MELBOURNE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 768, 3 June 1864, Page 5

MELBOURNE.

(from otjb own correspondent.)

Melbourne, May 26th, 1864. During the unusually long inteivalthat has elapsed since the sailing of the last steamer for Otago and that of the City of ftobart, this day, there have been no startling, features in the current topics of the day, and not many events of much interest beyond the immediate neighborhood in which they have occurred. In Parliament a good deal of small winding up business has been done in both houses, preparatory to locking up the doors of our colonial St. Stephen's for an indefinite period; but the real business of the session might b» considered as ended with the rejection of the Land Bill by the Legislative Council, and since that event scarcely any measure of public importance has .been carried, or, if carried, it has been so wrought by soi disant amendments as to be of very small consequence indeed. One exception to this rule perhaps may be fouadin the Publicans' Act Amendment Bill, which will not be without its effect—its friends say for goodits enemies for cvil —but as the latter are chiefly confined to publicans, we need not much mind what they say about it. This Bill, although not quite through its finishing stages in the Upper House is in a fair way of becoming law by the end of the session. One of the chief advantages of the season will be that it will enable the grocers to do openly and legally, what they have done for a long time past secretly and illegally — namely to supply their customers with single bottles of geneva, wine, or beer, at rates far lower than charged by the publicans for worse articles. When the Bill left the Assembly, "spirits" were included in the "single bottle" list, but in deference to that efceD trie old colonist,- Johnny Fawkner, the permission, so far as " fire waters" are concerned, was struck out. The exact date of the prorogation of Parliament is still uncertain, although there is every probability of its taking place not later than the end of next week. Tuesday last, the 24th instant, being the anniversary of her Majesty's birthday, was observed here with the usual loyal holiday-making spirit jf the Victorian public. A grand review of the Melbourne and Suburban Volunteer Corps took place at Emerald Hill, on which about 1600 men of all arms figured very creditably, and which was attended by the Governor. After the review, his Excellency held a levee at the Exhibition Building, when the good citizens of Melbourne assembled in considerable numbers attired for the most part in bran new black coafa and spotless white " chokers," and looking exceedingly stiff and uncomfortable therein. _ I think I mentioned on a former occasion that Mr Brooke, M.L.A., had commenced legal proceedings against the proprietors of the " Age" newspaper for libel in consequence of a _ violent personal attack made upon him by that journal. The matter is evidently regarded in a serious light by the " Age," and great efforts have been made by ceunse! in its behalf to delay the proceedings in the case. Those efforts have been so far successful as to get a postponement of the trial—virtually for several months —for the purpose of sending commissions both to England and New Zealand to examine witnesses in support of the allegations contained in the alleged libel. This course was allowed by the Supreme Court only on the filing of affidavits by the defendants positively averring that the witnesses so to be examined would be able to give material evidence for the defence. It will, of couise, add largely to the expenses of the proceedings, and make an exceedingly heavy item in the costs of the losing party to the suit.

As I ventured to predict they would, Mr L. L. Smith's land leasing resolutions came to grief in the Assembly, and after ensuring a good deal of ridicule from Mr Weeks, and a little quiet banter from Mr Verdon, the treasurer, he was fain to withdraw his motion, and to reserve his scheme as a trump card to be played at the general election.

Mr Jenner, a member of the Legislative. Council, and an advocate of the doctrine of protection to native industry, is endeavouring to establish a "Reform League" in support of certain "political theories, amongst which his one favorite plan of raising a revenue upon protective principles, will form the leading feature. A public meeting is to be held to-morrow evening at St. George's Hall, when the hon. gentleman will take the Victorian public more fully into his confidence, and unfold at length the plan and objects of the proposed new league. She great salmon experiment is pregresjing favorably, both here and in Tasmania. Of the comparatively small number of ova left in this city, about 160 have been hatched, and all the young fish are doing well, while of those taken on to Launceston over a thousand are said to be sporting themselves gaily in the ponds provided for their reoeption. The chilling übscription, got up in this colony for the purpose of sending a bridal gift to the Prince and Princess of Wales, has reached L3OB, and a very handsome and suitable design has been decided upon for the testimonial, in the manufacture of which will be used 40 oz. of pure gold, and 200 oz. of silver. 1 Amongst the list of criminal offences of the last

K-w days, one of the ai .-si ,i um;u<nchaii oeeu the- forgery of a cheque f>r L6&J on the Louden. Chartered Bank. The forged eh q^v \vts presenfe i at the Bank for payment by a man named Jas Benson, and although the signature forged— that of Messrs Callender and Co, is pretty closely imitated, the bank clerk did not altogether like the appearance of the document, and gave the man presenting it into custody. Two of his companions in the crime were soon after arrested, and the trio were sent to gaol upon the charge of forging and uttering. M'Crae, the notorious bookstealer, has been tried upon a second charge, and sentenced to an additional term of imprisonment of two months' duration. X The " rush" to Picton, en route for the newly discovered diggings does not appear to have as yet included many diggers from Victoria direct, although, ro doubt, a good many of old diggers from the earlier discovered fields of your own colony have left there for the new land of promise. The whole arrangement of the usual steam service between, Melbourne and your port appears, however, to have been thrown into confusion by the new rush, and instead of returning as hitherto after discharging their cargoes at Dunedin, the steamers now seem to go off to Picton or elsewhere, and so to revolve through the most erratic orbits before returning to the place from whence they started.

The Autumn Meeting of the Victorian Racing Club, took place on the Melbourne course on Friday and Saturday last; and, notwithstanding the lateness of the season, the good sport pro* vided for the occasion, together with the fine weather, induced a large number of persons to visit the gronnd. For the winners of the chief events on the two days' races, I beg to refer your readers to my telegraphic summary of news. A correspondent of the "AsgU3," writing from. King George's elound, says that the English cricketers reached that place, on their way home, by the mail sieamer, in good health, and after a fine run of 120 hours from Hobson's Bay. Some among their number had suffered a good deal from sea-siekneas on the voyage, but they were getting their sea legs again, it is said that they have netted LSOO each by their Australian trip, and express themselves as being highly gratified with the result of their campaign. Caflyn, who remains in Melbourne under the auspices of the local club, and with a salary of L3OO per annum, intends to open a hairdresser's shop, and also to import cricketing materials for sale at the same time, so that there is every prospect of his doing very well here.