Melbourne.

Bruce Herald, Volume IX, Issue 895, 6 April 1877, Page 6

Melbourne.

(From our own Correspondent.) March 28. The position of political affairs has not changed since my last letter was written. The present Parliament has not yet been dissolved, nor has the future policy of its leader been revealed. However, upwards of two hundred candidates have already declared themselves willing to serve their country — and themselves — and the cry is, " Still they come." The one whose appearance has caused the greatest stir is Professor Pearson, well known as a writer of English history, and at present head -master of the Ladies' College here. Although a Freetrader, he bas allied himself with the so-called Liberal or Protectionist party — the bond of union being a progressive laud tax which has been proposed by them, both as a bid for popularity, and also with the view of diverting attention from a revision of the present tariff. And although in his first speech to the electors of Boroondara, he announced himself as an advocate for payment of members, yet when he found that the feeling of the meeting was against him on that point, he said that he would vote against it in order to please his constituents. These facts are not calculated to create a good reputation for the Professor as a politician, and it is quite possible that he may lose his election in consequence. As a result of his entering political life, he bas had to resign his appointment in | the Ladies' College, and a good deal of capital has been made out of this by the ' Age,' which represents him as a martyr to his " Liberal" principles. Another candidate for Parliamentary honors is Mr Bryan O'Logblen, a well-known barrister, and until recently one of our Crown Prosecutors He is an out-and out Protectionist, and his views on the land questiou are such as would ensure his return for any country district, whatever effect they may have in North Melbourne. According to the present Land Act, any man can select 320 acres at the rate of 2s per acre per annum. If at the end of three years the selector has made certain mprovements, and has been regular in his payments, he can pay the balance of 14s and get his Crown grant, or go on paying 2s yearly for the next seven years, as he pleases. This seems like getting the land for next to nothing. However, Mr O'Loghlen would make things still easier for the selector, and proposes that the State should aid him still further by granting loans from the public funds, taking the land and improvements as security. I much fear that this Utopian idea is never likely to be realised — in this part of the world at least. The libel action brought by Mr Edward Langton against the * Age ' newspaper, with damages laid at £5000, bas been decided in Mr Langtou's favor. The jury awarded him £1000 — for damage to his professional character £750, and for damage to his parliamentary character £250. The defendants made no attempt to justify the libel, but merely pleaded Not Guilty, contending that the remarks made were ouly a fair comment upon Mr Laugton's conduct The jury thought otherwise. An attempt was made to set asiile the verdict and obtain a new trial ; but although the judges ruled that the damages should not have been divided, Mr Langton's legal advisers elected to let the £250 go, and ihe judges then confirmed the verdict for £750, a decision which is final so far as our Colonial Courts are concerned. Another action for libel is on the card, which will be a lively one if it is allowed to go into Court. Mr G B. Davies, Chairman of Committees, has refused to accept Mr Berry's so-called apology for having called him " corrupt," and Mr Berry refuses to apologise further. Mr Davies, thereupon, placed the matter in the hands of his solicitors, and an action for slander has been commenced with damages laid at £5000. I uuderstand that it may be said of Mr Davies that he is not a very Good Templar, but otherwise he is supposed to be above suspicion. The election of Commissioners under the Harbour Trust Act is to take place on Good Friday. The day was chosen by mistake, but although it will cause some inconvenience to fhe electors, it will not nullify the election as was at #rst fe^rpfl Many pf \he Jeqding merchants in Melbourne ?*.i*e among \he Candidates, and no doqbt they will take energetic measures \q jn*proye the porf of Melbourne in thp interests of tr^dp and poromepep. It is probable that a direct canal will be cut so as to pn^ble tf*e Jargpst vessels to come right up to Melbourne and tbere disr charge their cargo instead of at Sapdridge or WiUiamstown, as at present. Tbis will be an immense saving both in distance, time, and money. It is also claimed that it will greatly lessen the danger of tbe floods whicb are so tp peepr in tbe Yarra, apd wbjcb haye beeq tbe cause of so much damage in ypars gone by. fhe resp.lt of tbe election is lpofced forward tp wjtb much interest. i

sssssssssssssssssssbSsssssbssssbsbe The' Board appointed by the Government to inquire into ' the statements made by the Engiueer-in-Chief against the colonial- made iocc motives made by the Phoenix Foundry Company of Ballarat, has just issued its report, from which some instructive facts are to be gathered. After a careful examination tbe Board finds that the statements made were to some extent justified— that the colo-nial-made engiues cost a great deal more for maintenance and repairs than English-made engines, and that tbey also greatly damage tbe permanent way in consequence of their faulty construction. This, however, is no fault of tbe contractors, but results from tbe faulty and inefficient designs supplied by the Railway Department itself. The Board finds that the workmanship is somewhat inferior to that of the best English engines, but tbat the material is as good with tbe exception of want of hardness and durability of the cylinders and brass castings. Oue odd circumstance in connection with the matter is that, although from the very first the department was aware of defective workmanship and materials in tbe engines supplied, yet no complaints were made to the contractors, wbo on the contrary were given to understand that the engines were giving every satisfaction. And although they offered to replace without any expense to the Government all breakages or unsatisfactory work, the offer was not accepted, but the defects were made good in the Government workshops. This was evidently unfair to tbe contractors, and the matter is one requiring explanation. Finally, the Board sees no reason why the Phoenix Company should not construct good and satisfactory engines if proper designs are supplied and skilful supervision exercised, whicb hitherto " has not been the case. On the whole, then, the company has come well out of the inquiry, which, it should be stated, was made at their request. The defects in the engines were found to be chiefly the result of departmental carelessness, and in comparing engines to be made in future with English made engines, the only thing tbat need be considered is tbe cost. Those already made bave each cost, on an average, about £1000 more than if tbey had been made in England, and the. question aiises whether the game is worth the candle. It is hardly likely that the future cost will be much less. It is all very well to talk about developing native industry, but even gold may be bought too dear, and tbe labor and capital employed in making locomotive engiaes would seem to have been misdirected. Whether it will be so misdirected in future depends on whether free trade or protection is to be the future policy of the country. If it is to be protection, then we must have colonial-made engines whatever they may cost. A much more satisfactory experiment in the way of developing native industry bas recently been made in Collins-street. That portion which lies between • s *wanston and Elizabeth streets has been laid with tarred metal, covered with a mixture of tar and screenings, and the result is considered so satisfactory as to justify an extension of the system. Every care was taken to ensure the success of the experiment. Two heavy steam rollers were used to consolidate the tarred "metal, and it was the'i carefully nursed for two or three weeks, omnibuses and all heavy traffic not being permitted to use it. The roadway is now | smooth and springy, pleasant both to walk and drive over, and perfectly noiseless It is also claimed for it that it will be dustless and in Melbourne that means a great deal The new roadway has now been in use for a month, and our City Surveyor may be congratulated on his having successfully solved a long standing problem. Experiments have been made in Melbourne, and are now being made in London, tbe cost of which has ranged as high as 16s peryard, without the attainment of any satisfactory result, while the cost of the new roadway in Collins- street, including metal, tar, use of steam rollers, and all labour, is a fraction less than 2s 6d per superficial yard. It has been reserved for a team from tbe combined colouies of Victoria and New South Wales to meet the All England Eleven on equal terms, and to beat them at that. One of the players from N.S.AV., Bannerman, scored, 126 the first day, not out, and when the game was resumed tlie following day. he increased it to 165, when the ball accidentally split one of his fingers and he had to give up, after playing an innings which tbe English captain said he had never seen beaten. A handsome testimonial is to be presented to him.. On the third day the excitement became intense, and nearly 10,000 people assembled to see tbe finish. When it ended the Englishmen had scored a total of 304 and tbe Australians 349, so the latter were winner? by 45 runs. Qi course tbere are the usual allegations as to tbe game having been sold, or not played on its merits, but tbe alligators are simply treated "as sicli." Evans, Allan, and Spofforth, have each incurred public displeasure on account of having refused to play, but, as the game was won without tbem, their refusal does not much matter. However, Allan's excuse w&s so friyolp-is, that he is likely to be sent to Coventry in future. The return match is to be played during the Easter holidays.. The Easter eneampent of Volunteers at Sunbury promises to be a success if only the weather is for once propitious. But hitherto they bftye been so singularly unfqrtunate that it is doubtful whether the Volunteers themselves anticipate any change in tbeir usual luck. There is to be the usual review and sham fight, and the St Kilda Artillery will march up, instead of inglqrio^sly sqjb g by 4 public meeting has been held in the Toivn Hall tpr {he purpose of discussing, apd failing fuadg fpr, tbe erection of a Ciuircii pf

England Cathedral It was weU attended, and upwards of £2000 were subscribed at the meeting. The subscriptions now amount to nearly £10,000, and no doubt the amount will rapidly increase when tbe site bas been determined. Tbe proposed cost is to be something like £100,000. The Melbourne Young Men's Christian Association is not likely to die out for want of energy among its members. They are erecting new rooms for themselves iv Kustfeil-street wbieh are to cost £6000, and a good part of the money has already been collected. Tbe building will be an elegant one of three storeys, and is to contain reading - room, library, class-rooms, a large lecture hall, &c. Tbe foundation stone was laid by Mrs Moor bouse, and Bishop Moorhouse delivered a capital address. A number of clergymen of different denominations* took part in tb** proceedings. A musical wonder iv tbe shape of a boy about five and a-half years old has appeared among us. He is able to play the most difficult operatic music on the piano with perfect correctness, and with good expression. But the most wonderful thing is that he can name the notes composing any chords struck on the piano, even with his back to tbe instrument. If Master Ernest Hutcheson goes on as he has begun he will be a prodigy indeed. Dr G. D. Macartney, the well-known lecturer, was to have delivered a lecture in the Temperance Hall the other night, but did not do so. During the day an application was made by bis wife to a judge in Chambers for leave to file a petition for divorce on tbe ground et intemperance, cruelty, and adultery. The application waa reported iv the evening paper, and instead of delivering his lecture Dr Macartney read a statement, in which he said tbe whole thing was a conspiracy, and complained of his wife's infidelity, for whicU he would have sought a divorce long ago but for tbe sake of bis children. Dr Macartney is one of the candidates for South Gippsland, and one of his opponents is the person who will be co-res-pondent in the divorce suit, whicb be will now institute. Hence the alleged conspiracy to damage his candidature. The matter cannot come before tbe courts until September. A suicidal mania seems to be prevalent just now. At Richmond the other day, after quarrelling with his wife, a man went and laid his head across the rails, and had it taken clean off by tbe train. Then a tailor at St. Kilda cut his throat, a girl at Moorabbin drowned herself in a water tank, and a man | named Spankie cut his throat in the Criterion Hotel. He came from Dundee, and his father, who is well off, had refused bim assistance.