SIR JULIUS VOGEL ON NEW ZEALAND.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1297, 16 May 1878, Page 3

SIR JULIUS VOGEL ON NEW ZEALAND.

The London “ Times,” of March 25th, says : Sir Julius Vogel, K.0.M.Q., late Premier and now Agent-General for New Zealand, read a paper at last night’s meeting of the Royal Colonial Institute, the Duke of Manchester, K.P., president, in the chair, on “Now Zealand and the South Sea Islands and their relation to the Empire.” In extenso it would fill ten columns of the “Times. What Sir Julius had in view was to give facts about New Zealand and + he great Pacific archipelago, the islands of which gravitate politically towards it, and subsequently to consider these facts in relation to what he deemed the all-important question of a federated empire. As practical men, lie was sure his audience would agree with him that the question must be considered, not from the point of view of sentiment and vague generalities, but from that of solid and substantial facts. He remarked that whenever it shall come to be discussed with the idea of deciding some immediate proposition for realizing consolidation and putting it in force, it will have to bear the brunt of the most searching investigation in relation to its effects on every part of the vast dominions which it concerns. As an ardent advocate of federation, he thought he should do some service to the cause by discussing the condition of that par), of the empire with which he was best acquainted, and by pointing out how the various facts bore more or less on the great question itself. He thought that if those connected with our Empire’s central seat would do likewise, a step would ;e gained towards focussing the various lOerests to be served, which would greatly al d the final determination of the exact detfflg of the plan to be advocated. When the Ciy arrived for propounding the scheme with i. view to its immediate adoption, the realms ,f theory and feeling, in which at present the inestion too much dwelt, would have to be abmAoned for a matter-of-fact and precise fooing. Accordingly, Sir Julius proceeded o dwell upon tbie facts and figures relative :o New Zealand. He began with routes o the three islands, taking thencepoint out loch —«aa*bottrd and th altogether exceptional isolation of the colony from other civilised countries. Each island was then described separately in an imagiiary tour round them all; the soil and its poducts, the Maori and European populations, agriculture, commerce, gold-fields, railW( yg, religious distinctions, political institutions. The very various and valuable iiformation imparted was summarised in daborate statistical tables showing the amazing progress of the colony from 1853 to 1876 inclusive. To these were added some of the latest figures—viz., those for the first threequarters c-f 1877, as follows :

Particular attention was paid to the mineral wealth of the colony, its timber, and its pastoral industry. In the fifteen years ending 1876 it had exported no less than 27,719,000 pounds worth of wool, that of the first year, 1862, being £674,000, while the last was £3,395,000. It was shown that the history of New Zealand was one continued record of an increase in the value of and demand for land, and the astonishing productiveness of much of it wap proved by copious extracts from Sir Julius’ cor and from comparative tables prepared by Government statists. The facts and figures concerning New Zealand, which took up nine-tenths of the paper, were followed by a sketch of the South Sea Islands, of which New Zealand was destined to be the central guiding figure. Sir Julius said it was a wise step of the British Government to take possession of Fiji, and added that it would be wiser still to t ake possession of the Samoan and New Hebrides groups The lesson taught; us by New Zealand, he said, is that there is practically unlimited occupation tor capital, so much of which had been squandered abroad either unprofitabiy or injuriously to this country, in British territory. He urged on the Institute that the question of federation should be taken from the region of speculative politics and introduced to the House of Commons. If the Empire broke up, the fault would ha due to those who neglected to weld it together. The reading of the paper was followed by a lively discussion, led off by Sir James Ferguson, late Governor of New Zealand, who expr*obq 1 his general concurrence ip Sir JuU.u? views.

Exports. Quantity. Value. Gold, ounces 282,312 £1,136,298 Silver, ounces 33,383 7 556 Wool, lb 44,714 245 2,577,962 Phormiam, tons 782f 14,61 * Kauri gum, tons 2,716£ 91,860 Wheat, provisions,tallow, timber, &c. ... 769,902 Total exports £ 1.598 207 Total imports ••• ••• £5,312,P- 8 "Revenue— £ s d. Ordinary ... 1,639,896 13 I Territorial 1 213,592 4 9 Total ... .£5,853,488 17 10 Population— European and Chinese (estimated) at Sept. 30th, 1877 ... 411,160 Maori (estimated at about) ... 46,000