AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8251, 4 October 1906, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

THE DEPOKTA'jIION OF KANAKAS. Received Ootober 3, 8,53 a.m. BRISBANE, Ootober 3. An appeal was recently made to the High Court against a magistrate ordering the deportation of Kanwkas. The appeal was taken on the point that there was no precedent for the deportation ot a friendly alien who had been lawfully admitted into the country, and that, therefore, the law was ultra vires. The High Court has now ruled that a Kanaka is indisputably an alien, and that the Commonwealth had power to make a law to deport him. The appeal was accordingly dismissed.

A FEDERAL BILL REJECTED. Reoeived October 3, 10,40 a.m. MELBOURNE, Ootober 3. The Federal Senate has rejected a Bill proposing a referendum to amend the Constitution in order to give the Commonwealth power to raise speoial Customs for its sole use. The ostensible reason of the Bill was to provide money for old age pensions, but the Government declined to be bound to this purpose. The Labour members thereupon combiaed with tbe Opposition and threw the Bill out.

UNION OF CHURCHES. Received October 3, 10.20 a.m. SYDNEY, October 3. At the Presbyterian Assembly a determined attempt waa made to abandon the stepa taken towards an organic union of the Protestant churches. A report was submitted showing tbe advance; made, and on the motion for the adoutior of the report au amendment was moved thanking the committee for its efforts, but relieving it of further service. The reasons stated for the amendment were that a great many did not want the change, and the difficulties in the way of its accomplishment were insuperable. A long and hot discussion followed, the amendment being finally rejected by 67 votes to 27.

STORM IN VICTORIA. Received October 3, 11.15 a.m. MELBOURNE, October 3. During a thunderstorm at Ballarat lightning fused three hundred telephone connections. Heavy rain caused a flood in tbe Benalh River, wUch inundated tbe local showground while a show was in progress. A stampede followed 5 and the show was abandoned. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS. Received Ootober 3, 12.20 p.m. SYDNEY, October 3. The amount of imports into Austrlia from South Africa in 1903 waa £3,017, and the exports from Australia to South Africa for the same year totalled £2,055,000.