OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 9501, 25 September 1894, Page 1

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

[From Oub Melbourne Correspondent.]

Tuesday, September 18. THE VICTORIAN GENERAL ELECTIONS.

The General Elections which take place in Victoria this week as a result of the dissolution of Parliament applied for by the Patterson Government will be invested with more than ordinary interest. The financial position of the colony has become such as to demand serious attention, and the electors generally have suddenly awakened to the fact that a modification of the protective system will do much to improve the condition of affairs. It has been found that the increase of many lines in the tariff to prohibitive rates has unduly burdened producers, interfered sadly with the trade of Melbourne, and done little good to the protected manufactures. The protection has brought about undue competition in many industries, and there being but a limited market for the consumption of the goods manufactured, the evils of sweating have become painfully apparent. It is now seen that Freetraders, who would not be listened to in the past, were not far wrong in their predictions, and that the colony has been rapidly nearing that unenviable goal of *' stewing in her own juice." The revulsion of feeling in regard to the protective system has come about with wonderful suddenness, its force and extent not being realised until the dissolution of Parliament. Within the past few months a country organisation entitled the Triple Reform League has suddenly sprung into prominence, and it is remarkable how political trimmers have espoused its tenets with a view to gain seats in Parliament. Its three planks are financial reform, parliamentary reform, and tariff reform, special importance being given to the latter ; and most candidates have evinced the greatest anxiety to be accepted as tariff reformers. To come under that definition they have to support a tariff of not more than 25 per cent., and members who a year or two ago had nothing to say against Protection are most willing to have the tariff brought down to that limit aqd lower. The question of supporting the Patterson Ministry or the Turner Opposition has assumed a secondary importance, and the tariff is the all-absorb-ing topic. It may be said in advance of the elections that a majority of representatives are likely to be returned pledged to tariff reform, and that a reconstructed Patterson Ministry, or a totally new Government apart from the old parties, will come into power to carry out the fiscal mandate of the country. It looks at present as if there are going to be some surprises in the metropolitan electorates. Sir Graham Berry is secure of election for East Bourke Boroughs, and will in all probability be elevated to the Speaker's chair; but Mr Deakin, his "Liberal" and Protectionist colleague, is being hardly pressed in Essendon by Mr A. M'Cracken, a resident and popular brewer who has espoused the new cause. It is not at all unlikely that Mr M'Cracken will be returned. Then Mr G. Turner, the Leader of the Opposition, who has relapsed into Protectionist and Trades Hall associations, has found a hot opponent in Mr W. T. Coldham, a rising barrister and an old pupil of Mr Purves, Q.C., and the result of the election in St. Kilda is regarded with much doubt. Mr Coldham, needless to say, is an ardent tariff reformer. The return of Mr R. Murray Smith, a staunch Freetrader, is looked upon as a certainty at Hawthorn, and Mr E. Langton, another member of the old Freetrade party, has a good chance at Toorak. Mr Frank Madden, of the same ilk, has been returned unopposed for the Eastern suburbs. In Melbourne proper the candidature of Mr G. Downes Carter, the Treasurer, is not looked upon with favor on account of his Budget failure, and he is in danger of being ousted by Mr J. M'Whae, chairman of the Melbourne Stock Exchange, and a tariff reformer. Mr Shiels, the late leader of the Opposition, has a doughty opponent in Mr Ewan Cameron at Normauby, and in most of the country electorates fiscal champions have come to the front. By the time this letter reaches you the elections will have been decided, and if the results are as I anticipate your readers will be able to under* stand the change of political feeling which has suddenly come about in Victoria. NEWS FROM COOLGARDJE. A telegram from Coolgardie last Sunday states that a horrible murder has been committed a few miles from Broad Arrow. The body of the murdered man was found on Wednesday by some passers-by hidden in the shallow working's of a reef. It is supposed that with his mate deceased had been engaged in prospecting, and that his mate, turning on him, murdered him in cold blood. A party of diggers on the road to Bardock—the new reefing and alluvial field, ten miles from Broad Arrow—while coming through the bush from the new rush at the forty-five mile, saw a man working by himself. He was covering in a hole on the reef, but refused to allow the new-comers to see the excavation, and to get them away offered to show them where his mate was working. He took them half a mile away, assuring them that they could not miss the spot, and then turned back. No mate and no workings were found by the diggers, who, thinking that this was a ruse to get rid of them, returned next morning to the place where thty had met the man. He was not there, and on digging out the workings the body of a man believed to have been murdered was uncovered. The diggers refused to proceed with the unearthing of the corpse. Some of them went to give information to the police, while two of the parly remained to watch the body. The face of the murdered man was covered, and it ia not known who he is. The man who was filling in the* hole was 6ft in height, and appeared to be a foreigner. It is naturally concluded that he is the murderer, and the police are searching for him. This is the first murder committed in the district.

The sale of the Londonderry Mine has been accomplished. The Earl of Fingall has, it is reported here, purchased the mine for a, sum a little under £250,000 sterling and an interest. The exact sum has not been made known, but it is understood to be over £200,000 and a sixth interest. The Earl has purchased on behalf of a syndicate, in which Mr W. R. Casey, of Queensland, and Lord Dudley are believed to be interested. The sale has given general satisfaction, as the mine was not being done justice to by the prospectors, who were afraid to open up while surrounded by hundreds of dry blowers, who were working to within a few feet of the golden hole. The Earl of Fingall starts for England in a few days, taking specimens with him to show the British public how the gold occurs. Until the mine is floated and a manager for the company appointed the main workings will be bottomed down and the surface workings fenced in, and sufficient men to hold the ground will be employed on other parts of the block in sinking a vertical shaft. The workings down to the 50ft level show an enormous quantity of gold in sight, estimated at several tons.

A serious affray between blacks and diggers recently took place at Windich Brook, five miles from Mount Margaret. The men in camp were surrounded by the Natives, big powerful men, who threw spears at from twenty to thirty yards distance. The diggers' revolvers would not go off, and they ran away into thick scrub, when they were again surrounded by the Natives, who threw their spears excitedly but erratically. Breaking the spears thrown, the diggers, whose revolvers again failed thein, beat off

the blacks, and started for the nearest camp. They were carried in on oamels by the first party that met them, and were found to be in a terrible state. 0. Wallace had a spear wound through his lung, from which blood gushed at each respiration, while his shoulder blade was also pierced, and he had also a serious scalp wound. The injuries were roughly dressed by the prospector, Hall, who doctored the men for three weeks, by which time Wallace was able to get about with a stick; but Malcolm, who had suffered previously from fever and ague, is still in bed, his most serious injuries being a spear wound in the" small of the back, which, it is believed, has injured the spinal cord, a spear through the thigh, and a fearful wound which split his ringer from end to end, in addition to a severe laceration of the temple.

A L'AI'SE C'ELEURE. Tho second trial of the great libel case Speight v. Syme is drawing to a conclusion, Mr Justice Williams being engaged in his charge to the jury. His Honor is bumming up greatly in favor of the defendant, and, in the opinion of most unbiased onlookers, he is not doing justice to the plaintiff. Mr Justice Williams has always been alllictcd with a tendency to lly into hysterics. DOMESTIC TItAOKHY. The inquest held on the bodies of William Maher, Mrs Maher, and John Green, the two latter of whom were shot by Maher, who afterwards committed suicide, near Narrabri (N.S. W.), disclosed one of the most deliberate crimes ever committed in the colony. Maher had quarrelled with his wife, who went as housekeeper to Green. He went to Green's house carrying a rifle, and at first was not recognised, as he had shaved off his whiskers. He then disclosed himself to Green, and told him that he intended to shoot him. Maher's two children were behind Green, and he told them to get out of the way. Green then ran into the house, followed by Maher. He got a riile, but on pulling the trigger it snapped, having been tired on the previous day. Maher then said "It is my turn now," and shot Green through the eye, killing him. He then came out of the room, saying "There's one gone." He then put another cartridge into his rifle, but Mrs Maher and her son, aged nineteen, seized him, threw him on the ground, and kept him there for an hour. He would not give up the weapon, but pretended that he would behave quietly. He then asked for some tea, saying that he did not feel well. After a while the three went out together, when Maher shot at a hawk, missing it. He instantly inserted another cartridge in his riile, and shot his wife in the ear, "killing her. He then put in another cartridge. His son said: "I suppose that's for me ; what have I done ?" Maher replied: "No, that's not for you," and handed his son his watch, telling him to keep it in remembrance of him. He then took off his coat and vest, boots, and socks, and placing his toe on the trigger shot himself in the mouth, dying without a struggle. There are ten children, and Mrs Maher some time ago brought Maher before the Narrabri Police Court for assault. She threatened to leave him, and he said that he would shoot her if she did. A strange homicide. An extraordinary murder has been committed by an old man named John Grant at Quantong, twelve miles from Horsham. Grant's wife some time ago underwent an operation for tumor, and since then had become a victim to the chloral habit, consuming large quantities of chloral and chlorodyne. In order to break her off the habit the family had built a house near Quantong, and her husband had undertaken to prevent her getting the drug., keeping close watch over her. She developed suicidal tendencies, and repeatedly threatened her husband's life. For the past fortnight the old man had kept close night watch over her, being unable to sleep for fear she should put her threat into execution. His sons begged him to give the watch up, but the old man would not, saying his wife was getting better. The worry, however, appears to have unhinged his mind, ■■v.iil early in the morning, according to his slory, when she lit a lamp near her bed he siwa hammer in her hand, and, realising her intention to murder him, in a fit of passion he seized the hammer, and in mad excitement struck her three or four times on the head. Finding that he had killed his wife, lie covered the body with the bedclothes, and seems to have gone about as uuial until ten o'clock, when he went to the railway station, a mile and a-half distant, I .ok train for Horsham, and gave himself up to the police. Grant is an intelligent man, o' good address, and seventy-eight years of age. His wife was sixty. He has been found guilty of manslaughter by a coroner's jury. THEATRICAL A.NU Ml SICAL. Melbourne is being well supplied with amusements at the present time. In addition to the usual theatrical performances there have been the very interesting lectures of Mrs Besant and the concerts of the Cyril Tyler Company. The latter have been given at the Town Hall, and are now being succeeded by a second series of the admirable eatertainments of the Sapio-Urso Company. Mrs Besant gave her last lecture in Melbourne at the Bijou Theatre on Saturday evening, and its attractive powers were so great that hundreds had to be refused admission. It was entitled 'How I Became a Theosophist.' After describing the result of a number of experiments directed towards the production of occult phenomena, Mrs Besant mentioned that she was finally led to embrace the tenets of Theosophy through reading Madame Blavatzky's book 'The .Secret Doctrine,' in which she found a clue to many of the extraordinary manifestations which she had witnessed during the progress of her experiments. An introduction to the writer of the book completed what the reading of it had begun, and Mrs Besant became an ardent Theosophist, and an advocate of doctrines by means of which, to use her own words, she had been able to prove for herself the reality of the soul by actual personal experience, without being obliged to depend for her conviction either upon authority or mere faith. The Brough and Boucicault company are producing Oscar Wilde's society comedy * Lady Windermere's Fan' at the Princess's, and next Saturday will replace it with TSydney Grundy's ' Sowing the Wind.' Mr C. Taylor's dramatic company are appearing at the Royal in an original piece entitled 'Ould Ireland.' The Gaiety, below the Bijou, has been rehabilitated, and is now known as the Oxford Theatre. It is being successfully run by the Cogill brothers. Fillis's circus has lately been added to the list of Melbourne amusements. In Sydney ' Henry V.' is being played by Mr Rignold at Her Majesty's, ' The Private Secretary' by Mr Thornton at the Criterion, and ' Struck Oil' by Miss Maggie Moore at the Royal. ______________