The Globe. THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1876.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 591, 11 May 1876, Page 2

The Globe. THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1876.

Sie Julius Vogel’s reply to Mr Macandrew’s last letter which appeared in Tuesday’s issue of this journal, is to be considered as one of the most masterly of the many explanations which the Premier has given as regards the future intentions of the Ministry. To say that this letter comprises the whole of the future programme of the Government would probably be going too far ; hut in relation to the portion of the letter which refers to the Province of Otago, nothing could be nearer the truth. Sir Julius says—“ No province has, in my opinion contributed more to make abolition necessary than has Otago, for it has refused to accept any limit to its desire to expend money.” Then follows references to the attempt to make land sales “ of a most objectionable nature ” and the confirmation of our opinion which we placed before the public a few days since, that the General Government would have taken measures to prevent such sales, had not the members of the Waste Lands Board of the Province have so done. The Premier goes on to condemn the course that Otago has adopted with respect to the construction of so many branch lines of railway, and he speaks in no measured terms as to the want of engineering skill displayed in those works, and in alluding to Mr Macandrew’s idea of making that Province an independent colony, he states it to be “ impossible of realisation.” After a somewhat exhaustive capitulation of the causes which has placed Otago in the unenviable position of being of all theprovinces theone which stands most in need of abolition, the Premier volunteers particulars concerning the proposed Bill for regulating the elections for Local Bodies, a General Valuation Bill, an Education Bill, a Bill for the providing for the disposal of the land revenue, &c., and to each of these proposals Sir Julius Vogel adds succinct remarks, hut yet sufficiently explanatory to afford an unerring index as to the measures already devised and the means which have been adopted to glean the information necessary, upon which to found the details thereof, without which it would not be consistent to bring them before the House. We do not think hut that every one interested in the welfare of New Zealand wiiL peruse this document, without feeling convinced in his own mind, that the Ministry has devoted great thought upon and has gone thoroughly into the details of the work that it has undertaken to accomplish, no greater confirmation of this is to be desired, than that of the politic course adopted in the mission given to the Commissioners to visit the whole of the provinces and report to the Executive upon the varied systems of Government in the several districts, with reference to their expenditure, sources of revenue, &c. The Premier’s proposals are now approaching a form sufficiently complete to enable the public to comprehend the precise nature of the change which will so shortly be effected in the working of the affairs of the colony, and from the statesmanlike manner and consistency with which

Sir Julius Vogel has brought forward and steadily progressed, with the expansion of each projected departure from the existing administration of the noiv Provisional G-overnments, we are, we feel, thoroughly imbued with the conviction that the forthcoming measures will be found to be of immediate benefit, and of great lasting advantage to the colony at large.