AUSTRALIAN NEWS,

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 5309, 2 October 1885, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS,

Melbourne, September 22,

A bill has been introduced into the Legislative Assembly to legalise the eight hours' system. The preamble sets forth that it is desirable to,limit the day's work to eight hours, and provides that unless there be an agreement in writing to the contrary eight hours shall be considered a day's work in any action at law. The Steam Navigation, Board has informed the Minister of Customs of the result of the deliberations on the Merchant Shipping Bill. They suggest that the Marine Board shall be composed of seven persons, four, appointed by the Government, one, by . merchants, one by shipowners, and one by pilota. It is suggested that shipping casualties be investigated by the Marine Board, with legal assistance, instead . of being, limited to a special Court of Inquiry. The United States corvette Enterprise arrived in Hobson's Bay on Thursday. She has been four years in commission taking ocean soundings, and will call at Wellington mroiite to New York. The' Supreme Court gave a decision on an application to quash the conviction of the court martial against two soldiers of the Permanent Artillery, Queenscliffe, who were found guilty of mutinous conduct. The Court refused to decide whether the evidence showed the prisoners guilty or not, as a question which they could not entertain. The other points were quashed. '" Joseph Symes still persists in holding meetings on Sunday and charging admission, in spite of sumrrionses from the police. On Sunday last he delivered a burlesque sermon, denounced Parliament as civil servants, too rriuch afraid of losing £300 per annum to speak- out manfully. The captain and crew of the Gulf of Carpentaria have arrived in Melbourne, with one passenger, No time was allowed for getting outfits., A passenger had come away in slippers. , The crew are consequently utterly destitute. !