AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 132, 7 June 1888, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

By Electric Te'egraph. — Copyright. [per united press association.! Sydney, Jnne 5. In hearing the application for a suit of habeas corpus to-day, the Chief Justice said the writs ought to be rendered unnecessary, the Court haying previously decided that tke detention of the Chinese had been illegal. He stated that if any of the men so detained m attempting to break free killed anyone, they could not be punished for murder, as they were illf gaily restrained contrary to the distinct order of the Court, but on the other hand the person so restraining them would be guilty of murder. At the inquest on the body of Parkes, the victim of the outrage in the cell, a verdict of murder was returned ae-ainst Hewitt, who committed the offence. A committee selected from several of the Masonic lodges have agreed upon a basis on which to recommend the craft to adopt the formation of a united Grand Lodge for New South Wales. M cGrresjor, the bank-note forger, has been senteuced to seven years' hard labor The Freetrade Conference opened to day, V! essrs Crook aud Mason, of Christchurch, and Mr Gale, of Wellington, are the New Zealand representatives. Tiie business to-day was only of a preliminary nature. During n heavy gale, the sl'iip Berluee, from Melbourne, went ashore outside Newcastle harbor early in the morning. The ship became a total wreck, but the crew were rescued by the Rocket Brigade.