VICTORIA.

West Coast Times, Issue 352, 8 November 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

VICTORIA.

(rROM TUE MELBOURNE PAPKK3.) On the evening of the 23rd ult., an adjourned meeting of " the unemployed '' was held in the Eastern Market. There were about 200 people present, the great majority being evidently attracted to the spot by a feeling of curiosity, and, from the style of criticism in which they indulged, they seemed quite unambitious of the designation chosen by the promo' 3i % 8 of the gathering. The speakers were Mr Ryan (who acted as chairman), Mr Bunting, and Mr Henderson ; and the language used was wildly denunciatory and truculent. The style of the oratory was a violent vituperation of the daily press, the Government, and everybody who, for some reason, had incurred the indignation of the speakers, and a reproduction of some of the worst doctrines of communism. The chairman having opened the proceedings in a characteristic speech, Mr Bunting came forward and stated that he had been out of work for eight weeks, and through want of "the ready," he had had to go " to the pop-shop." He also asserted the opinion that the members of Parliament we/c so many "jackasses," and that " an honest man, instead of bolting from his wife and family, was justified in stealing." The speaker was interrupted in the midst of this tirade by an official of the City Council, who intimated to him that it was the wish of that body that the proceedings in the Eastern Market by the representatives of the unemployed should be terminated. Thereupon, a denunciation was delivered, not only against a "a tyrannical Government," but against the City Corporation, for "hunting starving men to death ;" and it was proposed that a deputation should be appointed to wait upon Mr Downie, of the Australia Felix Hotel, to request the use of the large room at his establishment for the purpose of a public meeting this evening. Three of "the unemployed" volunteered to ask for an interview with Mr Downie ; and Mr Bunting said that in the interval of the visit he would " entertain " th,e assemblage by some further observations. He resumed his speech, informing those present-that he knew of one merchant in particular who was defrauding the revenue ; and he thought that a number of " the unemployed " might be advantageously engaged by the Government at a salary of from thirty shillings to two sovereigns a week, to assist in bringing such offenders to justice. The deputation returned with a message from Mr Downie, to the effect that, as a tradesman, he had his pecuniary liabilities to meet, and that he could not comply with the request to give the use of his room as proposed. When this announcement was made, the chairman exe'aimed, "Povertystares us in the face whichever way we turn." Mr Henderson then delivered a speecli, in the course of which he contended that it was the duty of the Government to provide a " safety-valve " for people who were out of employment. After some further conversation, it was' moved, seconded, and agreed, that a deputation should wait upon the Mayor of Melbourne on Thursday morning, at ten o'clock, and demand employment. On the day in question, about eleven o'clock, two or three men, who had evidently been indulging rather freely, came to the Town Hall, and requested an interview with the Mayor. On being informed by the official that his Worship, being then engaged at the City Court, could not see them, they expressed their indignation in very strong terms, and after declaiming against the infringement of their liberties as citizens they took their departure. A tailor named Jabez Bunting, who has recently made himself notorious as one of the orators of the " unemployed " in the Eastern Market and elsewhere, succeeded on the 25th ultimo in getting into trouVe, which led to his appearance, with a companion named Charles Templeman, before the City Police Court.- It seems that they went to the shop of Mr Skeen, tailor, Bourke-street, and asked for employment. Mr S';een, however, told them that he had no work for them, as he wanted steady workmen, not drunkards. He had previously employed Bunting, but had to discharge him. Bunting then, in allusion to a board in Mr Skeen's window, advertising '' for good coat and trousers' men,' 1 asked why he did not take that board down, so as not to " deceive poor working people." The two men proceeded to make use of very abusive language, and it was found necessary to give them into custody. Bunting, who had conducted himself most offensively, was fined 20s ; in default, to be locked up for four days. The other man was mulcted in 10s, or two days' imprisonment. Mr Candler held an enquiry at East Collingwood on the 20th October, into the cause of the death of George Spain, dentist, sixty-two years of age. John Bradley identified the body, and deposed that he had seen the deceased at the bar of Mac's Hotel, Smith street, on the evening of the 17th ult. Spain left the bar by a side door at about half-past eleven o'clock p.m. Shortly afterwards, Bradley heard some one fall, and on going to the door, he saw the deceased lying in the gutter. He called the landlord's attention to the circumstance, the deceased was lifted out of the gutter, witness assisting in getting him home. Deceased was uuconscious for about five or ten minutes after he had fallen, but he gradually recovered his senses. He did not accuse anybody of having pushed him down. Mr Whitcombe made a j)ost-mortem examination of the body, and found the stomach to be completely empty, with the exception of about a teaspoonful of alcoholic fluid. Death had been caused by serous apolexy, the result of alcoholic poisoning. The verdict of the jury confirmed the medical testimony. Tho Viceroy of Egypt, it seems, won't hear of American tramways. He was recently taking a carriage airing, when one of the wheels of his carriage met with an obstacle, ■which gave the Viceroy a rather disagreeable shock. " What is that ? " said he to his aide-de-camp. " Big piece of iron, Sire, that the Christians — the Giaours — have planted there, and on which rolls a big coach drawn by four horses. "Well, then, let all that disappear tomorrow. By Allah ! I believe, if we let those devils of Griaours have their own way, they would carry off the Pyramids to their own country, and would cover Egypt with a quantity of things that would prevent us from leaving our houses." "To hear is to obey," said tho aid-de-camp. The day after, a battalion of workmen were employed to tear up the rails of the American tramway. Nothing that people could say or do could obtain permission to replaco them from the Viceroy.