SOUTH AFRICA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 134, 8 June 1903, Page 3

SOUTH AFRICA.

! OPENING OF GAPE PARLIAMENT. FIB HUBS ABBOOIATKW. Capb Town June 5. Sir Walter Hely-Hutchineon, in opening the Gape Parliament, expressed gratification at the large measure cf ■access attending the policy of peace and reconciliation. There was everywhere a rematkabie indication of the subsidence of racial troubles. Be expected that the GkVermont would shortly relax the remaining minor restrictions on liberty. Mr Chamberlain's visit bad materially contributed to the improved feeing. The great advantages of a Customs Union so outweighed the objections to it that he hopsd Parliament would ratify the Bloemfontein convention, which would b» a long stride towards federation, asutio'laboub. Received 7.4.65 p.m. Capb Town, June 6. Lord Milner, replying at Johannesburg to an anti-Asiatic deputation, ■aid that whatever form legislation takes, the rights acquired before the war mU:t be respected. Indentured Asiatics might largely be wanted, temporarily, in the mines and f r public work, but the country was still a long way off tha*, and it was cot certain that Asiatics were prepared to come. Moreover the Heme Government would not allow the importation if they believed the ma=s of the European population was opposed to indentured Asiatics. CUSTOMS TARIFF. Received 7,4.55 pm. London, June 6. The Bloemfontien Customs Convention tariff is published. It canoe's ad vdwtm duties on the following artid s, substituting fixed du'ifs:— Cattle 30s, sheep ss, meats (including lard) Id per pound. All these are suspended at present. Butter, butterine, and mergence 24 a pound, condensed milk §d, coal 3 i a ton, toke 2s, corn Is per cent,al flour 2s, fodder Is, fruits 24 p«r pound. The Convention grants the right to levy an increased duty on sugar equal to the amount of bounty allowed by any country outside the Brussels Convention. Wines containing twenty psr cent of tpiiit 4s a gallon, not exceeding 60 per cent Bs, sparkling wines 12s 6d plus ten p?r cent, ad valorem. A relate of 25 par cent, is allowed on articles cf growth, produce, and manufae'ure of the United Kingdom, also the manufactures of the British colonies granting rec T p?ccal privileges to the South African Union. A draft of the ordinance providing for the Transvaal's entry into the Customs Union his been read a first time in the Transvaal Legislature.