Our Sydney Letter

Otago Witness, Issue 1465, 13 December 1879, Page 7

Our Sydney Letter

> , (krom oub own correspondent.) . Parliamentary affairs have now supplanted the Exhibition in the public mind; and we are looking anxiously for the several important measures promised by the viceregal flpfiedh. Finance takes the first place, and as this has Hitherto been the weakest side of the .Government^ the Budget, which , ,the Treasures promises early next' week, is awaited with 'considerable speculation^ ■as to •>what -it -may contain. No 1 one wishes to cv,ay"' ! nfore ! taxes, yet more taxation is 'inevitable, and on the Treasurer's policy will defend our future prospects of procuring English, capital for the almost interminable reproductive works of which the Colony , , r No discussion has followed the production ofsth'e Agent General's correspondence with •the; Cabinet, and' the recall stands good for -the 31st December. ' Mr Forster's successor trill probably' be Mr Alexander Stuart, of the firm of Towns and, Co., who, perhaps, is the fittest man' in the House' for the position, t "The education ' question has grown in intensity,, particularly with the Roman Catholic clergy/ and if their flocks could be stimulated' to a like violent earnestness, I believe ■ we should • experience dangerous times; but, luckily* the Roman Catholics, as -a body, are discreetly passive, and evidently do not appreciate the defects of the national system as depicted by the clergy. The last address of Archbishop Vaughan was particularly fiery, and went dangerously near overstepping^ the law. To put an end to the clamour and, to meet the wishes of the •majority,, the Premier has stood forward at •this early part of the session with a' measure which meets, bo far, with very general approbation. \'j ' * pi ' „ The Education; Bill, seeks to repeal the Public Schools Act of 1866,' and consequently to abolisHj.the, Council of Eduoation, whose powers connected with the administration of the grants ; voted- by; Parliament for public education, will be trsrasferredto the responsible Minister. It will provide for the iinme-* .diate establishment of grammar sohools in three of 'the principal towns, with provision •for the ' extension of :this higher means of education to other districts on proclamation. It will, also , provide for the establishment of one or, more higher sohools for girls, to be ex tended as the circumstances of the popula jtigiMnay iwarrant. i Night-schools will be established, to be: conducted upon the same provisions." as. are" now applied to public schools.. With regard to public sohools, the bill proposes to reduce the minimum from 25 to 20, bo that wherever 20 children' are, found to be in regular attendance, a fully-organised 'public , school may , be ; established. In all school ' building*, where, -there is ft regular attendance of 50,ohildren,'a classroom suitable for the clergy or other persons to£iYe;separate,reHgiouß instruction .will be provided';: .the' 1 arrangements for such re;figlous instruction; separate from the sohool, to beleffr^tb private agreement' between the teaCher ; and the clergyman or religious teftoh%r^' ; Telij(iouß; instruction being optional with.tHe;parents'.; A ; history of England and and,^ history, of Australia are to form part of the course of secular instruction, in every school,,;, Thare will be a provision empowering thejGtayernment to compel the attendance of children,' but this ia to be gradually applied ibyithe proclamation of districts as oirJ cumatanceB 1 warrant. It ia not intended to inake'e^uc^tionj entirely free, but' 'to reduce the' iee'/tb, a' uniform rate of threepence for each jphild^uji io' four' children, and for "four pi any^rge,^ number not, to, require a higher ampuht.%an, one shilling.,; The bill provides that from ,a :t date .to be fixed all aid is to be withdrawn from denominational schools. *' ' I* 1 ., 'THE 'EXHIBITION. , Sidhclay last, being the anniversary of the Birthday, of the. Prince of Wales, . a demonstration was, designed by' way of compensation for the partial failure of the procession on the day of formal opening,' and- the Commission invited' the Friendly Societies and various public bodies to unite In making it a BUpceßsi' Some of 'the more' churlish unions stood aloof ;.btit the /gathering 'was on the whole a gratifying one; aad the total attendance afythe^ Palace dnringthe day was the largest by: far yet, recorded, ■ there being 26,014 persons i on- the ground. This, considering; our population, and the faot that the Balmain Regatta was one ef the day's amusements; and that the usual' favourite resorts of. picnic parties .were' available, is eminently gatwfaotbiy, and shows that the Exhibition is increasing in favour as its attractions become more widely known. -. On Whit-Mon-day,. 1861, the' total attendance recorded by' the, turnstiles ) 0 6f the London Exhibition building, was no. more than 58,652, which, Atontraated' in a population peint of view, •^iplaceß vi very; far ahead. There is now 'but «' uniform charge of a shilling all through the week, ' and ' the, prudence of abolishing distinctive prices has already become apparent. For that, small admission fee, there is certainly ample amusement provided. ■ On Saturday there was a grand rendering of Handel's, oratorio, "Israel o Egypt,"-' and on the holiday, in additionnit other-, amusements, there was the formal opening of the Art Gallery, which contains 500 art' contributions of the highest olaBS, niany Jj^them! from tfee Royal collection, and all from' artists' of ' acknowledged celebrity. A- circomstance, haß, , occurred which has caused the susceptible part of the community some displeasure. '. It appears that two telegrams of a felicitous and interesting nature were' forwarded from the authorities — one addressed to her Majesty the Queen, upon the opening of the Exhibition, on the 17th of ' September, the ' other dlreoted to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, upon the demonstration about to be held by the citizens iii honour of the anniversary of his birthday, but neither has been in any way recognised, and this, particularly in the case of her Majesty, who is known to be scrupulously: regardful in respect to prompt aoacknowledginentof any communication from her subjects, is looked upon as marked discourtesy. Can there be anything in the , affair. ? the peopl* ask; but had there been displeasure .felt towards Sydney on that' 'account, 'would the Queen have interested herself so; far as tp Bend her own art exhibits,* orj would i shelve done any thing to promote tho Exhibition? However

it may be, the neglect or omission is an unhappy one, and as such may be turned by malcontents to bad account.

The Ethnological Museum, which is held in the gallery covering the New Zealand and Queensland courts, opened to-day, and forms a new and moat agreeable and entertaining feature. New Zealand holds a large part of it, and with her Maori treasures and geological specimens lays a new claim to be one of the best represented of the Colonies. Dr Hector's scientific skill has been well brought to bear in this part of the exposition, and to scentiflc men this gallery will be the most attractive of any in the building. I cannot do justice with my pen to the show as a refining asd teaching medium. It is wholly impossible to convey any adequate idea of the innumerable objects of attractive educational tendency which confront one at every few paces, and there is no shade of taste left unappealed to. Art, science, mechanics, manufacture, trade improvements, music, dress, ornament, gastronomy, domestic economy, and even (upstairs) there is the unbidden guest of the ancient feast— the skeleton. So far, I have failed to come acroaa the two avoidable — or' rather whom we wish to avoid — men of the period. I mean the undertaker and the lifeassurance tout. Can there be wooden surtouts and funeral baked meats down below ? There arc bassinettes and cradles, wherefore not coffins ?■ Sara Bernhardt, of the Comedie Frangaise, is said to sleep in one, but what is that to the purpose ?

The following are the entries already received for the cattle show, to be held during the first week in December : — Durhams : New South Wales, S9; Victoria, 9 ; Queens land, 2 ; Tasmania, 1 ; — total, 101. Herefords : New South Wales, 21 ; Tasmania, 4. Devons : New South Wales; 12. Ayrshires : New South Wales, 6. Alderneys : New South Wales, 5. Farmers' prizes : New South Wales, 3. Dairy cattle : New South Wales, 3. I observed yesterday a Wellington confectioner and sugar-baker hard at work in the Agricultural Machinery Department making confections by steam power. This is the only New Zealand industry shown in action.

The attendance for the week, including the holiday, exceeded 50,000, and now that the country folk are visiting us, the average attendance will be well kept up. The class experiencing the most disappointment is that composed of publicans, restaurant-keepers, icecream- vendors, lollyshops, and the like. A few have closed their stalls, and arrived at the sad conclusion that they very much overestimated demand. As I ventured to express a fear before the Exhibition opened, the restaurant part of the business has proved unattractive. On crowded days the accommodation is not methodically provided for, and at any time the provender is not what it might be. Sydney caterers are not sufficiently with the age to be able to encounter hungry hordeß, except in a rough-and-tumble way ; and if one ' wants an ordinarily, refined dinner he certainly will not find it within the fence of the Exhibi-tion-grounds. The Sunday and night opening agitation has passed away, and the latest diversion, in that direction Is at the instance of the , Sydney jewellers, who find that foreign exhibitors are cutting up their trade with a better, and in many cases cheaper, class of goods. When that has subsided we shall no doubt have the inevitable trading growl in some other equally unreasonable form.

GOSSIP.

■ In a former letter I related an anecdote of Lord Augustus Loftus, in his character of gentleman, and am enabled to add another of one 'of the Colonial Governors who assisted at the inaugural ceremony at the Exhibition. Returning by one of the small coasting steamers, never in hot weather over convenient, hia Excellency remarking that no ladies were on board to occupy the cabin exclusively reserved for their comfort, his aide-de-camp applied to the captain of the steamer for permission to the vice-regal party to use it, but at first was met by a point-blank refusal. Resorting, however, to bland persuasion; and offering a promise that he would vacate the cabin on the appearance of ladies, his Excellency carried his point, and forthwith installed himself, like Admiral Porter, "in the privacy which a cabin affords." At one of the intermediate' stopping - places, a poor, tired woman came on board,, and was shown to the cabin, from which his Excellency was requested to clear out. The secretary j expostulated, the Governor was engaged, the Governor's luggage would have to be removed, the Governor could not possibly be disturbed. But the captain ordered two sailors to remove the luggage — then it became serious, and his Excellency remonstrated in person—" Surely, captain, you will not inconvenience me for the sake of this poor woman?" "Sir," said the captain in blunt reply, "do you think it is only a silk dress that makes the lady ?" Like a gentleman, the Governor bottled the inconvenience and acknowledged the lesson. " Captain," he said frankly, "forgive me, 'tis you are the true gentleman, not I." That the Governor indulged privately in a few hearty viceregal oaths, I have no doubt ; but it would be interesting to be able to record the sufferings of the poor secretary during the remainder of the voyage. One success may stimulate another, and in that hope I mention the signal success of our Coffee Palace Company, Limited, Its total coat has been within its capital, £5000. The premises are fitted up with the comfortable appliances of a middle-class club. The situation is central, being nearly opposite the Royal Hotel in G-eorge street ; the accommodation is varied and comprehensive, and the charges are moderate, but may be increased according to the taste of the customer. There are billiard, chess, reading, and ladies' rooms, and two dining-rooms for gentlemen. A man can dine moderately for a shilling, »r if he ' wishes to terminate a reckless and extravagant career by prof nee expenditure, be may spend three or even five. Cafe, cm lait is the 1 favourite refreshment, but the more noxious stimulant ef ginger beer, eau Sucree iced, lemonade, and schweppe, are always at hand for the dissipated, and are largely indulged in. A oup of coffee is threepence, with, which the consumer can have a newspaper, a magazine, or, if of a pensive shade of mind, the latent Bradihaw's Guide. The atten.

dants are all of the " opposite sex," warranted not to flirt on the premises, and from banging the doors behind them, and the entire premises are clean, fresh, and abundantly" lit. Saturday is one of their best days, and I hear that on one of those occasions the barkeeper has issued as many as 8000 tickets, averaging from threepence to a shilling. The latest news of the Kelly gang was specially telegraphed on Wednesday last to the Sydney Evening News, to the following effect : — A gentleman, well known in the north-eastern district of Victoria, states that while travelling between Benalla and Wangaratta, about a month Bince, he met four armed men, whom he recognised as the Kelly gang. Seeing that they were recognised, the outlaws stopped the gentleman and threatened vengeance if he said a word of the recontre for a month, and being afraid of the consequences, he refrained from mentioning the matter until the expiration of the allotted time, a day or two since. At the end of the month he received two L 5 notes of the Bank of New South Wales, ! Jerilderie, as a present for his silence. A late case, in which one of our oldest District Court Justices committed a man for alleged contempt of Court, has induced the Government to bring in a bill providing that that offence in certain cases shall hereafter be punishable only by indictment, and constituting ib a misdemeanour, punishable by imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, with or without a fine not exceeding £50. The offences referred to are as follow : — 1. Gulpable neglect of duty, deceit, abuse of the process of the law. Any act of oppression, extortion, or collusive behaviour, fraud, malpractice, or dishonourable conduct by any officer of the Supreme Court, or of any District Court, or Court of Qaarter Session*. 2. Neglect to attend on his summons, or refusal to be sworn, or to give a verdict, or any other gross misconduct committed by a juryman, or by a witness summoned to any such Court. Prevarication in his evidence, or continued refusal by any such witness to ' answer a lawful question. 3. Any breach of the peace or wilful disturbance committed by any person within the precincts and in the face of the Supreme or any District Court. 4. Being drunk and disorderly within the precincts of the Supreme or any District Court. 5. Publishing any report or account of a cause pending in any ' Oourb in disobedience of the order of such Court or a Judge thereof. The rush to Merove, mentioned in my last letter, has been utterly stopped by a timely report from a Government Warden adverse to the locality as a goldfield. The Oootamundra discovery, on the other hand, is confirmed, and the prospects look well, I clip the following comment from a late number of London Truth :— " The Bank of New Zealand.- 1 —! hardly think that the: balance-sheet of this Bank is satisfactory. : Its 'deposits and other liabilities' are £7,715,096; whilst 'bills discounted and other debts due to the Bank ' are £7,544,681, and its bills payable in circulation are £2,257,000. Consequently,, whilst all the deposits 'are locked up in 'bills discounted,' the credit of the Bank is used to the amount . of above £2,000,0C0 in « bills payable.' " The transaction ef the Government railway business to the end of 1878 shows the following summarised result: — "The expenditure for construction was £10,272,851, upon which the interest was £482,222, or ' 4*69 per cent. The capital expended on lineß open for traffic waa £9,784,645, upon^ which the interest was 4*73 per cent. The ! working expenses were increased by £118,003, i and the net earnings decreased by £30,934. j The net earnings were £366,001, ! yielding 3*56 per cent, to the total i capital expenditure, and 3 74 per cent, to' the capital expended on lines open for traf- ' fie. The interest paid by Government was ; therefore I*l3 and -99 per cent, in excess of ; the percentage of net earnings to total capi- ' tal, and to capital reproductively employed, respectively. At the close of the year6Bߣ ■ miles of line were open for traffic, and 208 ; miles were in the course of construction, to j be completed by 31at December, 1880. The 1 rolling-stock consisted of 154 locomotives, j 378 coaching, and 3413 goods vehicles. The i number of employes was 5156, and the wages paid £415,075 7s Bd."