Our Melboune Letter.

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

Our Melboune Letter.

(from oub own cobbespondent.) November 23rd. The Assembly has been chiefly engaged during the last fortnight in frequent and tedious discussions on the stamp duties, varied occasionally by one of those obstructive and disgraceful scenes with which we are becoming only too familiar. The members for Brighton and Ararat have made themselves quite notorious for continuous obstruction, and their tactics culminated in a sensational scene during the debate on the public works estimates, when it was found necessary to exclude all strangers. The irrepressible Mr Beat persisted in demanding division after division, until the Chief Secretary rose and expressed his extreme disgust and indignation at such wanton waste of valuable time, and threatened that if the offending members dared to further impede public business, he would bring forward a motion that they be not heard again during this session. This announcement was welcomed with cheers from all sides, but Messrs Gaunson and Bent seemed quite indifferent, and the former condescending to his usual coarse abuse, dared the Chief Secretary to do his worst. The scene which followed beggars description, and it was only terminated when a member had the sense at last to draw attention to the fact that there were strangers present. In a few minutes the galleries were cleared, aud at a quarter to 10 o'clock progress was reported, the House not having been able to dispose of one solitary item of business that evening. A caucus of Liberal members was held lasb Wednesday, when a great deal of discussion took place on the obstructive and disgraceful conductofcertainmembers,whena resolution was unanimously passed ■to uphold the Government in any action it might deem necessary tp vindioftte the freedom, discipline, and

regularity of debate, and despatch of public business. It is hoped that this determination will have a salutary effeot on disorderly members. It has been decided to close the session before Christmas, and it has also been arranged that, if necessary, relays of members will be organised to sit day and night in order to pass the Estimates and dispose of bills which demand immediate attention.

Mr Gaunson, treated the House on Wednesday afternoon to another display of the offensive conduct which is becoming known under the name of Gaunsonism. He .was speaking to a malignant resolution standing in his name, directed against the Minister of Lands, impugning his administration of the Land Act, and after exhausting all the virulent language at his command he brought his remarks to a climax by saying that Mr Longmore was only honest in a Parliamentary sense, but not otherwise. Thereupon the Speaker rose, amid loud cries of "order" from all parts of the House,declaring that the hon. member was out of order in using such language. Mr Gaunson proceeded to show his disrespect of the Speaker by not resuming his seat, so the Speaker ordered him to sit down in a tone which plainly indicated that he did not intend to be trifled with ; and when gtho Speaker charged, him with refusing to resume his seat when ordered to do so, Mr Gaunaon contra-; dieted him, amid a storm of cries of dis-! approval. Sir Charles Gavan Duffy then addresed the House as no Speaker has ever been obliged to do in this Colony before.; He referred to the systematic obstruction and degrading conduct of the member for' Ararat, and said he was the moat disorderly member in the House, and gave notice that if he persisted in using such unparliamentary language he would call him by name, and pronounoe him contumacious. It was the duty of the House to protect its own dignity and self-respect, but if the hon. member was not prevented from repeating such offensive language, he would take steps to protect himself. Even after such an address, ( Mr Gaunson was about to resume his speech in the same obnoxious strain, when the AttorneyGeneral called upon him to withdraw his insulting remarks and apologise to the Speaker. Seeing that the whole House were united against him, Mr Gaunson disclaimed any intentional disrespect to the Speaker, and withdrew his objectionable reference to Mr Longmore. Great surprise was caused in political oircles this week when Mr James Munro, the; member for Carlton, announced his intention' of resigning his seat. Mr Munro was in-, duced to take this step in consequence of ' the result of a publio meeting which he held! on Friday last at Carlton. when a majority ; decided in favour of the Ministerial Reform Bill in preference to that of the Council, which Mr Munro has taken in charge.' Owing to this vote, and not feeling quite' satisfied that it really was the opinion of < the constituency, he determined to resign' and test the question in time to allow Carlton to be fairly represented on the third reading of the Government Reform Bill. , Mr Munro objects to the Government measure in the sixth clause, which; provides for payment of money on the votes of the Assembly alone, and he disapproves of making the .Council a nominee Chamber. He now desires a definite opinion on these two points frem his constituents. The election, which is to take place on the 26th November, is expected to ba very ex- - citing. At present Mr John Curtain, who' Bat in the Assembly for six years, is the only one who has come forward to contest the' seat with Mr Munro. He comes as an independent candidate. At the general election in May, 1877, Mr Curtain and Mr Munro were the only candidates for Carlton, , when the latter gained a majority of 31 votes. On that occasion Mr Munro was a supporter of the Berry administration, and Mr Curtain was in opposition. Both these ' gentlemen have a number of friends in the electorate, so the poll is expected to be very close. The Reform Leagues have decided ,to support Mr Munro ; Mr Munro's action is attributed to one of two motives — either that he anticipates defeat at the general election, and so desireß to teßt the constituency in tune for that event; or, as the majority are inclined to believe, he took the step" to relieve himself from a very embarrassing position. Having been elected as a supporter of the Ministry, and not being able now to concur in all their actions, he has felt his position somewhat Many think his action chivalrous, though unwise and uncalled-for under the circumstances, especially as he, and not the electors, called the meeting at which the apparent expression against his views was given. The foundation stone of a Presbyterian college which is to be affiliated with the University, was laid last Friday by the Marquis of Normanby, in the presence of a large assemblage, which, besides the elders and ministers of the Presbyterian Church, included the Bishops of Melbourne and Ballarat, and several members of Parliament. The institution is to be called the Ormond College, in honour of its founder, Mr Francis Ormond, who gives the' munificent sum of £10,000 towards its erection. It is to be a handsome Gothic building, situated about half a mile from the University, and it is hoped that other denominations will soon follow the good example set by the Presbyterians. A dejeuner was afterwards held, when his Excellency in his speech referred to the question of religious instruction in public schools, which is attracting so much attention at present, and while regretting that religious instruction could not be continued with the present educational system, stated that he considered it an impossibility under the conditions which exist in a community of such varied denominations as ours. This opinion, coming from such an authority, will no doubt have great weight, and the Bishop evidently thought so, for in reply he remarked if such is the case the Church has arrived at a new point of departure, and that each body must concentrate its attention on imparting religious instruction to its own children, which view has been acted upon for some time by Independents and Baptists, as being the best ■ under existing circumstances.

" There's music ia the heir," moaned a young ' husband as he reached for the paregoric bottle. '