VICTORIA.

Southland Times, Issue 1021, 14 September 1868, Page 3

VICTORIA.

■«"'■ ■ ■ "» " '"■■■ (5?803£ O\JR OW COKHESrONDEKT.) Melboubne, Sepr. o. " After a storm comes a calm, is an old Baying ■which is being amply verified Here at the present time. The fever heat of political excitement that was universal a few weeks since has fallen to zero. The debates in parliament fall flat and unprofitable on the ear, after so long listening to fiery eloquence of able and- stern political antagonists, tthere is certainly occasionally a little Iparriiig between Ministers and the Opposition, but theseoccasions are few and far between. In the meantime the work is being rapidly got through, and the session is drawing to a close. Mr M'Culloch appears -to have obtained a position which all acknowledge is for the time impregnable, and the Opposition has ceased t6 try to force him from it. Now that party excitement and party feeling is hushed, men are begining to think with sober seriousness on the events which led to the late long continued fierce political -warfare. Mr Mills theory of the representation of tinnorities is steadily gaining favor both 'with the members of parliament and the public. The Council at last seems to really wish to get a change in the con- i stitution, to liberalise its character, and prevent any future dead-locks. The I periodic elections for the Council is \ coming on, but the excitement is much j less than, was expected, although candi- j dates On both interests are either in, or expected soon to be lnj the field. " The newspapers are hard up for news, and the standing topic for the last week 01 two, has been the ' tidal wave,' which, from the numerous items concerning it, almost daily published, would appear to have been felt in nearly every part of the world. There is one social reform which has emanated from the Council that I think worthy of especial notice. It is a Bill for the adoption of the British Pharmacopoeia for the colony. At first sight this may appear of but little importance, but those who know of the constant blunders m ade by dispen sers of medicine, through continuing the old System of writing prescriptions in ' dog latin,' will appreciate it. Dr Wilirie, in moving the third reading, remarked — He wished to add to his former observations on the subject that the British Pharmacopoeia contained the names of the drugs, &c.,- both in Latin and English, which made it a great improvement upon the pharmacopoeias preceding it. Very few chemists and druggists had studied Latin — perhaps not one in twenty ; and often the prescriptions were made up by apprentices, of whom it might safely be Baid as a general rule that they scarcely knew a word of the language with which they were dealing. He trusted that when the bill became law, the medicai profession in this colony would abandon entirely the practice of writing prescriptions in Latin. There are no items of importance, in either mining or mercantile affairs, isince my last. The folldwing . description of a raid made by' TuTTponee on a Chinese gamb-ling-house is from the * Ballarat Star' : — " On Saturday night last, about 8 o'clock, the police, under the command of Inspector Beaver and Sergeant Lamer, made a raid upon a Chinese" gambling-house at Golden Point, and succeeded in arresting no less than fifty-four individuals, who formed, however, only about one-third of the number who were engaged participating^ directly or indirectly, in the illegal games peculiar to these people. Anticipating no resistance, only a small body of police was told off for the duty in the first instance ; but contrary to every precedent and the experionce of years, the Chinese made a resistance so determined and violent that only for the interference 6f Some of the more intelligent amongst them blood might have been shed, and perhaps some lives sacrificed. The house in question is situated near Eureka-street, and, like the generality of habitations in the neighborhood, is alow wooden shanty, capable of accommodating some 200 persons closely packed. The police divided themselves into two parties, and by a preconcerted signal, entered simultaneously by the front and back doors. The moment they were observed a rush took place, the money was snapped up, the lights extinguished, and with the most fiendish yells a dash was made for the doors and windows. The banker with his box leaped from his seat and took a header through the nearest window, carrying away the entire framework, and fell on the ground outside with it encircling his neck, the only wonder being that his neck was not broken. He still retained a secure hold of the money-box, but was extricated from his position and relieved of bis charge by one of the police, who pushed him back again inside the house. An effort was made in desperation to break through the sides of the house, but by a liberal use of the handcuffs and batons, the police prevented them availing themselves of this mode of escape. The Chinese were becoming very excited, and offered the most determined resistance. On of the policemen received a blow of a candlestick in the face, which knocked him down, and inflicted some severe cuts and bruises about the nose and eyes. Another was knocked down in the rush and ! was trampled on, while the face of a third was operated on by the long nails of a ferocious Chinese, who seemed desirous of scratching out his eyes, and, as it was, succeeded in leaving some severe marks and tokens of his regard. The police seeing how things stood sent for reinforcements, and on their arrival procured a long rope, with the aid of which and some dozen pairs of handcuffs, they were enabled to secure fifty-four of their prisoners, who, in one batch, firmly secured, were marched cff to the Eastern lockup. About 500 Chinese had collected in the vicinity of the house, and kept yelling and vociferating the whole time, and, together with ail immense crowd of '" persons, accompanied the prisoners to the watch-house."