OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VIII, Issue 415, 25 March 1881, Page 17

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

(From oar own Correspondent.) lIELBOOEKE, Much 15th, 1881. In Mr. Berry's opening speech on Beform he had the honesty and the audacity to state that he meant to pass the Bill this time, as it was of no more use to him. That is to say, that the country was so sick of the question that Mr. Berry could no longer make it a stalking horse by appealing to the worst passions of the people. If he wants to continue to set class against class, he must look out for some other means. Since then, however, the Premier has changed his mind . He does not want our Constitution reformed, at any rate not just yet. I suppose he fancies that he can revive the cry against property, fee, and thereb7 have another year of office. The opposition were most anxious to assist the Government in carrying this measure through the House, and for that purpose proposed that there should be a conference between the two Houses before the Bill was committed. Mr. Berry strenuously opposed this proposal, and, on a division being taken, the Government had a majority of five. The result of this will be that the Bill will inevitably be lost in the Upper House, that is, if it ever get there. It is highly KPbable that the measure may be defeated in the Lower House. \ The torpedo explosion, causing the instant death ot five men and the annihilation of three of the bodies, created a very painful sensation. The whole thing for the present is wrapt in mystery. The inquest threw no light on it. A Board of scientific men has just been appointed to enquire into the matter, and it is to be hoped that some good will come of it, though I much fear it may prove only an opportunity for each savant to ride his peculiar bobby. They may tell us. however, why the Captain was not on hoard his ship at the time of the accident, and also by whose authority this particular torpedo was fired, as it would appear by the evidence that it was not in the programme. I hope they will also tell us if a rumour about Captain Mandeville be true or only a story. It is said that the Cerberus Band, which was playing airs from " Pinafore," at Queenseliff, when the terrible accident occurred, at once stopped playing, when the captain appeared and ordered them to continue. He was told of the accident, but refused to believe it. Just then some one arrived from the scene of the disaster. Disbelief in the matter was no longer possible, so Captain Mandeville, determining to have music of some sort, ordered the band to strike up the " Dead March in Saul," which they accord* ingly did. The Police Board has been at last appointed. Its Chairman is Mr. Longmore, who has been notorious for years for saying bard things about everybo-ly, bat more particularly about the police. He ■aid the other evening from his place in the Houre that a certain gentleman, na-ning his name, ought to be in Pentridge. He said he was a perjurer, &c. Now, the perjurer in question is a respectable and respected citizen. I mention tbis just to give you an idea what sort of a judicial president Mr. Longmore is likely to make. Then we have Mr. Graves, another member of the Board. All through the Kelly campaign this gentleman was nevei done accusing the police, from his place in the House, of all sorts of crimes and misdemeanours. If he had been a barrister one might have thought he held a brief in the Kelly side. All the members of the Board appear to have been appointed more on the score of their being staunch Liberals than on any fitness, judicial, or other for the post. Mr. Service had a magnificent banquet given to him, in the Town Hall, the night before his departure for Europe. All the principal men in the Colony assembled to do him honour. Ue made, as he always does, a capital speech, the effect of which, however, was marred (to Catholics at all events), by his bigotted remarks. Mr. Service is, and always has been, a bigot, and the last year or two's political experience has made him more rabid. The Catholics turned Berry out and placed Mr. Service in power, as all the world knew this fact at the time it is presumed that tte Hon. James Service could not have been ignorant of it. To judge from his conduct, however, you would suppose that he did not know it, as from the moment of his accession to office he treated the Catholics as enemies. On all public occasions he went out of his way to say something nasty about them in regard to their opposition to the Education Act. This may have been very pleasing to the nun. gentleman, but it was not wise, as he found out to his cost, when, he went to the country on his Reform Bill, and was hurled from power by the "poor" Catholics. He was good enough, at the Town Hall, to acknowledge his defeat at the hands of the Catholics, but he threatened them by saying "another such victory would ruin them," whatever he meant by that. The Catholics won this victory at the ballot-box in a constitutional manner, so that Mr. Service's threat is a piece of insolent impertinence. Our Minister of Public Instruction, Major Smith, has just lost his wife, and one cannot help being struck at the incongruity of the thing ; I don't mean the poor lady's death but her funeral. She was l a good Catholic, and was buiied with all the rites of Mother Church. She was followed to the grave by most of her husband's colleagues. Our water supply is a source of great anxiety to us just now. Van Yean water tastes, looks, and smells nastily. This would be bearable if it were not for the sickness it causes, and worse still the plagues that we are told it is to create presently. We have bad no end of Boards of Enquiry, and ihe report of each Board is enough to cause a panic. The reports all tells us of the great evils that exist, but none suggest a remedy, except of such a costly nature that it is nut practicable. It is to be hoped that some cure will soon be found, otherwise the consequences may be vary serious. The water business has its amusing bide. It is baid that many staunch teetotallers have been driven to beer and brandy as a substitute for their habitual draught of cool water. I should not wonder if this were a fact, l'here are a ceruuu class of people who never go to see play, such a thing to them in an abomination. .Many years ago in Melbourne a fashionable Protestant clergyman leased the Theatre Royal for his Sunday evening sermons. The theatre was rushed by these people. After a time the dress*circle had jto be reserved for their sole use. And did'nt they enjoy themaelres gazing at the green curtain and wondering what

was behind it. Need I say that that parson was a success. Well, the temperance men, who have been driven to drink by the nnsavouriness of oar Van Yean water, remind me of these Sunday theatre goers. If a little whiskey gives some of them better tempers, then the polluted water will not have been all evil. A good deal of excitement was cauHed on the racecourse the other day by the scratching of G-rand Flaneur for the Australian Cup. The owner, Mr. Long, was heartily hissed, and he richly deserved it. The horse has been a great favourite, having won all the races he was entered for, and the public had backed him heavily, The hone's name was down as & starter up to five minutes of the race for the Australian Cup, so that his sadden withdrawal had toe eff-ct of causing all the Grand Flaneur money to fall into the hands of the bookmakers.