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MELBOURNE.
Thursday.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.}
Gentlemen and ladies attending the laying
the memorial stone of Parliament Houses
to-morrow—which, mind you, will be an
imposing ceremony—as the hot wind having
'subsided the weather promises to be fine
will do well to remember that the Alexandra;
Theatre opens on the same evening. I went
lover the theatre this afternoon,and found it
a comfortable,' roomy edifice,' well provided
with conveniences of every kind; and with
excellent opportunities of, viewing the stage,
which I fear is not deep enough for the
requirements of the modern spectacular
drama and burlesque. , In the seating accom
modation the house is a remarkably comfort
able one, the stage arrangements are well
advanced, the depth at the wings eommo-.
dious; and to-morrow night’s audience will
be entertained in a roomy comfortable
theatre, fitted with most of the modern im
provements, and only requiring good com
panies to make it attractive. _ Tim house
must stand or fall on the dramatic ability of
the artists presenting themselves, the owner
and decorator have done all else that can
reasonably be required.
- For the first time for many years every
borough and shire iu the colony has this year
obtained the second moiety of the annual
endowment in ample time to include it in
the balance-sheet for the annual audit. - ,
-1 suppose our Ballarat friends are already
-aware that tenders have been invited for re
moving the drill from l)ean, near Creswick,
to the Midas claim.
~ At five , minutes .to 10 this morning the.
first of the old members in the House be
fore payment of- members was established
applied for the free ticket over , the railway
lines, to which he became' entitled by the
resolution -of the.' Assembly - last, night.
Truly this should Re recorded as Expedition
Pass. • ' . ....
■Messrs. Bailes, M’Coll, Brown, and A.
Young, M’s.p., waited upon the Minister of
Lands to-daywith reference to ‘the license
fee that was to be paid by sand and gravel
carters of Sandhurst, and asked that this
amouut, 5s per week, might be reduced. Mr
Dow promised: to - see if he could impose a
small annual fee or reduce the rate. 1 - Mr A.
Young also pointed out : that the splitters’
licenses should be reduced, and Mr Dow said
he now had the matter under 'consideration.
The deputation apologised for the unavoid
'able absence of Dr.QuiekandMrßuiTOWs. ;
Stirring good - news.- was to-day received
from the Wimmera district, stating that the
large diamond drill at Nhill had struck water
at about 400 feet, which at once flowed to
within 20 feet of the surface. Hitherto fresh
water has been obtained in. the district at a
depth of about 70. feet, but it is estimated
that this discovery, will add nearly £2 10s
per acre to the capital value of the land.
The Secretary for Mines to-day informed
the members for-Creswick that the diamond
drill stationed at Stuart Mill would be sent
to Dean without delay.
The Railway Commissioners will make a
flying visit to Ballarat and Dimboola at the
end of the week, : leaving Melbourne for
Ballarat on Friday afternoon and going on
by special train to Dimboola ‘ on Saturday
afternoon, returning on Sunday evening.
During the trip a sleeping car will be at
tached to the train so that the commissioners
may personally learn the suitability of the
north-western road for these cars, which will
have to be run regularly when the -Adelaide
line is opened.
The Railway Commissioners have accepted
the tenders of Henry Cleaman for the supply
of 100 tons of firewood at Wyclieproof
station at 8s per ton, and of Jno. Welch, of
Murchison,- for the supply of 5000 sleepers
for the North-Eastern district for the sum of
£lOOB 6s Bd. :
Messrs Cooper and Wheeler, M’s.L.A.,
to-day waited on the Railway Commissioners
to ask that the brokers’train might be run
to North Creswick from Ballarat instead of
only to Creswick, as by doing so very con
siderable inconvenience would be. saved to
many persons, and very little extra trouble
incurred by the Department. The Commis
sioners promised to consider the request
carefully.
The same gentlemen asked that the use of
a number of second class carriages might be
granted to the contractors for the Creswick
and’Daylesford line on 6th October, as those
gentlemen desire on that day to convey the
district school children to a picnic, but Mr
Speight replied that the department’s" rolling
stock was now fully occupied, but that he
would cause enquiries to he made with a
view of, if possible, conceding what was
asked.
Messrs Officer and Shiels, M’s:L.A., who
to-day introduced a Hamilton deputation to
the. Railway Commissioners, were told, in
reply to a request that surveyors might be
set to-work on the line from Hamilton west
ward as soon as possible, that _ the.depart
ment had no intention of removing the sur
vey parties now in the Western district
until all the lines authorised were surveyed.
The new judge, Mr, Justice A’Beckett,
having been formally appointed and sworn
in to-day, the question of the Appointment
of an associate arises. Should Mr Wm.
Stawell, lately associate to Sir Wm. Stawell,
elect to stay in the Government service the
difficulty, is of course at once solved, but as
it is rumored that Mr Stawell contemplates
entering upon the practice of his profession
as a solicitor, it is quite possible that another
appointment will have to be made. Several
gentlemen in the Government service are
eligible for the appointment as possessing
the requisite knowledge of shorthand, so
that should anew appointment be necessary
the Public Service Board will hot have to go
out Of the service.
The Chief Inspector of Fisheries, Captain
Mandeville, will privately visit Ballarat
during the next few days, when the question
of the appointment of some person to act as
a local. inspector of the fish market will
probably be considered.
There are at present no fewer than nine
sailing vessels and five steamers alongside
the Williamstown piers, and at,Port Mel
bourne railway pier there are eight large
sailing vessels and a big steamer putting out
and taking iu cargo; so that the. traffic
branch of the Railway Department is kept
busy day and night.
Mr Anderson to-day, in the Equity Court,
obtained a rule absolute; for the sequestra
tion of the estate of Wm. M’Kissack, farmer
and vigneron,. of Corop, near Rushworth.
Mr Goldsmith also had a rule made absolute
for the sequestration of the estate of Tbps.'
W. Beckwith, sharebroker, of Collins
street. '
The case of the man Ambrose Samuel
Handt, who, in 1859, left Geelong on a trip
westward, and who, after one or two letters
to his brother, has never since communicated
with his relatives, and has not been heard of
since, cropped up to-day again in the Probate
Court, when. Mr-Justice Webb said that -Mr
Justice Holroyd, who’heard the application
for letters of administration, had. considered
the matters, and letters would be'granted.;
The Customs authorities: the other day
obtained a conviction : in the District Court
against a watchmaker named Bobart, who
was fined £lOO for having in his possession
a number of Waltham watches on whieh
duty-had not been paid. -Mr Phillips ..this
morning applied in Chambers: for .an order
to quash the conviction, on the ground thiit
the information did hot disclose any offence'
under the Customs Act, as it -was necessary
for the Crown, to show guilty knowledge,
owing to the way the-,, information was
worded. The rule nisi was granted, being
made returnable on sth October.
A libel action was begun to-day. in_the
Couuty Court, before 1 Judge Cope, in which
John- James Lillis, a . . police constable at
Essendonj sues Si A.‘ King, of the Licensed
Victiiaflers’ Advocate, 1 for • the recovery -of
£l5O damages, alleged'' to have been sus
tained-through. the’publication ; of a-para
graph; in which Lillis'V and his wife were
charged with. V having ■ tried to entrap" an
Essendon hotelkeeper into! Sunday trading.
Mrs Lillis also brings an . action for £lOO.
The .case w r as only. partially, entered* into to
day, when the court -adjourned- until-.- to
morrow-morning; ■■■■■■ y. ;r - ->.■ -.--V- ■> j
The Weeding divorce.case,, in.which Dr
Rose, M.L. A. - , is ; co-respoudent, was men
tioned this morning before the 1 Chief Justice,
in the Practice: Court,': when 'Mrs Weeding
applied for ii! summons. requiring petitioner
to furnish -further -particulars respecting
•some of the circumstancM/raentioned in his
petition. The matter wAl'.be-dealt with to
morrow.'! . i !..- ;1. , -i :
1 ' As the O.S.M. Company’s ‘steamer Orient
was passing Cape Otway yesterday morning
the second engineer had occasion to repri
mand one of”thtTfircmen, wKo at once sfrticY
him over the facewitha heavy shovel. Thh
'other firemen secured himat the' time, but
he was not put in irons, and when the police
boarded the vessel this morning, after Bhe
was alongside tbe piefj'the traculentßremah
was not to be fouud. f ’ 'I ;
A publican -to day received •£7 2s 3d for’
drinks supplied and money lent, together
with £2 2s costs, from a’ 1 customer at the
Fitzrny Conrt. ! 1
In the County,Court; this morning. James
Marshall, a' chorus .singer,; at the Opera.
House, who had been employed by Mr Jas.
Mpore. it was stated, .as .agent for the direc
tors, recovered £4 wages due, and this judg
ment will, it is ’statea,;' if upheld, mean the
disbursement by the Opera House Company :
of a large sum, of money to cover similar,
claims for arrears due to the members of the
Lottie Montal Company. ’ ' 1 -
In order that the, various waterworks and
irrigation trusts in-.the colony may be.fur
nished with early information regarding ;the
rainfall, the Minister of . Water Supply has
authorised the distribution, of the monthly
map giving full details, of the rainfall’ as
registered at the Observatory. The work is
compiled by Mr, A. Eingwood, and already
copies have been issued;to the members' of
Parliament. . - . ~.
■ The following in connection with
the Public Works Department- were . an
nounced to-day:—Additions to State school
No. 1435, Ballarat-West;. .Chaffer Jim, £319
7s. ' Wooden building- for State school No.
.2236, Marungi; Little Bros.', £248. .. Repairs
to Orderly. Room, Eastern -Hill; W. R.
Cooper, £129 5s 10d. Twenty portable loek
«ps; Hugh Gracie, £2135.' Repairs, paint
ing, &c., public offices, Benalla; T. Gas
coyne, £lO2 lOs. Repaira, &c., Post and
Telegraph Office,' Sorreuto; John Inglis
and Cos., £69 17s 6d. ■ Addition to
teacher’s residence, repairs; &c., State school
No. 1373, Whorougly; E. Clarkson and Cos.,
£95. Fittings, &c., various Government
offices, Melbourne; H. E. Kitton, £156 4s.
Fittings to. Orderly Room; Sandhurst; P.
Galbraith, £29 15a. Ashpalting drainage,
&c., Defence Reserve, Port' Melbourne; to
be re-advertised. Supply of-gun metal,
lamp, recess frames for defence works; D.
Smith, £3O 11s;, Lodge at Govenior’s resi
dence, Upper Macedon; E. Lansdown, £289
15s. Repairs, painting, &c., police bar
racks, Russell street,' Melbourne; W, Grath,
sen.; £237 13s. Supply of sluice values, 3-
inch to 24-inch for Yan Yean works; re
ferred for report. Supply of 100 tons of pig
lead for Yan Yean works; James Fraser,
£l5 13s 3d.
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