AUSTRALIAN TELEGRAMS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 9087, 20 May 1891, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN TELEGRAMS.

Adelaide, May 19. Major-General Downes is being interviewed as to the work of the Defence Oommission, and in answer to the ques-tion-as to whether New Caledonia holds any position of menace towards Eastern Australia, said he was decidedly of opinion, from information he had gathered, that there were ,about 3000 French troops there, and that male convictsto the number of about 9000, were being drilled with wooden guns. This drill was ' of a nature to fit men' to take part in a land attack, i Melbourne;, May-18. i James Johnston, who murdered his wife and family at Ballarat, was executed thjs,morning. Owing to tHe state of i his health he had to be wheeled on to the scaffold. When on the , drop he stood s perfectly firm, without any appearance of paralysis. Melbourne, May 19. i A searching enquiry is to be made into the action of the life boat crew at the wreck of the • Craigburn. The Minister of Customs finds the neglcet lies either with the Customs Department or with the telegraphic officers. ■ Negotiations between- the different Governments for the purpose of I bringing about the adoption of a uniform course in submitting Federation proposals to their respective Parliaments have fallen through, and each colony will now adopt its own' course. Mr Munro, the Premier, finds there is a, strong opposition to his idea of a local Convention, and the question, therefore, will probably be made a leading one at the ensuing election. Sydney, May 18. ' . Sailed : It. M.S. Mariposa, for San Francisco, via Auckland. Madame Patey, the well-known contralto, is a passenger by her to Auckland. ' * - ■ Sydney, May 19. - Parliament was opened this afternoon by the Governor, the Earl of Jersey. In his speech His Excellency made reference to the laVe Federation Qqu-

vention, and said that no time would be lost in submitting the question of Federation to the House as a distinct part of the policy of 'the Government. Among the bills which would be introduced this session were The Local Government Electoral Reform, Abolishment of Plural Voting and Industrial Courts Conciliation, and Arbitration . Bill. It was also mentioned that after the Financial Statement had bonn brought down measures would be submitted by the Government to effect certain fiscal changes in order to improve the means of revenue. Quite a demonstration was made against the Governor, both in arriving at and departing from the House of Parliament, by a mob of so-called Socialists, who collected round the entrance to the building and hooted and groaned His Excellency when he made Ins appearance. -Several prominent members of the Socialist body dolivered harangues to the crowd, and gave expression to a number of frothy revolutionary sentiments.

The Legislative Council has passed an Address-in-Beply to the Governor's Speech. .

Brisbane, May 19. The Rockhampton conspiracy cases are concluded. The Judge summed up dead against the prisoners, but the jury disagreed, and w.ere given three days to consider.

Rockhampton, May 19.

Intelligence has been received in town to the effect that the Unionists intend to make a more desperate resistance to free the laborers on the Bimerah station than they have previously offered. It is reported that the Unionists are threatening to make Bimorah the " Waterloo of the present struggle."