rowing; for, if you get up a fight,by ———— it will be worse for you! The election is now over, and what's the use of losing temper about it? The thing is settled now, and no amount of broken heads can unsettle it. I have always found the Melbourne men good-humoured, decent fellows, and I don't want them to make fools of themselves now. All of you had, therefore, better disperse peaceably, for if you don't I'll precious soon make you. Now, like good fellows, do go home quietly, and God bless you!" The 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 command, and, pulling a copy of his favourite "Riot Act" from a breast pocket, he read it in loud and angry tones. The clamour continuing, on a signal from St. John, Dana and his troopers drew their swords, and fiercely brandished them, as if fighting with the air, but, beyond a little flashy pantomime, did nothing more. An attempt was made to unhorse the troopers, who showed much forbearance, and in only one instance, where a half-mad "drunk" endeavoured to pull one of them to the ground, was 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 made until Monday, the second day after. He was received yvith loud cheering, intermixed with some groaning; but no disposition yvas shown to comply with his entreaty. In a moment a storm of distant howling swept over the building, and it became known that some of the Condellites were undergoing corporal punishment at the rear of the Institute, in Little Collins Street. Away started the greater portion of the mob, 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 was over, and, after a hasty council of war, 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 of fifties for the expedition. A maddened mob made sectional forays through the several Wards, yelling like wild beasts, throwing stones, smashing windows, and insulting and assaulting wayfarers. The 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 command of Captain Lewis, and every possible policeman was on the streets. From bullying and blackguarding to house-yvrecking is only a step, and this small advance on the road to extreme violence was soon made.
There lived at the northern side of Collins Street West, a few yards from the Elizabeth Street corner, a Mr. 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 was known as "light-weight Davey." His active interference on behalf of Condell rendered him very obnoxious, and his establishment was the first to receive attention. One of the brigades already mentioned paraded in front of his place, stoned the windows (the age of plate-glass had not yet arrived), and doing much 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. The 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 game of fisticuffs), but the attack was discontinued, as it became known that Mr. Williamson had recorded his vote for Curr. The Imperial Inn, a little further up on the other side, was next attacked. This was a tidy, well-conducted hostelry, kept by a small barrel-bodied individual knoyvn as Henry Baker, whose peculiarities of temperament did not personally attract people towards him, but whose shilling dinners—a good square meal—were well worth the figure,and went down more pleasantly with his patrons than he did himself. His political proclivities were, however, on the wrong side, and he, or rather his "Imperial," was now in for it. The place was fusilladed, and one huge wedge of rock, propelled with catapultic force, dashed through a large window, and landed amongst a general state of smash. None of the inmates were injured. Another contingent operated in Elizabeth Street, at the auction mart of one Thomas Greene, situated about half-way on the west side between 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, man named Patrick Murray. Wounded in the back he fell to the ground, whence he was lifted on a door unhinged in a hurry, and borne like a martyr from the field. The mart was now cannonaded with much
