AUCKLAND NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10597, 5 March 1895, Page 5

AUCKLAND NEWS.

[Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, March 4. Tho master bakers have raised the price of bread to 2-Jd per loaf. Great preparations are in progress at Rotorua for the Maori Parliament to be opened there on Thursday next. A dining hall, about 330 I’eeb long has been built, and sleeping' accommodation provided; tho I local Natives expecting, they state, about ! two thousand guests. It ia probable that j three of tho Native M.H.R.’s will bo pre- j seat, but it is hardly expected by the j Europeans that even one thousand Natives | will assemble. Order papers have bacn S drawn up, committees appointed, &c., j and everything dose to facilitate the « carrying out of business ; but what tho nature of this is likely to be, is rather a matter for conjecture. * j The Hawke’s Bay Native Brass Band gave a public performance fchia afternoon. | A wall-dressed man, fifty years of age, ! whom the charge - sheet described as j George Ncrmaa, alias Charles Johnston, i appeared at the Police Court this morning, I tomans war charges of having uttered at forged cheque lor the sum of £2 on Jan. j 23 at Wbaugarei, and of having stolen a ! sat of spring cart harness, the property of j George Edward French, on Feb, 19. When I tho charges wore read, the accused said ho | had never in hia life been known by | the name of Norman. His name was Charles Johnston, ana lie had always! been known by this name. Sergeant i Gamble said the accused had been j identified as Georgs Norman, who had j served two concurrent terms of imprison-1 ment of fourteen years each for robbery under arms ia New South Wales. Detec-1 tive Grace said the appearance of tbo j accused corresponded exactly with that of Normea. He was certain it was the same maa, bee wise tho accused’s wife bad written recently to tho police, asking bow many times be had been imprisoned, and be had J gathered from her statements that it was | the eamo. For the test twenty years, j however, he had been kcown by the nemo j of Johnston. The accured said he would j plead guilty ia order to “atop” evidence, ’ because the informant’s mother was his j wife. Mr Norbhcroft sentenced him to | one month’s imprisonment with hard labour ou the charge of theft, ar.d remanded him to Wbasgarci on the other charge. Mr Morstou Frewiu, one of the viceproiidenta of the Bi-metallic League of Great Britain, delivered an address tonight on bi-metallism in the Young Men’s Ghrictifta Association hall, Mr Matthew Clark, president of the Chamber of Commerce, presided, and there was a largo and representative audience. Mr Frew in strongly urged at tho close of Ha address that bi-metallic leagues should ba established throughout the colony. He intends to epeak on the question at tho various centres of population. The Mayor entertains the Governor, the Admiral of tho fleet and corao citizens at a dinner at the Auckland Club on Wo dues day.