VICTORIA.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 60, 7 February 1884, Page 2

VICTORIA.

(FROM OUR SIEtIAL UUKKESRONDENT.) Melbourne, Jan. 21,1834. The appointment of the Right Rev. Patrick Francis Moran to succeed the Archbishop Vaughan to the Catholic See of New South Wales does not appear to give 90 much satiflfaction as Dr, Croke’s appointment would have given dissatisfaction, Telegrams from Sydney contain what appears to ba a strange announcement that the Catholic party there know nothing of Dr. Moran nor his appointment. There can be no denying that Dr; Croke’s succession would give immense satisfaction to the Catholic Church party in particular and to Irishmen in general, both of which unite in their admiration of a man who has so closely identified himself with Parnell, the Redmond Brothers, and the National Land League. They think diL ferently to the Protestant xaotion; who consider that the Bishop’s recall froni New Zealand to Rome, to receive special reproof from the Pope, should be sufficient warranty for his utter qnsuiU ableness to preside over a section of colonists who must be brought to regard the reasonableness as well as the necessity of leaving the Old World's grievances to be cared for by those most implicated in their creation as of paramount importance. Writing of Church matters, I may state that, notwithstanding Melbourne, as the capital of the whole of the Australasias, is most defi* cient in Church of England accommodation, and never having had a metropolitan edifice worthy of her wealth, the Cathedral, which is being built in the lowest and most undesirable part of Melbourne— at the bottom of Hwanston Street—has been delayed since September last, and the workmen discharged, owing to some fad that English architects are superior to Colonials. Hence the present one—a Mr. Butterfield— affects to be able to supervise the work at a residence of many thousand miles away. As with the Parliament Houses, so with the Cathedral, the scandal is a disagreement about the stone to be used, although most business people would conclude that all that had been settled when the specification and oontract were signed. And this is made more apparent from the fact that Mr. Butterfield has been obliged to withdraw his objections after all in favor of the Colonial idea, since a continued adhesion to his own whim would have caused a large sacrifice of money already spent, by the destruction of a material portion of the work so far accomplished. The Roman Catholics assuredly lead the Protestant churches in the matter of their church polity. Where and how they get the money is no concern of anyone. It is sufficient to know that if a building is wanted they get it. They have just accepted a tender for a new Cathedral at Hotham, in North Melbourne, to cost £40,‘00, and the design indicates that it will be a handsome structure. Like St. Patrick’s, on the eastern hill, it will be a landmark far out at sea, and, of course, to all around Melbourne. This latter has been over thirty years building, and is not one-third completed now. Last year they raised some £7,000 from the proceeds of a fancy fair in tlie Exhibition building, which enables work to be resumed; but what is that mite where so big a sum is wanted? The English Cathedral will never be popular—or not until the character of the neighborhood is altered. It was the obstinacy of Bishop Moorhouse that carried the position, who argued that as it was for the million to worship in it should stand wnere it was most convenient to approach—namely, in the vicinity of the principal suburban railway-stations and the wharves. I should think the shrieking of the numerous railway-whistles, ringing of bells, and roaring of engines, which are intolerable interruptions in the existing pro-Cathe-dral, would suffice to remove it to a more retired spot, and where it would be an ornament, which it never can be in the dingey, ill-conditioned part of the city it now is. The “ Cathedral Hotel”—rather an unusual name — stands immediately opposite the English Cathedral, at the corner of Little Flinders Street and Swanston Street. It is a handsome, commodious building, and the

only reason I have for recording the fact here is that not long since the Melbourne had what was waggishly called a “ capital’’cartoon, shewing the Bishop (whose sermons are by no means " dry”) coming out of the edifice in company with a cleric, after a sermon by the latter, supposed to be suggestive of a “refresher." They halt at the comer, and the Bishop, turning to Lis friend, and at the same time pointing his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the “cellars," enquires, “ Shall we T' The response is not recorded, but I suppose they “ didn’t.” Before this reaches you, you will have received wires in regard to a meeting to be held in Melbourne about the 25th, at which hop-growers are (expected ?) to combine Irith a view to the consideration of the present alleged adulteration of beer brewed in the Colony. The movement had its origin, primarily, through Mr. Anguetil, who was accredited by the Victorian hop-growers to go to Rondon last year, and settle the question as to whether Australian—and, of course, New Zealand—hops were worthy of a market quotation there. Mr. Anguteil returned with abundant testimony in support of the value bi the Colonial article | but he brought some valuable information and statistics with regard to the deleterious compounds used in the manufacture of beer generally, as subBtitutes for hops. These will not have escaped observation in the local papers, and I need not repsut them here. These adulterants, chiefly named “ powder of lupuline,” and said to contain the essential ingredient of that.which it represents, weie brought into use By a “ rinq;" formed in antagonism to the hop-groweis, who, taking advantage of the partial, but over-exaggerated failure of the season of 1882-3. demanded such extravagantly abnormal prices as to compel the English brewers to disiegard Colonial

quotations altogether. Some acknowledge recourse to scientific means to produce substitutes} but they argue that, a» the latter fere only about one-third the cost of hops at their ordinary rate! and are hot poisonous, they shall continue to use them. Others, again, deny the use of substitutes in any shape, But, putting entirely ou one side the question from either a brewer's or a hopgrower’s standpoint, the public have taken it Up, and will strive for legislation on the matter. The grower and consumer, in the first instance, agitate merely because each tries to get the better of the other, while the former is becoming alarmed lest his occupation should soon be “gone, 1 ’ That the growers have not calculated in the presence of their host, the result of their exorbitant demands last season has been painfully proved by results; Some of them—those of Gippsland notably—having been obliged to sell in the English market hops that they refused from 3s. 9d. to 4s. 3d. per lb. for, as ths strobiles hung on the poles m the ground Mt the large difference of from lOd. to Is, per It; t The public generally pay but an indifferent attention to trade squabbles, and they don’t want to be dragged into this one; only so far as it affects themselves, namely in purity of production, while the Government, In contemplation of its recent stringent Public Health enactment; will be, or should be, ready to endorse the public expression of opinion, I insert this latter qualification, as towhat the Legislative may do, or not do, in the teeth of a powerful organisation, such as the Victorian brewers, who are also wealthy as a Guild. The coming meeting will do much to settle this much-vexed question, if the brewers are conciliated, if not, although they may not be permitted to use absolutely poisonous compounds, they may refuse to buy the product of the hop-grower, unless the law prescribes that no artificial subsstitutes resembling hops shall be used in the brewing of beer; This will hardly be likely in so demobraiic a Colony as Victoria, although 1 am given to understand by one of the leading planters in Gippsland that that is the practice in Munich, the cheap place of production of the celebrated Bavarian beer, which, with the Lager of Vaterland notoriety, is now largely consumed. The Government have at last decided on ;he appointment of members to the Public Service Board and the Railway Management Board; but, of course, dissatisfaction rests in the minds of the disappointed ones. You are aware that the Argus is credited with being the “ political damnation" of its proteges ; hence it is that, because that journal espoused the cause of some of these appointees, those who think they should have been selected are wrath. The Government are, however; entitled to commendation in seemingly ignoring claims to eligibility that were based solely on either political services or personal Influence; But it appears to me and others wno are outside the pale that two of the selections were not judiciously made. One is Mr. Agg, who is now rejuvinating his fast-expiring energies in your glorious climate of New Zealand, after a year’s absence on pay in England; the other is Mr. Symonds, an infirm old man, Whose conscientious scruples decided his refusal of the Government’s offer, on the score of declining years and ability. Both these gentlemen are in the public service still, and are said to have looked pretty well after their relations—something after the Graham Berry Style of doing things. It was once said in New South Wales that its population consisted of “ men, women, and Stephens's," so it may be said of Victoria that it consists of “men, women, Aggs's, and Symonds’s." This reminds me of the declaration of Mr. (now Sir William) Fox once made in the House of Representatives, that the Colony of New Zealand would make it a cheap bargain oy voting a million sterling to pay to the great Richmond family and their friends to leave the Colony for ever—at such an alarming rate were they becoming pensioners on the public bounty. In matters educational, I learn that the German "schulen" system is to be adopted, Or rather combined, with the method of practical education existing in some of the American States. In Philadelphia, a pupil is required to complete, or add to his curriculum, by the addition of two or three years in a manufactory or school of mechanics. The object is to give a practical turn to the acquirements a pupil makes at school, and -thus enable him to go into the world, not to begin his learning, but to enlarge on and improve that which he has already. American success as inventors is largely due to this combination of practical and technical knowlege, with an ordinary school or college tuition. Of course you know that after a dozen years* service of the Marquis of Norman by in the Australian Colonies he has resigned the Governorship of Victoria on account of his bwh and Lady Normanby’s ill-health. His Excellency goes at once to Sydney to arrange for his final departure from the Colony by the steamer Australia on the 24th April next via ’Frisco. Of course he will be feasted and feted, according to English custom ; but the Marquis will leave many enemies behind, as did Sir George Bowen, the most rabid of whom is the Age. That journal has been cadishly severe on him lately, and principally owing to a lack of hospitalities at Government House.

Our commercial circles are “ funky” lest the four million loan fixed for the 22nd (tomorrow), will not be floated. Yet the telegrams received to-day indicate plenty of money, and that Victorian stock is enquired after at improved rates. There is already a mad jealousy over the great success of your million 4 per cent., tenders for which show an undiminished confidence in your resources by the monied people of England. A sensation has been got up here lately, based on the so-called abduction by the Pollards of some of the youngsters composing their troupe. All of a sudden, the parents have repented the loss of their children, who are now “ starring " it in Calcutta, and have appealed to the Government here to order the restitution of the children. This can’t be done, but official correspondence is going on with the \iew to a return of the children. Query—Will they come ?