OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

Lake County Press, Volume IX, Issue 468, 29 April 1880, Page 3

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

(Fbom 1 our Own Cobrespondent.) . Melbourne, April 12th. Although'Mr Service and his coleagues have only been in office about ive weeks, yet they have shown themjelves to be an earnest'and hard-workino-idniinistration. 1 Of .course the major 3 art of the labor falls on the shoulders if the Premier, but'the other members ,f the Ministry are doing their best in heir several Departments, and everyhing appears to be moving along imoothly ; and, if the factious opposlion in the House can only be mder, the best results will f pllow, and Relieve that the Colony will progress id prosper to a wonderful extent, Berry and Mr Longmore apleared at Brunswick- the other night, md delivered two remarkable speeches! ; am afraid that they see the' game is ilayed out, and accept their defeat in ,n ungracious manner. Mr Berry asribed his defeat to plural voting and lie bad management'of the Liberals. U5 regards the former he spoke as if be plural voting only took place in one onstituency, but he forgot to mention tiat in some places where there was a Misiderable amount of plural voting ieLiberal side'won the elections, and tot the greatest majorities of "the Conjrratives were secured in districts here there was little or no plural oting. For the ex-Premier to cornlain of the bad management of his mi party is not paying them a very igh' compliment! I' happen to know, ow'eVer, that no stone was left unlrned to secure a victory. It would ave been more to Mr Berry's credit ad he eaten the leek and admitted iathis~ defeat was'owing to a great mnge in public opinion. It; seems the Ministry have some ifficulty in getting a successor to the ite Judge Fellows. One or twp leadig members of the Bar have declined le honor, and at' present the matter is asettled. Some people say that no : ew Judge is needed, while others, rineipally members of the legal proission, have petitioned the Ministry to II the vacancy. Dr Robert Feel, who has" for many jars been a leading physician in Adeide, has commenced, practice in Melsurne, and I predict that he will soon 3 as popular hero as he was in the ster Colony. To-morrow His Excellency the Gomor will lay. the foundation-stone of ie new Anglican Cathedral in Swanbfii'street;- when addresses are to be slivered by the Right Rev. Dr Moormse aud Sir W. F. Stawell, C.J. A ecial choir under' the leadership of >8 Rev. Dr Torrance will be present. lie commencement of this' important ork is an' era in the history of Vicria, and the progress of the underking will be watched with cdnsider)le interest by the members of the lurch of England.-. We have to' ank the Bishop of Melbourne - for the (ginning of this great work, which ill be an ornament to the city and of eat use to the Church.. Mr Pritchard, of Eh'zabeth'-street, « obtained a patent for a horseliar, which combines in one both liar and hames. It is said to be ore useful and durable than the ordity article. Dr Beaney has sent' me a copy of a iall work he has recently published " Stricture." The series of lectures which this iitone will, when finished, ike a handsome volume which will invaluable to the" medical student. m, April 15th. Ihe Hon. James Service delivered an fe speech at Baringheep on WednesHM which he explained, th-s main itures-of the Ministerial policy. From at he said if is clear that the hon. itleman is anxious' to settle the Rein question first and foremost. He Aids on the first day the House rts to obtain leave'to intfoduce his" '■ and to move the first reading >0 after, the second reading to take *e as quickly as the rules of the jue permit He believes that the will pass the Lower Chamber by a I majority,- and also be received with otin the Upper House. As to the fstion of payment of members - , Minis--8 are divided. Messrs Bent and »k are understood to be in favor of 'ml the others opposed to it. It is > that forty members are pledged to If only that number vote of course 'Bill will be lost, and I htjpe it will To my mind it savors of the inde"fof members of Parliament to unite voting money into their own pockets ! «ch an open mahri'er,- aud I doubt if 'true gentlemen would do it. But, Fou are aware, true gentility is not !**fced feature of Victorian poli. **.• In the speech of Mr Service a «o states that it is intended to do 'justice to'the whole of the Black »oesday victims. What the precise i"»e of the justice is is not stated ; 7ou may depend it will be fair and

honorable restitution for'a'most iniquitous act. Mr remarks have given great sfetisfactibn all round, aiid have helped to strengthen the" coofi* deneetbat 1 has been engendered since the hon.' gentleman took office. The laying of the foundation-stone of the' ProtestSht Cathedral has been a' red letter day in the annals of the Churdh of England in Victoria; A large concourse assembled, and three able speeches were delivered, one by His Excellency the Governor'(who laid the stone), auother by His Lordship the Bishop of Melbourne, and another" by His Honor the Chief Justice (Sir W. Stawell). The whule proceedings passed ofl with much eclat, _ To-night a well-deserved' compliment is to be paid to that popular statesman, the Hon. Sir William Henry Mitchell, M.L.C., the President of the Legislative Council, who is-to be entertained at a complimentary banquet' at Klyneton. Ine hon. gentleman is an old colonist and an old politician, and during his career has earned the respect of all with whom he has been connected. The 'Argus' states that the notorious political adventurer, Mr E. Ward, of Adelaide, will shortly visit Victoria and take up his abode here.. It must be" for our sins that we are thus visited. He will make a fit companion for Mr I). Gawnson, and if we could only import Mr Buchanan, from Sydney, we should rejoice in the possession of a splendid trio, to which the "Three Graces" could not be compared^ An article on the Most Rev. the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne (fortning No. 10 of the series of "Popular Victorian Celebrities") appeared last week, and has been read with more than usual interest. His Grace has communicated with the author, and in an autograph letter compliments him on the fairness and ability displayed in the cdmposition of the sketch. It is stated that the seriea'will shortly be published in book form. April 19th: There is nbtbing fresh to report in the political world. The Ministry are holding long Cabinet meetings, au d it is said that their measures are in a very forward state. The Liberal members are particularly anxious about the Payment of Members Bill. Some of Mr Berry's followers are prepared to support Mr Service through thick and thin if he will only consent to assist in supporting the measure which gives them a chance of drawing the £2s'p'er mon:h. It, has been stated on good authority that if the Payment of Members Bill is not carried that 1 several of the Liberal members will be compelled to resign, as they rely upon this remuneration to keep them afloat. I hope the Bill will be rejected, and that-these needy politicians will for ever vacate their seats, so that independent members will take their place. It is high time that this pernicious evil wstb" put a stop to. A new advertising medium has recently been" started in Swanston-street. The notices are reflected on a large dis v c, 25 feet in diameter, and! can be read nearly half-a-mile away. It is an American idea, and will soon be as popular here as" it is in the United Sta£esV One of the weekly papers, apparently anxious to foster Colonial industry, is publishing an original serial,"story from the pen of a well-known writer. The story is entitled, "A Terrible Sacrifice," and. what has been published makes readers anxious for future dhapters. It is a pity that Colonial writers are not more encouraged by ndwspaper proprietors. Our leading weekly papers remit to England large" sdhufevery year for the right to reprint second-rate stones, when quite as good stories could be penned by our local authors. A change is needed, and the sooner it takes place the better. The banquet at to the' Hon. Sir William Mitchell was a great success. All the speakers testified to their guset's many good qualities. In reply, Sir William delivered a capital speech, in which he alluded to the early days of the Colony and the extraordinary changes which have taken place since he first arrived.