OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IX, Issue 429, 1 July 1881, Page 18

OUR MELBOURNE LETTER.

June 21. WE have been emancipated. After four years or turmoil and strife we Victorians have been made free. I cannot allow such a stupendous event to pass without a word in season to the New Zealand Tablet. For four years Mr. Berry has been working hard for us " poor serfs." Some people are foolish enough to say he has been humbugging us— setting class against class, and driving us as near to revolution as it is possible to drive people who are comfortably off—^ while be himself had heen drawing a large income all the time. B\re the " great heart " of the people backed up the Emancipator well. During Mr. Berry's reign he was often nearly accomplishing reform, but ju^t at the critical moment when the public would think things were going to be settled, our Premier would make some terribly inflammatory speech, either at an up-country banquet, the opening of a railway, or on the floor of the House, against the Opposition and the Upper House, which would undo all the past. Illnatured people said that this lleform Question kept Mr. Berry in office, hence he was io no hurry to see it settled. It would appear that this is true, as last week Reform was carried, and this week, so rumour says, Mr. Berry is to be put out. For the last few months our Chief Secretary's conduct has been most eccentric. Consistency has never been a strong point with him, but his recent tactics have not only astonished his opponent^ but have also electrified some of his most ardent supporters. The Reform debate has been conducted for some weeks in^f spirit of moderation itself. The public were beginning to think that at last this vexed question was about to be finally settled. The only disturbing element in the House was the band of ultra Liberals (the Corner) headed by Mr. Longmore. The Premier could afford to disregard the clique (they numbered but seven) as he had the support of all the Opposition memmembers. This was just Mr. Berry's difficulty — with the seven he had a majority independent of the hated Opposition ; without the small Liberal band he was in a minority, and could do nothing unless with the support of his opponents. The position was too much, however, for our versatile Chief Secretary. To carry the " corner " his reform must be of a revolutionary kind ; to gain the Opposition, it must be of a moderate description. Mr. Berry showed utter indifference (more so than usual) as to which course he would adopt. After a week of moderation he went to a railway opening at Lancefield, and at a banquet there made one of his revolutionary speeches, but, alas 1 he found times were changed — disgust and annoyance were the only symptoms it evoked. Dr. Dobson, one of the guests, a member of the Upper House, took Mr. Berry severely to task, to the delight of the audience, who cheered his remarks heartily. The last scene id the Reform drama was enacted on Thursday. On the previous day the Chief Secretary had thrown in his lot with the " Corner," and moved that the Reform Bill be discharged from the notice-paper. This he would have been able to carry if it were not that some of his own supporters were so disgusted with his conduct that they objected to these repeated changes of front. Sir Brian O'Loghlen moved an amendment in opposition to the Premier's motion that tbe question be remitted to a conference of both Houses. Several of Mr. Berry's hitherto most ardent supporters went with Sir Brian ; one of these gentlemen (Mr. Bolton) describing his chiefs conduct as " Jumping Jim Crow." Mr. Berry fought the matter out till he found he was in a minority, when he quietly accepted the baionet's amendment and withdrew his original resolution, so that in the end the great Reform Bill was passed whether Mr. Berry liked it or not. Tbe heads of the new Reform Bill are as follows : — We are to have 14 provinces instead of 5 ; 42 members instead of 30, 6 years' tenture of seats instead of 10 ; qualification for members £100 instead of £250 ; qualifications for electors — freeholders, £10 rating instead of £50 ; leaseholders, £25 rating instead of £50; occupiers, £25 rating. The present members are to sit for tbe unexpired portion of their terms, so that it will be nearly ten years before some of the present members come under the new order of things. One of the gems of the Exhibition was an altar exhibited in the German Court. It was situated in a niche exquisitely got up as a chapel, the light being so skilfully managed so as to have a wonderfully fine effect on the beautiful altar and statuary. The altar and all the sculpture in this chapel were purchased by Dr. Corbett, of St. Mary's, St. Kilda, and his congregation. On the Feast of Corpus Christi the effect of the lights and flowers on all these beautiful objects made me feel as if I had strayed into one of the loltely churches on the Continent dedicated to Our Lady. p*^ The Chinese question is exciting a good deal of attention here at present. Some of our ultra Liberals have taken up the subject and have been making violent speeches inside and out of the House against the heathen Chinee. These honest gentlemen, the Liberals, in speaking against John Chinaman always couple him with the hated " opposition " and the " Upper House." " The Chinese are all Conservatives and vote to a man for Mr. Murray Smith and his party," so said M. Berry the other night in the House. The head of the Opposition indignantly denied the charge, and proved conclusively that it had no foundation in fact. He also pointed out the unreasonableness of this cry about the Chinese in Victoria, as their numbers are certainly decreasing instead of increasing amongst us. Now that Reform is settled there must be some other stalking horse with which our Liberal Members must stump the country, and the Chinese question is ss goad as any other. We have been expecting the Royal Princes so long now that when they do come we shall probably take their advent very quietly — and so much the better. The young middies will enjoy themselves much more i f they are not pestered with too many addresses and public entertainments. The accident to the Bacchante has thrown all festive arrangements out of gear. The Exhibition ball was postponed several times

in the hope of having the Princes present, but it eventually took place without the Royal presence. It was, like everything else in connection with our great Exhibition, a financial failure. If the Princes had been there, would it have been otherwise ? It is hard to Bay. The Mayor's ball has also been put off several times. The date s now finally fixed for the 30th inst. We have now five British men-of-war in our harbour, 8 fact which is causing our rich folk to break out in every direction into balls and fetes. The naval officers seem to appreciate this kind of thing very much, and express themselves all ro.ind as very pleased with Melbourne. The officers are a fine, gentium mly set of fellows. I wish I could say that the sailors were as well conducted. Civilisa4on may have made wonderful strides during the last thirty years, but I am afraid it has not made much impression on the British tar. As of old his one idea of enjoyment appears to be to get drunk. The men roll about the streets here iii a jolly state of intoxication quite melancholy to behold. The French war-ship Finisterre has just left after a stay of some ten months. I do not think a French sailor was ever seen drunk during all that time, neither were there any deserters among them, whereas the British sailors have already lost seventy-one sailorp. We have had a meeting in favor of the Land League, which was attended by a delegate from Ireland — Mr. Walsh. Our principal Irishmen were conspicuous by their absence ; indeed there was not n man of note present at all. There was one member of Parliament at the meeting who, I am afraid, did not add much to the dignity or success of the affair. M You manage thing's much better in Dunedin. I sec by the pttpers that your meeting in favor of the Land League was a large and enthusiastic one, and most of the speeches were forcible but moderate in tone. It does one good to mark this moderation in an assembly of Irishmen met together to discuss the wrongs of their countrymen, and how best to right them. It is very hard to be moderate when one thinks of the past misgovernment of Ireland, but it is much wiser at these gatherings to look forward and not behind. Mr. Walsh, the Land League delegate, in his speech the other day gave an excellent example of this. What he said was firm and manly, clear and explicit, entirely to the purpose, and modest with all. I have heard it remarked that the new school of Irish patriots (notably Parnell) deal less with purple words and more in logical facts than their fathers. A good deal of excitement has been caused here by the outbreak of small-pox at Sydney. The authorities seem to have very little fear of small-pox taking much hold here, owing to the fact that 95 per cent of our population are vaccinated. It is supposed that the movements of the squadron will be effected by the small-pox scare, as i t is now surmised that they will not visit Sydney, as was originally intended. We have just had a fashionable bazaar for the Sick niildreii's Hospital. It was a pronounced success, realising £3700, \\ hich will clear off the debt, pay expenses, and probably leave a balance to increase the present accommodation.