MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2713, 30 November 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

MELBOURNE GOSSIP.

[li;,li; Of II OWN COHUK-SI'DNiII-.N-l - . ] rnr.HK is nothing ill Melbourne just- now :hat rivets ikv>;.l i.-V ntt-'.r.ti-:i that is nn-jonm-ctod '.villi til.! |-U".;<. Iliirs.-s and tlm •'odds" are Urn i.n'.y lliins,'* talked ulumt. Heavy defalcati-eis I>V -i bank d">■'•>• rl murder, a ;i!ver l>'">m, even tlm " K.uud liilf'sc.uul:.!, an! iv.le-atod t> I hud mid r<llll tli plae-s under tii« ni!lm.T,a,i <>i (he at K,.'iniii'-'l,.n. lln ppeni!'...' In ciU f..r my uiuiil gl ■ >•-■ ">' •■ t-.irAei-"' this ui"fii|,,,r 7 I'hoard villi following remark:; m idn nt'the telephone l) " a I""'" 1 "' whom I could ~,,1, ..,,,,;._•■ I say. I'.it, \i-!i;.it'ri I In: nisitter with that. hor-u'.'.' . . . . I' am told lli:it. ill'- C:llilP»l Uil!. ili' : fore-foot down If tin- ground ilii-i uiuuiip,:. . . • >»»■, m> humbug, vou know: the boivo is right. asiit. ;is«::.:ib» Vll.lthe mare ; lam told she wis bronchi; m all it, a lathe- last. Mi-lit:, and lnob-d ready to drop. What the — is the meaning ■it it all?" Tni-.5 5 r,nest inns were put i" a v.iiL'f. »f aut.lmi ity : Mi'! tone was rippuniiitly that nf a man uf oduoatioii, and I. really tiiniiylit that yiiiiiii "'ownur " w.is s|.oa,!<uii; to liis trainur, or principal jockey, liodldlif,' round the cin-nar, i! was inther ast.'ui.sliod tn sco a iiii-.n in shirt kKmiv.is, woarinK an apron, and wlmin I bad no dilHculty in reco-nisitig as a baibor wli.-.s-j place '-f business" wns two doors oIT. This is ;i fair spi-.ci-irieu of what fT'"~- "" J" st "" w '" ''''" " f bu>ii»;ss. in sobi.H' tiu'h, them is no bi:H|iiess Joins tliis w«k that can lw conveniently pnstpoiißfl till tbu uuxt.--least of all, tho sood, iild-fasliimied bnsiim.-is uf paying debts. I'ivi) burning (|iißstions liavc croppnil up duriiiK tin; past wiiok :—the opsninß on Sundayd of tlie I'nMic library, lln; Museum, and the Natioinl (iallcry: and that of tlia proposed Sunday newsp;ipe.r. Thtsa two qucstinns hitvu been dis-jussod in two ditt'urent plaws. That of tlm J'tiblic Library was discussed at the Town Hall : that of the Sunday paper in 1 arhainent. The in-oCßediiiL's at the Town Hall were simply d-s S racf.ful: those in Parliament were dissruditablo, to say t ib lua-t of it. T am an advocate fo. 1 the openins of the Library, and think that n quotation from the speech of I nor Jmt.er i< a sufficient ancwer to all opponents. He evidently thinks that if the Ali)iis?nty be truly worshipped the form in winah adoration is offered is ot slight ensequcuce. Said he:—" If it is wiviup: to look upon tho beautiful sky, studdid with Us million orbs of light; if it be wrong to look upon the beautiful works of God, then it is wrong t:> look upon the pictures of them. If it is wrims to look into those beautiful buildings, and admire those beautiful tiling, thfiii it i-s agiiinst my feelings as a m<lll —as a citizen —and against my religion. When the objectors tell me that it is 11 sin to look at the sun and the stars, then perhaps those gentlemen will devise us some sort of spectacles to put on upon a Sunday, so that we may not see. .... When it is proved to me that to enter a library and taUo up a hook upon a Sunday is wrong, then I will give up reading theology." There is no Retting over ai-'Himents like those ; no, not if you dug up Moses, and made him expound the laws with the writing of which ho is usually credited. The scene in the 1 loiwe of Assembly was more decorous but still discreditable, because an attempt was made to clothe hypocrisy with a. thin veil of sanctity. Trims, trains, cais, cute, bay excursions, work 111 new -paper offices on Sunday, all urn tolerated. There is no help foi it. But, so far as newspaper work is concrned, it must be kept out of sight. Not the most rigid, Sabbatarian will grumble !>.t the newspaper reporter ho Mees silting in the now pew, uvdiinf a vevbntim report of the morning sermon of lr.s favourite pastor: he will licit complain although he knows that compositors'aro at work setting up that; wrmon on the Sunday evening while he himself ison his knees in church, perhaps thanking (:.i.d thai ho is not as ot.her men are, nor will he shrink in horror from roadie vhe same, sermon in Monday's paper, although he knows full well that—if his narrow dogma is to be accepted—reporter, compositor, machineman, and i>. host of other workers, were desecrating the S.ibboth in getting that, same sermon into type for his reading on Monday. This is the real meaning of the Sunday work of the Monday newspapeis. If there is to be no such labour, and it the collection of news hi forbidden on buildays," then we shall have to adopt the plan in operation in the Island of Jliitritins. In'lhat. favouied retrimi the Monday morning newspapers are printed on Saturday uii'ht, and delivered on Sunday mornin<"' The result is, that Sunday news— the arrival of mails and shipping on Sun-day-is notilied to the inhi.tbit.vnts on J.nea'i'iic rule of " r.eadlodom," no dear to the heart, of the Knglisb s.p.iru:>rchv_ of 70

ye:u : a"o, would seem to be an exotic production for the Rrowth of winch the fcoe ! nmi democmtii: s.il ot Australia is not favourable, 'i'i.i-s at lir.t ;"ifh:. A closer and more critical examination of our 'ii-st.i-t.uti..,is will, h.iwevi-r, do mu:b to aispe.l thai iduii. Many example- mitfht be cited. li'ii; <mi- will, pisrhaps. be s.illiden'. 'L'ke i;bo c-iso of thf "ollici.r , suporvixirm of cur I'lK.atru;.. Tim is so IVul that, for the h'rst tin». in Vict»ri:\:i hUory, th". in,-i:iii','«rs .-itid propri-itm-, were r.lio otlitir day to wait upon the <,hicl S"ui>-t-iry and n.sk if his bidliant Scniuri could nut deviso sum,; ci.nim.msbiis'J plan by tu.j-ius of which the. p-iblu: s-.iffty be rcasimably Biis'ired without I'.nti.oly ruiniiiji inanai.'nis, and Hindering i- U-.;:iiiledom ' mure ridmuious than it is idri'.uiy. The princip-d irriewmce, as ex()l:ii:n'lt bv Mr (iariuir, is thi.t, whilst uomf[ ,'vnxi.ius to con.ply with oUiuinl recpiireinimts, no one can what thosi re(piireuients are. There are so ninny olHcial conks thai the broth is entirely spoilt .imon-st them. The cooks in question are Ui.i - General lioar-l of Health." (Health ! Cod sava the mark.) The Local Board of Health. (Worse still). " Thn l'olice." The •'Superintendent of l''ir« Unhides. , Wh-it tl)P.ntriLV.l miiniißcrs want that they shall ho subject to the control of 'one central nuthovity—some sensible man who knows his own mind. At |jri-.5.-ut the Ln:al Hoard stirs the por- ,!,].">; the General Boairi steps iu and <ays ;t has in.t limn stirred i-nougli. or, perhaps, it has been st.ined th" wrong way. Then comes a policeman, who says that it did not require stirring at till : what is nciviiid was a little more, lioiliiut. After

" lV.bhy" ciiii!B!i the Fireman, and, putting nut the fin-. \v:i.t»ts tu know whether they want to burn down the structure. Metaphorically, this i.- jus!, what happ.ms, and thu thi'.!itric:il managers iirii nnl, far UTOtig in asking fur this disuii.-sal of tlio fn.ir old I'.eailles and tins appointment of a new man in the placn of them. r r!i:i erov/ded andienm present at the Opera House on Saturday night witnessed the. production of " Antony and Cl<.;.;..tr;i." mi a really kimdil scali'. and Mr Miln deserves the fullest aji|i|irecmtioi) of the public for his eiitei-price. The play was interpreted by a stronpr eomnany, Mr"Miln and Miss Lo'nsio Jordan the leadiiift parts. The ability which these two artists had exhibited in previous performances was an nssniMiiw. thai: they would acquit, themselves well in the respective characters of Antony and C'liio-par,i-:i. and the npjil.tnse which followed thoin'thi-iiusliont the. play on the initial performance showed tint they had completely w«<n iho approval of the audience. It is not to he nxpp.cl.Ml that any i,\voarti?t.s can pivn ontii'i s'ati.sfacliou to everybody in such arduous representations as Antony and Cleopatra, but Mr Miln and Miss .lordon muss he credited with placing before us »pry lii-jli-clnss prirfnrmances ; and the irmnncrui which the (day has be«n stnped is worthy of thu warmest praise. Mr Miln has spsut money hivUlily in the pi'orluetioti. In ..rdur to make the play exceptionally attr-ictiw, he hits interspersed throughout the scenes many features not necessarily be|,,i,':ii!? to thoro|ji>.s.mtatwn, i'.Hhou«li they n-i.r-e'to the period of the story. The ~.,. •■-ry. from the orush of Mr Joliu Hen-iiin-'j is i.ir.u'niticent, and this artist has ,„,»",' exliioite.d the skill of his hru-<h to greater advantapi Antony and Cleopatra u'lionld have a Ion;? run. " The Pointsman" was re.v ivfid at (ire Theatre Royal on Saturday ni;;ht. \\ hat he described as "the I'auntleroy lui-.to" is likely to last for a Ions; time at the. rriiuiess. "The Student." will be continued at thu AlexMiidri up to next l-'riii.iy nu'lif, after whi.-.h it. w;ll be cee.led by '-Th'.i Sultan ..I M0.:1i:./' Ke'inecfv, theiivssii.uiisi, will lio f-.ll.nvcd by theC-Kill I'fos. al. St. ( I lad next Saturday. General and Mrs White continue to attract large audiences to the Athenteuni. "Tha Congress of Wonders, at tli'-' Exhibition building has entered upon the fourth week. Pyrotechnic displaj's have been loviv.d at. the Knst Melluiiifiie Cricket. (Jr-'iiiid and ]''riuntlly Societies' Grounds.