MELBOURNE. (FROM THE DAILY TIMES CORRESPONDENT.) Melbourne. 5th March. 1864.

Otago Witness, Issue 642, 19 March 1864, Page 21

MELBOURNE. (FROM THE DAILY TIMES CORRESPONDENT.) Melbourne. 5th March. 1864.

After a great deal «f oppo.-ition from the supporters of the public-house interest in the Assembly, Mr Michie's new Bill for the regulation of the sale of fermented and spiiituous liquors has passed the second reaclinp. By most persons here, I might almost say by everyone, except the publicans and those who have constituted themselves the exponents of the views of that class of traders, the new bill is regarded as likely to prove a public benefit. One of the chief objects of the measure is to facilitate the sale of colonial wines, and by so doing to benefit both the producer and the consumer—the former by opening up additional channels o'snle. and the latter by enabling him toobtain agemiinearticleatamoderate cost. The arguments adduced in support of the publican view of the question in the H ouse were somewhat amusing, turning, as they did, chiefly upon the " immorality" which would ensue upon the additional facilities for selling intoxicating liquors proposed to be onvred to persons other than publicans. Mr Don, the once famous denouncer of the publican on the Eastern Market platform, but who has since then himself kept a dram shop, was one of tbe loudest in anathematising the bill and in upholding the rights and privileges of the Boniface interest. According to him, the permission proposed to be granted to confectioner? to supply their customers with a glass cf colonial wine, would at once open the floodgates of drunkenness and immorality j and the grocer's single bottle license would h<ye the effect of converting every private dwelline into a den of iniquity. Neither the noisy talk of Mr Don, nor the milder opposition of his colleasue in the representation of Collingwood. Mr Edwards, however, had much weight with the House, anil the bill passed the critical stage of its second reading triumphantly. The Land Bill is still in committee, but. the knottiest points in it have bow been settled after long debate -without any very material alterations beinjr made in its clauses, as originally introduced by the Government ; a very few day.* will suiice for its passage through all stages in the Lower House. T> c trying ordeal of the judgnssnt of our colonial Lords in the Upper House will then have to be got, though with what result it is at present quite impossible to say. A "scene" equalling, if not eclipsing, anything in that way which had previously token place in our Legis'ative Assembly, took pla^e there on Wednesday evening last, the chief actor in it being Mr. McLellan, the eccentric member for Ararat, and the occasion of the display being a proposed vote of L 20,000 for repairs to the main Sydney road. This grant the member for Ararat roundly accu«ed the Government ot planing upon the estimates as a " sop," or, in his own peculiar pronunciation of the word, a "soip" to the members of the Ovens district, and characterised it as 0" grots job." Called to order by the Speaker, he repeated his denunciations at least half a dozen times, when at length, Wcekes, one of the Ovens members alluued to, got upon his legs, charged M'Lellan with "low blackguardism," and disappointed at not) having been called to office, and referring to him as Diogenes wirh his lantern, and a " parliamentary ratcatcher," charges and references met by," that's a lie!" from his antagonist. The latter waa replying in a similar strain, wben he was, with some difficulty, put' down by a threat from the Speaker to " refer to him by name," and to leave the House to deal with him according to bi-< deserts. A vacancy hns cccured in the Legislative Council, through the decease of Mr Donald Kennedy, the much respected member for the Boutbern Piovince, who died suddenly of disease of the heart, on Mondsy night last. The question of pensions to retiring minister* of the Crown, is once more to be brought before parliament.; Mr Brook having given notice oi his intention to introduce a Bill to abolish tuch pensions. By way of Sydney, very important news from the Cape has reached us within tbe last few days. The ship Tuscaloosß, a Federal vessel taken by the Alabama, and converted by Captair Semmes into a Confederate crusier, has beer captured by tbe British war steamer Narcissus* by order ot" the Governor of the Gape, who ii appears, in giving such order, acted upon instructions received from tbe Imperial Government. This affair will no doubt be looked upoi by the Confederates as a departure from tha ngid law of neutral policy, hithnto observed ty Great Britain, and will certainly not tend to thi Btrengiheninc; of amiable relations between Grea Britain and the Southern States. The All-England Eleven having jasfc conclude* their match with the Twenty-Two of Cait'euiaini are once more to put in an appearance upoi the Melbourne Ground for a gram concluding game. Iv this match, whirl is _to commence to-day, the twelve Engiisl cricketers will divide and play against eac! other, each side being reinforced by fm Yicto * ran players. The Castlemafne men m'ado n ' great stand against the redoubtable Eleven. Ii their ' first innings, they scored 54, and in thei second, only 46. The Eleven" made 187 in thei first innings, thus winning in one innings, wit & majority of 47 runs. The following is the score of the All Enj landers : — First Ihhings. Grace 4 Tamnt 2 Caesar 12 Hayward 21 Carpenter 2 Caflyn 13 Parr 16 Lockyer « 10 Clarke , 18 Jackson 0 Tinley '.... 21 Byes, &c 18 Total 137. t ~~ Miss Cleveland, the yoanar and talented actres r - from the London boardß, wJbo'o debut I referre ' to in my last letter as about to take place at tl: Koyal, has quite taken the town by storm. 0 - the first night of tbe psrformnnc; of "freab; there was a tremendous rush to the house, boxe - pit and gallery were alike crowded, and the ye diet of one of the largest audiei cvs ever assewMi _ in a Melbourne Theatre \va3 unanimously gi?f in faTor of the new actress, 'ilia naturalaus her acting— the expression of deep emotic without rant by which her impersonation of tl loving, heart-broken, and half maddened Jewc was_ characterised, fairly carried away fci audience, and brought tears into the eyes of mat

a stout hearted man present, while the effect on the female portion of the audience may bo easily imagined. In a word, the debut of Miss Cleveland was a great success, and if that lady sustain in other characters the reputation which she has gained in that of " Lech the forsaken," she cannot fail to establish herself ir: public favor as the best actress that has ever graced the Melbourne stage. After two or three weeks of dry weather Melbourne was visited by a tremendously hpavy shower on Wedne s dijy last. The channels of all the low-lying streets quickly overflowed and Elizabeth street was converted into a river. The water rushed into warehouses and shops, nnd down areas and cellars, causing grtat loss of property amongst the numerous storekeepers carrying on business in that locality. Notwithstanding: all the boasted advantages and conveniences of this metropolis of the South, it is no leS3 strange than true, tiiat it is up to the present time altogether destitute cf underground drainage, and continually liable to be flooded in its lower streets by every heavy shower that falls.

A ninn named Alexander Davies, has been executed at Ballarat for the murder of George Sims, at Sreythesdale, in May, 1863. The culprit made a full confession of his guilt a few hours before the gallows closed his earthly career.

The past and present unfortunate shareholders in the notorious Provident Institute having been adjudged liable to a pro rala contribution towards paying the still more unfortunate depositors in that establishment, have been called upon by the Supreme Court to appear, and either admit or deny their liability. Their counsel, however, succeeded in obtaining a delay of two months, in order to offord them time to consider what course they should take.

While upon matters theatrical, I may mention that our old favourice Mr G. V. Brooke is under engagement again to appear before a Victorian audience at the Royal, and that he is expected to arrive from England shortly.

Mr and Mrs Charles Kean, having 711 st concluded their engagement at Bnllarat before large and appreciating audiences, are announced to enact a series of farewell performances at the Haymnrket, commencing on Monday next, when Mr Kean will appear as King John, and Mrs Kean as the Lady Constance.

Captain Stewart, of the AldJnga, has been called upon by a number of the steerage passengers on the last voyage of that steamer from Otago to Melbourne, to answer a charge of supplying them with bad provisions, nnd neglecting to provide them with pioper accommodation on b^ard. There were eleven complainants, and the Bench, after bearing their evidence, as well bs that of the steward of the vessel on the other side, considered the charges proved, and ordered the defendant to pay the sum of L 5 to each of thrin, and L 5 5s costs.