The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-02-21 00:00:00

THE BALLOT IN AUSTRALIA

In corroboration of the statements of Mr. Nicholson, the
author of the Ballot Law in Victoria, Mr H. Berkeley, M.P.,
has received a letter trout Mr. liellicar, late of Bristol, but
now of Melbourne, and while in this country an opponent of
the Ballot. The letter contains the following statement :
You may perhaps remember to have heard of me, although
you never found my name amongst your supprters at any
of your elections for Bristol, but you will I am sure he
surprised at receiving a letter from me from the Anti-
podes. Remembering however the interest you have
always taken in the question of the Ballot, and the
zeal with which you have advocated its adoption in the
election of members of the Imperial Parliament, I think I
am only fulfiling a public duty in bearing my testimony
to its efficient working in the late election of members of our
Legislative Council and Assembly, just now concluded. .1
believe I am only stating the opinion universally prevalent
here, when I say that nothing could exceed the order, rcgu-
latity. and decorum which prevailed throughout the colony,
fiercely contested as some of the elections were, and in strange
contrast to the scenes we were accustomed to in England, and
here before the adoption of the ballot. Indeed the absence of
excitement was so great as almost to damp legitimate enthu-
siwrn. I send you by this mail a copy of our electoral act,
which will be sufficiently explanatory of our system
That it is perfect I do not think, bat for a first attempt it
has been decidedly successful. You will notice that it is
not an absolutely secret ballot, The returning officer has it
certainly in his power after the close of the poll, before making
his return and returning the ballot papers, as provided in the
53rd clause, to ascertain for whom the elector may have voted,
by comparison of the number on the back of the voting paper
with the electoral roll, although the high character of the men
who wore selected for this offi:e forbids the supposition that
this facility was availed of. The object of the framers of the
ballot clauses in causing the pipers to be numbered was, in
case of a scrutiny on petition, to ascertain if any double votes
had been recorded, and so long as electors' names are allowed
to be more than once on the roll, some check on this practice is
necessary. In Van Dieman's Land, I understand, the vote is
recorded with absolute secrecy, but they require every elector
to sign his name in the margin of the electoral roll before lie
has given his ballot parr, going so far as to refuse it, and
thereby disqualify the man who cannot write. I think this
would, on many accounts, be an improvement in our plan, as
besides meeting the question of double votes, it would also be
a remedy against impersonation.

IRON IN ANITRIOA.-1n Pennsylvania alone there Was
produced last year nearly 450,000 tons of pig iron ; of
manufactured iron, 227,837 tons. The entire production
last year was 1,000,000 tons, whilst the consumption was
only 1,386,000 tons, a fact in itself which to a great extent
accounts for the unusually small demand for Lon from
this country. The iron manufacture in the States in
1856 was as great a 3 it was in this country 35 years
ago. In Pennsylvania alone there are now employed
40,000 persons, taking the furnaces, mills, and forges.
The capital employed is estimated at more than £30,000,000
sterling. _ _ _

AMERICAN COPYRIGHTS.—Letters from Washington report
that the international copyright treaty bas been abandoned,
and that a movement is on foot by American authors and
publishers for the passage of a bill by Congress, that will
secure to authors in England a copyright for their produc-
tions (periodicals excepted) in the United States, provided
that the woks thus copyrighted shall be published in this
country within four weeks of their appearance in England.
American authors desire the enactment of a similar law on
the part of England. The proposed law will, of course,
meet the approval of English authors, but not that of pub-
lishers, who will most certqinly oppose it.

CARRIAGE FOR THE DUKE OF QAMBRIDGE.—A state
cariage for his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, is
now on view at the galleries of Messrs. Hooper's, of the
Haymarket. The carriage is not a new one, but is remark-
able for its historical assoeiations, it having been ridden
in by every crowned head that has visited England during
the last half century. It was originally built for the
Duchess of Clarence. • It then became the property of
William the Fourth. The late Duke of Cambridge bought
it at his brother's death, and it is now the property of his
son. At present it possesses a claret coloured body, with
red wheels and lines of gold. The heraldry appears to
be of a much higher order, than usual. and to reach an
excellence which claims rank as a work of art. The
interior is luxuriantly lined with light blue brocade, and
the whole indeed is a singular evidence of the stability of
the old school of carriage building, and the taste of the
predecessors of this firm, by whom it was originally built.
COMMITTAL OF A GANG OF " TICKET OF LEAVE MEN"
AT LEEDS.—On Wednesday, at the Leeds Courthouse,
Thomas Waterhouse, Jonathan Parkinson, alias Friar,
Amos Rorsfall, and John Taskar, were again placed in the
dock, charged with complicity in the robbery of Mr.
Walker's shop, in Byrom street, on the morning of the 6th
instant. In consequence of the confession of a ticket of
leave convict named Rawaden, alias Remington, who was
apprehended on the spot by Mr. Walker, the detective
officers of the Leeds police were placed upon the scent of
the accomplices, and, after much patience and ingenuity,
the four men whose names are given above were appre-
hended, the last man being taken on Friday morning.
Parkinson and Thrsfall are ticket of leave convicts,
Waterhouse has been several times convicted, and Tasker's
numerous breaches of order have repeatedly brought him
under the notice of the police. The evidence adducPd was
prinoinally corroborative. It is supposed that Rawsden
" split" upon his comrades because he did not receive his
share of the plunder. The prisoners were all committed to
take their trial at the ensuing borough sessions.