The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-16 00:00:00

REFORM IN AUSTRALIA.

At this moment, when the Imperial Legislature
is at a loss for a Reform Bill, a copy of the " Elec-
toral Act," or new Reform Bill lately passed by the
Legislature of New South Wales:(yesterday printed
on the motion of Mr. Berkeley, M.P.) will doubt-

less be eagerly studied by our 'Parliament men and
the public. By it the Electoral Act of 1851 is
repealed. The Assembly is to consist of 80 members
(one more being reserved for the University of
Sydney), and the colony is to be divided into about
65 " electoral districts." In looking over these the
memory reverts to Old England. There is a dis-

trict of " Paddington," to remind one of Maryle-
bone and Mr. Edwin James, and one of " Windsor,"
to recall the Court borough. One district, called
" The Williams," would appear to be named in
honour of the retiring member for Lambeth and his
aristocratic aspirations. " The Hume" district is,
perhaps suggested by the merits of the once cele-
brated member for Middlesex and Montrose. Then
there is " Darling Downs" for the naval represen-
tatives, the " Glebe" for the ecclesiastical (if the
clergy be allowed to " sit" in New South Wales),
the " Upper and Lower Hunter" for the country,
squires, and others whose pursuits are of a vena-
torial as well as senatorial character, the "Orange"
for ultra Protestants, " Patrick's Plains" for the
Irish Romanists, and the " Gwydir" for those of a
centralising tendency. The " gold fields" con-
stitute three separate electoral districts (" North,
West, and South Gold fields"). Every male
subject of the Queen of 21 years of age and
absolutely free, or a naturalised resident of five
years is qualified to be elected a member of the
Assembly, and every male subject of the Queen of
21 years of age, natural born, or a naturalised resi-
dent of three years is qualified to vote at the elec-
tion of the member of the Legislature. Criminals,
lunatics, paupers, soldiers, and policemen are dis-
qualified from voting. The miner's license will
qualify him to vote. The votes will be taken by
ballot. This mode of voting is so peculiar that we
extract it from the Act (clauses 42 and 43). "At
every polling booth one or more ballot' rooms will
be provided. The presiding officer will provide a
locked box, of which he will keep the key, with a
cleft or opening in such box capable of receiving
the ballot papers folded as directed, which box will
be open to inspection by the poll-clerks, candidates,
and scrutineers previously to its being locked for
receiving the ballot papers, and such box will stand
upon the table at which the presiding officer or
poll-clerk and scrutineers preside and are placed.
And each eleCtor having previously satisfied the
presiding officer that he is entitled to vote at such.
election, will then receive from the presiding offi-
cer or poll-clerk one of the ballot papers initialled
by the presiding officer, at the time of the delivery
of which ballot paper to any elector, the presiding
officer or poll-clerk will, upon a certified copy of
the electoral roll, make a mark against the name of
such elector, which mark shall be prima facie evi-
dence of the identity of such elector with the
person whose name will be so marked on the
electoral roll, and of the fact of his having
voted at such election. Every elector will
in one of the compartments or ballot rooms
provided for the purpose strike out from his ballot
paper the names of such candidates as he does not
intend to vote for, and will forthwith fold up the
same in such a manner as will conceal the names of
the candidates, and deposit it in the ballot-box in
the presence of the presiding officer. Provided that
while an elector is in the compartment or ballot
room preparing his ballot paper no other person
shall be allowed in such compartment or ballot
room. Provided nevertheless that in case any elector
shall be unable to read or shall be blind he must
signify the same to the presiding officer, who will
thereupon in the booth or polling place strike out
the names of such candidates as the elector shall
express his wish to have struck out. And no elector
must take out of such booth or polling place any
such ballot paper either before or after the same has
been so marked. And any elector wilfully infringing
any of the provisions of this section, or obstructing
the polling by any unnecessary delay in performing
any act within the ballot room will be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanour." The presiding officer
will, after counting and sealing up all the ballot
papers, forward them to the returning officer at
headquarters, and he, after " totting" up the whole
number of votes, will transmit the papers to the
clerk of the Assembly, by whom they will be duly
and safely kept for five years. Controverted elec-
tions will be decided by select committees of the
Assembly, consisting of seven members.

APOTHECARIES' HALL.---The following gentle-
men, having passed the necessary examinations, were ad-
mitted licentiates of the Society of Apothecaries at a Court
of Examiners, on Thursday :—Edwd. Davies, Llansillen,
Denbighshire ; Jaynes Edmund Dawson, Sedbergh, York-
shire; Peter Downs, Stockport, Cheshire; Bradley Gregory,
Exeter (M.R.C.S., 1859) ; Thomas Johnson Hull, Melton
Mowbray ; William Robert Horniblow, Shipton-on-Stour ;
John Foster Reeve, St. George's-place, Camberwell (M.D.
King's College, Aberdeen, 1857, M.R.C.S., London, 1846) ,•
Edward Sharp, Truro, Cornwall ; Charles Swaby Smith,
Burbage, Wilts ; Benjamin Thomas Suffrein, Indian Army ;
William Terry Thornton, Wensleydale, Yorkshire; Charles
Wotton, King's Langley, Herts.
RAILWAY ACCOMMODATION FOR THE PURPOSE
OF PRIZE FIGHTS.--The police eommitee, in their report
to the magistratesassembledin generalsessions at Maidstone,
on Thursday, drew attention to the facilities offorded by the
South Eastern Railway Company to large bodies of persons
who travelled on their line with the avowed object of taking
part in prize fights. and thus committing a breach of the
peace; mentioning that on the occasion of the recent fight
for the championship a special train of thirty-four carriages,
containing nearly two thousand persons, stopped for a long
time midway between Headcorn and Pluckley, the safety of
those travelling by the ordinary trains being thereby greatly
endangered. personal
testimony Some of the justices present bore
testimony to the frequency of the practice
complained of,
more particularly on the North Kent line. The committee
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