MELBOURNE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1157, 5 September 1865, Page 5

MELBOURNE.

{rHOM OUR OWK CORBEBPONDEHT.)

Melbourne, Tuesday, 29th Augu&t.

The *' dead-lock" in the machinery of* Government here remains as fast as ever j the salaries of the Civil servants remain unpaid, and the effects of the stoppage of supplies are beginning to he felt very severely by the less wealthy classes of tradesmen throughout the colony.

At the date of my last communication, a Conference Committee, consisting of several leading members of each House of the Legislature, was sitting nominally for the? purpose of discussing certain amendments in the .Water Works Bill, but in reality not without some ulterior views v?it& respect to an arrangement of the nowserious difficulties involved in the Appro-priation-cum-Tariff Bill, and the respective rights and privileges of the two Houses, as affecttd by the "laying aside" by the Legislative Council of that measure. The reports of the two sections of the committee were presented to each. House on Tuesday, the 22nd inst.,%hen, from the tenor of those documents, it was found that after several long discussions the Conference had not been able to agree as to the general question of the privileges of the two Chambers with respect to each, other. An arrangement had, however, been made, by the terms of which the Water Works Bill would be allowed to become law, after being re-introduced in. the Lower House and passed through all its stages in a slightly modified foim. Go. the same evening Mr Snodgras?, a somewhat eccentric member of the Assembly, who has a singularly unhappy knack of either doing wrong things, or right things at a wrong time, moved for an address to the Governor, calling hi 3 Excellency's attention to a notice in the Government Gazelle of the 28th of July, signed George Verdon, announcing the suspension of the payment of salaries, wages, and contingencies, and praying him to adopt such, measures as he might think fit to protect the civil servants under these " ciuel and unjustifiable" circumstances. A very brief discussion ensued, and the motion, which met with a very limited amount of support, was rejected without a division. On the following Thursday, Mr M'Gregor, a supporter of the Ministry, in a speech setting forth the evils that would arise from a longer continuance of the " dead lock,"" moved—"That'an address be presented to his Excellency the Governor, respectfully representing, that in consequence of the laying aside by the Legislative Council, without message or communication to the Legislative Assembly, of the Bill of Supply and Appropriation passed by this House, the salaries of civil servants, for the month of July, have not yet been paid, and other public obligations are undischarged; and praying his Excellency that such measures may be adopted as ahull, in the opinion of his responsible advisers, be expedient or necessary for satisfying the liabilities aforesaid, and for maintaining the effie'ency of the public service." The resolution was adopted by the Ministry, in accordance with a decision previously come to in a private meeting with their supporters; but, while accepting the motion, they declined to bind themselves to any definite course of action in the matter. After a long and animated debate, the motion was carried by a majority oi 40 to IG. It has not yet publicly transpired that anything has been done by the Government, on account of the resolution so triumphantly carried in. their favor; but I find that amongst the civil servants themselves a very general expectation prevails that their salaries will be duly paid early in the ensuing month. In the meantime the Ministry have lost none of their popularity with, that large section oi our community which soi disant conservative politicians here choose to designate " the mob," and the Legislative Council is, by the same manyheaded monster, still regarded with feelings akin to hatred and contempt. It does not appear, however, that the policy of the present advisers of the Crown is at all popular with the Council elector.1! of the Eastern Province, since they have juat elected Mr Haines—who come 3 forward as a decided opponent of that policy—to fill the vacant anat created by the retirement of Mr Harvey, the late representative of the Government in that House, in preference to the Ministerial candidate Mr Carr, and that, too, by a large majority. The subject which, next to the political difficulties of their own "situation," haa been the most important question discussed at several recent meetings of the Cabinet, has been that of the guilt or innocence of the unhappy man David Young, who had been found guilty of the murder of Margaret Graham at Daylesford, and sentenced to die by the hands of the hangman. After several long and earnest discussions as to the merits of the whole case, and a careful consideration of the circumstantial evidence adduced at the trial, it was finally resolved to allow the law to take its course, and the fatal sentence was carried out at Castlemainegaol^m Monday morning, the 21st inst. The culprit, even with the rope round his neck, protested his innocence of the crime for which he suffered, although after he had been placed under the fatal beam, he had been solemnly charged by the Roman Catholic clergyman who attended him upon the scaffold to confess the crime if he were guilty. As may well be supposed, from the peculiar circumstances of/ the case, public opinion here is divided as to the justice of the Executive Council in this matter, and I am very far from, being alone in holding the belief that the evidence against him was not sufficiently conclusive to warrant his conviction. It is clear, however, from the culprit's own admission, as well as from an abundance of other evidence, that he was an "old hand" and a hardened uriininal ol the very worst stamp. Some scandal has been occasioned m the musical world by the disputes between Miss Octavia Hamilton, the cantatrice, and her husband Mr Moon. It may not be known to your readers that some time i-ince terms of separation were agreed upon, between the pair, Mr Moon undertaking to pay to his wife, for maintenance, L 4 per week. Finding this too heavy a tax u^oa Ms income, hp, 'ceased to pay the amount, and was sued by his wife for the arrears, which she recovered in the County Court, ander the agreement. At a concert at bt George's Hall, at which the lady sang I ibtelv two children, one four and the other 1 &p\it years old, were observed waiting and

crying outside, and on 'Mmjr questioned, they stated Mrs Mo<vr was their mother, and they wished to*be taken to her. On her being referred to, she said they had better be t^ken" to their father, Mr Moon. That gentlemen declining to take charge of them, 'lie was charged before the Fitzroy Bench with deserting his children, and ordered to pay 15a a week towards' their support. The poor children were in a ' ~dirty condition, and covered with vermin,1 ' and were ordered to be sent to the Industrial School. General Cameron took his departure from the Australian colonies by the royal mail steamer Jeddo, which sailed on Saturday aitcrnoon, the 26th inst. During his very lirief stay in Melbourne, the gallant officer was visited by His Excellency the Governor, and a complimentary address was presented to him by the Corporation of the city. There has been quite a gastronomic excitement created litre by the unlocked for rf but none the les-a welcome, arrival in Hobeon'ri Bay of an enormous quantity of a kind of fish hitherto unknown in these waters. After tome newspaper controversy as to the real designation of these novel finny visitors, most persons appear now to be satisfied that they belong to the "family of " pilchards," while a minority of the public persists in calling them " herrings." If they belong to the latter species, they a,re certainly a very small variety. Whatever may, be the differences of opinion as to the name of these fishes, however, there is none, whatever as to tbeir quality as ait article of lootl, and whether fried, boiled, or pickled, everybody pronoii'jcQS them excellent eating. Tons., jjpon tons.,of them are being taken out«of tlix; Bay daily, and they are hawked about the streets at sixpence a bucketful. It was. very obliging of them to look in upon us,just now, when meat appears to fee rapidly approaching home price?, and bad at the money; and it is to bes hoped that this will not be the,last visit that these strange fish will ■favor us with, but that if, as it is supposed, it is " No. ]," it h " to be continued." A. vacancy has occurred in the Legislative Assembly owing to the resignation of Mr Vale, one of the representatives for Ballarat West, a general supporter of thf. Ministerial policy, who lias relinquised his seat and offers himself for re-election, with the avowed object of allowing hie constituents an opportunity .of, expressing an Opinion upon that policy. His re-election will be opposed by the candidature of Mr James Service, a- gentleman already •well known to political fame amongst us, who comes • forward as an opponent of the Ministry. --Xhe result of the approaching contest is looked forward to with a great deal of interest. ThejLyster Opera Troupe have once more taken possession of the Royal, and are drawing crowded houses every night.