The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)(about) |
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 1863,'
In the Legislativo Assembly yesterday, ' - Mr. O'GBADV gave not'co of motion'in favour of a grant of £1,600 for the Melbourne Benevolent Asylum.
Mr. A J. SMITH gave notice that, on Tues- day, he would ask the Government if they
intended to take notice of the motion sub- mitted on the previous day by the member for Ararat (Mr. M'Lellan), which cast impu- tations on every member of the House.
In answer to Mr. LEVEY,
Mr. VEBDON said he proposed to introduce, early next session, a bill to amend the Audit
Act.
In answer to Mr. DUFF?,
Mr. HEALES agreed that the second reading of the Land Act should Uko place on Wcdnes day next.
ThaHouso then took into consideration the amendments mado by tho Legislative Council in tho Immigration Bill.
Mr. AHDBBSON opposed the amendment of tho áth clause, which altered the responsibility of the agent-general.
Mr. FnAScis pointed out that the board waa to bo appointed by the Governor in Council, and, as the members were to bo paid, tiley would be equally responsible with the agent-goneral.
After Borne discussion, the amendments were agreed to, with some modifications.
Mr. HIQISBOTHAM moved the resolution of which ho had given notice, for the purpose of preventing unauthorized alterations in hills in the Government Printing-office, which was agreed to.
The House proceeded to consider the amend- ments made by the Legislative Council in tho Local Government Bill, some of which pro- voked considerable discussion.
The Railway Management Bill was read a third time, and passed.
The House then went into Committco of Supply, when a sum of £75,000. was voted for educational purposes, £58,249 as grants in aid to municipalities, and £70,000 for road works and bridges.
Mr. KIBK submitted a resolution in favour of a grant of £2,000 for the erection of a bridgo over the Darebin Creek at Alphington.
Mr. HEALEB assented to the motion, as a promise had been given by a former Govern- ment, and the bridge was nearly completed.
Tbo motion was agreed to, after some ob- jections from Mr. Orr.
Mr. TOOKER moved for a committee to in- quire into the charges brought by Mr. Duffy against some of tho arbitrators. !
Mr. DUFFT seconded the motion.
Mr. BEALES was opposed to the motion, but would give .way, if the hon. member for Villiers and Heytesbury desired to have the
committee.
Mr. HiaiMBOTBAK thought the objects and constitution of tho committee were aliko objectionable.
The motion was negatived, without a
division.
Mr. M'OANN submitted a motion in favour of a grant of £1.212 to pay the salaries of cer- tain teachors, which was agreed to.
The House then adjourned.
Tho question of pensions is ono of peculiar difficulty to the Government. It is no longer a purely abstract proposi- tion of whether or not pensions should be allowed. There aro certain claims
which have ripened, and we aro not tailed upon to discuss whether they ought, or ought not, to be conceded, The ex-Attorney-General has been too quick for his friends in the House. Ho is knocking at the door of the Treasury, « and will not bo denied. Whatever'
happens, be must have his penflionT The;
required service has been performed, the | ck:..,.lias been allowed, tbo ragubifcinns I have passed the hand of HERMA^USTY'^ representative, and nothing now remains but for Mr. M'CDXLOOH to sign the
»arrant.
The question having arrived at this stage, it »?seems impossible that the Go- vernment can rofuse to comply with the last formality wanting to make Messis. IRELAND and DUFFY the recipients of a thousand a-yeara-piece iortlio romainder
of their natuial lives. The action which Mr. BROOKE has taken is quite too late in_the matter. The House can- not now airest its Jiand in the acknow- ledgement of ' Messrs. IRELAND and DUFFY'S valuable services. It is 'even hound t,*j recognise a ceitain other old f"LTVftut, who, for his arduous duties as Postmaster-General, is awaiting his country's guerdon. How can the coun- try wish to shiik tho performance of so graceful a duty? There is absolutely no loophole" which has escaped the watchful ingenuity of the, pensioners elect. The law has been complied with in all its forms. The warrants for the pensions must be signed. *
- Should the country be à little dis- gusted at this mo'de of disposing of the question, there is* really no" one else to blame but the Parliament iiself. The Press has repeatedly, and frorn the be- ginning, protested against the, pensions clause in the Constitution Act. It has approved of every attempt which has been" made foi its repeal, but in vain. The Assembly itself has shown but a half- hearted desire to get rid of the pensions. It passed, indeed, a certain bill for theil abolition, but it did so with an almost certain foreknowledge of its being re- jected by tho Crown. It has committed itself to one or two abstract resolutions on the subject, but it has never displayed till this moment any real anxiety in'the matter. It has invariably looked at the question from-'the personal" point of view, and has considered, not 'so much tho principle of pensions, but those who should benefit by them ' If it had been sincere, it might have proved its sincerity in a very simple way, by passing some sort of self denying ordi
nance, pledging the members to give up each his inchoate right to à pension. But there have been too many ex-Ministers and expectant-Ministers in the House for such an act of magnanimity. The pensions clauses has been allowed to re- main "until tho pensions are , due ; and there seems to 11s no alternative Jeft but to grant them.
We believe that the country could not have been driven to this necessity but,
for the action of the GOVERNOR in assent-
ing to the regulations drawn up by the Executive Council. The regulations themselves were drawn up as closely in accordance with the act as they could be; buf there were certain peculiarities in the situation which ought to have induced1
Sir HENRY BARKLY at least to seek
advice from the Imperial law officers. The ¿£4,900 a-year should not havo been appropriated to UHR MAJESTY'S' civil use without at least some reference Jo the Crown itself. Tho weak point in the regulations "was this, that the sum of ¿£4,000 was not dispensed exactly in accordance with the regulations of the Im-j perial act of WILLIAM the Fourth. The English rules as to pensions to responsible Ministers are, that each pensioner shall have two-fifths of his former salary, and tliat there shall be only four pensioners at any one time. But in our case, wq could not possibly cohiply with both: these conditions, and yet dispense' tho whole of the ¿£4,000 a-year set apart for pensions. If wo complied with the rule, that no pensioner should re- ceive more than two-fifths of his salary, it is clear that we could not divide ¿£4,000 among four pensions. Again, if we hold ourselves bound by the number of pensioners and the whole amount of pension, then we must have violated the
rule lequiring that each pensioner shall have two-fifths of his old salary. The only ex-Minister who, under the Con- stitution, would be entitled to a thousand a-year, is the Chief Secretary, who, under the old system at least, enjoyed a salary of ¿£2,500 a-year. All other ex-Ministers, according to the rule of two-fifths, are only entitled to pen- sions, in various proportions, less than at the rate of a thousand a-year. The difficulty is, how to square the number of pensioners with the total amount of pension appropriated, and yet to keep within the regulations of the act of WILLIAM the Fourth. It was a difficulty certainly of sufficient im- portance to prevent the GOVERNOR from giving his assent to the regulations drawn by the Executive Council, and, at least, to induce him to postpone the I whole subject until advice had been
| taken from the Imperial law officers.
As for the Assembly, we aie at a loss to perceive how it can inter i fere at this stage of the matter, I without calling in question the GO-
VERNOR'S prerogative, and impugning his conduct. It may bo of opinion that the pensions ought not to be ^granted, but it has no constitutional way of pre- venting their bestowal Nor has it any right to consider the character of the persons who in the ordinary course of events come first to bo pensioned. It is no question of the personal merits of Messrs. IRELAND and DUFFY ; it is a question of a purely legal obligation. If Messrs IRELAND and DUFFY aro legally entitled to their pensions, the House has no power to withhold them. To'"attempt to do so would be clearly an act of re- pudiation. The dignified and constitu- tional course, provided that members are in earnest in wishing to abolish the pen- sions, is to address HER MAJESTY, pray- ing her to relievo this country of the obligation of paying .£4,000 a-year towards her Civil List, for the'pension- ing of the ex-Ministers of the Crown in this colony.
The member for Ararat has incurred a very1 heavy debt of responsibüity to tho nerves of this community, for the
results of which wo will not answer. Not that he has acted otherwise than on tho most approved principles of the manufacture of romance. The art with: which he suppresses the horoes of his. tale, tho skill with -which he puts ex- pectation on the tip-toe .for the catas- trophe, without gratifying it an atom,
have helped to raise a cruel longing" for I thiyti^ír.ínjstalraenfc of the story. Does ttyoVote of the House »then threaten to disappoint thergeneral curiosity ? Aro we, or aro wo not^ to Lave the third volume t Are ' our* very faculties' of eyes and eira to be absorbed 1 Will the author of the fiction treat lus audiûnoe' ahd his readers'to all 'the details of the ''dreadful tilingf Is the pantomime
to -extend to the production of the real chaiacTers ? Atö' we to seo in fleshy
embodiment the victims as well as the Vilhiins, the member whoso "spirits for '¡sook"Mm" between the lobby and the gangway, as/well as the "suspicious look ''ing emidsary," who warned another member- pretty much in the words that CATE'ÍBYI warned Lord MONTEAGLE two ccn'eAiiies ¿md a half ago, " not to go to (' Parliament to night." And the " den | i'of corruption,"-the local habitation of
the conspnacy,-tbe cavern dark which masked the monstrous thing. is a oaid board model of it to < be laid on the table with the mace Î i Will there bo fi Representation of " the genius, and the
"nnortal instiuments, m council then ", within Î" W¿U the Victorian Association, the existence of which, as wo said else- where, can of course be no longer phan jtiisrnical, at last put its native semblance Ion ? ït need not be said that Mr. M'LCLLAN "will not only be acting up to, tile " commonest laws ok fiction if" he realizes all this, but he will be making"' substantial claims io the grati- tude of that society, which, ho says, has never been grateful to lum, and, we fear, never will. Whatever issue the present entertainment arrives 'at, there is very little apprehoneion that the promoteri of it will ever jeap the reward of his pubhc spirit. In any case, Mr. M'LELLAN, successful or not in his purpose, must have been content to sufler some ill effects from his revelations. If lie had failed in fixing his allegations on the accused, it is clear that he could no longer ¿ave expected to retain his seat jn their company. Whereas, if he )ud I proved every charge he made to the | satisfaction of the world, that must l(ave
befallen him which was moie than once hinted at in the debate. His' past silence would have been thrown in lus
'teethj and a very natural interrogation have arisen about, the instincts 'of-the patriot who saw his country in the-hand3 of publicans and sinners,
and did not rebuke them. His motives in introducing the bill of discovery are not very clear. He charges the whole Association with bribery, and
in the same sentence assures his au-
dience that he is lar from wishing to .reflect on any honourable member 'who ¿tight'have belonged to it. He says that in ¡coming to the Legislative Assembly on the'matter, he is anxious to confer a benefit on the Constitution, and then he puzzles conviction, by adding elsewhere, that his solo object in appealing td the 'House is to get at the "exact sum-sub r" scribed to influence members" of that House. We do not pretend to reconcile the incongruities, but these were his in- ducements for bringing in his measure. His reason for not having brought it in before are scarcely more obvious.
"Was he iu earnest in pleading for his long silence the fear of "encountering the " strength and machinations of the Asso ü dation he had characterized ¥' Did he really believe that he had been on an eighteen months' discovery, collecting proofs of their guilt, and rivetting the
various links of his own evidence? And
was it only just at the close of a very tedious session that he had consolidated the various reports that Mr. MICHIE very justly said had been flying about the .atmosphere since the Association wits
formed, and slander had made it*its prey. It is scarcely credible that lie should have , been willingly guilty of such bad management as to postpone his challenge till the party were out of office whose misdemeanours he now considers will for ever unfit them for it.
But, whatever answers he may give, it is certain that the charge of swppresdo veri is not confined to himself. In fact, it is one of the peculiar features of this very interesting, impeachment, that it is not at all clear where the guilt is to be distributed. Mr. M'LELLAN has not only been culpably silent, but he has plenty of partners in his remiss jiess. According to his showing, there are no less than fourteen innocent victims of the White Hart Hotel, who have all this time kept the malignant attempt on their virtue a secret from society. Then, again, are the said vic- tims more innocent after all than the Association? Does not the bribe involve both him who gives and him who takes 1 Is the suspicious stranger of the lobby who handed the cheque, more culpable than the honourable member who took it, and then proved false to the bargain ? Questions like these tend to show tho complicated nature of the problem, though they may be of little moment in its adjudication. It does not help to the solution of it that Mr. M'LELLAN'S audience-the confines of party were necessarily confounded in the discussion-were divided on the merits of his case. Two of its important mem- bers-one Minister, the other ex-Minister of Justice-were nearly being set at enmity on the subject. Mr.HiGiNBOTHAM evidently believed in the charges, while Mr. WOOD as warmly repudiated them. The latter gentleman's anxiety for the reputation of the colony and its po- litical prestige, was natural enough, but it is not an irrefutable conclusion that tho disclosure of its rotten con- dition will at all countervail the bad effects of the rottenness. If, as Mr. DUFFY and Mr. O'SHANASSY confess, there is nothing now to be told, no new discovery to be made, it is a question- able pohcy to expose the wounds of the tate for the mere sake of probing them. There does not appear to be any proba- bility of gain accruing to either party. The accusers themselves must suffer from the recoil of their charge. Under any circum- stances, however, in a serious light, the sensitiveness exhibited by the House will be regarded by the country as a guarantee against the recurrence of any similar occasion. That anything will como out of Mr. SINOLAEK'S confronting Mr. WILSON on the specified Tuesday can scarcely bo expected. The un- supported charge of the member for North .Melbourne can prove nothing
satisfactorüy,"ímdj,at£ presehfcj the *HcH
-«.i^^^conJ^ses^thatT-he Jsf,wiíhst*.t j
.ovidence to susfcamr his1 case.1 It is
ttj bo hoped that^ no opportunity for
another scene of i simple recrimination I and retort will be' lightly offeicd by the' Assembly. Mr. M'LELLAN'S motion can be renewed with no success, unless heconsents to the conditions offered him., Probably ,by the time referred to, his friends will have convinced him that it is not to his
iown interest, or that of othe community,
to -^úsh the matter without a certain prospect of success. Till he can promise ,that, he may console himself with King Joim in the play
t" I had a thing to say ; but let it go.
j the sun is in the heaven, and tho proud day
Is all too wanton, and too full of gawds To give me audience."
The spirit of acclimatization has shown itself in England in a quite new place and form/ and marked out for itself a' no less novel and unexpected , sphere'of action. ' The scene Í3 the Lon-
don Money Market, and the thing to be
acclimatized the Credit Mobilier of Paris.
During the month which preceded the departure of the last mail, several finan
cial companies, of a charactei, entirely new to^ English commerce, had engaged attention on the London money market. These are of a nature kindiedrtó the French Crédit Mobilier, which, during the ten years of its existence, has, as "-a writer in the Daily News says, enor- mously stimulated speculation, and has paid an average dividend of sixteen per cent, per annum, in addition to the com- mission awarded by its statutes to its successful administrators, who re- ceived on this account during the past year the sum of £52,000
Four of these associations had been
launched upon the market .under the most promising auspices when the mail left;_The first placed upon the market was the~."London Financial Association " (Limited)," the object of which, asv wo learn from the prospectus, "is to centralize the large business carried on in negotiating debentures and bonds, |
making 'advances on railway and other securities, on mortgage1 or title deeds, and''on'-works in progress, and to afford readily accessible channels to parties having the charge of Parliamentary bills, to contractors of undoubted position concerned in railways or other extensive public works, and to owners of valuable property of varied' character. It will facilitate, in connexion with such securi- ties, the business of bankers, capitalists, solicitors, agents, and brokers, by reliev- ing them of detail ; and, in the cases of provincial bankers, brokers, and others, of the risk incurred by the transmission, as at present, of bulky and valuable do- cuments, the formation of this company having, in fact, been suggested by exten- sive and influential provincial bankers. It will undertake money agencies, will receive deposit loans for periods and at rates specially agreed upon, will assist to mature important financial schemes, and also transact all such business on commis- sion. The directors represent to the public that on the Continent similar institutions
-allusion being made principally, of course, to the Crédit Mobilier and the Société Générale of Belgium-have been established with great success, and have become the recognised medium for the agency of such transactions, " while in " Great Britain no such universally re " cognised agency exists, and it is^to " supply this want on a scale commen " surate with the financial operations of " the country," that the association .has been organised. No "promotion money" is to be paid, and the preUminary ex- penses will be strictly confined to such as are indispensable. No remuneration will bo received by the directors until after the payment of a minimum divi- dend of five per cent, to the share- holders, and a sum equal to one-fifth only of the surplus will be set aside as
remuneration to the board. The asso-1 ciation possesses a highly-respectable direction, and of " the first capital" of £1,000,000, a very large portion was privately registered before the shares were brought into the market.
The Economist of May 2, speaking of the first appearance of these new com- mercial schemes, says :
" There can be no question that an ample field exists in this, the greatest money market in" the world, for the operations of an asso- ciation capable of undertaking the important financial projects which ato in one shape or another constantly offering. As it seems now certain that an institution modelled on the plan of the Crédit Mobilier will be established in London, it is most desirable that it be only erected under the highest auspices, at once capable of securing the confidence of the public, and at the same time placing it far, above the reach of rival schemes. With this view, it seems that an alliance here with houses such as Messrs. Hottingner and Co. ¡ Pould and Co. ; Mallet Freres and Co.; Pillot, Wile, and Co. ; Marca ; and Andre and Co., and others of equal eminence, will have the effect of giving every requisite stability, and of providing a financial combination hitherto unsurpassed in ability as in position and ex- perience."
The second of these associations
brought before the public was the " In " ternational Financial Society." This, like the other, is limited, and is a com- bination of several high-class firms with the Paris Crédit. Mobilier. Of this the proposed capital was ¿63,000,000, of which £2,200,000 had been subscribed, leaving ¿6800,000 for allotment, in shares of ¿620 each. The firms represented in the direction are those of Messrs. HEATH and Co., STERN Brothers, GEORGE PEA BODY and Co., FREDERICK HULL and Co., FUHUNG and GOSCHEN, DOBREE and Sons, and ROBERT BENSON and Co. Of this company, the City correspon- dent of The Times on May 12 says :-?
*-" The object of the society is simply stated to bo * to assist and take part in financial and industrial undertakings, especially foreign loans and enterprises possessing Government guarantees.' This ia as legitimate as any other of tho large branches of business which have been invaded of late years by joint stock competition, and there can be no ques- tion that the London board now constituted is powerful and of a character to command much confidence. On the other hand, it is equally certain that the Paris Crédit Mobilier, notwithstanding the dividends it has paid, the Court favour it has received, and the price detained by Its shares, has never enjoyed any strong feeling of respect on this side Bach as is accorded to large institutions that can claim po )jo based on a°ßoUd policy. Hence, Jf the
London estabiUhmontis fcTfoIlpw'thu Ieàa~bf its Paris ally, some doubts maybe entertained as to the permanent ropulárity of the com- bined 'undertaking, while if, on tho contrary, the habitual strictness of our meicantile firme "shonld .seek to assert itself, there may be a conflict of ideas and motives such as to inter- fera with the, fall achievement of the results contemplated. Tho most sober portion of-the publié wilt therefore watch its eaily opera- tions, not with distrust or hostility, but with vigilance and curiosity. Meanwhile, from the jrwsent disposition of investors and operators of all classes, and from the smallntss ot the
number of shares offered for subscription, it is > ccrttin that thtra will bo great eagerness to participate in the undertaking, andjhat high premiums will be freely paid." ,
The list for the 40,000 sharesreserved for the public was closed on May 14
when'the applications had röaehed ri total of between 480,000 and 500,000 . that ¿s^to, say, the unallotted capital had been applied for at least twelve times'' over., '/Of'tho third, (the prospectus was issued on May l8. It is entitled the .General'Credit and Finance Company of London, with 'a capital of £2,500,000 in shares of £20, of which only £700,000 was offered for subscripticjn. Urr.'SAMUEL
LAINO is the chairman, and the un- dertaking is associated with a combi- nation,.in Paris'to be icalled the Société
GéiîéraW,', which was in" course of 'form- . ation by a number" of'the most influ- ential establishments connected with French finance, trade, and enterprise.
, Tlve Timeá City correspondent says of
this association :-'
" The London direction comprises sevcrd of the, most ¡prudent, and, respectable re-
présentatives of the smercantile, banking,"
and railway interests, together with parties f whp have" been long identified with the' , progress of India and Australia; and at tho same time relations are stated to havo bsen arranged with large firms and establish- ments on the Continent generally. The house of Mr. Giles Loder is that to which any opera- tions of the companyijini connexion with '.Russia-will beintrastcd. It is a primary con» dition in the coofctitutjion of the pompany that,no stock-jobbing or purdy1 tja colativo .transactions Shall b3 entered into. r'Tho
business will bo to negotiate loans and con- '
cessions ; assist industrial entetprisep, riullio > woiks, and railway undertaking»", negotiate ' .foreign, Indian, and colonial bonds ; conduct mercantile transactions, and establish com- mission agencicB,' "
The directors are to have no remunera- tion until the shareholders receive a
mmimum dividend of five per cent. ; ten i per cent, on the divisible profits of tho year is then to be assigned to the board. The " first capital " is fixed at ¿62,500,000, in 125,000 shares of ¿620 each. , Of j these 20,000 shaies luve been subscribed for by the French party, and the whole of the remaining 105,000 by the private subscriptions of the direc- tors and their friends ; but arrangements have been made'for deducting from these
subscriptions, so as to give the public the , option of subscribing for 35,000 shares.
The share-list of the General Credit and , Finance Company of London was closed on May 22, although the full account 'had not yet been made up. On May 26, it was known that the ^plications for the 35,000 unallotted shares had íeached 300,000,'or nearly ten times the amount required. As to the fourth, the last and smallest, Fhé'Times' City correspondent, on May t 19, makes this brief men
,tion :- -e
"The large financialXcompanies [will, of course, call up a number of those imitations which are always concocted when public attention has been awakened in any now direction. An instance is already furnished in the 'Public Works Credit Company of London and Paris,' which is proposed to day, with a capital of £200,000, ,in shares of £20, of which one half is to be first raised. Doubtless befóte the month is ended, every possible variation of the phrases ' credit ' and ' finance ' will have been introduced by tho multitude of promoters who, having almost exhausted their energies in the creation of banks, aro now favoured with a fresh inspi-
ration."
We have here desired simply to state
the objects and prospects of these ' associations. There can be little doubt that the new development of the co- operative principle-inaugurated by them, will have a marked effect upon commer- cial speculation. What that effect will be, it would be premature just uow to anticipate, still less to define. There will doubtless be, as The Times says, a crowd of enterprises, more or less simi- lar to these, poured upon the market; and it will depend upon the discretion and forethought of the English public to decide how far a rush of bad imi- tations shall be allowed to delay the naturalization of the piinciple in Eiig land, "the centre of all great under " takings."
In answer to Mr. Duffy, it was stated Ti- the Legislativo Assembly last night by Mr Heales, that the Land Bill would bo circu- lated lust night, and an understanding was airived at that the second reading should take place on Wednesday, Mr. Duffy promising that the members of the Oppofition would, in discussing the measure, deal promptly with its principles, that the discussion might not be protracted. Mr. Loader gave notice, at the same time, that he should move a scries of new clauses, for the purpose of providing that passage-warrants shonld be granted to persons who had paid their own passages to tbls colony. A copy of the bill will be found in
another column.
Some annoyance has been occasioned to the Mayor by the discovery of the fact that several of the guests invited to his faocy dress ball have transferred their admission tickets to friends. In order to prevent disap- pointment and misunderstanding, we have been recfuested to mention that tho practice cannot be permitted. The festivity will bo strictly confined to those who are invited to take part in it.
The election for Mandurang is (says tho Bendigo Adveriiter), in Sandhurst, evoking quite as much interest as in tho district itself, and quite as much so as any recent election "for the boroughs. "The relative chances of
success of the two candidates-Messw. Casey and Macpherson-are the topics of interest in every cholo. "The supporters, committeemen, and canvassers of the candidates, are leaving no stone untnined to secure the return of their favouiite, and it is extremely probable that before the day of election, on Wednes- day, the interest will have culminated to as great an extent as on any previous occasion, not even excepting the great Grant and Sulli-
van contest for Sandhuisr.'
Some very interesting samples from the St. Arnaud Company's mino have been exhibited for the last few days in the offices of Mcssr». W. Clarke and Son, Elizabeth-street. Tbe quartz contains gold, silver, metallic coppc.
Bnd galena in.combination-a yoi? rate as- sociation of mcta'jj, ; Thecippcrts n'ot ih any quantity, and che discovery, therefore, is at present interesting only in a scientific point of view; butitisprobablo that tho quantity ofthat metal found in the stone will increase as depth is a'tained. The specimens have Tjeontnkon from a thick vein of quartz latoly discoveied in tho deepest part of the workings -about 270it-and below the wator level. It is Ecircely correct, however, to describo the lode as one of quartz, not much stone being visible in the samples sent to Melbourne, The opening up of the deep vcjps.in this mino will bo looked forward to 'with much interest, apart altogether from' its produc- tion iof- gold or the Interests ii of share- holders. We may odd, that the first crushing from the Silver Mines Association of St' Arnaud has taken place this week, A telegram from the dliectors states that thirteon and a-half pounds avoirdupois of amalgam hive boen obtained from the first seven tons of silver stone put through the stamps. This quantity of amalgam was taken from the ripples, and ihe special process for the re-
covery of the silver had still to, be applied to
the tailings. The quan'ity of amalgam ob- tained, however, would give £8 wolth of silver for evtry ton of quartz, without the voluo of tile gold being included. / , _
Tho Rov. James Ballantyne will deliver the next in his serks of monthly lectures to- morrow cvpning in Er kino Church, Carl- ton. ' ' ,
The fifth monchlyi meeting of tho Third Union Buildjng Society was held at 82 Cul% lins-strcet east, on Thursday evening, afrelght o'clock. Mr. James Stodart (in the absence of the Hon. Henry Miller, president of the society,) in the chair. The chairman an- nounced the evening's* receipts at £3,125
after -whick a salo was held, at an average premium of £30 UK Forty-three Bbates were disposed of at the meeting, making,, with those already sold, 202J shares purchased out during the five months tho society has been
Inexistence.
Although tho present sea=on is perhapänot tho most inviting for a leisurely inspection of the Botanic Gardens, yet to those who may, ba given o'ver to a horticultural turn of mindi,
there are numerous interesting specimens of' representative plants and shrubs toi be met' with, which will well repay-close anil careful observation. Tho recent rains have been of signal benefit to the gardens, and have im- par ed a fresher and brighter appearance to the vegetation. The grounds aro'rather \>m ron in the meantime of plants in flower, but tho lack in number and variety is compen eatci for by the gorgeous colouring of the few which aro in blo-som. Hero and there, iii, striking contrast with the dark verdure of tho surrounding trees, may bo observed the, showy flower of the South African aloe, and near the residence of Dr. Mueller there is to be seen a plant of the leguminous order-a native of the South of Europe-of curious foliage, and overspread with blossoms of a delicate pale-yellowish tint, and n joicing in the imposing cla'sic appellation of Anthyllis barba Jovis. The Moreton Bay araucarias are thriving famously, and, from their denser appearance, may bj thought by some hand- somer, or, at oil events, moro picturesque, than the angular and more trimly-shaped sp¿ cimenB of the Norfolk Island species. In the palm-house, aud in the smaller conservatory, many of the pot plants are in full flower, but the collections are bo choice and vatieá,
that a distressing difficulty is experienced' in selecting specimens for special mention; Visitors to the gardens might also derivé some pleasure and amusement from a look into tbo aviary, where, among other birds of statelier bearing and mora pretentious plumage, may be seen some veritable English cocksparrows and robin ledbrea-fcs, which havo been only a few mouths in the colony, and are as much at horne apparently as if perched on their favourite window-sill or house top.
We havo reason to believa that the vacancy in the Board of Education created by the death of Mr. C. J. Griffiths will be filled up by the appointment of Sir James Palmer. The office of UBher of the Black Bod, held by tho late Colonel Farquharson, will be conferred on Mr. Albert La Souef, an old and respected
colonist.
The friends and supporters of St. Paul's Church aro invited to meet the trustees and churchwardens at a meeting to be held ia the Infant Schoolroom, on Monday afternoon, at half-past four.
The monthly committee meeting of the Melbourne Home will be held, at the Me- chanics' Institut», on Monday afternoon, ot
four o'clock.
The Prince of Wales' Volunteer Light Horse, Metroiiolitan Troop, will drill at the Emerald-hill ground this afternoon, at three o'clock, in plain clothes. ""
The Ballway Management Bill was read a third time and passed in the Legislative As- sembly last night.
Votes were taken in the Assembly at a late hour last night for the purposes of the Com- mon Schools Act, for grants-in-aid to munici- palities, and for advances to road boards.
A case of .very sudden death from suffoca- tion formed the subject of an inquest, which was held yesterday before the district coroner, at East Collingwood, upon the body of John Headen, an old man aged between seventy and eighty. Matilda Skipper, next door neigh- bour of the deceased, said, on Thursday about half-pa3t one o'clock, he came to her gate and beckoned to ber, and she found that ho could not speak, lie pointed to lils throat, and "then went to his house, witness following him He pointed toa plate from which he had been eating some steak and potatoes, and, by his signs, gave her to understand that he had «¡hoked himself with some food. By thiB time his face had become quite purple. Wit- ness called in a neighbour, who put some water in the mouth of deceased, with a view of clearing the obstruction. Dr. Whit .comb oame in [shortly after, but de- ceased was then dead. About five minutes liad elapsed from when witness first saw him "until his death. Dr. Whitcomb Btated when ho was called in to see the deceased, he found him seated in a chair, quite dead. On ex- amining the throat with his finger, he found A foreign body in the gullet, which he took to "bo a piece of meat. This witness pushed down. Ile did not open the windpipe, as ho con *ldeied it quite useless. Verdict, "Accidental -doath from suffocation.*'
Our Geelong correspondent informs us that tMr.W. N. M'Oonn has intimated his inten- sion of prosecuting the proprietor and printers «of the Qtehng Chronicle, for a libellons letter ithat appeared im that paper of Tuesday last, »fleeting on Mr. M'Cann'« character. '
The Qfílong AdeerUttr reminds its' sporting friends and tho Bellera and purchasers ,of wild fowl that, according to the Preservation of Gama Act, ihe close season commenced on the 1st of this month, and that all parties are *iow liable to a heavy penolty who shoot, BeU, purchase, or have in their houses any of the game protected by the second schedule of the act Tho foJlowUg is tho clause bearing on this subject; -(5th Clause of the Game Act. -" If any person shall buy, sell, or know- ingly have in his possession, house, or control,
any game at any. time, or any native game withiu tho period referring to such native game respectively in the second schedulo to this act, e\ cry person so offending shall forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding the sum of £5 for every; head of game, in addition to tho
value of any such game, such value to ba ] assessed by the justice oi justices hoarlng the¡ case, and at a sum not exceeding the sam of JE2 for every head pf native game so found in his house, posscss'd'u, or control." The native game mentioned in the second schedu'ó are wild ducks of any kind, teal, bittern, emeu, nativo companion, ,wild turkey or bustard, black swans, wild geese, wild pigeons, and
mallee hens. <
A correspondent of the Riverine Herald on tho Upper Darling, asks " what the Royal Society intend to do with tlicgoods belonging to the Exploring Expedition left at Mcnindie.' The person who considers himself in charge of them says'be will have "nothing more todo with them unless,ha is paid his expenses for looking after ,them."
' The second match "between the Melbourne and University Football Club?, for the ebal 'loSge cup, how held by the latter, will take place this afternoon in tho Richmond Re-
serve, and,' from the reputation of the players engaged on cither side, a capital game is ex- pected. The kick off is to bo at two o'clock punctually., Itls"hop6dtlmt on (his occasion the spectators'will ba courteous enough,to acquiesce in the arrangements made for keep-
ing the ground clear ifor tho combatants. Thoir doing,Eo will both promote their'own comfort and will give the playera a chance of bringing the game to a definite conclusion.
, At "the weekly meeting of the Executive Committee of the Immigrants'Aid Soclcjty, held on Friday, the'superintendent made the following return ¡-Number of inmates in the Home, as reported last week, 576 ; admitted since, 111 ; persons who have received outdoor relief, 54 ; total relieved, 741 ; 'discharged horn the Home during the week, 108. Total at present remaining, 579 ; consisting, of children chargeablo to the Government, 877; cases chargeable to the society, 202. '
i There woro only one or two cases, oflittleor no importance, at the Sandridge Police Court yesterday. One man, charged with drunken- ness and disorderly conduct, was fined 20s. with the alternative of imprisonment for a day or two. Dr, Plummer was the presiding magistrate.
u ,Wq, understand thnt the Rev. H H. Finlay1, who lately arrived in -tho colony, has ,been appointed by the Presbytery of Melbourne lo . officiate in St. Andrew's Free Church, Carl-
ton, and that the rev. gentleman will cont- inence his labours there to-morrow. ¡
This evening will witness the close of ¿he annual show of the Victo inn Puultry Society 'at St. George's Hall. It was very well fat tended yesterdty, and during some partí of the day the placo was crowded. There was no addition made to the exhibit?, but thcoo, which we described fully yesterdav, furnish ,quite enough attraction fof one time, and all 'thoso interested will do well to witness an
exhibition which excels anything of the kind yet seen in Victoria. '
The Jlivertne Herald of Wednesday says : ?
"The Murray has risen about twelve feet since our last, and continues to rise." l'
' Two men were fined in the Ballarat DistHct Police Court on Thursday, for having ne- glected to register their children and to g-t them vaccinated. The 8tor saya :-" Parents have need to be on their guard in this respect, as the deputy-registrar means to enforce the Jaw against offenders."
The shareholders of tho Australasian Fire and Life Insurance. Company determine J, at their annual general meeting yesterday, to declare a dividend for the past half-year, at the rate of thirty per cent, per annum. Tho 'profits for the period amounted to £22,879, acquired upon a paid-up capital of £60,000. Tho surplus profits on hand, irrespective of tho amount carried forward from the hist,six months, amount to £50,540 19¡?. 2d. ; and 12,000 shaTê', upon each of which £1 has been paidv up, have been distributed among the
ahareholderí.
The lion, general treasurer of the Horn biook Ragged Schools asks us to acknow- ledge the sums of £5 5*. from Messrs. M'Oul loch and Sellar, and £1 from Mrs. Dryburgh, on behalf of these schools
The Fieo Presbytery of Melbourne held its oidinary meeting on the 4th of August, in the rroabytery-house, John Knox Church, Swan Eton street, and was constituted with the usual devotional exercibea. Sederunt-Rev. A. M'Vcan, moderator ; Messrs. Miller, Paul, Murdoch, M'Pherson, ministers ; Messrs Bell, Munro, and Duncan, elders. It was moved by Rev. W. Miller, seconded by Rev. A. Paul, and unanimously agreed, that Rev. W. M'In tyre, of Sydney-who was présent-bo asso- ciated with the court in the ensuing busi- ness. The moderator expressed to Mr. M'ln tyre the high esteem in which ho was held by the brethren of thecourt,and their appreciation of his sympathy as expressed for them in their present ecclesiastical position. "Rev. Wm. M'Intyre, in suitably acknowledging the kindness of the presbytery, stated that his sympathies were entirely with the Free Church of this colony. He exhorted them to continue steadfast to the position which they occupied. Tho real proof of attachment to the faith was to be found ia the maintenance of it in the face of difficulties. It appeared, also, during the remarks of Rev. A. Paul, that Rev. Dr. Nicholson, of Hobart Town, was expected to be present at the opening of the new Free Church, St. Kilda. After the trans- action of other important business, the court adjourned till the 11th inst. Closed with
prayer.
The" homoeopathic publio will bo glad to learn that Dr. Madden, the distinguished apostle of homoeopathy, but lately arrived in this-colony irom Brighton, on a recruiting tour, has consented to give np a certain por- tion of his time to consulting practice.
" The Bashful Young Gentleman," the best impersonation with which Mr. Birch has favoured those who have- for six weeks past accompanied him on his " Holiday Tnp," at the Polytechnic Institute, appears for the last time to day, at three separate performances at noon, three p.m., and eight p.m. "Susan Sykes" will take his place on Monday next.
At the Haymarket The it o on Thursday evening, " Masks and FJCO-," with its .way- ward heroine, gave place to the popular comedy of " Katherine and Petruchio," Miss Annie Lockhart and Mr. Henry Edwards tak- ing the leading parts. The success which attended iis presentation was sufficient to justify a repetition, and it was again played last evening. The favourable impression which Miss Lockhart created in her version of Peg Woffington, is likely to be strengthened
in some degree by her interpretation of the , character of the wilful Katherine. It is appa- rent throughout the comedy, th*t Miss Lock- hart appreciates the peculiarities of tho rather imperious lady whose representative she is for the time, and that being the case, she achieves a fair measure of success. Another great point in hier favour is, that she plays smoothly, carefully, and with a certain quiet power from beginning to end. There can bo little doubt, indeed, ¿hat in Miss Lockharts Ka- therine additional proof is found of her claim to take rank as au actress of much more than average ability. The comedy itself is too familiar to playgoers of all ages and degrees to call /or description now, or even for allusion to it» more prominent fea. tures. The story of the taming of the head- strong Katherine, tho manner of its accom pli.hment, and her ultimate submission to the authority of her "lord and master," ia familiar as o household woidr »nd it fe
!oaly ^niccssary to tay that Miss Lockhart .was pntty neatly equal to the requirements of the character in all ita stage)-from the wilful, passionate maiden ti the submissive and obedient wife. On* both evenings, she was well received by the audience. The cha- racter of Petruchio is one for which Mr. Ed- wards is in some respects well adapted, and he enters into it with a spirit which, under almost any circumstance?, would command an amount of success. It is not the first time, however, that he has undertaken the rôle, and therefore special comment upon any portion of his performance.«, as c umpired with another, may be dispensed with. The more humorous element of the comedy fell into the hands of Mr. Stewart and Mr. T. Leopold ai Grumio and .the Tailor respectively, and nothing was wanting on the part of either to contribute to its general success Mr. Stewart is invariably gool, no matter what the character ho assumes,' and Mr. Leopold is clever enough to do justice to a part making even more demands upon his mirth-exciting resources than that sustained by him. Ia addition'to "Katherine and Petruchio," the programme was a vatied one Mr. Barlow's trained dogs and monkeys went through their very clever performances, to tho delight of the more jaymilo poiticn ot the audience; and following thom carno the farce of "Tho Lotteiy Ticket," with Mr. James Simmonds aSsWormwood, the whole conclu- ding with (ho pretty comic ballet of the "Sculptor of Florence," by the Leopold Family.
At the Princess's, the interest manifested by the play-going portion of the publio in Mr. Or. Fawcett's new sensation drama of " North and South in 1862" BeemB to be un- abated, The more salient points of the piece are depicted as vividly aä over, and the per- formance, as a whole, passes off with com- mensurate success. The highly effective scenes of the rescue of Fitzallen Kentish, tho English officer, and Grace Davenport, from the flood in the Dismal Swamp; the terrible revenge of Hebran, the frenzied half-caste, on his master, Jabez Craven ; and, above all, the encounter of the Federal gunboat Hat- teras with the dreaded Confederate cruiser Alabama, ate loudly applauded by the audi- ence, and seem to be waitel for almost impatiently. Apart, however, from the sen- sational tableaux, which are-according to the popular dictum-the life, aud soul of the play, and without which it would inevitably be deemed "tUlo, flat, and unprofitable," lhere aie several instances ia which some really meritorious dramatic acting occurs. Miss Lizzie' Naylor, as Grato Davenport, in her indignant invectivo against the notorious Butler and his villanous proclamation, and Miss Rose Edouin, as Madge, v.ifo of the fanatic slavo Hebron, in her eloquent but un- availing expostulation with the slaves while planning their merciless attack on the plant- ers, may b3 taken as fair illustrations. Miss Marian Dunn as Ida Craven, and Mr. W. Allen as Zed Thompson, a '"cute nigger," contribute in a marked degree to the humour of the piece. The scenes, especially those of the dismal swamp before aud after the flood, the exterior of Craven's house, and the deck of the Royal mail Bteamer Jamaica, are really good, and are important aids to the successful rendering of tho play. The comic two-act drama of a " Friend in Need and Indeed," is given as an afterpiece," previous to the com- mencement of which agrandptu is danced by Julia and Willie Edouin.