MELBOURNE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1297, 7 October 1876, Page 6

MELBOURNE.

September 16th.

The terrible storm which raged at the early part of laßt week on the New South Wale* coasts waa the cause of some of the most disastrous news that has been received in Melbourne for a very long time. On Tuesday we got the news that the steamship City of Melbourne, on leaving Sydney, ran into the gale and got very much buffeted about, and bo disabled that she had to return to port. The steamer was conveying a large number of racehorses back to Melbourne after they had run at the recent Randwick races. Of these, nine were killed, and the two others very much injured — so that it is doubtful if they will recover. Mr C. B. Fisher, the well-known owner of horses, waa a heavy loser by the disaster, the horses he lost being valued at L 15,000. The animals were the flower of the Victorian turf, and their destruction is a heavy blow not only to their own but to the Victorian racecourse. The disaster became, of course, the talk of the town, and endless calculations took place among horsey men and those who like to be thought horsey, as to the extent to which the absence of the horses would affect and change the chances for the Flemington Spring Meeting. But next day came news that, at any rate for the tim», drove all such speculations out of the mind. "We then learned of the more terrible calamity that had befallen the steamship Dandenong, bound from this port to Sydney with a large number of passengers. She had been struck and disabled by the gale, her shaft was broken, and she was last seen in a sinking condition off Jervis Bay, a few miles south of Sydney. f A barque had Btood as close to her as possible, and tried to take off her pa3sengers and crew. But in this great loss of life occurred, 17 persons, mostly women, being drowned by the upsetting of the boats or the dashing against the sides of the vessels. While the work of transhipping waß proceeding darkness came on, and something near 40 people were still on board the slowly sinking ship. The barque remained at hand all right, but two or three hours after dark the lights of the steamer disappeared suddenly, and were not seen again. In the morning, nothing could be seen of her, and all the searches since made were fruitless, so that the belief is most probable that the steamer sank at the moment when her lights were observed to disappear. The tidings of the sad affair cast a perceptible gloom over the city, and the twofold blow of the destruction of valuable racing stock reported one day, and the

deplorable loss of life the next, will, in all probability, incline people to think more seriously of the trip between Sydney and Melbourne for some time. People have acquired a sense of great security in reference to this trip, but I have no doubt that these catastrophes will very much reduce the number of persons and racehorses which go backwards and forwards in great crowds during the racing season. So far as we can learn from the reports, the passengers on board the ill-fated Dandenong behaved with great fortitude and quiet resignation ; the crew and officers showed great courage in trying to rescue the people in their charge, and the captain behaved bravely, and stuck by his ship like a true British seaman. So that the only consolation possible in the face of such a calamity, the assurance that thos& exposed to it rose above the the danger by meeting it with calmness and bravery, is afforded in full measure by the circumstances of this melancholy case. The Assembly is debating the Electoral Bill, which is being treated as a kind of peg for members to hang fancy crotchets upon. One member wants to give the franchise to female ratepayers, another to boys of 18, another desires to abolish the dual vote, another to have the election day made a compulsory public holiday, with all the public-houies closed, another proposes that a sum of money should be placed op the Estimates to pay working men their wages on election day, so that they should not lose by the patriotic work of recording their votf. Well, all these proposals are negatived, but they help to delay the Bill. All propositions of this kind are quite beyond the scope given to the measure by the Government, which only sought in introducing it to rectify the great anomalies in our electoral representation. The Government has a compact, well-drilled majority, and always decide every proposal as they please. The ascendancy of the Ministry is indeed so great that one Opposition member, Mr Service, declared the other night that he regarded constitutional government as non-existent in Victoria, as everything was decided by the Government and nothing by Parliament. It is not easy to understand this objection, which would equally lie against every Government which has a strong and united majority to support it. These are the complaints used by every politician when out of office as missiles to throw against those who are in — missiles which, when they are tnrown against a Government of which he is a member, he justly regards as the weapons of unjust, unreasoning faction. There was more justice in another statement made by Mr Service, who declared that the sole desire, the one binding tie, of the majority was to keep Mr Berry out of office. There is no doubt that among sensible people, both in and out of Parliament, this is regarded as a very desirable object ; and I imagine that Mr Service looks upon it in much the same Jight himself. Of course Mr Beiry's policy of communism and "breaking up the large estates," has a good many followers amongst those who, having nothing of their own, would like to enrich themselves at somebody's expense. But with more moderate people who have not accepted the principle, " property is robbery," it is looked upon as very needful that Mr Berry should be kept from a position that would give him an opportunity of applying his bushranging principles in actual practice.

We often hear complaintß of the dulness and depression of trade, but few would infer such a condition from the briskness and activity with which building operations are going on in Melbourne at the present time. Besides great improvements that are going 1 ■on in the ordinary shop architecture of the streets by the erection of new shops instead of old ones, and the reconstruction of premises while business is still going on, a large number of public buildings are being erected in different parts of the city. In Bourse street the new Academy of Music, which is, in fact, a small theatre, combined with an arcade, is rapidly neariDg completion, and is to be opened some time in November. In Collins street a fine building is being built adjoining the Town Hall as a house for the Victoria Clvb — a n«w addition to the Clubs of Melbourne. On the Eastern Hill an enormous block of buildings for the offices of several Government departments is nearly finished, while at the opposite side of the city a beginning is made with the new Law Courtß, also a very large structure. Amongst other city improvements, I may mention the new pavilion, &c, being built at an expense of L6OOO on the ground of the Melbourne Cricket Club, and the extensive works on that of the East Melbourne Club. These clubs are raising all round these grounds a ring slope of earth, so as to allow spectators to Bee over the heads of those in front of them, and these they add to in accordance with their means and requirements. Doubtless cricket matters will assume great activity in the ensuing three months, as it is certain now that an English Eleven, said to be the best ever brought out, will arrive in time to play on the Christmas or New Year holidays.

Passing from cricket to more artistic amusements, I may mention that Mrs Scott Siddons this week will terminate her very successful engagement at the Theatre Royal. This lady, who is known to be a highly skilful rifle-shot, has promised to give a cup to be competed for in tne rifle matches. The opinions of the critical authorities differ as much about her Lady Macbeth as about her lighter representations, but possibly a difference of opinion of this sort, which throws on the public tne responsibility of seeing and judging for itself, is about the best thing which can happen to a theatrical star. Mrs Scott Siddons is to be succeeded at the Royal by an American tragedian named Edwin ' Adams. I don't presume to speak for others, but I must say that, instructed by past experience, I do not look on with very lively impatience or enthusiasm to the advent of American tragedians. Mrs Bayless, better known as Mrs Mary Gladstane, comes put by the Calif ornian mail to give a saason in Melbourne, and it is announced that Mr Barry Sullivan, well known to all Melbourne playgoers, is under engagement to her husband to play 100 nights. Then we have it stated in the papers that Mr Sims Reeves is coming out for a season in Australia. Mr Dampier, who has for the last two or three years contributed an important share to the perrorinances of the Theatre Royal as leading gentleman, is about to take a farewell benefit, and intends, we are told, to make a professional tour of the colonies, coming firefc to New Zealand. As a conscientious, able actor of great versatility, there is every reason to expect for Mr Dampier a very favourable reception wherever he may go. Some extensive preparations are in progress on a vacant piece of ground to form a site for a very large circus, or, I beg its pardon, " hippodrome," which is to visit us from Syd ney, and with respect to which the most promising announcements are made. Lastly, while I am on the subject of amusements, the Davenports, if they have not kept up the large attendances they at first drew,_ have at_ any rate continued to form a prominent topic of speculation. The spiritualists are jubilant, and appeal confidently to the miracles performed by the Brothers as a conclusive proof of their mediumship. But many think Mr Sylvester's (the Fakir of Oolo) rope - tying performances are quite as successful as those of the spirit-assisted Brothers.. And now a Mr Widdicomb, who is employed in a soft goods

firm in Melbourne, declares that he has discovered the Davenports' secret, and has given a semi public seance, which is raid by some who were there to show that his method is Bimilar to theirs, although his dexterity is far inferior. Mr W. says that the Becret flashed upon him while at one of the Davenport performances, and he went home, got a rope, bound himself fast in a chair, and very much alarmed his wife by playing a tambourine in a dark room while he was fast tied to the chair all the time. No wonder ! ,;