PARLIAMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 4221, 6 September 1876, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

[By Telegraph.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Wellington, September 5. On the motion of Mr Waterhouse a committee was appointed to consider the legality of the appointment of the two extra members of the Government. In committee on the Public Health Bill clause 33 was erased; clause 56 amended so as to provide that the provisions of sub-sec-tion 4 should only apply to places with over 5,000 inhabitants, and giving the Governor power to declare, by proclamation what are deemed to be infectious diseases. The Rating Bill and Warehoused Goods Bill were read a second time; the latter and the Public Trusts Office Bill were committed. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

In answer to questions, Ministers said—(l.) When complete information as to the recent sale of the L 1.250,000 of debentures was to hand it would be laid on the table. (2.) The report of the Commission of Inquiry into the causes of the Grey Gorge railway bridge accident would be kid on the table in a couple ef days. Notice was given by Mr Whitaker of his intention to move for leave to bringuin a Bill to repeal the Attorney-General's Act.

THE AGENT GENERALSHIP. The debate on Mr Andrew's motion—"That the House doee not approve of Sir Julius jpogel being Agent-General "—occupied alfthe afternoon.

Mr Andrew argued they should not apSoint a man whose health was liable to break own, who was incapable of occupying a subordinate position, or of amicably cooperating with anyone. Sir Julius had qnarrelled with the late Agent-General, the Crown Agents, and the Banks, and ho had aet the wishes of the House at defiance, as in the instance of the San Francisco Service. The appointment would be a slur upon the Crown agents, who had served us long and well. It was not wise to encourage a class of professional politicians by giving a high reward to one who he admitted had noble qualities, great abilities, and who had done much for the Colony. While on personal gwinds he would like to see him Agenteneral, public duty compelled him to ask the House not to vote upon personal grounds. Mr Bowen said the Agent-General was wanted at Home jusi now in connection with financial arrangements, the inscription of stock, &c, and none was so suitable as one possessed of all knowledge relating to the Colony, and who had possessed the confidence of the House for some time. The Course proposed was in accordance with the precedent established by other Colonies. As to the argument that he was not capable of acting as a subordinate, he could only say that the Government had not found hirr» to be so while acting at Home for them. In fact, he not only carried out the instructions of the Government generally, but had done so in instances when "they must have been very distasteful to himself. As to the charges against the hon. gentleman's character, he did not feel called upon to defend him, because he felt that when the heat and toil of party strife passed away, the true character of Sir Julius Vogel would be borne testimony to. The Government wera strongly of opinion that it was essential to appoint Sir Julius Vogel Agent-General. There were variouß reasons for it, though there was no doubt that in another year the House would be called on to discuss the whole question. Mr Kolleston deprecated the question being made a Ministerial one. The acceptance of the Agent-Generalshrp by Sir Julius would be disadvantageous to the Oolony, nor was it desirable that a person in failing health should enter on what ware practically the duties of winding up the Agent-General-ship. The Agent-General's depa rtmeut was already far too costly, and Sir J; dins Vogel was not the man to bring about eoonomy. Mr Stout said if the Ministry could nob be trusted to make an appointor -nt of thiit kind they were not fit to be trusued at a'i, and a want-of-confidence vote should "he tabled. If Sir Julius Vogel was not fit to be Agent-General he was never fit to "he Premier so long. In order to settle t'he matter, he moved that tiio previous questv m be now put.

Mr Reynolds defeuded Sir Julius Vogjel. He denied the allegation by Mr Andrew that Sir Julius Vogel cculd not act as subordinate. He had known Sir J. Vogel about fifteen years, and if he Lad the appointmeut of Agent-General, be thought he could find no more suitable man than Sir Julius. As for his inability to work amicably with others, he could only say his experience was that Sir J. Vogel invariably displayed the utmost courtesy to those who acted with him. He considered him the most suitable roan to re-organise the Agent-Gener;iTs department. Mr Reid saw nothing unreasonable in the course adopted by the Government. It Lad been the custom of the House to assert that it was desirable that the Qoverument siiould take the House into its^confidence before making such important appointments. His own opinion was that the! Colony could not do an Agent-General,- and how people could think otherwise with the Colony m the middle of a great public works scheme, was a mystery to him. He did not believe the Colony would do without au AgentGeneral for many years. Although he had been one of the most consistent opponents of the late Premier throughout his career he would oppose the motion, and for the reason that he believed Sir J. Vogel was a very expensive man, and was largely answerable for the demoralised state of the House. It would be a benefit to the Colony if it was for a time relieved of the presence of the late Premier, who. he firmly believed, would make an excellent Agent-General. Mr Murray and Mi tfAsozr opposed the appointment.

Sir Donald M'Lean paid a high tribute to Sir Julius Vogel's general ability and personal chnracter, and said so conscientiously as one of his oldest colleagues. The Colonv would yet admit he was one of their greatest statesmen. Mr Readeb Wood denied that Sir Julius Vogel had a single statesmanlike quality, or ever did any good for the Colony. He gavetoes, nothing but taxation. He demoralised

the House and the Colony, and after leading them bit by bit into the swamp basely abandoned them. He accused him of being a man with whom, in transacting business, everything should be taken in writing ; and in support of the statement, referred at considerable length to the correspondence between Sir Julius Vogel, the Agent-General, and Crown Agents, Ac. He had also been accused in 1871, by Mr Stafford, of stating what was false. The statement was still in • Hansard.'

When the House resumed at 7.30 p.m. the discussion was continued and kept up with great vigor until a late hour. Much of the same ground that was travelled over in the early part of the sitting was again gone over, and a great deal of matter imported that was considered irrelevant to the question, the Speaker interposing several times to keep members to the subject. Mr Lusk. said Sir Julius was not the right man in the right place as Agent-General, and he was not the man to economise; in fact he possessed not a single requisite for office. He was so extravagant that it would be dangerous to appoint him. Mr Wakefield spoke at great length in general terms of condemnation, saying Sir Julius had never the interests of the Colony at heart, being utterly and entirely selfish, arifl only actuated by personal aggrandisement and ambition. He had all along meant to get the post of the Agency for himself, and deceived the House and Colony as to his intentions. It would have paid the Colony to have given him L 16.000 a year for the last five years to have kept in some remote part of the world. During his term of office he drew L 30.000, besides the cost of two trips to Europe, and received twice as much money for his services as many Ministers Since the passing of the Constitution Act hia patriotism was to live on New Zealand, not in it. He was overbearing and quarrelsome in deposition. The job was the most iniquitous ever perpetrated in the Colony. Mr Pearce defended the late Premier, denied the right of the House to interfere in a matter purely Executive, and maintained that the agency had not been unduly expensive when they considered the magnitude of the work to be carried out, he holding that the cost would have been five times as much if they had had no Agent-General but paid Commissioners as formerly was the practice. He adverted to the long career of usefulness to the Colony of the late Premier, of which evidences were visible all over the Colony, and dwelt on his high capacities and intimate knowledge of the Colony as eminently fitting him for the office.

Mr Rkes took much the same view as Mr Wakefield, and accused Sir Julius of corrupting the public service and demoralising the House. His character was a little too well known at Home for him to be of any assistance or credit to the Colony. Then he denied that Sir Julins possessed a single quality to fit him for so high an office. He was irritable and quarrelsome in temper, and had a treacherous memory that militated against his holding confidential intercourse with people in transactions connected with the business of the country, if any man more than another should remain in the Colony during the present crisis Sir Julius Vogel should.

Mr Rowe supported the appointment, There could not be a more suitable man.

Mr Montgomery weuld sooner see L 5.000 given to send the Premier Home than make him Agent-General. He disapproved of his leaving the Colony, as embarrassments were approaching. Sir Julius had undoubted ability, but his policy was to . borrow money and rule at all hazards. I Dr. Hodgkinson considered Sir Julius imprudent, extravagant, and insolent. Sir George Grey said the expense of the Agency was entirely unnecessary, and the cost was shameful. Sir Julius Vogel should not leave at this crisis. The Premier and Mr Whitaker defended •the proposed appointment. The latter, replying in detail to the more pertinent and specific charges, denied that Sir J. Vogel was to blame so much in the correspondence referred to. He (Mr Whitaker) knew and respected the late Dr. Featherston, but he would always have his own way. He did not carry out the instructions of the Government, but Sir J. Vogel did. The appointment would be only for twelve months, and Sir Julius's instructions would be to gradually curtail the expenses of the appointment. He had been assured by all his colleagues that Sir J. Vogel always strictly adhered to his instructions, and was neither arrogant nor did he act without consulting his colleagues. Both the Attorney-General and the Premier agreed in defending Sir Julius Vogel's action regarding the transactions with the loan agents, add said it was well for the Colony he acted as he did. The House should not have been informed of this appointment till after it was made; then, if the House disapproved of it, it would have been its duty to remove tho Ministry. A division was taken on Mr Stout's amendment, which was negatived by 41 to 24, which was equivalent to carrying the previous question. The effect of this decision is that it is competent for the Hcuae, at any subsequent period, to rel debate the question. The House adjourned at 1.20 a.m.