MELBOURNE.

West Coast Times, Issue 95, 6 January 1866, Page 2

MELBOURNE.

[from our own correspondent.] Saturday, Dec. 30. 1865.

The Intercolonial Cricket Match, Victoria v. New South Wales, has been the great incident of the week. As last ' year the Sydney Clubs engaged every professional of repute employed by the Melbourne clubs, including Caffyn of AH England Eleven renown, and as this year these said professional were pitted against Victoria, it was thought that the older colony would pull off an easy ■ victory. Betting was 3to 1 on Sydney. The result is, however, that the Victorian amateurs have gone in and won easily. Melbourne played two splendid bowlers-— Wills and Conway — and the Sydney men were fairly beaten by them. Not only this, but the Victorian batting was tho finest over seen on the ground. Such determined hitting all round has not been known here before. Lawrence of tho All England Eleven, who cap' tamed the Sydney team, is not considered to havo played his men judioiously, but there is no doubt but that thoy were overmatched. In their first innings they scored 122, and in their second 143 ; while Melbourne, in a single innings, made 285, thus winning by 30 runs aud ono innings. Thero is ti great deal of betting going on regarding the Champion Race to be rim for on Now Year's Day. The Victorian horso Panic has been installed firat favorito at the short odds of 2 to 1. Altogether, thero aro ten horses in tho race.

TUo general elections commeuce today, when tbo first batoh of twentythroe members havo to bo chosen. All tho Ministers havo now addressed their constituents. They have submitted two distinct couises to tho country, tho tariff pure and simple, for they affirm that they will insist upon tho Council accepting the obnoxious measure, and tho reform of the Upper House, Ministers thonisolves are considered sure of thoir seats, unless it is Mr Verdon, the Treasurer, at Williamstown, and Mr' Mi ohio, the Minister of Justice, at St. Kilda. At present tho princip d iu C icident of the electious, is, tint Sir Francis Murphy, the Speaker, has deserted his old seat, aud has come out as tho Ministerial candidate for Grenville where ho is opposed by Mr Aspinall! the " funny man" of the bar. Tho contest horo hns been very keen, and both sides qasert that their charapi-ns have tho beat of it. Political ex itement etiU vvm* high, w\ tho. Free Twl*

League on the ouo hand, aud theLiberal Reform League, on the other, nrc working hard to secure victory. Every scat is being contested. Although Melbourno and the country generally south of the dividing range has been visited by rain, none whatever has fallen in the Sandhurst, Murray, and Riverine districts. Tho papers aro full of particulars of several melancholy deaths, which have occurred in consequence of travellers finding t^o accustomed streams and water-holes dried up, and being unable to stand the intense heat. In ono instance, a wholo family was sacrificed. Tho sixth of January has been set apart by tho Government ns a day of humiliation and prayer, that tho drought may be averted.

Christmas was kopt in Melbourne in the uau.il holiday fashion. The weather was glorious, and the whole population turned out of doors. The city was thronged with " country cousins," us Government ran excursion trains, which were wonders of cheapness. A trip to Ballarat and back can be enjoyed for eleven shillings. So largely were the trains patronised that tho stock of carriages beenmo exhausted, and tho passengers had to bo conveyed in railway trucks. As to other amusements, we have the Lyster opera troupe at the Theatre Koyal, where they have produced " Oberon" on a scale of great magnificence ; an "old English" pantomime at the IJaymarkct, and a burlesque at the Princess', add to this list a new and very successful entertainment, produced at the Polytechnic by those favorite comedjans, Messrs. Lambert and Young, and entitled tho " Seven Ages of Man," and it will bo seen that the citizens here havo abundant means outside their own resources of spending a "merry christmas." There havo been no shipping arrivals or departures for Hokitika since the Barwon left on Monday last. As to

.commercial intelligence, nothing what- ' ever is doing in the import market. The ship Bosingea, from San "Francisco, arrived at Sydney on ' Thursday last with 430 tons of breadstuft's. She reports the Tony having sailed with 450 tons for Melbourne, and the Streveda loading 000 tons for Sydney. Stocks at San Francisco are large, though prices were maintained. Here Adelaide flour still commands .£24 to £24 10a.