MELBOURNE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2120, 20 November 1868, Page 3

MELBOURNE.

(FJiOM our own correspondent.) November 10 th. The admirers of horse-racing hava been highly favoured in this quarter by the splendid weather of last week. The " Spring Meeting," instead of taking place, as it very often has done in previous years, on cold and wintry days, was accompanied by a sun and a temperature that would havo done no discredit to Christmas ; and, as might well bo expected under such circumstances, the attendance of the public on tho Flemington course was almost unprecedentedly large. The sport began on Thursday last, tho sth inst., tho first day of the meeting in point of time being also the first in the importance of its " events." Much to the disappointment of tho " backers" of Victorian horse flesh, the great prize of the season—the Melbourne Cup—was carried off bj' Glencoe, a Sydney horse, the property of Mr Tuit. The same animal abo won several other of tho numerous "events" contested during the three days' racing, including the Queen's Plate, his Victorian competitors having very little chance against him. Next in interest, perhaps, to the races amongst the more recent occurrences of the day hero, 13 tho grand field day of the dignitaries of the Church of England at tho present moment making a brief sojourn in this city. And when I say at the present moment I must, in one instance at least, ask your readers to take

the expression in its most literal sense, seeing that tho most renowned of those dignitaries, the Right Rev. G. A. Selwyn, Bishop of Lichfiold and New Zealand, takes his departure for England by the mail steamer from Hobson's Bay, at two o'clock this afternoon. This highly esteemed and right rev. gentleman, who appears to havo gained "golden opinions from all sorts of peoplo" during

his long connection with the Church of England, has been tho guest of His Excellency the Governor while awaiting the sailing of the Bombay. On Sunday he preached three times at as many different churches, and last night he addressed a crowded congregation at St Peter's. Addresses from the clergy and laity have been presented to His Lordship, and yesterday morning at eight o'clock ho was entertained at a semi-public breakfast, at the houso of the Rev. W. H. Guiness at South "£arra. In addition to the attractions presented by the sermons of the Bishop of Lichfield on Sunday last, the Bishops of Tasmania and Wellington held services at other churches.

The unfortunate coincidence of "mail day" falling npon the birthday of the Prince of Wales rather spoiled the holiday, usually observed with great strictness. As the closing of the various banks and offices on. " mail day" wasa moral impossibility, the former class of establishments compromised the matter by shutting up on the previous Thursday, while the Government offices have trans-

ferred to Tuesday (this day). Moat of the retail establishment! of the city and

suburbs, however, in their uncertainty as to when tho holiday was to be kept have fallen to the ground between the two stools, and had no holiday at all, notwi.hstanding tho very tempting weathor. Tho now Land Regulations under the 42nd c'auso of the Amending Land Act of Victoria are now in full operation. As I have taken occasion to inform your readers in a previous letter, by the tjim.s of theso regulations any person who can persuade tho Government that ho is desirous of becoming a, bona fide agriculturist can now tako up from 20 to 100 acres of land within 30 u.ik-s of any goldfield, on lease, a' a rental of 2a per acre per annum. The Administrators of tho Act aro evidently desirous of putting tho most liberal possible interpretation upon tho ferni3 " within a radius of 30 miles of any goldfield," as vvitness the following anecdote : A short time since, some of the inhabitants of the South Western District who, feeling themselves aggrieved by being excluded from all tho benefits of the recent extension of tho 42.id clause, complained to tho official head of the Lands Department, i wero informed that they had only to send out a " prospecting party" to search for tho precious metal, in order to bring the particular portion of the Colony in which they dwelt within tho meaning of tho Act, although gold might not actually have been discovered within a hundred

miles of the locality. Tho first batch of actual selections took placo in several different parts of tho Colony simultaneously on Monday week. They were largely attended, and an aggregate quantity of several thousand acres "Veil into tho hands of the fortuuato scloctors.

It is said that a great deal of the land thus taken up, and for which tho settler will ultimately havo to pay no more than 20s an acre, ia now worth' five times that sum in open market ; ao that tho term

" fortunate" as applied to those selectors who havo acquired it so cheaply, is literally true. Tho " Taylor scandal" has not yet entirely dropped out of general conversa-

tion, although, liko all other startling subjects, after the lapse of a few weeks, it is of course loss frequently alluded to than it was. It appears certain tliat this once highly-re3pected and popular Baptist minister will never be able to hold up his head in society here again. Although ho lias not yet left Melbourne, ho is living in strict seclusion, and is quietly but assiduously winding-up his all'airs in this colony, preparatory to quitting it, at an early date—probably for ever. I have, in fact, accidentally learned that the once reverend gentleman is in treaty with Mill. T. Dwight, tho well-known bookseller in Bourko street, for the salo of hi 3 large and valuable library. Tho representative of the United Str.tr-s Oovernmcnt in this city, lias persevered in putting our criminal law in force against Robins, tho captain of the ship S. D. Bailey, in spite of a good deal of discouragement and delay, arising out of technical difficulties. At nn examination held at tho City Police Court yesterday, the mate of tho vessel, of which the defendant was the master, gave somo highly important and damnatory evidence against his late superior, and the case was then further remanded for a week. Dr Xeild, the theatricil critic, known to the readers of tho Auitralasian by the norn tie plume ol "Jaqucs," has recently been exercising hia pen under difficulties. Owing to some rather disparaging remarks which the theatrical critics had published upon the subject of tho performances of Madamo Duret, that lady's husband, Mr Do Roy, threatened to reply by inflicting a horsewhipping upon the Doctor's shoulders; to wbich courso tho latter entertaining a very strong objection, sought tho protection of the load magistracy, and ultimately succeeded in getting the thrcatencr bound over to keep tho peace. Whilo I am upon matters theatrical, I may add that things in that lino arc extremely dull here just now, and that two out of three of our playhouses arc in an almost hopeless state of insolvency. The Royal itself is thought to be by no means so prosperous as it might be. Tlie fact is that, whatever may be tho playgoing tendencies of our city population, there is not in these "bad times" enough spare cash afloat to enable moro than one theatre to " pay" hero, and that only for a portion of tho year. From the Theatre Royal to its proprietor, Mr Ambrose Kyte, the transition is natural. 1 regret to say that that gentleman is at present suffering from a severe attack of illness. L;wt week it was feared that he would never rise from his bed again * lut since then he has rallied slightly, and hopes are now entertained of his entire recovery.