scale of liberality ; the wines, whicli were supplied by Messrs. Isaacs, of the London Tavern, Eliza-beth-street, being of the most exquisite quality, and as plentiful as * Van-Yean.' The only defect was one inseperable from the English character, the want of assumption ; it is one thing to dress a part, another to perform it, merely walking about in Hamlet's doublet is a poor presentment of the noble Dane, fortunately the dancing in a great measure compensated for this by infusing some form into the proceedings, bj* the grotesque anomalies caused in the selection of partners. So genera 1 , however, was the pleasure felt, that a returu ball, to be given to the Mayor, is in active preparation. Forty gentlemen have taken the matter in hand, and are vigorously canvassing. Ifc will take a large sum of money to carry out the affair upon the same scale as did Mr Cohen, with 1 whom the expense seems to have been quite | a secondary consideration, and who deserves the thanks of the community, for having supported the dignity of his year of office upon so princely a scale, in honorable contrast to the disreputable parsimony of some of his predecessors, who contrived to pocket the major part of their official allowance ofi one thousand pounds, y. It wouldnot, in all probability, interest your • readers to particularize either the names or costumes assumed, suffice* it to say, tbat upwards of fifteen hundred persons were present, comprising all the leading officials and members of the two Houses of Parliament, some of the Judges, the Naval and Military officers, in short the elite of tbe circles in and around the Metropolis. As the connexion of his Worship with the Corporation terminates in November next by effluxion of time, and it is expected that he wili visit Europe as the custodian of the Bridal present to the Prince and Princess of Wales, some of the envious people who abound in every community, sneer and say, that the ball was intended as a siceetener against that event, if so, it may confidently be pronounced a most magnificent Jeic-fewbe, and greedily swallowed by the public. The only police case arising out of the above festivity, was rather a singular one. Mr W. Frazer, M.L.A.. for Creswick, being brought up on the following morning at the City Court, charged with being drunk and assaulting the police. From the evidence it appeared that whiles the! more distinguished guests were leaving the -Exhibition Building, Mr Frazer came into the ' portico and obstructed the , police, and upon being requested to withdraw, committed the assault complained of, upon which He was arrested, and, being extremely violent, was handcuffed and confined for the night in the lock-up. The Bench inflicted a line of £5, which was paid. What makes the matter more disgraceful is that this gentleman was

fined under ->xacfcly similar circurnlkfl day after the Queen's Birthnigfyfl ' which- ho misconducted himself } 0 «fl way, although hi-?, intended brute, fl he baa Yapice-- been united, -wL ' j Having 'ingiis legislative capacity, Jfl man of the Police Inquiry Comniit^H a report unfavourable tothe Force, t^H ,of the members of it at seeing hinjfl himself in this manner may be conc&H it is possible that a less obnoxioJlM might on such an occasion have gotqffl free." Indeed Mr B. G. Davies, ft,l for Avoca, 'in Eriday's Herald', aqfl 'police of using unnecessary viol ? wfl demands an inquiry, but Mr Fraztffl istic propensities, as evinced on jfl occasion, render it very unlikely thfl force was used than was absolutely njfl more especially as Sergeant Ai'idrjfl officer making' the arrest, is wellfcjH all citizens as a most obliging and ft-jfl individual, who would put up witj-fl deal before putting his authority Jg It is extraordinary tliat after so iJH excapade, fear, .if; no more decent §■ prevailed; did not keep the hon, « sober, and the general .verdict is "senfl right." . ."' |g| Mr George Cpppin, who has justtH from an unsuccessful visit from Wn had a meeting, of his creditors attlg Hotel on Thursday, frdm *his statJjH appeared tliat his unsecured debts ai^MJ to £1,800, ditto iseeured by. moitgaJSs Cremorne and the HayniarketYljffl L 15,860. Finding it useless to fl further, he proposed to leave thepropfl the mortgagees, and- to assign all jjfl property, except his furniture and vfl to his creditors, pledging himself touljfl pay those unsecured 20s : . iri the pp-jB offer was accepted, and tliis little iJB financial policy having been then flj arranged, the Ex-Hohorable wentlß Mayor's Ball in the evening, * ajn Lumpkin, iif which he might most ajfl ately, considering his morning's procfl have introduced the song usual to it, "fl to the three Jolly Pigeons." ' 'fl Mr Justice Molesworth delivered fl ment in the Insolvent Estate of *fl llutledge and Co., sustaining a prooffl Bank of Australasia for L 3,539, sougfl expunged by the other . parties, fl i The combination as hitherto existfl tween the Banks here as ; to rate of fl discount, ;and purchase of. goldfl fortunately for . the public, racfl peeially the miner, been broken .fl Colonial Bank having advertised higfl of interest and deposits, which wiUfl other, to follow. fl Mr Clissold, late Police Magistfl Ballarat has obtained leave of absefl eighteen months. - fl A delicate investigation, vulgarlfl a bastardly case, occupied ourfl Mr Hackett, during Tuesday andfl nesday, the defendant being an fl equity barrister in Temple Court, fl John Atkyns, and the frail daugfl Eve, one Jane "West, a married wctafl separated from her husband since lSofl case resolved itself into a mere attfl shuffle off the fraternity, as the learnedfl man admitted having maintained aifl intercourse with the woman, and pc||| furniture for and given money frorafl time. All that legal ingenuity coulffl the way of examination, re, and cross fig nation, was tried in vain — there was iJB itig the plain story told, and the "equitfl was ordered to pay 20s per week forjSj months, with £5 5s costs. Notice offl was given ; but after the admissions tfl will hardly be persisted in. fl During the progress of the Ya|| audacious burglary took place i§H house of a Mr Solomon, . sitti||| Lonsdale Street, opposite the Ilfl under thefollowing circumstances: - Soffi the departure of the inmates, vlafl among the guests of his Worship, alp knocked at the door, anjl being told till Solomon was absent, requested tb be a m to wait his return, which was refused,: m left. The servant girl left in. charge m going to bed, heard a noise in the! if below, and on going to ascertain ths n was confronted by a man with bh m face, who, pistol in hand, dragged herfl her room, where he fastened her a?fl legs tb the bedposts, while he ransacfl house. Having completed his seailffi which he merely acquired some iivejfl he returned to the girl, and was ' aboafl treat, doubtless violate her, when, fo rt fl o-ie of the family returning. scan||i by knocking at the front door^H uttering a fearful civrse on t!||l terruption, he escaped by the back^ra at which he entered, and up to the^g time has not been captured; the poSII has since been delirious from fright. ||i The great County Court case, slj|| Nixon/ex MX. A., which was to }n||| folded the corruption practised to obl|| Michie's seat, vice Nixon resigned, cgSi grief on Friday last, the Judge adjfl the case for the appearance of thewS of whom no one seemed to kno«|B thing, neither the Barrister nor AfflSt representing his interests harinflgi address, or indeed confessing tofl knowledge of him; the cause of M| is a Bill of exchange for .£124 16s. drsH January, 1862, at six months, by MrM Snodgrass, M.L.A.. upou and acceptedMg Nixon, who now pleads its illegality |S| the relative positions of the P art^ s 'H curiosity is felt, which is by no roe|g| minished by the unaccountable dislikejgg producing the plaintiff, who is genenijg posed to be a myth, the, mere co-Jsp Peter's brain— supposing him to him® such article about him. em Another nut for the quid-nunGstas||| up out of the Polwarth election f E,! S Thomas Sidders,' who stands commit^ trial for libeling Mr N. - M'Cann, |ffj having brought a counter charge against thatf gentlema.Uj declaring tließ; of his evidence uponY which his .fiffijil committal was obtained, to, be totaling the case stands adjourned -until next Jffj but one disgraceful feature has traf» that the very information filed by |flj was drawn by Mr Bonsey-, the Foliccgg trate, who, nevertheless, assisted &m adjudication of the case. ||| The enrolment of' Volunteers fotjlj land' continues to progress; nea fl| left this port yesterday in the J|| India, and the officers and. men of t^g lery and 40th Regifrientjare anuounceß| to-morrow per Queen of .the SoutSKJ movement is not approved of officialJM| Government, on account ; of its l ea! -fl| permanent estrangement of our c °l oi 4H as emigration : continues ' to pour jfli'jfl ance will soon be restored, iand it i 3 *^H probable that the \Vajkatd land EP^M ever be carried out. Grreat appreh^H the safety of the Lord: K-iglan, line, continue to be} entertained, B J?JH been now over six months; out. "C-ifl perfect lull ia the political world, bills passed waiting the' Royal asseilH which Mr M'Culloch will pufc,up hklfl till next session, to the 'great relief,-^M reporters and readersY" The Go\jirti ,l^H finally decided upon the Cadvice °/ yfl General Chute to; retain all guns here, as they Ywouid' be coinp^« useless in the hitsbi ; and instead ts >j|H the whole of tlie „4Qt hYße^imeht -° o^| Mr George TTrqiihartY the weH-kho'^^ has been'fined^lß^ai&,^u'yariousJ l^p for having Y^scabbyf sheep^ pbstrs c |^g inspector, &c. ' The, ; caservvas bea l " ||I Murray district.; r .. YY V AA.; Sim : A. yaledictoiyYaddress ;to.Sir HenrlJ^p was presented '> to him at-ifhe m^fSß Royal Society" heldYyesterday. lency resporided'ih 'appropriate terl^^ certainly, si^ce its institution no ?s§|| has ever done more to promote its otj 6s^ to render it practically useful.