OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER,.

Evening Star, Issue 8609, 1 September 1891, Page 4

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER,.

[From Our Melbourne Correspondent.] Tuesday, August 25, political. The Legislative Assembly had a late sitting on Thursday last in order to " break the baok" of the Federation Bill, the consideration of whioh bad hitherto been proceeding at a very slow rate. Before the House Adjourned the final clauses were passed in Committee, but several sections, involving important principles, had to be postponed, and these will receive attention to-day. A significant addition whioh was made in the Bill last week was a provision to abolish plural voting at elections for the House of Representatives. A great deal of interest is oentered in a Bill providing for the amalgamation of the two branches of the legal Assembly and is now being iafiS 8 *.£_;„f in the Upper Chamber. A similar measure was " within an ace " of becoming law in Viotoria on a former occasion, and there is bound to be a close division in the Council on the second reading of this Bill, la order to get a full attendance of members last week resort was made to a "oall of members," an antiquated proceeding which exoited some ridicule in the Chamber. The non-attendance of a member without proper excuse on such an occasion is supposed to be an unpardonable parliamentary offence; but there does not aeem to be any particular penalty to which the offending member may be subjected. Probably the punishment would be aa terrible as the 1 *' naming" of a member by the Speaker in I the other Chamber.

In the South Australian Assembly last Thursday the Treasurer (Mr Playford) delivered the Budget Statement. He showed the estimated revenue of the year ending June 30, 1891, to be L 2,617,677, and the actual revenue L 2.732.222. The actual revenue for the same period for the previous year was L 2,478,981; » substantial increase being thus recorded. The last year's receipts were the highest yet recorded, being about a quarter of a million in excess of the previous highest total. The. estimated expenditure of the last financial year was L 2,606,614, and the - aotual outlay L 2.703.498, including LIOO,OOO-in connec Hon with the Treasury Bills Act of lwt year.' The expenditure wtt ,the largest r the colony had yet had to meet,' with the exception of that of 188536; when ■ L 2,631,000 was spent; TherCvenueforthepyear ending June 30,1892, is estimated at L2 i 845,135, and the expenditure at L 2,775,372,

leaving ft credit balance of X.89,703. In dealing with the loan fond, Mr Playford oalled attention to the feet that the South Australian indebtedness, compared with the other colonies, was gratifyingly small. The indebtedness per head was small, and throughout the financial position was entirely sound and satisfactory. A critical statement as to the investment of the bonded debt showed how fallacious were the estimates usually made by English financiers of the value of colonial assets. It was conclusively E roved that a large proportion of the amount orrowed from English capitalists paid a handsome return in interest. Altogether South Australia Had great reason to be thankful for past achievements and to look forward to a pleasant prospect of prosperity. The total expenditure on public works to the present date was L 19.900.900, of whioh L 14.432.639 was Bpent on works yielding a profit over working expenses of L 704.023. The average rate of interest payable is 4 per cent. This is equal to interest on H7,<K)0,575 of the public debt, leaving only L 2,300,325, interest on whioh is to be supplied out of the general revenue.

ARTIFICIAL PBODUOTION OF BAIN. No doubt information by cable has been reoeived in New Zealand regarding the successful experiment whioh has been made in America in the way of producing rain by exploding balloons of dynamite. An extraot from a recent letter of the New York correspondent of the 'Argus' gives an interesting explanation on the subject. It is as follows:—" The extreme heat of June, of which I wrote in my last letter, was followed by a few days of heavy rain, and then by a long period of cool, bright, dry weather, which was very delightful, but which only changed the discontent of the farmers, who had been growling at the wet. These intervals of drought are quite regular over nearly the whole of the central part of the United States, and have excused, if not justified, the appropriation by the last Congress of 7,000d0l for experiments in rainmaking. An officer of the artillery has conceived the idea that it may be possible artificially to produce the effeot that is believed tn follow the heavy cannonading of great battles. He has made a study of the weather at the time of the chief engagements of the civil war, and he thinks that the sequence of battles and rainfall is sufficiently proven to be accepted as that of cause and effect. He concludes that if there can be had an explosion in the air of sufficient magnitude it will precipitate the moisture held in suspension. This he proposes to effect by means of a highly-explosive material carried to the -proper teigbt by & balloon, and "set off" by a discharge of electricity through a wire attached to the balloon. His preliminary experiments have been confined to perfecting his apparatus. They have been made in the vicinity of Washington, and they have been entirely satisfactory to the inventor, but extremely unsatisfactory to the dwellers in the neighborhood, the explosion being so violent as to frighten them very badly, and to do considerable damage to window panes. Now i the inventor intends to go to some thinlysettled part of Texas, and have an explosion on a scale large enough to determine the effect on the possible rainfall. Should he succeed, some theories of meteorology will have to be revised."

THE TROUBLE WITH THE SHEARERS. The following plain spoken communication has been sent by Mr W. E. Abbott to Sir Henry Parkes: —" I wish to place before you a matter which seems to me of very great importance to this country, and worthy of your immediate consideration. Some weeks ago between 200 and 300 men went to Dunlop station, on the Darling, and by threat of force removed from that station fifty-four men who were engaged under written agreements to do the work of shearing. These fifty-four men were taken to a camp some miles away and kept close priaonerß for nearly a week, after which they were released by the police and went back to work. Some of the men imprisoned laid informations for assaults that occurred in the course of the proceedings, and three men out of the 200 or 300 who made the attack were convicted of common assault and fined a few pounds, the fines being paid at once. It had been reported in the Press, and not contradicted yet, that the officer in charge of the police when the fifty-four men were released, who waa in that matter the representative of the Government of New South Wales as well as of the laws of the country, in writing thanked the men who committed this gross and unparalleled offence for their moderation. Their moderation consisted in that when they had the power to do so they did not deprive the fifty-four free oitizana of the community of their lives as well as of their liberties, and thus add murder to conspiracy. That is exactly how the matter stands now, and all law abiding members of the community have been waiting to see what action will be taken. Some of the men engaged in this (to New South Wales) degrading episode have been announcing that the Dunlop outrage cost the Union less than £d per man, which has been published in the Press. The inference to be drawn by criminals and those having criminal inclinations is that in New South Wales at the present time crimes of the greatest magnitude may be committed at a coat to those who commit them of a few farthings or a few pence per head. Is it well that there should be good ground for suoh an inference ? There can be no question about identification in the Dunlop case, for those who were convicted can be identified again, and any number required for the purpose of making examples could be easily identified. In Queensland, at Bombah station, the same kind of crime was committed, the only difference being that at Bombah the men were only imprisoned for twenty-four hours, instead of nearly a week as at Dunlop, and the leaders of the men who committed that crime in Queensland are now serving long sentences of several years for their offence against tho laws of their country. The facts are as I have stated them, and must be well known to the police and to yourself. Now, I have to ask you, as head of the Government in this colony, is it definitely settled as the policy of your Government that in New South Wales the property, life, and liberty of every citizen is to be at the mercy of any gang of sundowners and oriminals who choose to call themselves unionists, and are in sufficient numbers to enforce their authority ? If this be settled, it becomes the duty of every man who values law and order, and desires to preserve hii liberty or life, to determine at once what are the proper steps to take, and for that i purpose I think I am entitled to an answer." THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL. There were changes of programme at three of the Melbourne theatres on Saturday evening. At the Princess's the Gaiety Company appeared in 'Cinder Ellen,' "for the first time on any stage," and made a hit, though it is acknowledged that the burlesque is capable of improvement by some condensation and rearrangement. Experience has shown -.„. „ a j- itU i fanltß with every burlesque, and no douoc m b o_„^._ t> aim at having it perfeot for their reappearance in London. At the Theatre Royal the Laura Villiera Company made a descent to what is known as the "Adelphi drama," and in the performance of 'A Celebrated Case' achieved more sucoess than in their previous efforts. ' Devotion,' an original drama by Mr Dion J. Boucicault, was played at the Bijou, and met with a favorable, if not an enthusiastic, reception. *Un Ballo' was performed by the Simongen Opera Company at the Alexandra Theatre last evening, The opera is a favorite in Melbourne, and will no doubt draw well.

An addition has been made to the cyclorama of the Battle of Waterloo in Melbourne, in the shape of a representation of the fall of the Eureka Stockade, an episode in Viotorian history. The canvas oovers 1,000 feet, and eight months' constant work has been spent on it. ' The Lights of London' was successfully reproduced at Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney, on Saturday night, when Mr William Rignold made, his first appearance as the Showman. The company oome to Melbourne shortly. The section of Messrs Brough and Boncioault's oompany at present in Sydney revived 'A Night Off' at the Criterion, and a crowded house greeted Mr G. W. Anson in his favorite character of Marcus Brutus Snap. 'The Old Guard' continues to fill the Royal nightly; and 'The idler' hfca bees such a success air the Garriok that it will be continued for another j week, ' >