SIR J. VOGEL'S FAREWELL ADDRESS.

Evening Star, Issue 4229, 14 September 1876, Page 3

SIR J. VOGEL'S FAREWELL ADDRESS.

Th* following is published in the Wanganui papers : To the electors of the Wanganui district. Gentlemen, —In accounting to you that I have resigned my seat as one of your representatives, I desire to explain the reasons wbich have Ted to it. I have already assured you of ray gratification at finding, on my arrival in Australia from England, that you had in my ahsence done me the honor of electine me. On my return to Wellington I resumed, at the request of my colleagues, the Premiership, which I held previously. I did not disguise from my colleagues my opinion that the state of my health and the attention I owed to my private affairs would not allow me to coutinue at the head of the Government for a lengthened Eeriod during the present seasion. .Nothing as occurred to make me change that opinion: on the contrary, I have found that my health has suffered very much from the necessary labor. On the occurrence of a vacancy in the Agent-Generalship an impressiou obtained, not from any action of mine, that it was likely I would rtcjive tho appointment I may ex plain that it would not have been inconsistent with precedent that the Government should have continued in office and on its retirement have nominated me to the position. Such a course would not, however, have been agreeable to me, and when the qmestion came to be generally mooted wheth-er or not there was likely to be a change of Government at the end of the session, T felt that, irrespective of the Agent-Genenilshrp, it was impossible 1 could assure tie Houso that I would be able *o continue to hold office for any length I of tin:e. Under t.eae circumstances, it was strong] !y represented to the Govern ment that tl 10 Hoiis-. was entitled to he brought face to fac* with the Ministry which would hive the responsibility of administering t) 10 laws as well us of conducting tbeni through .Parliament. It was forcibly argued that : t t w .as not fair to the House or to the futiv/e Government that the business of the session should be conducted by an Executive f&rt might probably cease to hold

office as soon aa the session was ended. : These were the oireumstanees and the reasons that led me to tender to his Exeellenoy my resignation, leaving the future Government to take its own course as to the appoint- i ment of an Agent-General, I also being lett i free to take such course as I might consider I desirable. After consultation with many members of the party, IrecommendedhisExcellency to send for Major Atkinson as the gentleman most likely to be acceptable to the party as a whole as the future Premier. You are aware that Major Atkinson accepted the duty, and has formed a Government. That Government has since offered to me the Agent-Generalship, and has ex- i pressed the opinion that it is desirable I should lose no time in assuming the duties of the office. When I announced to the House the resignation of the Government, I did not deem that it would be necessary for me to resign my seat before the end of the session, but it has been cogently pointed out that to continue to sit in the Bouse with an implied appointment before me would be inconsistent with the spirit, if not the letter, of Parliamentary law, and so with great regrot, and until within the last few days unexpectedly, I find it necessary to resign my seat. A hope yen will believe that I can be of service to the Colony induces me to accept the appointment. Much has been said concerning my retirement during the session, but I am unable to see how I could have adopted any other course. You must not suppose that the contingent appointment as AgentGeneral solely led to the result. I could not, under any circumstances, see my way to continue in office, and with a prospect of a change in the Ministry it seemed tc me that the House had a right to demand that the change should be made at as early a date as possible. Before arriving at the conclusion to resign, I anxiously considered whether my so doing would be inconsistent with the, interests of the Colony, and of,the party' with which I was identified. The conclusion id which I came was that it was not undesirable I should leave to others the completion of the work of the session. Apart from my conviction that in my present state of health that work was too onerous for me, I have been made to feel throughout the session that a few members were personally so strongly opposed to me as to make it difficult to carry on the business of the House with that decorum which haß hitherto characterised the proceedings of the New Zealand Legislature. Members of a Government who have been very long in office have necessarily to contend with a great deal of opposition -partly personal in its character, partly cumulative and resulting from past political conflict. Ido not complain, but it is due to myself to say that very feeling has been that'the services I have rendered or endeavored to render to New Zealand gave me the right to consider that I was not called upon day by day to reply to personal attacks. During the years I have been in office, great changes in the Colony have taken place, largely in consequence of the policy of Immigration and Public Works, with which my name has been identified. That policy the country has heartily adopted, and the benefit of it has been almost unanimously admitted. I cannot allow that the fact of my having introduced that policy makes it necessary that I should continue in office when the state of my healtn has rendered it undesirable that I Bhould do so. Nor can I suppose that that policy which has become the policy of the country cannot be satisfactorily worked out by others. A very large question apart from that of Immigration and t'ublic Works has from the force of circumstances obtruded itself upon the attention of the country, indeed the Abolition question for the time being occupied most attention. With that question I am so far identifisd that I first proposed it, when I became convinced that it was a necessity from which the country could not escape with advantage to itself, and I had been no less zealous than others in endeavoring to give it effect. But I am not more closely identified with the policy of Abolition than are many other prominent public men, and whilst I felt it my duty, as long as I was able, to support and to promote it, I see no reason to doubt that it will be effectively completed without further assistance from me. I say this much not in defence but in explanation, for I feel that there are in New Zealand thousands upon thousands of persons who would be glad to constitute themselves my defenders, so as not to leave me a task, the performance of which would savor of egotism. I confidently appeal to the people of JNew Zealand for their verdict whether I have not done my utmost to be of service to the country. To yourselves, gentlemen, I owe a debt of gratitude, inasmuch as during my absence and without personal acquaintance you did me the honor of choosing me as one of your representatives. I very greatly regret that I am not able to hold the position for a longer time, but it may be that in future years I shall be able again to take part in I the public affairs of the Colony, and should that be so, I know of no constituency to j whose approbation I should with greater pleasure submit myself. I cannot conclude without expressing my conviction that there is not a country possessing greater elements of prosperity than New Zealand. Its climate is not only agreeable, but most serviceable for industrial purposes ; its resources are enormous, and its people are willing to take, and are capable of taking, advantage of the natural features in their favor. It is regarded by the outside world as a country possessing eminent attractions. Without expense to the Government, a very considerable immigration is going on, and a very large amount.of capital voluntarily finds its way here. There may be periods of depression ; I have yet to learn that there is any country so favored as to escape them. But that New Zealand must steadily progress seems to me beyond doubt, and the impetus it has received, by whieh it has been enabled to do in seven years that which, without the colonising efforts that have been put forth, would require many years to effect, has placed it in a position to shew alike how capable it is of progression and to invite from its people equal efforts in the future. Through you, gentlemen, I can Bpeak to the Colony at large, and I venture to express the hope that active efforts in colonisation will never be allowed to cease until New Zealand ha 9 been made, as it is evidently destined to beeome, the home of Borne millions of people. ______________