MELBOURNE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4663, 27 January 1877, Page 3

MELBOURNE.

(from our own correspondent.) January 17th. There is not yet much beyond very vague speculation regarding the probabilities of the ensning elections. We are told that in addition to the open avowed M'Culloch party and the Barry party there will be a third party in the background, and that this will be an Irish and Eoman Catholic party. Its function will be to come to Parliament pledged to carry out the orders of the Catholic Archbishop, and of course to ally itself to any section in the Legislature, with the help of which it might revise our educational system, so as to adapt it to the broad, liberal, and unsectarian views of Dr Goold. So far aa the possibilities of this course are concerned, I believe it would be as pracfcic-; able as it would to induce the whole community to forswear beer and tobacco. But although the scheme may be wild and foolish.it by no means follows that it might not be tried if enough Irish Catholics could be got together to call themselves a party. _ Sir Charles Duffy is always ready for an intrigue of this kind, and always prepared with some admirable reasons to prove its perfect justice and equity. A3 Mr Higinbotham was always furnished with profound philosophical reasoning? in favour of any wild cry that happened to be a popular one, so Sir Charles Duffy is always well supplied with ingenious arguments couched in beautiful language to show that the true principles of Liberalism, and progress, and civilisation are in perfect harmony with the desires of a priesthood, by whoir. Liberalism, and progress.and civilisation are denounced and anathematised. However, we have seen before how little sympathy there is between the cobweb-spinning mind of Sir Charles Duffy and that of even the party to which he pays assiduous court; and if lie has any intention of trying any m >re of these crooked cases, the same fact will doubtleas be illustrated again. In the meantime there is another underhand intrigue on foot within the limits of our patriotic Liberal party. This is to dispossess Mr Berry from the leadership, and to put somebody yet unna~ed in his place. From the nature of the intrigue, it would seem to be in the interests of—perhaps suggested by—either Mr Casey or Sir Charles Duffy. It is not much to be wondered at that the party should be tired of the generalship of Mr Berry. Since Mr Berry a year and a quarter ago erected his famous stonewall, his guidance has led to nothing but defeat and deep disgrace. He instigated proceedings which nothing but strong necessity could warrant, and which nothing but success could fully redeem from the reproach of wanton foolh.ardiness. But they found no justification in either the necessity of circumstances or in the issue of success. Instead of realising Mr Berry's objects, they only marked those of his chief opponent. When Sir James M'Culloch took office, he did so burdened with a great load of unpopularity. The intrigue by which he obtained office was so gro3B as to disgust all men who have dislike to vulgar ambition aided by utcer unscrupulousness. But the character of the opposition offered by Mr Berry was such as to make Sir James M'Culloch appear, in comparison, a pure and high-minded statesman. The dariug attempts made by MiBerry to produce general confusion and anarchy, and to irample Constitution, law, and order under foot, forced on Sir James M'Culloch the role of defender of our institutions. By many people who detest his total want of political principle, he is regarded as the only barrier against the attempts of a K>an who is capable of going to the wildest extremes in the furtherance of ambition, strangely combined with fanaticism. Some sample of what we might expect with an Irish Catholic Government subservient to the orders of Archbishop Goold, has lately been afforded us by the doings of that prelate in connection with the Melbourna Hospital. Dr Goold, who seems, in hi3 nature or perhaps by virtue of his vocation, to sympathise much with the scolding, querulous, discontented dis position of the Irish servant girl element, lately preferred a complaint to the Committee of the ilospital that the matron showed unfairness towards the Catholic nurses. The Committee was weak enough to investigate his tattling complaints, and proved them to be utterly unfounded. About the same time, the Archbishop and his clergy issued an order that Catholic patients at the Hospital were not to accept flowers sent in by Protestants. A mere petty, malignant, contemptible piece of priestly intolerance, it would be impossible to imagine. An Irish Government, directed by such agencies as these, would certainly be something for a community to be proud of. There has of late been something almost like a Church of England revival in this country, brought about by the arrival and installation of Dr Moorhouse, the new Bishop of Melbourne. There have been a public : luncheon, public meeting, ordination sermon, and what not, and the new bishop's utterances have been weighed and criticised as though they were very important matters. You will not be surErised to learn that the right rev. gentleman as, in accordance with the stock expression, "made a very favourable impression." It is always e?sy for a bishop, and especially & new bishop, to make a favourable impression. ißut the fact seems to be that Bishop Moorhouse is, in his Low Church, strictly orthodox, way, a man of something like liberal culture within certain limits. He insists on the necessity for a cultivated clergy, and counsels them against wasting their time and efforts in trying to resist the march of science in matters in which science is supreme. He also tries to infuse something like enthusiasm in the laity, sufficient to erect a cathedral 'adequate to the position of the Church of England in this Colony. He shows how a new arrival, struck with the appearance of some of our principal churches, is told; of the finest of them that one is Wesleyan, another Independent, another Roman Catholic, another Presbyterian, and that he has to descend very low in the architectural scale before he meets with one that belongs to the Church of England. All this zeal for improvement is, ■as ve know, characteristic of new brooms, but we shall see how long it will last. There is some influence in the Church of England in this Colony which very soon kills enthusiasm in every form. I think this unfavourable influence is the indifference and neglect of the laity. It certainly is not their poverty. But they are not willing to make any pecuniary sacrifice for their Church, and the clergy have not the means, possessed, for instance, by the Catholic priest-; hood, for putting on the screw and enforcing contributions. So the clergy are worse paid than those of any other Church in this Colony, and are in the average lower ia culture and general ability. I don't think Bishop Moorhouse is strong enough to lift all this chill, dead weight of torpor and indifference as he desires to. We shall see. ;

A curious decision has been come to by the publicans of Melbourne. They have met and passed a resolution in future to obey the law relating to Sunday trading, and even to watch each other to see that it is obeyed by all. This would at first sight appear a very laudable course. Inasmuch as laws are not of much use unless they are obeyed, it would eeem an excellent result when those to whom a law is meant to apply spontaneously undertake to conform to it, and to ensure its execution. But before giving all this praise to our publicans it is necessary to listen to the reasons upon which they act. Their object, as they explain it themselves, is to obey the lav because they are convinced that if it were closely obeyed it wonld soon be found by the public to be quite unbearable, and would speedily be amended. At present our legislators, having the " cowardice of their opinions," pass this law as a sop to the Sabbatarians. But, in doing so, it is stated by the Minister in chwge of the Bill that the Sunday restrictions have not been observed, and that there is no reason io suppose they ever will be. It is thought a right thing to pass the law by way cf recognizing the sanctity of the Sunday. At the same time public convenience must be met, and will be met by the publicans disregarding the law. But now the publicans become tired of being fined for breaches of a law which everyone breaks, and which the public insists on their breaking, and declare that they will break in no longer, and if the public will not conform to it they must get their legislates to amend it. The position is rather an odd one. If the hotel keepers were to adhere to their declaration the matter per haps would soon be settled, but it is very doubtful how long they will be able to resist the temptation of meeting the desires of the public, putting money in their till, and stealing a march on their more conscientious rivals in trade.

Some returns lately published, show how steadily and rapidly the annual gold 3'ield of the Colony is decreasing. It fell last year no less than 121,5G30z., the yield being 937,2G00z. The number of miners also declined some 400 or 500 men, their present number being 41,564. This decline is, of course, inevitable, but it is not a pleasant prospect to have to look on to the speedy advent of a time when Victoria will no longer count gold, except to a very small extent, among her exports. It is satisfactory to find that the Mines Regulation Act passed a year or two ago has exerted an appreciable influence in reducing the number of mining accidents. That veracious chronicler, the Evening Herald, last evening published a strange atory about a travelling female magicienne, who called herself Madame Cora. She was said to have lately, while at the Cape of Guod Hope, had a little difference, some affair of jealousy, with a Miss Wren, of her travelling company. In the course of the dispute, Madame Cora was so forgetful of herself, as in a momentary impulse to take hold of Miss Wren by the throat,

and strangle her. Women-have killed their rivals one way and another, and do now, as we know from tho sensation novels, but this ia the first time that I have heard of one removing a competitor by strangling her. Without wishing to be severe, 1 look upon the act as a decidedly unladylike proceeding. However, this evening the Herald informs us that it has reason to doubt the truth ot the story, and. promises to enquire into its correctness. So that at present there is reason to hope that Miss Wren did not fall a victim, like Deademona, to the asphyxiating propensities of a female Othello.

1 The Taamanian Government has lately had a singular career of blundering. It rejoices in the possession of an Attorney General who has a, very exaggerated notion of his practical capabilities. Under the influence of this misleading idea, ho undertook to consolidate the laws relating to Juries, and he did this so successMljr as to make it impossible to empannel. a criminal jury for a whole twelvemonths. This being the case, all of the prisoners at the Launceston Criminal Sessions, the other day, had to be discharged. The position was rather an awkward one, and at length the Government so far admitted its error as to summon a special, session of Parliament to correct it. Unluckily the same blundering genius presided over the issue of the proclamation convening Parliament, which was summoned to meet on Tuesday, the 16th of January, in "next year." As it happens there is no " Tuesday, 16th of January," next year, and in any case it would be a long time to wait for the correction of a blunder, which would before that time have been remedied by the expiration of the time to which it had reference. The Government ultimately came to see the matter in this light, and, revoking the proclamation, issued another one, substituting another and much earlier date for the assembling of Parliament,

'■■ Mining new3 from the Palmer and Hodgkinson, North Queensland, as far as the reefs are concerned, is encouraging. The first crushings yielded from loz. to soz. to the ton. The alluvial is said to be giving out on the Palmer, and if a new field is not discovered soon, the great Chinese problem will be solved by those Asiatic aliens taking themselves back to the Flowery Land. This they will have to do, or they must invade the South. I

Stranbbrs paying a rtslt to Duneoin are often at R [os to know which is tho best establishment to visl\ for the purchase of drapery and clothing. Herbert Haynes, and Co. offer special advantages to the public that can be met with nowhere else In the city. Tney keep at all tunes the largopt and best assorted stock of every class of goods, Imported direct from the leading manufacturers and warehousemen at home, which, being bought entirely vvpon cash torraay thoy are enabled to offer goods of. aucli sterling value as cannot be equalled bf any other house in the trade Every article in stek is marked at a Bxsd piice for ready miney, from wb'.ch no abatement % evet made, so lhat the most inexperienced buy thfl'r goods at tho I fame price a the best judges. Their terms are—net cash, without discount or reduction of ary kind. A fuller description o their stock will bo found hi av adv-jrtisem-int in the first Daee of this oßcer.—TA vt '. An Enabling lonic—A medicated stimulant that enables those who use it to resist disease, the hiflueuces ofexposuie, sudden changes of temperature, and to i perform an extra amount of intellectualand mechanical libour, may be called an enibling tonic. These enabling properties are possessed in a wonderful degree by that strengthening and health perpetuating ally of Nature, Udolpuo Wowe's Schiedam Aromatic SonNAPPs.—Ladvt.J ■ . ' Holmwav's Pitts —Weak Btomach. The wisest cannot enumerate one quarter of the distre-.ting tymptoma arising from enfeebled digestiou, all of which might be readily dispelled by these admirable Pills. They remove all unpleassint taile from the mouth, ■flitulency, and constipation. Holloway's Pills rouse the Btomach, liver, and every other organ, thereby helping digestion to that healthy tone which, fully enables it to convert all we eat and drink to the nourishment of our bodies. Hence these Pills are the surest Btrengtheners and the safest restoratives in nervousness, wasting, and chronic debility. Holloway's Pills are infallible remedies for impaired appetite, eruc'ations, and a multitude of other disagreeable symptoms which render miserable tne lives of tiounands. These Pills ure approved by all classes.— [Advt] .'. ■• : ■