PUBLIC DINNER TO DONALD McLEAN, Esq.

Taranaki Herald, Volume II, Issue 84, 8 March 1854, Page 4

PUBLIC DINNER TO DONALD McLEAN, Esq.

The late hour at which this entertainment came off yesterday, precludes any lengthened accmint of the proceedings, which we must postpone until our next. Upwards of sixty persons, native and European, aat down to an excellent dinner provided by Mr. W. George with his usual liberality. His Honor the Superintendent and the Province's respected gue3t Mr. Me Lfan, sat at the cross table, flanked by the two native chiefs, Rawiri and Hone Ropiiia. On the withdrawal of the cloth, the healths of the Queen and the Officer administering the Government were drunk • after which, his Honor the Superintendent in a short, but energetic speech, proposed the health of Donald McLean, Esq., which was drunk with honors, and which that gctitlemnn responded to. It is imposbiole for us on the eve of pub. licotton to uivc any true idea of its subsinnce; he dwelt long on the difficulties which havo hitherto environed the Land Question, in this Province in particular. Showed what exertions had been successfully m?de lo gather up the outstanding claimn of natives in other localities, and the useful influence which such exertions had opciated on the question, in removing many of the difficulties which then surrounded it. lie gave great hopes of a fmther early accession of Land and prognosiicaied the growing prosperity of the Province. Mr. Mc'Lkan spoke of the disappointments which had been felt at Sir George Grey leaving New Zealand without coming to Tavanaki, and explained and delended the policy that induced the seeming neglect -,'paid a merited complement to his Honor the Superintendent's administration ; handsomely mentioned tho difficulties Mr. Cooper has had to contend with ; and concluded with a graceful acknowledgement of the honor done him. The health of his honor the Superintendent was proposed by Mr. W. Halse in an appropriate nddress, and responded to by his Honor. The time of our going to press having arrived, we ate unable lo add anything further in this week's issue.

Wr copy below an article from the Timci <>( the 14th of November, published in the Sydney Morning Herald of the 7th of Feb., as giving up to the latest dates of English nows the most lucid account of the progress of the European war question : and append thereto such paragraphs from our Australian contemporary as may he useful as illusiraiing tho then aspect of affairs. The demand of the French Government rpgaiding the intentions of Austria, mentioned in our last, if to be relied on, may be considered as pointing to one of two objects, viz,, preparation on the, part of Fiance for an aggressive movement on (hut countiy, or a revision of her own policy, in relation lo I.er position with England. It is to be regretted that any want of tinlidencc in the intentions of France should be felt, but the possibility of such a contingency has taken, and possibly not without .some good show of reason, strong possession of the public mind in this patt of the world, and cannot therefore be entirely loft out of consideration, however, in the result they may be proved to have been unfounded. The Indian papers to the 6th December give evdcncp of intrigue; of Russia throughout the Fast. The Shah of Persia sudddily quitted Tchcr.m with 30,000 cavalry, 1000 pieces of cannon and 3,000 o.imel-, evidently on an expedition cotiri'iled viiih Ki)igi,i, Intelligence from Kiva had been received t'> the edict that a Itussi.in force had arrived within a lew marches of the Kussiau fioiuier, under

'm— ~— ICT~gMWIIIII» ■IIIIMM 1 n luvu. J#MII'W. pretext of punching the King of Bokhara and Khan of Khiva for analledgecl offence. Several Russians had been airostcd at Delhi, and some Russians had been refused peimission to travel in India. The Cholera had destroyod 15,000 lo 20,000 persons at Teheran. It has also broken out .at Bombay. The Governor General was about to visit Rangoon. It was said ho would remain another year in India.