Australian Telegrams.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 11957, 3 May 1902, Page 3

Australian Telegrams.

(Per Press Association.)

Brisbane, May 2. It' is expected that the Civil Service retrenchment will effect a saving of £30,000 pei', annum. All officers over seventy, not sixty, retire. Melbourne, May 2. In the Federal House* Sir E. C. Braddon's amendment to reduce the. first item, of the Defence Estimates toy £1 as an indication that the defence vote should be reduced by (£200,000, was carriedt against the- • Government by 25 to 21 amid conBiderable excitement. The remainder of the Defence Estimates passed iWithout amendment. The Governor-General's Establishment Bill met with a scant support After a wrangling debate Mr Barton realising the hopelesssness of carry"ing it, agreed to an alteration providing that £10,000 be placed on the Estimates for extraordinary allowances to Lord Hopetoun to defray the expenses of the Royal visit. The Federal House was adjourned till 27th inst. to enable Ministers to inspect the various! proposed sites tor the Federal capital. Sydney, May 2. Further rain has fallen, but is Btill confined to the coast districts. The Darling Harbour Resumption 'Court has awarded Robert Reid and Co., of the Federal wharves, £170, 000 compensation for the properties resumed, and hotel owners £9,100 land £8,100 respectively. Two cases of plague were reported to-day. (United Press Association. — By Electric Telegraph. — Copyright. Received May 3,, 12.58 a.m. . Melbourne, May 2. The general manager of the Pacific informed Mr Drake, Federal Postmaster-General, that the probable date of opening will be November 18th. The Bonus to Manufacturers Bill, (introduced into the Federal House,, tarries out the Government's intentions as announced when the Tariff Bill was introduced. It dateq the operation of bonuses as from 'July Ist last. No bonus will be paid, on pig iron, puddled bar iron, or steel after July Ist, 1907 : on 'iron wire netting, iron and steel pipes after 1905. or on reapers and tinders after 1904. The Federal. Customs revenue for 'April is £830.000, and for ten months, after allowing- special interState deductions to Westralia and lor the Commonwealth tariff £7, 355.000. Received May 2, 9.25 a.m. Sydney, May 3. The Court has rejected the appeal «on behalf of Lukins, who was contacted of murder at Baikai. The cat/le steamer Anglia has arrived from Fiji. After repairing she proceeds to Roland to take aboard the Faning Island-Fiji section of the Pacific cable. She expects to arrive at Fiji again with the Vancouver end of the cable_ aboard in October or Novemiber. Melbourne, May 3. The following list has been circulated among Federal Ministers as subjects to be "dealt with at the Imperial Conference, as suggested by the Colonial Office ■<— Political relations between the Mother country and the colonies ; Imperial defence ; Commercial relations with the Empire ; _ relations between Australio and New Zealand and the Islands of the Pacific, and other matters of general interest. By Cape Colony and Natal:— Naturalisation laws. By New Zealand :— Preferential colonial tariff, British manufactures carried in British shirs to the colonies, reduction* in duties on colonial products now taxable, Imperial Arany reserve for service out of the colonies in case of emergency, increase of Australian auxiliary squadron on lines existing- of arrangement, Aus-tralian-New Zealand-Canadian mail service, future government of South Africa together with the admission of rrofwss-ional colonials! to practice Iheif. anrt periodical Colonial confonc "■ By t~\\o Commonwealth:—h :— Arn.y and Navy supply contracts, ocean cable?, Imperial Cpurt of Ap jie.il. mutual protection from loss of tnost favoured nation treatment if

preference is given to British manufacturer, and Imperial stamp charge on colonial bonds. j Reeuv-d /-Jay 3, 10.2 a.m. Sydney, May 3. Mr Valpy and Mjss Xewtown, tw.» returned Jndian missionaries, sail for Now Zealand to-9ay. A p'.ague p ili.'nt is dead. A Herald correspondent wrifcis that included in Mr ireddou's mission is a pro- | posal to annex McQuarrio Island to New Zealand. He warns the Commonwealth against permitting the loss of such important fishing and fish breeding grounds. Brisbane, May 3. Ons new cass of plague was reported to-da} 1 . Tho State revenue for the last ten months is £486,000 less than the same period last ye tr. Adelaide, May 3. To-day sees the election of the new Assembly, reduced from 54 to 42 members, and a new Council, reduced from 24 to 18. This is tne first simultaneous election for the two Houses since respon sible Government came into existence, and the first under the new electoral roll ou the census The campaign is being conducted with much earnestness, and the result is difficult to forecast.