MONUMENT TO THE LATE SIR DONALD McLEAN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5179, 27 October 1877, Page 1 (Supplement)

MONUMENT TO THE LATE SIR DONALD McLEAN.

(From the Hawke’s Bay Herald, 18th inst.) MEETING AT KAIKOURA. A meeting was held at Kaikoura yesterday to inaugurate a subscription for the purpose of raising a monument to the memory of the late Sir Donald McLean. The meeting, which was held in the schoolhonse, was convened by advertisement, which had for some time appeared in our colums in the Gaelic language. As the party from the train were proceeding to the meeting, they came in sight of another party bound on the same errand, who were making their way over the hills, headed by Mr. Hugh McLean, of Gwavas, attended by a piper playing ep rit-stirring strains. At the hour appointed there were about tweuty-fiva persons present, amongst whom were Messrs. Allan McLean, Hugh Campbell, Donald Gollan, J. G. Kinross, A. Kennedy, Hugh McLean, D. Galbraith, A. Grant, N. Campbell, G. Jail, the Revs. Robert Fraser, J. M. Fraser, and J. C. Eecles, and others. Mr. Donald GjOLLAN, on being unanimously called to the chair, read in Gaelic the advertisement calling the meeting, and afterwards gave a short translation of the same, which ho took occasion to state had previously appeared in the Herald, The object of the meeting, Mr. Gollan said, was to inaugurate a subscription for the erection of a lasting monument to the memory of Sir Donald McLean. It wo.s not necessary for him to dilate upon tha many services which that statesman had rendered to tho colony during his twenty-six years of public service ; they were known to all present, and most of all, to those ' who had the privilege of enjoying,as he had had, the friendship of him who was gone from them. Certain resolutions would now bo laid before the meeting. ■ ■ ' , . Mr. KENNEDY proposed the first resolution, That this - meeting expresses its appreciation of the high character of the Sir Donald McLean, and of the eminent services rendered by him to the colony daring the whole course of his long public career, and resolves that a monument bo erected to his memory in a conspicuous place in the town of Napier. Ho said that he had known the late Sir Donald McLean intimately for nearly twenty years ; his devotion to the public interests of the colony arid his large-mmdedness >ere" the principal features in his character. i.He (Mr. Kennedy) had not been able to discover anything small about Sir Donald McLean.

Mr. Alexander Grant seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. Mr. A. McLeod stated that an impression had, rightly or wrongly, obtained that the present movement was intended to be confined solely to Highlanders. Mr. Kennedy explained, as one of the original movers in the matter, that such was far from being his intention. It was considered that Sir Donald having been a Highlandman born, the present movement might, in the first instance, rightly originate with his own countrymen ; but there was never any intention of limiting the expression of colonial feeling to them ak^r, Mr, Kinross said that he was not a Highlandman, although ho could claim descent from that race. He was an old and intimate friend of Sir Donald McLean, and had come to the meeting to join in expressing the admiration which he felt for the abilities of Sir Donald McLean, and the many good services he had rendered to the colony. Before coming he had learned from the committee that no exclusion was intended, and he was invited to attend. As the object was to raise funds for a monument in honor of the late Sir Donald McLean, friends and colonists of every nationality should be welcome to co-operate in furthering the object sought to be attained. The meeting was then addressed in eloquent terms by the Revs. Robert Fraser and J. M. Fraser. Mr. Allan McLean said ha was proud to have to propose the foiling resolution, to carry into effect the movement now inaugurated to commemorate the services of a distinguished statesman, who bore tho same name as himself. He begged to move that the following gentlemen be appointed a committee to receive subscriptions, and to carry out the foregoing resolutions :—Rev. M. Fraser, Rev. J. Williams, Rev. W. Oolenso, Captain W. R. Russell, Messrs. Gollan, Grant, Kennedy, Galbraith, H. Campbell, John Nairn, Hugh McLean, T. K. Newton, Kinross, Locke, J. D. Canning, Neil Campbell, P. McLean, H. S. Tiffen, A. MeHardy, George Oondie, Hector Duff, George Burton, Win, Oouper, John Chambers, John McKinnon, Ormond, James Lyon, J. Rhodes, and Allan McLean. Mr. Hush Campbell briefly seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. Mr. Kennedy said that his friend on the left, Mr. Allan McLean, being of a- practical turn of mind, wished to propose a third resolution, which he (Mr. Kennedy) had great pleasure in seconding ; it was that a subscription list be now opened. Larceny to the extent of tearing a leaf out of one of the children’s copy-book having been committed, the list was headed by the proposer of the resolution for a sum of £lO0 —his example was followed by all present, the subscriptions in the room reaching to a sum of £5Ol 13s. The Rev. J. M. Fraser moved a vote of thanks to the chairman, which was carried by acclamation, and the meeting then terminated. After the meeting, most of those present adjourned to Mr. Mundell’s hotel adjoining the railway station, where a very excellent repast was provided by the host. The piper enlivened the time by playing some national airs, and so terminated in a very agreeable manner the proceedings of the day.