LATEST AUCKLAND NEWS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1986, 31 March 1885, Page 2

LATEST AUCKLAND NEWS.

I BY TELKfiRAPH. — OWN CORRESPON'DBNT.] The Defences of the Colony. Adcklv>d, Monday Nicjht. Tun Mayor i 9 of opinion that L'ailiamcnt should be called together ut once, and special legislation passed ic{?ai ding expenditure on defences. Ho thinks that the cost of defence should bciaised by means of a tax on propcity, levied at the same time as the ptoperty tax.

Supreme Court. The follow ing cases appear upon the criminal calendar, opening on April Bth : —White, larceny as a bailee ; Emerson, burglary ; Browu, horse-stealing ; Long, larceny ; Hackett, forgery ; Brown, attempted murder ; Prendergast, murder ; Tuka te Huirama, bieakmg and entering; Barker, unlaw fully wounding ; Jones, horse-stealing ; Shannon, Larceny. he number of oases is considerably less than usual, but two arts of a grave character.

Attempted Murder. A man named Holland, arrested today, has been fully identified as the man who was with Mrs Olsen on Saturday night, and he will be charged at the Police Court to-moriow with attempted minder.

Colonial Defences. The Survey Department commenced the examination of tnc sites for the defence of Auckland Harbour. The following places have been selected as sites for batteries .-—Point Resolution, Parnell (Kisslinjj's property), Government reserves at North Head and Mount Victoria and Takapuna Point (Mark's pio peity). Kauri Point, from its proximity to the channel, and other strategetic loc.ilitiea have b.i n -e'lcted as sites of principal defences of Manukau Hutbour With properly appurtenanced foifcifica tions at Kauri Point, Auckland western harbour would be well nigh impregnable. As it is necessary to take some private j land at Point Resolution and Point Takapuna under the provisions of the Public Woiks Act, Mr Williams, an officer of the Suivey Depaitmcnt, has been told off to make the necessary survey, snould the crisis come suddenly It is probable that the Public Woiks Department will undeitake the works under directions fiom the Minister of Defence. The imminence of war during the past few days has caused a alight flutter in local insurance circles, and the advisability of charging war risk has been fieely discussed.

Special attention is directed to Mr Jolin Ktiox's advertisement of his Eastei s*le of produce, fowls, rabbits, harness, tec, &c%