MELBOURNE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1194, 17 October 1874, Page 4

MELBOURNE.

(FROM OtIR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

September 30th.

A discussion took place in the Assembly the other day upon the conduct of the Government in the strange case of the ship Aroturus. Some of the Water Police went in their boat to this vessel to arrest the mate, who was about to be off with the ship, leaving his tailor's account unpaid. The captain, a bold American, ab once assumed the tone which, since the Washington treaty, Americans seem to consider they may properly take with Englishmen and English authorities. He ordered his men to clear the Police out of the ship. They were accordingly seized, and the matter having been evidently arranged beforehand, they were lowered into their boat one by one in what is known to sailor 3as a " boatswain's chair," which, in my landsman ignorance, I take to be a simple loop in a rope, or something of that sort. This would in most places be regarded as rather a high-handed proceeding. However, as the captain declared that he had the authority of the American Consul for what he did, and as the statement might be true, our bold Premier hardly knew what course he ought to take. Mr Kerferd was naturally unwilling to do anything that might kindle a war between England and America, and, on the whole, considered that a pacific policy was the best to follow. So instead of sending a strong detachment of police to arrest the mate and to apprehend the captain for the serious offence of resisting the police, our peace-loving Premier sent some of the chief officers of police to the American Consul. On hearing from that officer that he had not authorised the acts of the captain, Mr Kerferd felt emboldened to declare that the law must take its course. The police were sent again to the ship, bearing with them, ignominious to relate, a letter from the American Consul, ordering the captain not to resist the law. To this they submitted, the mate was arrested, and paid the claim made against him, and the captain had to appear before a police-court and pay a fine of £20 for opposing the police in the discharge of their duty. The discussion in the Assembly was caused by some remarks made by Mr G. P. Smith, who strongly denounced the timid, pitiful hesitation of the Premier. Mr Smith said that there was a good deal too much of this " spreadeagleism " exhibited here by Ame« rican captains, and I am inclined to think that there is much of truth in the assertion. The defence of the Government was like its conduct — very weak, and so the matter ended.

Our politics at present are stupidly dull and uninteresting. The session has lasted five or six months, and has hitherto nothing to show for itself in the way of legislation. The wretched Norwegian scheme came to nothing. Our miserable tariff has been patched and adjusted by Mr Service in a spirit of devoted loyalty to protective prin* ciples ; and beyond this there is nothing. The Local Government Bill that was to be the great masterpiece of the session has made very little way, and it is doubtful now if it will be passed this year. There would be absolutely no interest in politics were it not for the fact that there is in the background a measure which to most members far outweighs in interest and importance any other that could be introduced. This is the Bill providing for payment of members, which has passed its second reading. The measure, as it stands, applies to both houses. It met with a good deal of opposition in tho Lower House, and will meet.

Eerhaps, with more in the Upper one, iat the proposal to divide it into two Bills, one applying to each House, was indignantly scouted by Mr Higinbotham, who whimsically maintained that for the Assembly to take pay while the Council had none would tend very much to weaken the position and degrade the character of the Assembly. So he insisted that the Council should be compelled to take .the money whether it would or not. This view met with general acceptance, not so much on account of Mr Higinbotham's reasons, as from the reflection that by giving pay to both bodies the measure would be more likely to pass the Council than if it gave it only to the Assembly. So the position is this. Every member wants to prove his superiority to pecuniary considerations by voting against this Bill, but is in an agony of fear lest there will not be too many similarly disinterested patriots who may actually negative the measure. They all want to vote against the Bill, but they all, or nearly all, want it to pass. The Council will affect to be indignant and very much affronted at being compelled to take the money whether they want it or not, but they will take it. They will pocket the affront and smother the indignation, but they will take the money. Well, this is the Bill the importance of which to the eyes of our legislators causes every other measure to seem insignificant. Hospital Sunday has been held, and again it was wet. "Wet" in fact poorly describes the wretched, drenching, cruel rain of last Sunday. The consequence was that the contributions were very much reduced, and did not rise above about £3500. This was not as much as last year, but the attendance at the churches was very small, and all of the out- door celebrations had to be postponed. It is very creditable to the generosity of the church-goer 3 that so much was collected.

The "larrikins" of Melbourne are very troublesome subjects. Some of the papers say they are no worse than others elsewhere, and that "boys will be boy.§," I don't know whether it is elsewhere* considered merely a freak, of boyish spirits when, a mob of young ruffiaas get a policeman into a corner and stone him nearly to death, with road metal, or when they hold regular prize-fighting meetings on Sunday mornings, or smash iv the doors of a publichouse and half kill the inmates who refuse to provide them with drink. At any rate the feeling has become general here that it is time to try and check this kind of thing. The ordinary law proving ineffectual, a measure has has been introduced to empower the magistrates to order flogging. There is no reason to doubt that this remedy — if it is applied — will have the desired effect; and although the need of such legislation may be regretted, yet the evil it is sought to cure is, or ought to be, very much more a matter of regret. If it is lamentable, as one of our morning papers (the Daily Telegraph) seems to consider, that such a stigma should be attached to our lads, it would be more lamentable if by the absence of the required restraining influences the rising generation should grow up into a lot of lawless ruffians.

With the ladies the Mayor's fancy dresa ball to be held to-morrow night is the great topic of discourse. The windows of the leading drapers' shops have during the last few days been gay with fancy dresses, and ladies from any page of history, or from any part of the world's surface, ,might walk into the shop with the certainty of being able to find their own appropriate costume. Many just at present are being provided with regal and princely dresses who are unable to pay their butchers' and greengrocers' bills. It is said at such times that a good many pianos are pawned to raise money to go to the ball, but of course that is only done when there is an improbability of getting any more credit at the drapers. Drapers cert&inly charge very high rates on these occasions, but considering the large number of dresses they make for which, as reasonable men, they cannot' expect ever to get paid, this is notvto. be wondered at. •

Two deaths have recently occurred in connection with the stage that have by the contrast they afford excited much public interest. One was that of Mra Smith, wife of a publican in Bourke street, and once a member of the Theatre Royal Company, under the name of Miss Mortimer. At that time she contracted relations with a man that now holds a high position in the theatrical world. Her life was not a smooth one, and the means to which she resorted to obtain Btrength or forgetfulness only made matters worse than they were. The poor woman lately died a miserable death at a low public house of which she was the landlady, from the effects of an accidental fall down stairs. It is hard to say which is the most melancholy : the sight of a life thus wrecked and wasted, or the sudden death of Mrs' Henry Hallam (Miss Hattie Shepparde), gifted, bright, successful in her profession, loved and respected by a large circle of friends, but now struck down by a fatal disease just after tbe birth of the infant child who survives her. Miss Shepparde — the old name seems most familiar — had the true feeling of an artist, and in aiming with her best powers to do justice to her parts, she never let any womanish vanity or desire for personal distinction interfere with this desire. She waa the moat intelligent, most versatile, most popular artist we have in Australia, and now leaves a void upon the stage that at present cannot be supplied. The Williamsons at the Royal have changed their performance, but the change is not an improvement. The play of "Uncle Tom's Cabin," in which they have played the last few days, is a contemptible one, and such artists ought not to take part in the production of such rubbish. However, another change is about to be made. "La Fille de Madame Angot " has been produced at the Opera House and is a great success, everyone being delighted with the brilliancy and liveliness of the play and the music.

Madame Goddard, desirous, perhaps, of effacing the recollection of her Sydney troubles, has given one charitable concert and announces another. But in a matter of this kind, the act is always welcome, and we have no business to suspect or depreciate the motive. The great artist here behaved most liberally to the charities, and has even far exceeded the usual high standard of charity amongst artistic and professional people.