MELBOURNE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 139, 26 April 1862, Page 5

MELBOURNE.

Saturday, April, 18.1832;

(PKOM OUIt OWN OOIIKI3SPONDENT)

The arrival of tho mail and the disasters of the Wembce have been "the chief topics during the last few days.. The Madras brings us several curious itcmt of significant importance to these colonies generally. One ia, that'there is'an opinion gaining ground iit home amongst the leading politicians of the House 'of Commons and members of the Queen's Govr.,that, ■ whenever any British colony in future, thinks itself capable of taking1 care of itself, an amicable settlement would be made, and the junior allowed to set up business for itself—become a kingdom, or an independent state, without the'firing of n-single shot, 'ihia -vyi^ no doubt plenso our colonial politicians of the sLang school; who have for a long time cherished the idea *of severance, but it will also tend to keep up ourloynUy to the" Crown when we know we can obtain, independence on such easy terms. Another item is tho sentiment propounded, by-tlie Colonnl Secretary at the Australian banquet, against manhood suffrage, ,and tho cheers that sentiment met with from the assembled guests composed chiefly of returned Australians' It has a double significance to us from the fact that several members of the present.Ministry .intend to.bringin H bill to alter manhood suffrage into household suffrage; and the parties opposed to this element in our democratic institutions are confident that in the present state of public feeling, they will be able to modify the Jaw in-such a manlier, «3 to restrict the ' franchise to those who have something more to entitle them to elcctorial right", than mere residence for two ■ months in any given locality. > The great argument against manhood suffrage however is practically answered by this colony, for with the fullest political ive'e- . dorii in tliis.respect, we have returned an assembly,', who by a majority, keep in power a. very conservativegovernment and pass measures of a. character very* favourable to vested interest, and so long as this is the case the opponents of manhood, suffrage can have no just grounds for alarm. It has been"stated on good authority that the present law officers of the cro-.vn are preparing a measure of thekiud I have indicated, and that they intend to ask leave to introduce it when the House resumes on the 29thinstant.. ' .

In the London Commercial Correspondent's letter to the Argiie, "we have thu astonishing assertion that eight of tliu ileales party were boai-ded aud lodged in Colliiigwood at the expanse of the Cabinet, at four pounds weekly per head, until payment of- members bill should pass, and that this was "well-known in London." I'nced hardly tell you there is more truth in this than in many other tilings that have beeu stated, ard the best answer to its untruthfulness is from" the fact that 'tha Ministry themselves were too poor to afford it. ■ It is stated in well-informed circles that Mr. Dully will early avail himself of his title of his pension of seven hundred a year, and that so soon as that is accomplished and the present Ministry leave office, he will retire to Ireland in the hope of being elected a member of the British House of Commons. ■ He is a man of great ambition; possibly beyond his" talent; but having already figured there, it is stated he sees his way to distinction in that place greater than in Tihis Colony, Dr. Sewell, the well-known barrister, has for; a long time past been in excellent practice, and every one thought ha was growing rich ; it was therefore rather surprising yesterday to hear it announced that ho hod fdod his schedule, with liabilities two thousand pounds, and assets a little over one thousand. There are a great many " shaky" individuals and firms in town but, but he is about the last man one_ would have imagined to see figuring in the insolvent list.' Coppin's new theatre is rapidly approaching completion, as far as the outward walls are concerned. It is in a fine situation, nearly opposite the Royal, in Bourke-street, and a few doors higher up. It is to be styled "Coppin's Varieties," aud the hotel which ia in the front of the building, is to be called " Our Tavern."

There has teen'abundant rain during the last three days to cheer the hearts of our miners, farmers, and' other 3 who are interested in the products of the soil. It has been very general, and it is expected that our escorts will now begin to yield a little moro, for their, weekly amount lately has been small, the last escort bringing only 20,900 ounces, an amount which your single field once or twice sent down. 1 observe numbers of your miners arc leaving for British jColumbia. The news by the mail-is certainly very encouraging, but as yet none of our" miners" have attempted to go, although the thin end of the stream has commenced at Sydney, in the departure of one vessel direct thither. I have seen many of your returned miners. They have done very well on the whole, and many, will .return in the summer, or earlier if any fresh fields should break out. The regulations of that extremely fickle personage, the clerk' of the weather, have sadly interfered with what with us was to have been tlie crowing event of the Easter holidays—the sight par excellence for our sight-seeing population. : According to the programme chalked out for the Werribee encampment, a large number of volunteers comprising troops of all arms^ —artillery, rifles, and engineers,—belonging not only to the Melbourne corps, but; also to those ofthe country districts, started for the camp on Wednesday, when on their arrival they immediately set themselves to work to arrange matters as" best they might for their first night's campaign. • Tents gere pitched, oppossum rugs and blankets were unrolled, and everything made snug for the night., The glass and the song went round, and, as was said, to compare small things with great, on another eve of contest with an approaching enemy. "All went merry as a marriage bell;" but, as in that case, a foe was at hand, and not onlyl so but a foe which was destined on this occasion to achieve, at all events, a temporary advantage over our brave little army then assembled on the open plain. At about 9 p.m., the enemy in the shape of a rattling shower and a howling gust of wind, announced its apm-oach. ' These premonitary symptoms were followed up by fierce and still fiercer attacks; louder and still louder roared the angry blast, until the whole elements seemed' to be exhausting their fury upon the luckless heads of the men exposed as they shortly were after the commencement of the storm by the carrying away of their tents, for np pegs and no canvas could stand on such a night to its pitiless rage. Ankle-deep in water, cold, draggled, and forlorn, with hungry looks the denizens of the camp took advantage of the earliest' dawn to ■ seek the refreshment tents, and try to compensate themselves for their night's trials by taking something warm and comfortable for breakfast, but in this, alas! they had. literally reckoned without their host or hosts, for tho greater part of the canteens had also been compelled to succumb to the blast of the preceding night, and presented nothing but a miserable array of draggled canvas and broken bottles. 'There" was, therefore,' nothing left for it ' but for r our volunteers to make the best of their way back to Melbourne in order to recruit exhausted nature, and enjoy shelter from the rain. This therefore was the course pursued by nearly every one of them. A brigade order was issued on Thursday, putting a stop to any) further .accessions to the camp until such time as the weather should have cleared up. ' Heavy rain has fallen at brief intervals ever and anon since, and it is only to-day that the prosnect of a favourable change has at length appeard. IN ot-; withstanding t he exceedinly damp state of the Wer; ribee Plains,' many zealous members of our little army have again started for the scene- of action, in order to be prepared for the sham-fight planned for Monday next: as both officers and men have made up their minds to go through the whole programme,' having once begun. This looks well, and shows British pluck.but so far as the enjoyment by the general public' in connection with the affair goes,— the wet state of the encampment rendering it impossible -move'about without getting overshoes^iamud—the whole thing may be. set down as a failure., , - ;

' ' Pop"'GbKS'' Tiiu''WEAZEL.V-^-This' refrain, is ■ ex-! plained as being the complaint of some unlucky pern son who has. been obliged to.resort to thaxesidence of "my uncle, "popularly known as the pop-shop. " To1 pop" is to pawn,' and '"weazcl" is a corruption of, vaißS&l'.{vlaXe),;ji word ,introduced' "simultiiaeously: with the Lombard fashion of pawning. ■ • '

Shock of Eakthquake in Ibkland.—At TuUamore, a few days ago, at twenty minutea to three o'clock, a blight shock of an earthquake was distinctly felt. 'I'hc shock was accompanied by a rumohnj? noise resembling di&taut thunder, wliich lasted for several seconds. There was scarcely a cloud to he seen at the time. The aneroid barometer showed 29.19. Thermometer, 43 deg. in the shade. Wind, S.S.YT.; force o'. On Sunday an extraordinary meteor was seen in various parts of, Ireland. It is described as the size and color of the moon ; and one person states that two belts of a dark color, "crossing each other, gave it exactly the appearance of Britannia's shield.

DreadfulOutrawes.—A telegram from Orange to the S.M. Herald states that Mr. Thos. Dalton, a storekeeper of Orange, returned from the Lachlan on Friday.. He reports that two men, of the names of Reily and Silvester, were stuck-up two miles from -the-diggings, and robbed. The bushrangers tied Reily to;a tree; in which position lie remained until liis'realeaseon the following morning. A shanty at the same distance from the diggings had oem attacked by the same R ung. They first seizedl the prothen raviEW in the presence of her children, mid the place robbed.— Yass Courier. ■ , Those six-the peevish, the niggard, thedissat.sfied the paslsionate, the suspicious, and those who U\e upon ethers' means—are for ever unhappy. ;'.