MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 221, 13 November 1888, Page 2

MELBOURNE TOWN TALK.

[from OUB OWN COBHESPONDINT.]

The mortal struggle that has been going on during the last few weeks in the Assembly over that bete noire, the Electoral Bill, culminated during the week in a crisis which, for the time being, has paralysed the House. A pitched battle was fought, in a continuous sitting of twenty-two hours, and a symposium of brow-beating, bullying, and stonewalling indulged, in, that has simply raised a howl of indignation right throughout the colony. The proceedings have been most rancorous all throughout the week, and so useless, so undignified, so vulgar, and so wickedly outrageous, that it is not too much to say that the entire community is shocked and disgusted. The fight is over the re-distribution of seats. The Opposition say that the Government want to arrange the new electorates so as to snuff them out, and io naturally fight tooth and nail. On the other hand, the Government seems determined to break down the Opposition stonewall, and so the result has been another blurred, blotted, and discreditable page of parliamentary history. Besides the excitement afforded us by the present Parliamentary scandals, there has been very little of moment in the occurrences of the week to attract private interest. Melbourne is just rousing herself for her annual racing saturnalia, end at the moment, before}* the carnival sets in, she is occupied in col leoting her energies f t the coming orgie. With November come gaieties galore, balls, dinners, holidays, excesses of all kinds, surmounted and domineered by the Cup. Before the advent of this all-conquering function, all minor inspirations fade and vanish for the time being. We forget the inconveniences arising from the present break in the cable ; the land boom fails to enthral us ; the present tightening of the money market passes unheeded ; art, literature, and orthodoxy sink into temporary oblivion. All thought! are centred on racing. The men think and talk of nothing but their bets or wagerings, the women of their dresses and social functions. Vauity, vanity; all is vanity, “ the dense optbalmia of the vacant mind,” as Campbell puts it, The Melbourne “ Cup ” itself is on view in a jeweller’s window in Collins street. On the lucus a non lucendo principle, it is not a cup at all, but eSKandsome trophy of solid silver of three beautifully-modellsd horses standing together. It was made in England, (which is rather a slur on Colonial powers of artistic workmanship) and it is really as chaste and beautiful an article as I have seen.

The usual “ Cup " prognostications, dreams, “ tips, " and vaticinations are of course floating round town *' in endlesa maze of floating atoms," to quote not very appropriately. But the best story 1 have heard anent the topic comes from Government House, though as it was only told me at second hand, Ido not vouch for its truth. It seems that two days ago his Excellency—who is a great patron of le sport— had a dream, and a most livid one. He dreamt the winner of the Cup. Next morning, at the gubernatorial breakfast table, he related his marvellous vision, to the delight of her Ladyship and children. “ It’s ■ the first time—the very first—l ever had a dream like that,” said Sir Henry, with pleasant emphasis, “ and I am sure there is something in it. I never bet, but I shall back my dream horse this time.” “ O yes, you must,” was the general chorus ; “ what was its name f’ “ Sapphire “ —that was the name. I dreamt somebody told me so. I’ll just see what odds it stands at. Where's the paper ?O, here it is. Now, let s see—hum !—yes, here’s the betting. Melbourne Cup. Mentor, Chicago, Tradition, Whakawai; why, what’s thia 1 Bless my soul 1 there isn't such a horse as Sapphire in the race."

From horses to dogs is not a very sudden transition, and I must own that one at least of the genus cams is attracting just now as much attention as the former. The cry of “Mad Dog 1” has been raised tar the first time in Melbourne, and something like a panic has set in in conseouence. Australia has always prided itself on its total immunity from hydrophobia, but if all one reads is correct, Melbourne has falsified the record, and not only one, but two or three mad dogs have been destroyed during the week. We all know the song about “ Schneider’s leetle dawg,” but here just now that celebrated animal is quite put in the shade by Mr Quilter’s dog. Mr Quilter is the gentleman who owned the canine that is the cause of all the argument, diagnosing, and letter writing. The animal showed signs of “ a mind diseased,” was shot, and Mr Quilter, being something of a vet., dissected the body, and published to horrified Melbourne the fact that the dog was mad. Then came doubt, argument, repudiation, and of course corroborative cases. All of a sud len instances of dogs going mad came pouring into the papers, and when reading the accounts, an ordinarily intelligent stranger would have gone away with the impression that every dog in Melbourne was mad as a March hare, But was it rabies or not ? Half the vets, siy yes, the other half no, and I am inclined to agree with the latter section, because surely if such a disease could obtain foothold in the A country, we should have had it long before. I Nothing further has come to the public regarding the scandalous frauds in the Registrar-General's office. Butler has been brought up and remanded on bail in order to give the prosecution time to get together the necessary evidence. So things remain in statu quo just now. But I am pleased to see the scandal has attracted public attention to the way things are being carried on in the Public Service. First of all a great outcry is being raised over the fact of the Public Service Board having allowed the RegistrarGeneral, Mr R. Gibbs, extended leave of absence on full pay in face of the gross irregularities that have been going on in the Department for years past, and which will beffound before the. enquiry is over to have entailed on the country a loss of £40,000 to £50,000. Then the public wants to know what the Audit Commissioners have been about to pass such free-and-easy accounts. Altogether, I anticipate an exposd of the most startling kind, and it is not too much to say that disclosures will come out that will perfectly astound us outsiders, for, from what I can gather, this Butler affair will prove but the thin end of the wedge th?t is to open up the closed portals that hide the inner wordings of the various Public Departments,

But a truce to disagreeables. Let me write something of a pleasanter nature in concliieion. I wrote last week about the Melbourne Hospital and its load of debt. Io triumphs I Where is that debt now ? Gone, vanished, liquidated. The whole amount of £lO,OOO has been got together, and the burthen is raised. lam really proud of our Melbourne capitalists, for most of the money came forward in sums of £lOO from wealthier class. It was a splendid initiation for that day of days—Hospital Sunday, aqd I fancy fiad an inspiriting influence on the public gensrally, for they responded nobly, The collection? made in the city and suburbs were magnifii cent, and beyond any previous amounts, £lO,OOO (roughly) being the total, whereas last year the donations were £3OOO less. Thia is a good advance, and reflects credit oa the city,