Mr Vogel and the Agent-General.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1692, 21 July 1875, Page 2

Mr Vogel and the Agent-General.

The Wellington correspondent of the Herald forwards by wiro the complete correspon derce between Sir Julius Vogel and the Agent - General, wLieli is conspicuous for sharp passages of arms. The first letter is from Mr. Vojel, complaiuing of the way the Agent - General administered the Act, giving grants of land to emigrants who had paid their own passages. In one case, an engineer going out to join the* public service received a certificate for land wbich be afterwards gave up, and in other cases persoris who bad been refused were allowed to leave under the belief that they were entitled to land.—The Agent-General replies in two letters in wbich be contends tbat the intention of tbe Act seems to be clearly to provide land as a com pensation for passage money. In the case of Mr Passmore, the engineer referred to, the Agent-General states that Mr Passmore had gone home with letters of recommendation from the Government on the strength of which he (Dr Featherston) introduced him Ito various leading engineering firms, and on returning Mr Passmore stated be was paying his own passage and claimed a grant of land under the conditions of cultivation specified by the Act, and he (Or Featherston) thought a certificate might be issued leaving the colonial Government to decide Mr Passmore's claim on arrival. One objection stated that a holder of a certificate was tbe father-in-law of the master of the College; the AgentGeneral characterises this objection as " simply preposterous." In reply to this, Mr Vogel refers to the Agent-General chosing to be " very severe and facetious," and says that he has assumed that tbe objection to the gentleman last referred to was because he was a father-in-law for the purpose of " following the not very novel device of raising a suppositious plea." He states that the real objection was to his not being a suitable emigrant under the Act. Dr jFeatherston writes with reference to the Queen of Age French immigrants tbat be finds on inquiry that they had received pecuniary aid from the Society Francois de Benfaisance, by which they were recommended as immigrants but that they were represented as mechanics and were not known to have been engaged as ballet dancers. Two other letters relate to the appointment of Mr Cashel Hoey and bis being superceded by Mr Kennaway. The Agent General quotes telegrams to show that be had the sanction of the Government in appointing his own secretary, and bad twice telegraphed concerning Mr Hoey's appointment, and had engaged him at the salary fixed by the Government. — Mr Vogel replies that tbe Government had only sanctioned the appointment by Dr. Featherston of his " Private Secretary," and wera willing that he should continue to hold that office until the Government have considered the matter, but that the appointment of Mr Kennaway as head of tbe department under Dr. Featherston was considered necessary. Major Atkinson forwards statements by Dr. Nesbitt, of the Queen Bee, and Dr. Brittain, of the Invererne, shewing that after applying repeatedly to the Agent-General for vessels they obtained appointments through paying the medical agent £10, which seemed to be the only way of getting appointed. On the 6th April, Major Atkinson writes in answer to a letter from the Agent-General that his letter is *. of, so unbecoming a character that I felt it my doty to bring it under the notice of my colleagues. The

question having been carefully considered, Government decided to have expunged from the public records of the colony your letter No. 5, and it has been expunged accordingly, I have therefore to return your letter." Latter No. 5, relating to the Royal Commission on the Ship Scimitar is not published, Mr. Vogel infoiming the Agent-General that the Government consider it intolerably disrespectful. To this the Agent-General replies regretting the action of the Government- and disclaiming any intention to be disrcsp. ctful. •Mr. Vogei replies re-asserting the charge of disrespect, and says : "You will allow me to suggest to you that habitually regarding with suspicion, and something allied to contempt, the instructions and recommendations sent to you from the colony, may lead you into disrespectful communications without your specially intending to give them that character. In looking over original despatch to which it was a reply, I observed amongst other note?, the words 'absolutely absurd,' in your . handwriting, opposite a passage which it contained. Putting aside the fact of your making such a note to a document which remains a record of your department, it is not unnatural that your reply, based on such a note, should take the character of which the Cabinet complains." Dr Featherston replies in a scathing letter, charging Mr Vogel with making a dishonorable use of private memorandum placed unhesitatingly in his hands. He recapitulates the annoyance he has been subjected to from, continual and unwarranted attacks, and, so far as the correspondence is concerned, has decidedly the best of the argument.