MELBOURNE.

West Coast Times, Issue 71, 16 November 1865, Page 1 (Supplement)

MELBOURNE.

(From our own Correspondent.) Tuesday, Nov. 7 In regard to political matters, the week has been a quiet one, Events, however, are thickening, and nunisters may yet have to give way or go much further than they have done. The Judges of the Supreme Court were so convinced of the correctness of their decision, that it is illegal for duties to be collected on the authority of a resolution of the Lower House alone, that they decline to stay farther proceedings pending the appeal to the Privy Council on the legal question. The consequence is, that at the present Nisi Pruis sittings, our leading importers are obtaining verdicts for the recovery of the duties they have paid under the new tariff, and* if they can enforce these verdicts, the said tariff is of course upset. There are means of defying the law courts, however, such as the Legislative Assembly making further procedure a " breach of privilege," or inducing the Governor not to sign the payment warrants ; and the question which is now discussed is, will these measures be resorted to? Ministers have called a meeting of their parliamentary supporters for to-day, with a view of considering what action shall be taken in this direction. Should Ministers "break down at this stage, tho importers •will make a nice profit out of the transaction. Some of the " soft goods" houses have paid from £5000 to £8000 •each, under the tariff, and as they have <luily charged these sums to their customs, so the amounts if recovered would be nctt gain. The conference between the two Houses, which it was hoped would show a way of tiding over the crisis until an appeal is made to the country on the issue — protection or free trade —has not yet been arranged. The hitch lies with the Upper House, which does not see its way to treat on the basis proposed by the Lower. The invitation offered by the Assembly was to confer on lt the difficulties between the two Houses,"

the intention being to make the best bargain which could be effected. It was supposed on every hand that the Council would embrace the offer. " Punch" appeared with a cartoon, representing Mr. Miller, the mover, winning on tho horse /' Conciliation," and public talk was that the everlasting crisis would at length be got rid of. There was great surprise therefore when the ultra-conservative party, led by Mr. Mitchell, declared that they would have nothing to do with terms, but would only confer as to which house was right and which wrong. There was still more surprise also when it was discovered that they had a majority of fifteen to seven, by which number they carried a message to the Assembly, intimating that their Committee was appointed to consider whether the proceedings in regard to the "Tariff cum- Appropriation Bill were in accordance with the use and -~~ practice of Parliament." Ministers liave taken until to-day to consider whether it will invite the LoM'er House to enter upon a discussion of this abstract point. What a severe castig&tion the " Lords" have been receiving from the democratic press, may be readily imagined. The Governor, week after week, declares more strongly for his "responsible advisers." The opposition party has personally offended him, and instead of Ministers requiring to prick him on to their purposes, they have to curb his impetuosity. His reply to one of the last deputations avlu?li waited upon him took everybody by surprise. He referred to the "personal appro- . brium" with which he had been assailed by " a small settion of the community," and added, " As to the spirit in which the • small section' are acting, it may readily be gathered from the expressions in regard to me, as the representative of the Crown, which they utter and welcome with approval at their meetings ; from tho attempts which they have made to send into my presence, in the guise of a deputation, the very men from whose lips, but a few hours before, the most offensive of those expressions had proceeded ; and from the grossly insulting language employed by the editor or conductor of their special weekly organ in the public press." Sufficiently emphatic this at all events. Sir Charles had a similar crisis to deal with in Jamaica, and he carried matters with a high hand there. Telegrams were received on Monday last from Sydney, and were published at once in newspaper slips describing tho Hokitika rush as a failure. It was stated that numbers of men were walking about lacking tho means of returning, and that every fourth or fifth store was placarded " For sale." This intelligence has, of course, considerably checked the rush which was taking place.

THE RACES. The Melbourne Spring Meeting is now on, and the good people here are holiday-making in right earnest. Fif.teen thousand persons went down on 7 Thursday to see tho Melbourne Cup run . for. Such a turn out by road and by rail has not been witnessed for many a year, It is difficult to reconcile all that is said about " hard times" with the grand display made by the carriage people and the equestrians, and the still grander display of dress. Eight hundred ladies were passed into the Stand by members of the racing Club alone.

The race is a handicap, and the Cup went to an outsider, Tory Boy, who started at the odds of 100 to 5, and who had risen from 100 to 2 solely by virtue of the reports of an extraordinary trial he had had — so good that they were scarcely credited. The " grey pony," as he is termed, is well known here as a game little racer ; but at equal weights he has never been able to hold his own with third-class performers. This time he was accommodated with 7st., under which he managed to gallop in a rare style, and after a slashing race with the top weight, Panic— a magnificent imported English racer — won by a couple of lengths. The Handicap is now the great betting race of the year, and there must be many Victorians on the West Coast who take an interest in it.

Tory Boy's owner is said to win £6000. Mr Hurtle Fisher, the importer of the £3000 " Fisherman," has been a good winner this time with his high-bred stock, having carried off the Ascot Vale Stakes, with •• Sea Gull ;" the Royal Park Stakes, with "The Sign ;" the De»by, with "Angler;" the Oaks, with " Lady Heron 5" and the Racing Club Handicap, with " The Sign." Tory Boy running the day after the cup in the Spring Handicap, and carrying seven pounds extra, was beaten easily by inferior stock to that ho had met in the handicap. Next to the " Cup" the most interest attached to the Queen's Plate, in which " Panic" at weight for ago allowance, u ? as supposed to bo invincible, and started at even betting cgainst a field of five. A Sydney horse, named Volunteer, however, who had hud to be content with second place in a short race, turned the tables at three miles, and won at the last easily, Panic being beaten a quarter of a mile from homo, and not obtaining a place.