AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 293, 11 December 1901, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

FIB PBBS ABBOOUTIOK.] Mbxbotjbhb, December 9. The Full Court in giving judgment on the ocean ships stores case, unanimously held that the clauses of the Fed-] eral Customs Act, under which action! was taken, were valid. The offence was sot constituted by breaking the Customs'seals when outside the thr»e mile limit, but by bringing the vi&sl to port after the seals had been broken. Judgment went for plaintiff with costs. The penalties inflicted wen £5 for entering a port with broken seals and £Z 10s for using stores in port not en f ered for home consumption.

A mysterious tragedy is reported from Bendigo. A young storekeeper named Jones was aroused in the middle of the night and shot on opening the door. Before dying he said he knew his assailant acd fought him, but would not discloss anything which might lag anyone. The Queensland Premier, in the course of a reply to Mr Barton's letter, on Jthe Kanaka Bill, says he has no hesitation in saying that if Mr Barton had made it elearly known, when the question of federation was in the balance, that he was prepared to carry out the extreme policy disclosed in th* BUI, Queensland would not now be a member of the Union.

The Federal Minister for Defence stated that no provision can be made in the JSstimares for sending a team to Bisley next year. The Federal Government is awaiting necessary action by the Imperial Government before assuming control of New Guinea. The State Premier bss received a letter from the British Consul at Honolulu, reporting two deaths from plague there, the first on November 10th, and the second three days later. The United Australian and Colonial Mutual Fire Insurance Companies have agreed upon-a rchemo of amalgamation, which requires the shareholders' sanction.

Brisbane, December 10. The Premier states that the estimated value of the Queensland sugar crop this season is £2 000,000 sterling. Received 11, 0.40 a.m.

Stdhbt, D r ir.brv 10

In the Assembly, in reply to questions an to whether h 9 bad seen tbe cable inviting Mr Barton, as representative of the Commonwealth, and Mr Seddon as representing New Zealand, to attend the King's coronation, and if the Premiers of the various Ans'ralian States bad been invited, Mr See said >U ke could say was that he had received no invitation and wai not anxious about it.