MELBOURNE.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 217, 18 November 1859, Page 3

MELBOURNE.

We (Sydney Herald) have Melbourne papers to the 7th instant. We take the following extracts from the Argus :— v At the annual diuner of the Victorian Medical Society,-at.-Menzies' Hotel, his Excellency the Governor was present; also: Dr. Murphy, the Speaker of ihe-Asaeihbly. About thirty gentlemep sat down, the chair being occupied by the President of the society, Dr. Barker. The usual loyal toasts and the health of his Excellency the Governor were drunk with every ex- j pressioh of enthusiasm. The Governor, in proposing the toast of the evening, " the Victorian Medical Society," expressed the respect and almost veneration he felt for the medical profession, not merely because of their knowledge and skill in all that pertained to their own department of learning, but because the members of it were always foremost in the prosecution of scientific researches and discovery. Dr. Tracy proposed the Legislature of Victoria, and . coupled with the toast the health of Dr. Murphy. He urged the necessity for the establishment of a medical school in connection with the University, and also the desirability of a Medical Registration act similar to that which had been adopted in. Great Britain. Dr. Murphy responded to the toast, observing that the late par« liament had died, and its acts must be buried with it; the present one had not as yet done much to deserve commendation. It was, however, very liberal in its promises for the future. One act consequent on the existence of free institutions it Mi. performed—it had turned out a Ministry—and he must say that it had done so with great freedom of speech. The medical profession was well represented in the Assembly —he did not include himself among the number, inasmuch as he was a very unworthy member of it. He had never practised, and had, as it were, deserted it from the day he obtained his diploma. The toast of " the Learned Societies," proposed by Dr. Ford, was coupled with the name of Dr. Mueller, and was responded to by that gentleman. The meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, held at the Exchange on Friday afternoon, to consider the question relative to the violation of private telegrams by the ex-Chief Secretary, was of great interest. Two resolutions, expressive of " emphatic disapprobation" of Mr. O'Shannessy's conduct, and a desire for parliamentary inquiry into the law of the matter, were carried nearly unanimously by a crowded chamber. Two amendments were respectively brought forward by Mr. Rae and Mr Lord, but the greatest support accorded to either was five votes. A committee was appointed to draw up a petition to Parliament, praying for inquiry, and the meeting broke up after a vote of thanks to the chair. In the Old Court, on Friday, an action was brought by a Mr. Isidore Guichard against the Colonial Bank of Australia, for the purpose ef recovering the value of 180 ounces of gold, Which were stolen from him by a person named Bourcault, in his employ, and were as it was alleged, afterwards sold to the bank. The great point to prove was the identity of the gold taken by Bourcault with that purchased by the bank; and this must be considered not to have been proved, as the jury found a verdict for the defendants. In the New Court, the case of Goodhall and Hartley again came before the Court. This was an action to recover damages for an illegal seizure of property, which had been tried at the last sittings, when a verdict for the plaintiff had been given, damages .£2BO. A new trial having, however, afterwards been granted, on the ground of the verdict being against evidence, the second jury, when the case was tried, proved even more obdurate for the defendant than the former one, as they gave the plaintiff a verdict for .£360 this time, or .£BO in excess of what he would have obtained had the case dropped at the termination of the first trial. At the usual weekly meeting of the Sewerage and Water Commission, on Friday, the Secretary read a letter from the Central Board of Health, calling the attention of the Commission to the poisoning effects of lead pipes, and requesting that they would take into further consideration a suggestion made by the Board some time ago —that a certain quantity of water should be drawn off daily before using the pipes. A letter was also produced, written by a person residing jn Collingwood, preferring a claim against the Commission for expenses arising out of an illness alleged to have been caused by the use of water Conveyed by leaden pipes. Some correspondence from the Town Clerk of Melbourne was then read, with reference to the supply of water for the metropolis. At a numerously attended meeting of the Victorian Turf Club, held on Friday, at the Union Hotel, for the purpose of inquiring into the fairness of the running of Flying Buck for the late Jockey Club Derby, the following resolution, proposed by Mr. Rusden and seconded by Mr. Rawdon Greene, was carried unanimously:—"That a case connected with the Flying Buck's running being now before a police court, it is expedient to appoint a committee of five members to watch the proceedings in the case, to take any further evidence they may deem necessary, and to report to a meeting of the club, to be hereafter called." Considering all things, the entries for the Turf Club Races, to be held on the 10th, 11th, and 12th of this month, madg last night, were folerabty full. Thfj Derby and Qaks may be pronounced decided failures, to say nothing of the Scurry—the three events in the aggregate not coaxing more than seven owners to enter horses. For the Free Handicap there are seventeen nominations. The acceptances will be declared at eleven this morning. The Turf CJiub Handicap to be run, a,s we^l as " The jfree," on the first day, has eleven acceptances. For the Selling Stakes there' are fourteen ; for the'Maiden Plate, nine; the Spring Stakes, ten; fhe Victoria Plate, seven; the Welter Handicap, six; and for the Steeplechase and Hurdle Race, eight and ten respectively. Speculation was limited in quantity, and decidedly small in money value, on the different events —being confined almost exclusively to the Free Han4}cap. "^e had an opportunity of seeing the new used the 'btHer day on the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It is a decided improvement upon the old-fashioned contrivance, ny winch the ball was propelled from a pedestal bv a blow. The working of the more modern Catapult is on the cross-bow principle, and the §peed at which the ball is to be. deliyered is regulated by a lever,, which, being depressed, tightens up the bow, and of course, imparts ad,: tffcipM vblocjty t9 f|»e If f%» »V*»¥? ■ A ■fr{|ger discharges/ (he instrument, and the greatest accuracy as regards direction \i readily Becuiei the pitch, i.e., the distance' between ihe wiokete'at which the ball strikes the ground, k4'*egulai<s to a slmpfe ty ft? FT y >■ f ■ 'V

greatest nicety. A boy, can work the machine, which is admirably adapted for practice batting. A player oan by its means perfect himself in his favourite hit, or "coach" himself in the point where he i3 the weakest. The regulator of the machine can also, without the knowledge of the batsman raise dr lower the speed, so that a man who can play the catapult perfectly need fear but few bowlers. The only danger in its use is when the gronnd between wickets is uneven, but as this remark applies equally as well to Elliott's bowling, there is only the more reason for cricket grounds to be kept in better order. . . A correspondent writes—"Kilmore was visited on Saturday last with the most fearful hailstorm it has ever been my fortune to witness. About noou heavy clouds were observed. approaching slowly from the southwest, and at 1,30 p.m. the storm burst on us with a fury truly terrific. For over twenty minutes hailstones from an inch to an inch and a half in diameter poured down without a moment's intermission, completely destroying all the fruit trees and vegetables, and breaking from 150 to 200 panes of glass. It does not appear to have extended to any great distance, as nothing was seen of it half a mile down the Melbourne road." He adds that the weather still continued very sultry, with heavy thunderstorms at short intervals. The amended prospectus of th£ Geelong Whale fishing Company is now out. The capital is to consist of £25,000, in 5000 shares of £5. The object of the company is to estab lish a branch of the whaling trade in Geelong, as a commercial speculation; and an average per ship of the United States' whaling returns, as published in the prospectus alluded to, shows a " very handsome profit—equal to nearly j£ 12,000 a voyage. There is nothing in the way to prevent the establishment of such a company as this. Captain Stiirge, of the Caesar, from Puget Sound, reports that several; affrays had taken place between the Americans and Indians, at Bellingham Bay. He also states that four English men-of-war and 500 soldiers were at the Island of St. Juan. Tha American force consisted of 300 troops, but reinforcements were expected daily.