MELBOURNE.

Evening Star, Volume III, Issue 806, 5 December 1865, Page 2

MELBOURNE.

(FROM our own correspondent.) Melbourne, ISTov. 28tb, 1865,

As I informed you in a former letter, Victoria’s political crisis lias reached a climax, and consequently is now rapidly coming to an end. The Government have at last consented to believe that their conduct' has been’uhconstitutional ; they therefore withdrew the Appropria-tion-cum-Tariff Bill, separated it, ■ and sent up to the Council each bill on its own merits. The result has been that the Appropriation Bill has been passed, and that the tariff has been rejected. However—to use a sporting, phrase—the Ministry are determined to die hard, consequently they have resuscitated the “Units of Untry Bill,” and by giving its clauses a liberal translation, have placed the importers in a much worse position than they were with the protective tariff. For instance, each piece of silk in a case of silks, and each 12 yards of ribbon in a case of ribbon, every steel buckle or brooch affixed to a ladies belt, &c., is termed a unit of entry, subject to the duty of 2d, and every 4-dwt of jewellery tbe same. The result has been that a large quantity of the above description of goods and common jewellery have been forfeited by the importers sooner than they would pay the amount of revenue claimed, which, in many instances, I am given to understand, exceeded the original cost of the goods by 25 per cent. On the face of this outrage upon the liberty of the public (importers) it appears that our Custom House authorities have (although the new tariff is abandoned) only collected under it half of the revenue, as from old duties, on sugar, tea, opium, &c., so that in reality they have been making a present to a favored few of 10s in the £1 on articles subject to duty by our early and present, since their abandonment of the new, tariff. This has led to a further entanglement of matters, and several criminal actions have been commenced against the officers collecting customs dues for. neglect of duty and wilfull defrauding the State—in fact the convolutions of our political affairs of the past nine months have been most curious, and would require a pretty thick volume to explain. However, the game is now about up, and a general election is confidently expected in a very short time, when the voice. of the people will once more be heard, and the true state of public opinion arrived at. Thanks to universal suffrage, one thing is very certain, and that is, that in our next House an act authorising a plurality of votes will be one of the first measures brought forward, and will no doubt be well fought for. August next is appointed for the Intercolonial Exhibition proposed to be held in Melbourne. On the 30th of September the population of Victoria was, according to the Registrar. General’s returns, 022,824. The Government cutter Falcon is, ‘ and has been for some time, testing the deep sea fishing of Port Philip. The electric telegraph line to "Wood’s Point is now open for the public use. It is proposed to connect Gipps Band with Melbourne by Bailway. At present the distance, 140 miles, is accomplished by Cobb’s coaches in 24 hours.

A piece of ground in Albert Square, overlooking Parliament Houses, bas been selected for the site of the intended Masonic Hall.

The enquiries relative to the treatment of the poor little orphans at the Somburg and Prince’s Bridge Reformatories, has resulted in the exexposure of a system of neglect and cruelty unsurpassed in Charles Dickens’ description of the Yorkshire schools. 1 am happy to say however, that the Government have adopted speedy and stringent measures for a radical cure of this shameful evil.

Post Office Savings Ranks are being rapidly .established in the principal towns throughout Victoria.

The Hon. Mr Hervey’s estate is not expected to yield more than 2s in the pound. Child murder is becoming very common in Melbourne. The police are using great exertions to discover the murders of several infants whose bodies have recently been picked up in different parts of the city. Thomas Craig, a well-known retired ironmerchant of this town, has been sentenced to imprisonment for one month for indecency in a public garden. An appeal was entered, and heavy bail taken for his the defendant’s appearance at the next general session. A lire at Castlemaine has destroyed the whole of the buildings between Lewis’s Victorian

Hotel and Anderson’s timber yard. The loss is estimated at from £2OOO, to £2500.

Henley’s Tobacco factory at Oxley, near Beechworth, has also been destroyed by fire. J. H. Moulines, Town Clerk for Collingwood, was arrrested on Saturday evening on board the Lightning at Queenscliff in the act of absconding to England with between, so far as is at present known, £3OO and £4OO of the Corporation money. As a matter of course, our politics remaining in such an unsettled state causes business of every description to continue dull. Amusements have recently been pretty brisk. We have had a large number of charity bazaars and concerts, athletic sports, regattas both on the Yarra and in the bay, cricket matches, &c. At the Theatre Royal Mr Sullivan has been drawing crowded houses for the past three weeks with Dion Boucicault’s “ Arrah-na-Pogue ; or, Arrah with the Kiss. ” It is a highly sensational drama of the Colleen Bawn ” description, although somewhat superior to it, and is an immeuse favorite with the public. It is exceedingly well placed upon the stage, and is very cleverly performed. Mr Sullivan personates the principal character, Shaun the Post, in which, he sings “Eonning the Green ” with great effect. The right of playing this piece—which is said to be producing to the author no less a sum than £3OO per week—has been purchased by Mr Barry Sullivan. Next* week the Lyster Opera Company will reappear at this house. Lady Don made her farewell oppearance at the Haymarket Theatre on Saturday night, prior to her departure for California. The house was crowded, the piece selected for the occasion being “Satanus ; or, The Spirit of Beauty.” Two old colonial actors, Messrs Lambert aud Charles Young, intend accompanying her ladyship to the original land of gold. The Lenton Troupe have returned to the Haymarket. The Princess’ Theatre has been entirely remodelled and decorated by Mr A. Kina, formerly of Messrs Mallam and King, Caff de Paris, and will be re-opened on the 2nd of December with a burlesque and opera company.