OUR MELBOURNE LETTER

Otago Witness, Issue 2389, 14 December 1899, Page 10

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER

November 29,

What promised at one time to develop into a Ministerial crisis eventually came to nought. It arose over tho proposed visit t f the Attorney-general (Mr Isaac Isaacs), to England to appear for tho Melbourne Tramway Company in an appeal against municipal rating. The suburban municipality of Fitzroy is greatly excited about this matter. It is against this municipality's rate that the appeal is lodged, and the Attorney-general going to England to oppose the rate seems like the Government taking side 3 against the ratepayers. Besides, Mr Isaac 3 previously represented Fitzroy Council on this same rating question, and it has a flavour of dovtblc-deal-ing for him now to ta!ke a brief from the Tramway Company. 'Not that there is double dealing, for the Tramway Company having briefed Mr Isaacs, it appears that he could not refuse to accept the brief — according to legal usage; but the ordinary municipal mind cannot properly appreciate the niceties of legal usage ; and roundly asserts that the £3000 Mr Isaacs is to get as his fee has a great deal tojdo with his acceptance* cf the brief. Fitzroy has two members in Parliament — Mr Tucker and Mr Best. Mr Best is a fellow Minister of Mr Isaacs's : consequently he could not move. So it fell to the lot of Mr Tucker. Not that, ho liked the task ; but a leading Fitzroy councillor is John MacMahon, and as -John MacMahon intends to be a candidate for Parliament next session, naturally he trie 3to stirr up a feeling against Mr Best, and he and his fellow councillors compelled Mr Tucker to move. So that gentleman brought forward a motion that. Mr Isaacs should not be allowed to go, and the Government acoeptod it as a no-confidence issue, and for an hour or two there was some excitement. But Mr Tucker had no heart in his work, and the thing fizzled out. Tho Opposition, in any case, would not assist to put the Government out on such an issue. Undoubtedly, did they set about it seriously, they could put the Government out, but their difficulty is that they could not possibly hold office themselves. "Mr Gillies and Mr Murray Smith are tho leading members, and neither of them could command a majority. Mr Isaacs may or may not go Home. He is anxious to go, and is obstinate enough to override the objections to his going; but Sir George Turner fears public opinion, and lie will keep- Mr Isaacs at home if he can. But there is £3000 hanging to the trip.

There is no question, that the Government is hastening to its end. Tho Premier's conduct in the. privilege caeo was contemptible. After twice expressing his opinion that there was no breach of privilege, he after all v6ted for the committal of the offending publishers, for the pimple reason that he knevr a majority was against him. Sir Georgo Turner h^s gotinto another "scrape" — this' time with the Legislative Council. Councillors who have sat for over 10 years aro entitled to retain tho '' honourable >T for life — or, rather, they were so entitled. But, it being desired to confer the title on Mr Buchanan, the fact came to light that the Premier, without consulting: a single soul, had meekly agreed at a conference of Premiers, to forgo the right as far as Victoria is concerned. Naturally the Legislative Councillors are in a towering rage. it is a singular thing that there should exist at this juncture a kind of epidemic of Ministerial defeats throughout Australia. No sooner was Mr Reid turned out in Sydney than Sir Edward Braddon wa3 similarly treated in Hobart; now Mr Dickson has gone in Brisbane, and Mr Kingston in Adelaide. The Didkson Government had proposed the formation of a Standing Committee to which all projected railways should bo referred, as in Victoria. They got this through, but only by a single vote. Several close divisions followed, and at length a straight vote- was taken on tho question that the Houso precced to the nex businoss (in which case the bill would have lapsed). The result was 33 for the Government and 32 against it. Recognising that he had'no longer a working majority, Mr Dickeon resigned. Mr Dawson, n labour leader has been " sent for," and if he succeeds in forming a Ministry it will contain a majority of labour members, which will form a new experience in Australia. Mr Kingston, in Adelaide, has- been turned- out on a vote for the adjournment of the House.

There aro thus .four Governments which carried federation wilh such a flourish of trumpets vow sent to the rightabout. In two of the cases the carrying of federation has been their undoing, for both Mr Reid and Mr Dickson found opponents in members who resented their espousal of the cause. It is a e'ecidedly singular outcome that four Governments which received bo much congratulation upon their success in carrying the biggest issue in .Australian history should be turned out of office within co bhort a period aftor their success. Quite probably the Turner Go-

vernment may havo gone before this is printed. Mr 'M'Lean, of Maffra beet sugar fame, is to move the vote, it is said, and it is worth notice that he was federation's principal opponent.

Tho most popular labour member of fhe Victorian Parliament has just died — John Hancock. Ho was a compositor — then secretary of- the Typographical Union, then chairman of the Trader Hall, then member of the Maritime Strike Committee, and "then member oj Parliament. Ho was a burly, broadfeatured man, the embodiment of good humour — though on questions liko call i net out tho military for a strike ho could roar like any sucking dove. As tho House got to know him, and as. ho mellowed under the influence of the better companionship h© met .there, and got~the better to know his own powers, he became a primo favourite. He "could keep the House amused for an hour comfortably on such subjects as the' coat of the Defence department pr the despatch of a- contingent — nob so much that there was wit in what he said,, but ho bubbled over with humorous allusion, and he was a capital mimic. On parliamentary picnics ho used to do a speech 'in the Lord Brassey style, which wras^ highly, entertaining. Mr E. L. Zox, who died a fewwce&3 agOj was another popular member' of the House. He was an invetofato punster and an excellent story-teller; but for all that ho was tho dreariest, prosiest speaker it is" possible to imagine. He was a Jew, and' a' noted habituo of Collins street, where, always in a white waistcoat and wearing singularly shaped glasses, ho was a most noticeable figure. The Presbyterian Assembly (a synod) has had a quiet session. One clergyman created somowhat of a sensation by his excuse for having failed to> mako a certain collection. "You ask me why these collections have not been made," hn said. "Tho reason why is jjut© poverty. You aßk mo why bucH a condition of things exists. I tell you that it as because I am transcendentally, sublimely unpopular in the place, and tho people will not come to me. In. its continuity and ono or two other things my unpopularity is sublime/ I hope that explanation will lie sufficient for the General Assembly. My average reoeipts have been, about £2 per week, and out of that my rents, etc., absorb 235." The same gentleman proposed that tlio assembly should condemn the Transvaal wai", but he could not obtain asingle supporter", so perhaps it is not hard to> understand why ho is notr a model of popularity. The tendency throughout tho sittingwas towards Liberalism. A proposal to release tho moderator from the charge of his congregation, so that ho might devote hiswholo timo to the duties of-.-h'is office, met with favour, though its supporters hastened to explain that they did not propose, to turntha moderator into a bishop ; and a deaf ear* was not turned even to a suggestion in favoursof printed prayers (shado of Jenny Geddes!)* for home devotions and the like. • Still; another evidence of the wave of Liberalism!' swooping over tho Presbyterian -divine of" those latter days was Dr Rentoul's speech' oF thanks to Archbishop Carr. " For , myself, JF must confess to thinking' the better of the' little doctor in consequence. Ho was referring to Archbishop Carr's denunciation of Mr Justice Williams on tho question of limitation; of families. Dr Rentoul thanked the Archbishop warmly for his courageous utterance. Although they had their differences, thechurches were, after all, the keepers of the> v morals of tho people. (Jußt fancy Dr Rentoul, the Orange champion, admitting the' Roman Catholic Church to be a keeper of. morals ! Surely tho millennium approaeheth» when tho lion shall lie down with tho lamb.) And the Doctor concluded by paying a high tribute to tho devotion which marked themembers of tho Roman Catholic Church, and. to the high standard of morality of its womanhood. :

A spiritualistic scandal is before the Police; Courts. A lady medium, Mrs Praed, has beftn arrested for fraud on one of her *" adherents," cr investigators, one Mrs Parry, a. widow of considerable mean?. Mrs Parry was p.ersuadcd that sho "was holding communication with the spirit of her dead daughter, and, according to hor story, sho was adriged by the "spirit" tc make the medicine an allowance of J3l a weak, to buy her new dresse3 and jewellery, to mako her a gift of£looo, and to mako her will in her favour. Tho next scheme the " ppirit " proposed vraa that Mrs Parry should treat' the medium to* a trip to England, and it was something in connection with this proposal that roused a. suspicion :n her mind, whereupon she communicated with the police. Mm Praed, tho medium, whom the reporters describe as an, "attractivd-looking woman," tells the police that she communicated tho spirit's wishes to Mrs Parry whilo sho was in the trance slato, and in her normal slato pho remembers nothing about it.

The garden larkspur has been, found at Condobolin, N.S.W., to bo of advantage as » destroyer of jrraeshoDPora.

anager.