MELBOURNE.

North Otago Times, Volume II, Issue 40, 24 November 1864, Page 1 (Supplement)

MELBOURNE.

(From the " Daily Times " Correspondent.) Thursday, 10th November. The branch mail steamer was sighted at Adelaide at 5 a.m. this morning, I therefore hope to be able to send you by the Aldinga with this, a summary of European news, brought by the September mail from England. There has been very little in the way of interesting news Stirling here since the despatch of my last letter by the Omeo. The third and last day's racing upon the Melbourne course on Saturday was well patronised by the Victorian public ; the M'euther was very fine, and the sport good. In the steeplechase, however, more than the ordinary average number of mishaps to man and beast occurred ; one fine animal named Guy Fawkes having broken his neck at one of the leaps, and his rider, West, hawng been so seriously injured internally as to render it necessary to convey him to the Melbourne Hospital. The fence at which this sad- accident happened, was situated very near the winning post, and the animal whir h was killed, stood a good chance of winning the race at the moment of its occurrence. Another good horse, called Inglesidc, from Ballarat, Cell alongside of Guy Fawkes at the same moment ; but both horse and rider escaped comparatively unhurt. Nearly everyone of the hoises competing in this iace fell, and the prize was carried off by Vandyke, an outsider.

Yesterday, being the anniversary of the birth of the Prince of Wales, was duly observed as a holiday by all the loyal citizens of Melbourne. The Banks and (Government Offices were all closed, and the inhabitants geneially followed the example set them by the public establishments. As the day was exceedingly fine, a veiy large proportion of our city population betook themselves to the countiy—by road, rail, and river; but the great point of attraction was the Melbourne Annual Regatta upon the Saltwater River, at thermal suburb of Footscray, whither thousands were conveyed by the* Victoii<lll Railway, besides thousands more who reached the spot by the Yarra steamers, the ordinary street ears, and private vehicles. Altogether there were nearly ten thousand peisons present, the attendance including His K\eellency Sir Chules Darling and his family. Additional interest was infused into the day's -poits by the fact that the Ballaiat folks, who ha\e lately established a local rowing club, had sent down several of their champions to contest some of the event-, with the Melbourne and subuiban clubs. The pro\inrials did not meet uith much succebs, however, as the only iace they Avon was gained by an accident which occmred to the opposing' boat, which ran aground upon the bank of the mer.

The great Supreme Court case of Ilodgkinson v. Clough, an action in which the plaintiff, a squatter, claimed damages of LIO,OOO against Clough and Co., the wellknown wool-brokers of this city, for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution, was heard here last week for a thiid time, but without any decision bciiu' arrived at in the matter, the jury being unable to a&ree upon a verdict. In the two previous trials, the case had been decided in favor of the plaintiff, with heavy damages, but on each instance the verdict of the jury had been upset by means of a successful appeal to the Judges in banco upon technical points. Melbourne Races—Prince of Wales Stakes, won by Druid ; Publicans' Purse, by Lantern ; 'Steeplechase, by Vaivl>ke ; Victoria Stakes, by Poet; Consolation Stakes, by Edith, Wattletiee.