DEPUTATION TO THE COLONIAL TREASURER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1503, 1 April 1885, Page 2

DEPUTATION TO THE COLONIAL TREASURER.

Dunedin, Last Night.

Sir Julius. Vogel was waited on to-day by a deputation from the City Jouncil and the Chamber of Commerce, with the Volunteer officers, in order to draw his attention to the defenceless state of the city. Ho took the deputation aback by saving he was sorry to see the course they had taken They seemed in Dunedin to onioy the luxury of drawing attention to their defenceless position, and this seemed to him the worst of policy. It was very important that what was done should be done secretly. His colleague, Mr Stout, telegraphed him that the scare in Dunedin was not warranted, and that he would not de ! ay an hour in fortifying. It was necessary to have plans, and Major Cautley was very busy preparing them. What the Government wore going to do was to place a gun at Lawyer’s Head, another at St Clair baths and several at Taiaroa Heads, and torpedoes across the channel inside the bar, etc,- Mr Stout pointed out that it was quite useless to put all these guns in petition unless it was done properly, because if they were mounted improperly the very first shot of the enemy would dismount them. Plana for all these places were promised, and in two days Major Oautloy would leave for the South, and his assistant would go to Auckland to fix guns there. Twenty five of the Armed Constabulary were to be sent to Dunedin, and the same number to Oh istchurch, to form the nucleus of an artillery force, and one of the Colonels would bo placed in command. Mr Stout further said—‘‘You have little idea what even our temporary works wi'l cost. I am alarmed at the amount. ” And he then proceeded—“ We have telegraphed Home to the Admiralty to provide one or more ironclads for our coast. ” He (Sir Julius) hoped the deputation would pardon him for speaking plainly. He did not think any more representations should be made upon the subject, unless they were made privatsly, because the publication of

their plana muat be injurious They were spending a vast amount of money, and in a few days the principal ports of the cojony would be sufficiently protected. For himself, as he stated last night, he did not think there would be any war, and he was glad to tell them that within the last quarter of an hour he had received a telegram' from the Agent-General in England saying the position seemed less ominous to-day. They had the beat advisers possible in Major Cautley and the Governor, In reply to a question as to the shore ends of the cable, Sir Julius Vogel said that the question had engaged the attention of the Government weeks ago, and they had made provision for it. He thought it was not politic to say anything more on the subject. He repeated that what he objected to was, the constant reiteration of the words, “ our defenceless position.” He was not speaking for himself, but under the highest inspiration he could receive, when he said that nothing could be more undesirable than for them to allow every one to think that the colony was in a defenceless position, for such was not the case.