THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2104, 1 October 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1875.

'The business of the session was considerably expedited in the House of ■Representatives last night, and if there trere many iuch sittings the order papers would very soon be cleared. Two bills vrete read a. second time, and two were thrown out on diTision. The bjlls advanced a stage ace amendments to Acts in operation, one being known as Bradsnaw's

Act, for regulating the hours during which females may bo employed in shops and manufactories, and the other being the Registration of Electors Act. The amendments on the latter are intended to facilitate the preparation and purging of electoral rolls, and it will be remarked that it is intended to iitilise the services of the clerks of local governing bodies in assisting the registration officers. Not having the details of the proposed amendments we cannot cpeak as to their merits. No doubt the^esfFsfifrffSystem could be much improved ; but if it is to be done effectually we incline to the scheme of electoral rights as-prevailing in Victoria. It is simple and effective, and decidedly economical. Sir George Grey's bill for the abolition of the gold duty has been thrown out. We expected no less, but we certainly thought there would have been a little discussion over the question. A bill by Mr T. L. Shepherd of a similar tenor to Sir George Grey's, but scarcely going so far, was alss thrown out. It is evident that the abolition of the gold duty will not.be carried out in the present parliament. It is no longer an " iniquitous tax " but a local rate, to be liberally supplemented by. subsidy and placed at the disposal of the local governing bodies. We confess we cannot yet sec that there is any chance of much of "the rate coming into the hands of the governing bodies ; the cost of administration of goldfields matters and all charges thereon having first to be defrayed. We believe that those who are now so favorably disposed to continuing the gold duty will find that they have been deluded into a fool's paradise in looking forward to having the satisfaction of handling that source of revenue for local expenditure.