The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-14 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

(From a Correspondent of the Time)
MELBOURNE, No*. 26,1856.
Yesterday will be long remembered in the colony of
'Victoria, and, it is to be hoped, not without pride and
satisfaction not only by the " native-born," but by all who
have made it their home. The first session of the first
Parliament under the new Constitution was opened in per-
son by General MacArthur, the officer administering the
Government. The Chambers met on Friday, when the
Legislative Council chose its President, and the Legislative
Assembly its Speaker. The choice of the former fell on
Dr. Palmer, who filled the office of Speaker of the late
Council with considerable credit to himself, but with the
single drawback of being a little too fond of speaking in
committee of the whole. Still, he is a man of considerable
intelligence, full of information, and perfectly familiar
with his duties. No other man in the Upper House ap-
proaches him in fitness, and to have chosen any other would
have been a disgrace to the House. As to the choice of a
Speaker, there was no man of such pre-eminent qualifica-
tions and claims, as compared with others as to shut out
either competition or selection. The choice has fallen on
Dr. Murphy, who was for some time chairman of commit-
tees, and did his work well. He also sat for a short time as
Speaker during Dr. Palmer's illness. There was another
candidate in Mr. Griffiths, who was educated as a barrister,
and was called to the bar, but has never practised. I should
have thought that Mr. Griffiths's habits of mind and man-
ners would have made him a better Speaker. He has
more of " a presence" than Murphy, and more calmness
and dignity of manner. Both are Irishmen, but Griffiths
has very little brogue, just enough to give preciseness to
his enunciation, while Murphy's brogue is rather conspi-
cuous. Murphy's manner, however, is frank, and he is
more accessible and approachable to those who have to
communicate with him ; whereas Griffiths's manner is felt
by some to be too stiff and cold, and this last point of com-
parison between the two, I suspect, greatly turned the
scale in favour of Murphy. In fact, either would have been
a good choice, and even those who on personal grounds
would have preferred Griffiths cannot possibly cavil at the
choice the house has made. There was one curious effect of
the experience of the old members of Palmer's disposition to
speak in committee ; a sort of pledge was drawn from
Murphy not to enter into debate in committee. Griffiths
declined to give such a pledge, and I think he was quite
right in so declining.
On Saturday the President and Speaker were presented
to the acting Governor in order that his Excellency might
know on whom their choice had fallen, and not for his
approval. Nor were any privileges, such as liberty of
speech, asked for. In England approval has come in time
to be understood as not implying the power to disapprove,
and here the House of Assembly has thus early guarded
itself against any conflict with the Crown in case of the
disallowance of a Speaker, by not putting tho presentation
as for approval. That may be catalogued as constitutional
point No. 1.
Ice new Houses of rarliament are in a very unfinished
state. When quite completed they will probably constitute
the finest Legislative Palace in the colonies of Great Bri-
tain. The whole design will cost 500,0001., of which the
portion now erected will form about one-sixth or one-fifth
of the whole. The two chambers, which will be very
beautiful in design and embellishment, are barely ready
for occupation. Still they are commodiously fitted up, and
there is a good deal of accommodation around them, such
as division lobbies, Speaker's and clerks' rooms, some few
committee-rooms, and so forth. The library, one for both
Houses, will be built next; in the meantime the books will
be so placed as to be accessible to members. There is to be
a " Bellamy's," and the best cook and confectioner in the
town has the contract at a fixed and moderate scale. In
Australia our legislators could no more deliberate without
"a smoke" than the Dutch burgomasters of Knicker-
bocker's New Amsterdam ; hence smoking-rooms have not
been forgotten. At present the exterior of this building
is ugly enough, but a large range of buildings has to be
sided in front, with a façade of considerable architectural
beauty.
The site of this building is at the east end of Bourke-
street, the finest street in the city, running east and west
through the same. The site was reserved for the purpose
when the town of Melbourne was first laid out. Le me re-
mind you here that our quasi-Belgravia is in the east, in-
stead of the west.
To return to yesterday. The ceremonial was conducted
very nearly after English precedent. The four judges, in
full costume of scarlet and ermine, with full-bottomed
wigs, took their seats in front and on either side of the

throne. On a stool, supposed to represent the woolsack,
sat the Speaker. The clerks of the two houses occupied
appropriate places. General MacArthur was escorted by
military, announced bya salute, and was received bya guard
of honour. The gentleman usher, though quite new to the
office, being a gentleman, did his part of the work as a
thorough gentleman might be expected to do it —courteously
and well. The house was crowded with ladiea in every part,
even the members making way for them on all sides. At
length, "His Excellency enters the house" is heard.
He had been very well received out of doors, for he is de-
servedly popular, and there was within the walls a slight
murmur of welcome, which would have been loud but for
the decorum which the place and occasion demanded, for
there were probably few in that well-dressed crowd within
who had not experienced the General's hospitality. The
steps which followed are well known to your readers. The
members, the quasi-peers, are requested to be seated—the
presence of the members of the Assembly is requested, they
enter beaded by their Speaker—the Speech is read. It is
the first Speech constructed by a responsible Ministry, and
I think will strengthen their position before the country—
at least, if their performances come up to their promises
and, professions. No doul3e, our Ministry have been dis-
posed to bid high by the election addresses of Liberal
members, but that is one of the great uses of an Opposition.
Leaving the Legislature at the first act, I must now turn
to our Supreme Court. The nine prisoners who made an
attempt to escape from the hulks some time since, on which
occasion Owen Owens, one of the boatmen, was barbarously
murdered, were arraigned for, the murder last Wednesday.
They severed in their challenges, and Melville, the leader
of the attempt, was tried. He conducted his own defence,
and'certainly managed it with very considerable skill. It was
sworn by several of the witnesses for the Crown that Mel-
villa himself beat out the brains of Owens with a hammer,
and then threw him overboard. But these witnesses were
at a distance, and none of the men in the boat could give
evidence as to that fact. All the other prisoners stated—
and this was the substance of Melville's defence —that one
Stevens, a prisoner, who had leapt overboard, and
drowned himsel, was the man who struck the blows. If
this fact be assumed to be true, it lets in the question whe-
ther the killing of the man was part of the common pur-
pose, or whethr it was the act of Stevens without any
participation on the part of the others. This point remains
for argument. There also seems to be some doubt whether
the prisoners were in legal custody at the time—i.e, whe-
ther the practice of conveying them onshore to break stones
and then reconveying them to the hulks is supported by
any statute or regulation warranted by a statute. If not,
it will reduce murder to manslaughter. I think the im-
pression among the profession is that the first feint, or ra-
ther the very grave doubt involved in it, will save Mel.
ville's life. His defence is so remarkable that I enclose it.
Love of display and that sort of vanity which is very
common among great criminals were very conspicuous in
Melville's conduct throughout the trial ; but he managed
his cross-examinations well, and did not permit his love of
display to betray him into virtual admissions, as many old
offenders who conduct their own defence often do. His
theory of 'the transaction, so to speak, was kept consist-
ently in vain throughout. He admitted he was a villain—.
he owned he had robbed, but he repudiated so cowardly
and cruel an act as that with which he was charged. SOme
of his disclosures respecting the severe and cruel discipline
of the hulks are known to be true, and this leads to some
suspicion that the whole, though, no doubt, exaggerated
and highly-coloure 3, has a foundation in fact. This has
induced the Government to announce that a commission
will be appointed to inquire and report; and so strong an
impression has this Melville's address to the jury made upon
the public mind that the public will not be satisfied if the
inquiry is intrusted to the hangers-on of the Government,
without some men of perfectly independent character.
The mail ship of the sth of September, out 82 days, has
not yet arrived. Our latest date is the 21st of August.
We expect the Royal Charter by the middle of December.
The escorts are bringing down a good supply of gold,
The quantity last week, ending November 22, was 65,393
ounces. The quantity exported to the same date amounts
to 2,616,387 ounces— value 10,465,5481.

THE SOULAGES COLLECTION.--In consequence of the
recent financial discussions, we understand that the
Chancellor of the Exchequer has declined to accept the
offer of the gentlemen who purchased this collection with
the view of securing it for the country.
MURDER IN A PRISON IN IRELAND.--At the King's
County assizes, at Tullamore, on Wednesday, before
Chief Justice Lefroy, a man named Pat Downes, a con-
vict in the prison at Philipstown, was found guilty of
the. wilful murder of another convict there, Robert
Johnson, on the 13th of February last. The two men
were in the same gang, which consisted of nine convicts
employed in turning manure. An hour or two before,
while at breakfast, prisoner was heard to say about the
deceased, "I will pay him for all he did to me in
Mountjoy Prison." While they were at work, prisoner
struck him down with a spade, and inflicted four wounds
which caused his death. Prisoner then said he was sorry
he had not done it before. It appeared that the prisoner
had been several times sentenced to imprisonment for
burglaries and robberies, and was at present under sen-
tence of 14 years' penal servitude. He is only 20 years
of age. His lordship, addressing him, said—" Patrick
Downes, you have been convicted of the wilful murder
of one of your associates, brought together upon the
humane, though perhaps mistaken, principle that a
reform could be effected under the circumstances of
congregating together the very worst characters in
society--those who had been convicted of the most
grievous offences. The design was a humane one; and
it is very desirable it should be carried into execution ;
but I am afraid you have fallen a victim to the impolicy
of such a measure, you were sentenced to fourteen years
transportation for a former offence. If you bad been
removed under that sentence, you would have been de-
livered from the awful position in which you now stand.
Unfortunately, the effort that has been made with a
view to your reformation and that of others appears to
have been, from what has this day come before me, a
vain speculation." His lordship, with some other obser•
vations, passed sentence of death, without any hope of
mercy.

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for the cure of dropsy.—Females at a certain period of
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and thus making strong inroads on the constitution,
numbers of dropsical patients, even when their cases
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[ADVERTISEMENT.] —Jane Hallett, of Whitty Head,
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Dr. Roberts's Poor Man's Friend, for wounds and erup-
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From the London Gazette of Last Night.

CROWN-OFFICE, MARCH 11:
MEMBER RETURNED TO SERVE IN THE PRESENT
PARLIAMENT.

County of Londonderry.—James Johnston Clarke, of
of Largantocher, in the county of Londonderry, Esq., in
the room of Thomas Eateson, Esq., who has accepted the
office of Steward of her Majesty's Manor of Hempholme.

VICTORIA CROSS.
Errata in the Supplement to the London Gazette of the
24th of February.
ROYAL NAVY.

For John Talbot Burgoyne, Commander, raad, Hugh
Talbot Burgoyne, Commander.
For Ed ward St. John Daniels, Midshipman, read;
Edward St. John Daniel, Midshipman.
NAVAL MEDALS FOR THE BALTIC.

Department of the Accountant-General
of the Navy, Admiralty, Somerset-
house, March 13, 1857.

Her Majesty having been graciously pleased to grant a
Medal to the Officers and Men serving on board her Ma-
jesty's ships in the Baltic campaigns, from the 23th of
March, 1851, to the close of the Naval Operations in that
year, and from the commencement to the close of Naval
Operations in the year 1855—
Notice is hereby given, that all claimants to such Medal,
notwithstanding any previous application, should apply
personally or by letter, with the words " Baltic Medal"
on the outside, to the Accountant-General of the Navy,
Admiralty, Somerset-house.
Every applicant must state his rank or rating, and the
name of the ship or ships on board which he served ;
also in the case of every Petty Officer, Seaman, or Marine,
it is indispensable that his application should be accom-
panied by a certificate of service, except in the case of his
being on board one of her Majesty's ships, and the appli-
cation be made through his commanding officer, in which
case the certificate will not be required.
Where there are several claimants on board the same
ship, it is desirable that they should make their applica-
tions in one letter through their commanding officer by a
list alphabetically arranged under the ships in which they
were serving at the time, and affording the information as
above required.
No other claims should be mixed up with the applica-
tions for the Medal in question, and in all cases where the
parties have served in more than one ship in the Baltic
between the dates before stated, the name of each ship
must be stated.