SIR JULIUS VOGEL’S REPLY TO MR MACANDREW.

Evening Star, Issue 4135, 29 May 1876, Page 4

SIR JULIUS VOGEL’S REPLY TO MR MACANDREW.

TELEGfWPH.I f ' . ■ , ; May 27. j The following reply has beeu sqht by Sir Julios' Vogel r , • May 26. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your latter of 13th May, in reply to mine of the 3rd inet. Whilst I desire to bring this correspondence to a conclusion I feel it necessary to explicitly explain certain points concerning which yon clearly misunderstood me. I did not say, or desire to say, that there were never any able -engineers in Otago. I meant no mpre .than the words 1 used implied: that the Province has suffered—which does hot mean always suffered—from inexperienced engineers. If the Government are correctly informed, some of the branch railways in Otago amply corroborate this statement. The memory of the post engineering talent is no substitute for present Inexperience. Yon still Ml to see the views of the Government about the lohd sales. They have not oxpreased any opinion as-to’whether Or not it was desirable to soli the particular- pieces of land. Their'objection bus been to the manner of the. proposed sole—using a power delegated by the Governor. It was contrived to give certain persons u exclusive privilege ,ot purchase. To this the Government objected, and seeing that your Honor and your Executive were acting under a delegated authority, the GoVemmentbas clearly the right ..to object; They. did. not, however, attempt, as you snnpose,tp coerce or guide the Board; they obtained information, which was patent in Dunedin, as to the '{supposed feelings of members of the Bdord, and- .they were glad to be able to think that there was no necessity for interference. If yoni Honor Will only give proper notice, the Government haye no objection to the laudsin question being' sold;; indeed, they ore quite at a loss to understand why- the lands have been given book to the runhotders, instead of the latter being compensated and the laud properly submitted for sale. The estimates for the six .months now current were prepared by your Honor before the land sale was stopped; and yon have’ represented that the very large land revenue there set down was because of expected sales in Hundreds,- not because of the sales of mountain tops. I have not objected to branch railways; the objection I Stated was that yon - constructed them without the means to pay for them. 1 - The logical position is this : you incur expenditure; to meet it yon propose largelafid, sales. On one occasion yon. tell ns you look to the sales of land in hundreds for the necessary means’; bh another occasion (vide memo, to Waste-Land, Board) such sales are condemned, and youstatethat you rely for exp end itnretbn the salfes of -mountain tbps, and that works will have to be suspended- in consequence of the Soles having been stopped. Subsequently yon write .that you still consider your estimate of revenue reasonable, and rely upon obtaining the amount, whilst at the-same time yon seud. aa in the copy, of your memo, to the Waste Land Board, -what conveys quite an opposite impression. Admit this labyrinth, the Governmeat, can-.find no path excepting that 'of .upholding, the law and deprecating, its violations. I subjoin extracts from the correspondence showing the contradictions to which I refer. Notwithstanding your Honor’s ejaculatory remarks, I am unable to discover: any breach of faith from which O'ago will suffer. At the time the Colony, under the public works policy, began to perform Provincial works.it was stated that it the Provinces proved to be inconsistent with that policy they mast give way. That policy has done for Otago what Provincialism failed to-do, and could not have dons in a much longer period. I have already expressed the opinion that the idea of making Otago a separate Colony is purely chimerical. Such a step is altogether epposed to the received policy of the day—to make a miniature Victoria and New South Wales out of Otago and Canterbury, with a border duty question on the Waitaki, would be as injudicious as it is impossible. The notion of a separate Colony one Island is now eqmlly chimerical, and let me say, excepting to Otago, would be wholly distasteful to the rest of the Middle Island. Apart from the wholly chimerical nature of .your. Honor’s views as to isolating Otago, I am constrained to point out that such . isolation, would not benefit Otago, nor be in 4 accordance with the large business connections ' which have grown into existence between it and the othqr Provinces. - If Otago has made wonderful progress, so has the rest of New Zealand, and the people of Otago have jnst as much reason.to.be promt of the - advancement of the whole Colony as of their particular portion of it lam of opinion that there exists in Otago, blether with a desire to manage locally local affairs, a much larger Colonial pride and spirit than your Honor appears to recognise. I thank your Honor fo • the • courtesy yon have displayed throughout this correpondence, and 1 reiterate my feel.ngs of personal regret at the : want of agreement -between us on the points which have been‘raised- I hope however, as the. proposed measure assume sbape and form, that your Honoris objections will yield to your convictions of their suitability to the wants- and wishes of the country. I am alsoindebted to yonr Honor for the use this correspondepcefiM been to the Government in enabling them to place before the people much information it was desirable they should possess, even before Parliament meets, in order to counteract the effects of the misconception which previqpsly existed. Freed horn the prejudices those misconceptions excite thousands of thpu?httnl people in Otago will form their own opinions and regret their previous hasty reliance on the statements Of those in opposition to the Government. ’V t; : ' - Julius Vogel., !_ - ; ,'■*T-i 'ENCLOSURES. Extract from telegram, Colonial Secretary to Mr . Macandrew, 21th April :—I shall therefore be obliged if yonr Honor will furnish me with full information upon the following -points. 2nd, The data upon which the very large estimates of Land Eeveune have been formed.

Extract from telegram} Mr idrew to Colomol Secretary, 3rd May, JxPfovincial estimates The data on which such land revenue is founded, is the large extent of new'Hundceds coming liito the market.

Mr Mocandrew (telegram. 10th May, re estimates I,:—The position yonr Honor jflhexplickble. You telegraph Govern, ment that in proposing estimates you calculated on sale of land inHnndreds,andtbat the receipts for the half year will equal the' amount estimated On the other hand; you rewrite to Government grihng_m»ent attention to your memo, to the WorteLand Board, in which you inform that body that its action in stopping the sale of pastoral lands upsetayour calcriutions, deprives yon of expected revenue, has compelled you to-refuse ~tenr ders for necessary works, and that probably .you wiH have to abandon existing contracts. The' estimate* seirtnp. were prepared before the Board refused the sale. The position then is this .* you tell the Government the estimates were prepared in relianoe oh sola of lapd inHundreds, and that you still expect the revenue.. On the other haud. yoa tell the Waste Land Board (and- call out attention to yonr memo.) that all your calculations are upset, and that.you cannot get.the revenue os anticipated/ and that yon must stop the very works yon now-ask us to approve, ‘We now desire to put it distinctly to yonr Honor, whether under existing ctrcttmstatfcea. you have good grounds for adhering to ydtir original estimates of .receipts from lane i sales.—Bowen, for Colonial Secretary. ; MrMacandrew to the Colonial fcecretory (telegram), 11th May, Provincial Estimate. In reply to last part of your telegram, yes. Provincial Go.venrijaent put the alternative to yonr Govei-nment, reduce the revenue, reduce also the expenditure, specifying the items. The other portion of your telegram raises the waste lands question, which is being discussed between my elf and the Premier in another correspondence. Colonial Secretary to Mr Mocandrew, May 12th, re Estimates.—We leave it distinctly to your Honor whether, under existing circumstances, yon have good grounds for adhering to yonr originalestimate of receipts for land sales. To this yon reply yes, and therefore the Government will advise the Governor to approve yonr estimates. The responsibility of providing the money required will still rest with your Honor,