MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

Waikato Times, Volume 2620, Issue XXXII, 27 April 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

(t'Ufisr Ol'H OWN WUHKHPOXIJUNT). That ;.:i r -y ••.ml poi Uv pei-fOiiage, Alderman Bvnjnmin Benjamin, Mayor of Mellujun:,-, ha« jr< -1 au!i<inm:i:d hi* intention ut rlkiiiu in N ptciiiber nexi »» a candidate for the additional seat in the Legislative Council, allotted to the Melbourne Province by the Act passed last session. His Worship will probably have, a formidable opponent in the person of the veteran Thespian, politician, and philauthrop'st, Mr Gcoive Seith Cnppin, a fonner member of the Upper House. It hud iu the first place been proposed that in lecognition of his many and varied services to the country during the past three decades, and as a lecompense for his recent rejection by the electors of East Melbourne, whom he faithfully represented in tho Assembly for half that period, Mr Coppm should have been accorded the honour of a walkover for the seat in the Council. Alderman Benjamin springs from tho bourgeois class, and is one of those fortunate individuals who have been born, if not to fame, to wealth. Of him it may be eaid that lie— Makes no presence To intellectual eminence, Or Scholarship sublime. During the eighteen months lie has occupied tho mayoral chair, aud, indeed, throughout the half-century he has trod the streets of Melbourne, he has Done nothing in particular, And dune it very well. Let mo relate a littlo anecdote concerning Alderman Benjamin, for tho truth of which I can to a lurge extent vouch. I would premiso by Buying that he is excessively proud of one position he oooupies by favour of his fellow-members of the City Council. Among tho many minor Offices he hold:) is that of president of a certain institution, the secretary of which a short timo siueo somewhat suddenly and unexpectedly received a considerable increase in stipend. Those who are "in the know" confidently assert that this augmentation in the salary of the officer in question is not unconnected with the fact that in tho last brief annual report of the institution, whicli was compiled by him, reference was made in seventeen separate and distinct places to '' The President, Alderman Benjamin Benjamin, J.P., the Right Worshipful the Mayor of Melbourne." I would take leave cii parcnthem', here to remark that our Chief Magistrate has no right to bo styled "Right Worshipful," a title which is only, if my memory servos mo, accorded to the Lord Mayors of London and Dublin, and to the Provost of Glasgow.

For a proper Gordian knot sort of political tangle commend me to that in which Mr Speaker Young, of New South Wales, has for some time past found himself caught. A protest against his return for the constituency he represents has been sent in for the consideration of the Elections and Qualifications Committee to decide on, and the members of that body must be appointed by the Speaker himself. Mr Young claims that he can lawfully hold possession of the Chair until he is bounced out of it by this Committee. If, however, he is tired out on the ground that his election was invalid, all his actions during the time lie held the Chair arc illegal. Consequently, his appointment of the Committee which tried the case was illegal, and, as a matter-of-course, tlie decision of that Committee declaring the Speaker's return to be invalid is illegal also. Mr Young is therefore entitled to hold the chair, and yet he is not entitled to do so, This is indeed a beautiful dispute, and I doubt if it has ever been equalled since the day that the rival mothers requested King Solomon to decide who was the rightful owner of tho live baby.

Personally tho only way out of the difficulty that I can pee is to copy Solomon's verdict, and order Mr Speaker to be cut in two, »o that ono half of him can fill the chair, and the other half Btand out and go about its business. There is really 110 other course open, if the verdict goes agaiust the Speaker (which is not at all improbable). If my sapient suggestion is to be acted upon, I would further advi-c that the end of the Speaker without tho head on bo allowed to retain posses-ion of the chair. This would bo a novelty. Tho present is ono of those rather rare instances where the half is equal to tho whole, and it is safe to say that in the chair the feet end of Mr Speaker Young would give quite as mucii satisfaction as the head, ond does at

present. I was present at a private exhibition the other day of a very ingenious contrivance, which} has been styled tlie " Combined Electric Pillar Box, Police and Kire Alarm." The name of the inventor was not disclosed, but whoever he may be, he is to bo congratulated upon having hit upon a splendid idea, and one which the Governments of the several colonies will not, 1 venture to think, be slow to adopt. It consists of a handsome turretshaped box, and is intended to do duty for the ordinary pillar boxes placed at convenient intervals throughout the city. The interior is devoted to the reception of letters, which inay be dropped into a tin receptacle, and can be cleared in a moment by the postman, without exposing the contents to the rain, as is the case at present. By a mechanical contrivance also, tho opening and the shutting of the door is made to indicate the next hour of cloarance. The box, moreover, is connected with tho fire and polico stations, and can be used for giving an instantaoeous iilurm or summoning the police to any particular locality. An electric light is affixed to the top of the structure, which, therefore, can do duty for a street lamp. I understand the inventor is ili>po>ing of his idea to a syndicate, which has undertaken to bring it under tlie notice of the authorities in all the principal towns aud cities in the various colonies.