rowing; for, if you get up afight,by • it will be worse for you ! T h e election is n o w over, and what's the use of losing temper about it ? T h e thing is settled now, and no amount of broken heads can unsettle it. I have always found the Melbourne m e n good-humoured, decent fellows, and I don't want them to m a k e fools of themselves noyv. All of you had, therefore, better disperse peaceably, for if you don't I'll precious soon m a k e you. Noyv, like good fellows, do go h o m e quietly, and G o d bless you !" T h e Major was patiently beard to the end of his oration, when he yvas astounded by a stunning bombardment of yelling, groaning, and other indescribable vociferations, which infuriated him to a white heat. Soft soap was no longer at his c o m m a n d , and, pulling a copy of his favourite "Riot Act" from a breast pocket, he read it in loud and angry tones. T h e clamour continuing, on a signal from St. John, Dana and his troopers drew their swords, andfiercelybrandished them, as iffightingwith the air, but, beyond a little flashy pantomime, did nothing more. A n attempt was m a d e to unhorse the troopers, w h o shoyved m u c h forbearance, and in only one instance, where a half-mad " d r u n k " endeavoured to pull one of them to the ground, yvas a slight flesh-wound inflicted. Whilst all this was going on in front, Mr. Curr, obtaining an entrance at the rear of the building, appeared at one of the windows, and earnestly besought the people to separate peacefully, as the declaration of the poll would not be m a d e until Monday, the second day after. H e yvas received yvith loud cheering, intermixed with some groaning; but no disposition yvas shoyvn to comply with his entreaty. In a m o m e n t a storm of distant howling swept over the building, and it became knoyvn that some of the Condellites were undergoing corporal punishment at the rear of the Institute, in Little Collins Street. A w a y started the greater portion of the m o b , round by Russell Street, to the back lane, and off with them also galloped the Major and his whity-black pacificators ; but the actual shindy yvas over, and, after a hasty council of yvar, the leaders decided upon a plan of campaign. It was decided that the evening's amusement should take the form of guerilla scouting through various quarters of the town, the army to be told off in battalions offiftiesfor the expedition. A maddened m o b m a d e sectional forays through the several Wards, yelling like wild beasts, throwing stones, smashing yvindows, and insulting and assaulting wayfarers. T h e Police Magistrate sent couriers everywhere for assistance to enable him to abate or stamp out the increasing popular fury. A detachment of the military then in Melbourne were quickly turned out under the c o m m a n d of Captain Lewis, and every possible policeman was on the streets. F r o m bullying and blackguarding to house-yvrecking is only a step, and this small advance on the road to extreme violence yvas soon made. There lived at the northern side of Collins Street West, a few yards from the Elizabeth Street corner, a M r . David Young, the keeper of a grocer's shop. Whether from any deficiency in himself or in his scales I do not know, but he yvas known as " light-weight Davey." His active interference on behalf of Condell rendered him very obnoxious, and his establishment was thefirstto receive attention. O n e of the brio-ades already mentioned paraded in front of his place, stoned the yvindows (the age of plate-glass had not yet arrived), and doing m u c h damage. Young was most pressingly invited "to come forth ;" but " Davey" had not the courage to rush into the lion's mouth, and instead he was cute enough to remain as quiet as a cathaunted mouse until the storm bleyv over. T h e angry wave rolled up Collins Street, and next vented its fury upon Williamson's drapery mart (where Curr and Willis yvere so near playing the g a m e of fisticuffs), but the attack was discontinued, as it became known that Mr. Williamson had recorded his vote for Curr. T h e Imperial Inn, a little further up on the other side, was next attacked. This yvas a tidy, yvell-conducted hostelry, kept by a small barrel-bodied individual knoyvn as Henry Baker, whose peculiarities of temperament did not personally attract people toyvards him, but yvhose shilling dinners—a good square meal—yvere yvell worth thefigure,and went d o w n more pleasantly with his patrons than he did himself. His political proclivities were, however, on the yvrong side, and he, or rather his Imperial," was now in for it. T h e place yvas fusilladed, and one huge wedge of rock, propelled with catapultic force, dashed through a large window, and landed amongst a general state of smash. N o n e of the inmates were injured. Another contingent operated in Elizabeth Street, at the auction mart of one T h o m a s Greene, situated about half-yvay on the yvest side betyveen Bourke and Little Collins Streets. Greene, or someone from inside, retaliated by firing a pistol into the crowd, and, as mostly happens, hitting an innocent, or at least an unoffending, m a n named Patrick Murray. W o u n d e d in the back he fell to the ground, whence he yvas lifted on a door unhinged in a hurry, and borne like a martyr from the field. T h e mart yvas now cannonaded yvith m u c h
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THE CHRONICLES OF EARLY MELBOURNE.
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