The Taranaki Herald. "Open to All-Influenced by None." NEW PLYMOUTH, MAY 31, 1854.

Taranaki Herald, Volume II, Issue 96, 31 May 1854, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. " Open to All-Influenced by None." NEW PLYMOUTH, MAY 31, 1854.

Tuesday Morning. The Steamer Nelson arrived at 10 o'clock this morning on her return from Manukau, bringing a mail and Auckland papers to the 27th instant, containing an account of the opening of the General Assembly ; — also, a Gazette, which announces that His Excellency the Officer administering the Government opened the General Assembly on the 27th inst. ; and also gives his Excellency's Address on the occasion.

We regret that the short space between this arrival and our publication, with the length of this document, prevents our giving it m extcnw m our present number, and has also precluded such a perusal as would justify a sustained opinion on the policy it announces. From the hasty reading we have been able to givo it, the state of the colony is dealt vith,in a masterly manner ; and liberal and enlightened views taken of the Constitution Act, and of the future government of the col ony. Our readers will find some of the more prominent features of this able address m another column of our present issue.

William Swainaon, Esq., Attorney-Ge-neral of the Colony, had been appointed Speaker of tho Legislative Assembly, by his Excellency ; and the House of Representatives had conferred the honour on Charles Clifford, Esq., the Speaker of the Wellington Provincial Council. This arrival also brings later European news by the 'Crest of the Wave,' which had made a magnificent run of 72 days from Liverpool to Melbourne, the latest dates be-

ing the 10th of February. The information thus received is of great importance. 1 1 includes an account of the opening of the Parliament on the 3 1st of January, and Her Majesty's speech on that occasion. Rea pecting the impending European war it would appear that step by step overj remaining hope of a pacific adjustment had been swept away, and that, although there had as yet been no absolute declaration of war between the allied powers and Russia, yet Lord Clarendon (the Foreign Minister) had declared m the House of Lords, on the 6th February, that " that there was an end of negotiation" the Czar having rejected the final proposals of peace offered by tho mediating Powers. Diplomacy had then tried its utmost, and failed. The Russian ambassadors had withdrawn from London and Paris, and preparations were m the most active progress for a war, which Lord Ellenborough characterised as one of the greatest m which England had ' ever been en-

gaged. We give the following, being the latest intelligence from Europe ; — PREPARATIONS FOR WAR. On the evening before the Crest of the W«tq sailed from Liverpool (viz, on the 10th of Feb.) news reached that port by electric telegraph, to tho effect that Admiral Sir Cliarlea Nnpicr was immediately to ntsume tho command of n fieel for tho Baltic, Viec-Admiral Charles to take the second m command, The electric message further stated that the Government required tenders for nino transports to convey troops to the acat qf war.

It is stated that several of Cunard's steamers am taken up by Government to carry troops to Constantinople, and six thousand men go from England, others will be taken up from tbe different stations. About ton thousand will bo collected to form tho first expedition, A brigade of gunrds will form port of the expedition; the 46th Regiment, thnt was under orders for Australia, leaving tho old soldiers at home, whoso time would have been up m a few years, is now to hold itself m readiness for foreign service taking oil their best men, and leaving the recruits at home. It Is stated to bo the intention of the English Government to offer bounties to induce seamen to join Her Majesty's fleet. An enquiry has been instituted as to the fitness of tho P. and O. Co.'s and tho Royal West Indian Mail Packet Co.'ssteamori, to bo employed as men of war m cose of need.

The preparations at Portsmouth become every day of a more warlike character. An order came down on the 6th of February for drafting one-half of the Coast Guards on board the various lino-of-battle ships fitting hero and at other ports. This step will add to the nnval service about three thousand of tlio most efficient and steadiest men it could possibly receive — all of them well trained m gunnery, and admirably adapted to form the rm« eleus of crews for screw line of battle shipsl With them the newly raised men can bo brought into » stato of complete efficiency, and a poworful Baltic fleet may bo organized without the necessity of re« sorting to Impressment. Parties of men arrivo hero daily, and should any increaso to their number* be needed, it would appear that a bounty or better pay to volunteers is all that is required to cflcct the object.

Tho Times of the 7th contained the following;: — " Tlio notes of propnration are heard on all nidos, and m a few weeks the Emperor of all the Russlns will find himself everywhere free to face with an indignant antagonist, thatantagonist being little else than the whole civilized world. We need not refer to tlio vast preparations reported from the other sido of the channel; for Francs will be only too ready to beat us m the race of honour. Our own nrmy is immediately to bo augmented by eleven thousand mem The navy afloat it already the moit powerful ever possessed by England* Seamen are coming m rapidly, attracted by the improved condition of the service, partly by the prospect of prize money at the breaking out of the war. Coast-guards, to the number of fifteen hundred are Immediately to be embarked ns a nucleus for the crews of the newly commissioned ships. They are admirably adapted for this purpose, being trained seamen, and the more necessary now as good hands are apt to bo slow to join a raw and incomplete crew, m which there is plenty of hard work, and that not of tlic most ogrcenblo kind. By tlio time the Baltic is free, and the ice is already breaking up, tlio strongest flcot its waters crcr bore, will shut up the Russian at its northern outlet qb effectually as he is now closed m tlio Black Sea.