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MELBOURNE.
(from our own correspondent.)
February 7.
Quite a little fillip has been given to tbe
dullness of matters politioal by Mr. Murray
Smith's acceptance of the Agency-General
and Well what's to be the outcome now ?"
forms the text for gossip when your two or
three on the block, the corner, the Govern,
ment departments, or the Parliamentary
library are gathered together. The old
"coalition"ideais once more resuscitated, and
many are sanguine that "as soon as the
House meets out they go." They, of conrse
meaning the Uovernment. Personally I
continue to back my opinion that the present
team are safe till the general < leption, bnt
among those who tell me differently are such
men as Kerferd, who is usually a sagacious
prophet, and M'Keau who from being a
Government supporter has turned a virulent
opponent. Ramsay they tell me is to be a
prominent man in the new combination, and
Francis, Patterson, and Berry are to be " in
it." Berry I understand is willing to eo in,
and will serve under cither Ramsav or Fran
cis upon condition that the preponderance
in the composition of the Government is from
his ride of the Honse So far, the gossip in
that direction, hat there is the other aspect
which includes tbe determinationof the Argus
to keep the Government in, till Mr. Murray
Smith's return, which is to he before the
general ptectjon, and if | kgow anything of
Francis, it enables rue to' aay tbat be will
not place himself in opposition to that jour
nal. The Argus arrangement is understood
to provide for Mr. Murray Smith's returning
in time to take the lead of the present team :
vice Sir Bryan transferred to the Bench.
Tbat matter is well known to be as good as
settled, Mr. Molesworbh" retiring, Mr, Holr
royd taking his equity, and Sir Bryan going
op as common law. With the present team
going to the country at the next election,
having Mr. Murray Smith as Premier, it is .
assumed that an effectual checkmate would
W'plhyed against tijp move cf t|ie radicals
who are depending so larjly1 iipoii the1 Fro,
testant scare, which they anticipate will
have taken possession of the constituencies
by the time the next appeal to the ballot-
box arrives. Thus yon have it pretty much,
as the more prominent of tbe political chess
players of t'ne"tlme' ate talking it over to-day,
but it can only be gossip for some 'time yet,
as Sir Bryan does not intend that there shall
be njjy palling together of the school before
May. The lucky baronet beffpyes jn the
sentiment i?£ tbe kong, r he preSenj? moment
HOfiraw,ti)effeweneyw«W."
C. K- Jones put in an appearance fendajr,
and looks -barring a trifle gray— as active
ae when twenty years ago he was in the thick t
of Victorian politics. He evidently means to
be " in it " again, and seemB to regard the
speeches deiiyeppd at the Protestant HsII the
day before his arrival nd eneoufagiiig,' fxoto
his point of view. However, putting lus
politics on one ride : the Victorian public is .
likely to have an acquisition to its lecturing
strength, as his abilities in that line are well
known, and i;e regies equipped with -much
new and interesting mptfer.'
The Minister of Education for Sou)fi
Austiwlia, Mr. Parsons',' accompanied by
professor Tate, and Mets; Btestet,"
Turner and Brightimtoberarff '
Australian Legislature, "have passed tiiroggh '
(he colony on their way to ftp Northern-
Territory, whither they
Sydney on an official visit of
which is to include Java en. route -Tho.
party, which inclnded a reporter from the;
Register, were hospitably retertamril m.
Melbourne, tratlam sony to say tkeydo
not carry away very
regard to the courteous treataret ewen to
distinguished visitors by our Eailway De-
partment. The party of six 'cre amed
into one of our smallest
carriages, when the saloon used kyMteiifcere
might very easily have been placed at thmr
disposal. A well-known and genial Mri-
bouroe citizen, who reomved lhe vrara
thanks of the party for the
in which he made their vm
to the Victorian metropolis enjoy
able, has the following telegram from
Albnry:-" Arrived all n«ht, but very stiff
s«rtSby--of
the freezing process, is mwong sreauy.
gross. Advices received m ebipp <ard«®
that the first of a new monthly line of
steamers, built specially for fremiti
steam up to the best speod of tire Onent
boats, is to arrive here early in May. The
new line will sail under the name of the
London and Aberdeen, and will call at
Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. .
A syndicate of Melbourne merchants ib
prepared to cut a direct canal between the
city and Sandridge, if the necessary bill can
be passed through Parliament.
The Melbourne bookmakers swear-not
metaphorically bat literally— and in their
own unapproachable style, that the totalisa-
tor won't be allowed to establish itself in the
land without there has been a trial of
strength first, and "we've got some bloom
ing stamps, you bet," was the remark of one
who skinned the larhb severely at the last
Con.
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