Our Melbourne Letter.

Otago Witness, Issue 1419, 1 February 1879, Page 29

Our Melbourne Letter.

{PBOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) January 21st. Since the departure of the Embassy, we bare been getting along smoothly as far aB politioal action is concerned, As regards political utterances, however, the strife wages as fiercely as ever, for the organs and orators of the two parties belabour each other on every occasion with moat unstinted "vehemence. I* cannot be said that there is" any lack of strong language on either •aide, for while the Conservatives attack the Ministry as if they were craving only blood shed, rebellion, and anarchy, and find no joy except in plundering the richest classes, the Liberal party are not slow to retaliate with references to "wealthy lower orders, taunts as to "absenteeism " and land frauds, and attacks upon the "oligarchy." The Conservative Press is, however, much the more virulent, and the lower classes of it seemj-to aim at nothing than mudthrowing. The second "law and order iournal in thiti oity appears day by day with columns dictated by nothing but malice, and sometimes containing nothing but slander and coarae abuse. The leading journals on each Bide, the Age, and the Argus, balance their venom by argu,ment and fair discussion; but even m them political feeling runs so high that, side by side with carefully- written expositions of argumentative attacks upon the respective policies may be found bitter insinuations and sweeping ' denunciations of individuals. It must be owned in this kind of criticism, as ■well as in wild invective, the Conservative 3?res3 is much the more objectionable. Party jentiment, therefore, has subsided very little, though the holidays^ have served to aiarntain it partially in abeyance, and it is evident that the greatstruggle for supremacy in the State has not yet by any means ceased. A visit of some of the Ministry to an upcountry district was'made the occasion for a public meeting, at which two Ministers and Ihe local member spoke with great vigour, and displayed a complete consciousness of the character of the situation. Their speeches were juat as eager in defence of the Ministry, and just as energetic in their assault upon the Opposition as in the late Embassy crisis, *nd at the conclusion of the meeting a unanimous vote in favour of the Liberal party audits leaders was carried with great cheering. Although there is no particular bone of contention, therefore, before the public at the present time, it is quite plain that if one should .turn up at any moment party warfare will be resumed with as much acerbity- as ever. The Slew' Year number of the Melbourne Review contains an article on Victorian politics; by one who avows himself a Conservative and a landed proprietor, and who is ganerally understood to be Judge Boucaut, of South Australia, and late Premier of that Colony. The article is able, comprehensive, and trenchant; endorsing Conservative principles, it jingles out the tactics and policy used in support of these principles in Victoria for almost unqualified condemnation. The attitude of the Conservatives Awards our Governors, towards their own opponents, and towards the people, are severally reviewed, and censured in very strong terms. The overbearing and ' insolent manner in which, whether as Ministry or Opposition,' the Conservative -members of ' the two Houses have conducted themselves, is distinctly blamed, and the incapacity which lies behind all other faults of judgment' is held up to public gaze, while dishonesty and nngentlemanlinesB are more than hinted at in the work of the "law and order" party. Of course this article' has bsen made. much , of by the Liberal Press; and fiercely as- .' sailed by the Conservatives, who know that, coming from such an impartial source, the accusation is a telling one against them, and one ■which they are -likely to hear more of in time to come. The other great controversy at present relates to the depreciation of property, ■which the Conservatives endeavour to discover as an effect of the policy of the present Government, but which the Liberal Press assert to be exaggerated in the first place, and in the next place generally owing to the -commercial depression visible in England, as 'well as in the neighbours on each side of us. There can be no doubt but that a land tax reduces at least by the amount of the tax the price of land, and as a matter of fact reduces it more than that amount, because it is an indication of a disposition to cause property to bear a portion of the public burden. The most interesting public speech, however, las been that of Mr W. Collard Smith; Minister of Education, in which he foreshadows some reforms in our State, school system. In the first place there are to be no more unclassified teachers] and thoke- at present employed are to be replaced at an early date by those whdse qualifications have been proved by examination. It has been the •custom hitherto to have certain extra classes attached to the State schools for instruction in special subjects, Buch as languages and science, and for admission to these fees have been charged. -Mr Smith now proposes that a certain number of students who give signs •of especial capacity or proficiency inthe usual curriculum shall be admitted free to these special classes as. a reward. Another very valuable innovation is the addition of a workshop to all State schools of a certain ai»e, in which the pupils will be able, to ob-, tain instruction and amusement at once through the medium of the * mechanical and manual arts. Finally/ the' suggestion that 'a savings bank ' : should '- be , established in connection- with the schools, ia which the 'children will , be encouraged to deposit any small earnings or savings they may have, is to be adopted also. These are all reforms in' the right direction, and' by' such gradual ameliorations as these we may expect to have the morale and ability of 'the rising generation developed more and more frflly aw we'proceed.

In the absence" of their chief; Ministers have not been idle; Mr Woods has been in Sydney, inspecting railways and' making arrangements for our cheaper supply •of coal Mr Patterson has besh studying the city water supply, and preparing for its enlargement ; while Mr Longmore has to 'face the' rabbit; nuieaace, the bill for the sup- i pression of which was so altered by the

Council that the Asßembly would not accept it, and thus a most necessary measure was lost. A chemical preparation, which has been successfully employed in South Australia against these pestß, is about to be manufactured in large quantities by two firms here, and so. the evil will be v at least partially coped with by private hands. Outside the Ministry, the Liberal party is somewhat * disorganised, though, as far as can be discerned at pre sent, the defections are not serious. Mr Munro, once the fieriest leader of the Radicals, has lately shown great developments ia the Conservative direction, and seems anxious to draw towards him such a body of supporters as would enable him to form a third party of a Liberal-Conservative tendency. In this idea he is much encouraged by the Conservative journals who see in a split in the Liberal camp their only hope of future Bupremacy. This game, however, failed so signally when it was last tried that most will be very chary of trusting to the promises of the would-be creators of the yet embryonic "third party." Meanwhile the Argus has made another great bid for waverers by promising to support a party even if Protection be its cardinal principle and it be Liberal in its land tendencies, providing only it can break up the Ministry and scatter the compact Liberal majority. To this syren song it is. not probable that there will be found many listeners. The bribe is too openly offered and the prizes too insecure. The bushraDgers are still at large, and the only new development of the action of the police lies in the arrest of a number of men suspected of sympathising with, if not of assisting, the outlaws. It is hoped that by these means what is known as the. "bush telegraph," by which the Kellys are kept informed of the motions of the police, will be broken down ; but as yet nothing resulted. Owing to the simultaneous withdrawal of the prohibitions previously placed upon the importation of stock, and the break-up of the monopoly of stud cattle hitherto held by a few breeders, the prices of stud cattle have fallen immensely, and at the annual sales lately concluded they only, reached oneseventh of those realised last year. Sir George Bowen seems now to have regained almost all his former popularity. Wherever he has appeared he has been greeted with enthusiasm, and even the Conservatives display a desire to bury the hatchet which they have so. pertinaciously and shamelessly wielded against him for months past. , It almost becomes tedious to repeat that the missing woman and the missing gold-robber, Wieberg, have , not yet been heard of. The police are therefore ' the butts of the public scorn. As, a Minister was overheard to remark the other day, "Yea, we have been abused for 'Black Wednesday' as they call it, again and again, and because we dismissed a number of incompetent men (receiving high salaries for doing nothing), at a time of political exigency, we are told that we have demoralised the Civil Service. It is admitted that we saved £30,000 a year in the departments in which the dismissals took place, and it is proved that more work is better done now. < This is enough of itself, but look at the police. This one branch of the public service was left un» touched, because we were unwilling even to rouse a suspicion of endangering public safety;, but I undertake to . say that if .we had made a , clean, sweep there too, we should have caught the Kellys long ago.' A Civil Service like ours, . which bas been simply the asylum of political hangers-on, wants a Black Wednesday once a month to bring it into working order. I have been two years in office, and yet have been unable until this week to obtain any insight into, or information as to, ,©ne of the most important departments 'committed to my care, in spite .of all my efforts to the contrary. Give us a little, time, and, Black Wednesday or no, we'll . makeapublic service that can do its work, and will do it, ' police and all. '" There is a great deal in these frank and spirited utterances, , and it is well known that the man who used them has the capacity to make good all he said. . ,> ' A season of fires seems to have set in, for every day there are notices of one or two such casualties. In the last, unfortunately, there were three children burned to death, . The theatres have been doing a good business. - The best pantomime is that at the Academy, of Music, written by "Mr Marcus Clarke, who has, with , great i advantage, deviated from the worn -put style of .rubbish ,to which we have been accustomed. It is exceedingly well performed, Mdlle. Scasi, Miss Clara Thompson, Mr Leston, and Mr H. Bracey specially distinguishing themselves. The Opera House has. some excellently trained children, and a mythological medley, in which Miss Beatrice and Mr Fred. Thorne take the chief parts., At' the Theatre Royal ywe have a somewhat dreary composition by Mr Garnet Walch, relieved by the lightness of Mr Gre« ville and Miss Jenny Bryce, and set off by a grand display of Amazonians." At the first two, the. fountain introduced, here by the Fakir of, Oolu is, a very beautiful addition to fairy scenery. / The PrinceßS Theatre has had' a local, farce, entitled the " Three Ambassadors," taking off the Embassy fairly well. This is now replaced by "Foiled," an Australian piece by Mr Cooper, which is having a good run. With Messrs Clarke, Walch, and Cooper, therefore^ Australian authors are, at present to the fore. The j Blondinette Lidy Minstrels , are doing well at St. George's Hall j while a number of concerts complete the amusements of , the hour. , ' . The following anecdote is told, to show the informal and domestic manners of the Crown Prince o? Germany, and the rigid etiquette of the German Court :— " One day, at a ball in Potsdam, the Princess could not'findthePrince, and," meeting the Empress, asked where her husband could possibly be. ' I do not know where yqur husband is,' said , the .Empress, 'but I can tell you, where the' Crown Prince is.' The Princes* made no re- • ply, but soon after seeing her husband she complained of the rebuke she had received. The Prinoe bit his lips, and, walking up to the Empress, said : ' Mamma, will you' please be good enough to tell me where my wife is?"*