OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

Lake County Press, Volume VIII, Issue 450, 24 December 1879, Page 3

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

(Fbom our Own Cobrespondent.) Melbourne,. December 15th. There-has been considerable excitement in political circles over the division on the motion that the Reform Bill be read a third time. After a long debate only 43 votes could be secured, and in a House of 86 that is not an absolute majority The Government, however, insist that as the seat for Villiers and itaytesbury is vacant the Assembly consists of only 85 members and therefore that as a matter of fact 43 votes is an absolute majority. This point, however, is disputed, not only by the Opposition but also by a great number of the Liberals, and by the whole of the Liberals journals including the 'Age,' the ' Geelong Advertiser,' and the 'Bendigo Independant.' In fact, with the exception of the Ministers themselves and a few thick and thin supporters of Mr Berry, it is agreed on all hands that the Bdl has been lost on the third reading and, therefore, can never be sent to the Upper House; so, to use the expressive wor 's o° one of the Ministerial papers, '* the celebrated Reform Bill is ignominiously kicl e 1 out." To show how the feeling cf the Lower House has been slowly and surely growing against Mr Berry and his Reform Bill, I may point out that on the first division ever taken on the Bill of last session the majority in favor of the Governmtnt was 37 ; about ten months after a second- division was taken and the majority had decreased to 29. The second reading of the present Bill took place on September 25th, and the majority had still further decreased to 22 ; and at the third reading which took place on Friday morning the majority was only 5; or if you count the votes of three absent members of the Opposition, the real sum total of the majority is only 2, a loss of no less than 25 votes in about 15 months. These figures, which are compiled from the official records of the House, and therefore admit of no dispute, show clearly that the star of Berryism is on the wane. What the next act in the play—j had almost written farce—will be it is somewhat difficult to say. The matter is to be sub* mitted to the most eminent members of the Bar; and it is understood their decision is to be regarded as final. What that decision will be it is not difficult to guess. The upshot of the whole matter is that the defeat of the Bill will expedite the dissolution of the House. The Almanac season has set in with a will, and we are deluged with this kind of literature. The best thing of the kind that has yet appeared is an illustrated Almanac published by Mr M'Kinlay, of Queen street. It contains a host of interesting and instructive reading-matter and is beautifully illustrated. It is well worthy of a London or American house. ~ 'Saturday Night,'a Weekly paper rublishea in Melbourne, has during the short time it has been started obtained an extremely large circulation, and it certainly deserves the patronage which has been awarded it. The illustrations are well and carefully executed, and the tales and sketches are written in a masterly manner. Business still keeps dull and things are very quiet. We are hoping that next year, with a change of Ministry, fche opening of the Exhibition, and the visit of the Prince of Wales, that business will again assume its former prosperity.