THE VOGEL BANQUET.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2715, 21 December 1882, Page 3

THE VOGEL BANQUET.

Tebess association telegram.] DUNEDIN, December 20. The banquet to Sir J. Vogel was held in the Garrison Hall to-night, 270 gentlemen being present. The Mayor of Dunedm, Mr J. B. Thomson, presided, supported on his right by the guest of the evening and by the Hons. W. J. ML Lamach and Capt. Eraser, and on his left by Messrs Macandrew, M.H.R., Wilson (Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce), and Bracken, M.HB. Amongst those present were the Hons. W. H. Reynolds and McLean, Messrs Fish and Green, M.H.R/s. Apologies were received from Messrs Justice Williams (absent in Invercargill) and Bathgate, M.H.R. r ,, . , Mr Macandrew, M.H.R., who proposed the toast of the evening, was received with prolonged cheering, and said that when the Eeeeption Committee did him the honor of asking him to propose the toast of the evening, it was understood that this was to be in no sense a party gathering, notwithstanding the fact that their distinguished guest occupied a prominent position in the very front rank of their colonial politicians. There wore met now Centralists and antiCentralists, Conservatives and Keformers, Radicals, and men of various opinions, ready to bury the hatchet for the time being, for the purpose of paying a tribute of respect to Sir Julius Vogel. [Cheers.] They all knew that Sir Julius was a man who was never found in the rear, but always in the van of politics. Without such men the world would have stood still, or would have moved very slowly. The object of his present visit to the Australian colonies was in connection with a power which was destined to change the whole nature of things at no distant date. Although politics were not to be introduced, Sir Julius' public career m New Zealand had been such that all present would unite in wishing him a most cordial and hearty welcome to the commercial metropolis of the colony. [Cheers.] The object of the demonstration was that the public might show their deep sense and high appreciation of the many valuable services rendered by their guest to New Zealand, and to express their admiration of his great talents and ability as a statesman. He might be said to have matriculated in Otago, and therefore Otago was entitled to regard him as one _of her sons, and should rejoice at any distinction he may have acquired since he had gone away from here some thirteen years ago. [Applause.] Allusion was then made to Sir Julius' career as a Minister of the Crown, both provincial and colonial, especial reference being made to his services in connection with the founding of the Otago Bnevolent Institution, the Land Transfer Act, Government Life Insurance, and the Public Works policy. With reference to the latter measure, Mr Macandrew said that, great and undoubtedly important as the results had _ been, they would have been greater still and far more satisfactory had the policy been carried out strictly on the lines of its original inception. [Hear.] Then, since Sir Julius had gone Home as AgentGeneral, this colony had had the sale of its stock undertaken by the Bank of England. Mr Larnach assisted in this work, which I had raised the colony in the estimation of the commercial world to a very great extent. For these reasons he asked them to drink the health of Sir Julius Vogel, and in doing so would add, " May we live long enough to see the whole of New Zealand illuminated by the electric light, and see the voyage between New Zealand and England very much shortened by immense floating palaces propelled by electric power." Gentlemen, depend upon it, although we now only see through the glass darkly, yet both the one and the other are fast coming within the reach of practical science. I beg to call upon you to drink the health of Sir Julius Vogel with three times three, and all honours. [Loud applause.] Sir J. Vogel, who was received with tumultuous cheering, said he felt that he had not words to do justice to his feelings on this occasion. He had never felt a compliment so greatly as he now did, when coming here so long after his arrival in Australia and so unexpectedly, and having so short a time to remain, he had been received by such a splendid gathering, and he_ was ( sure that all would sympathise with him if he was unable to do justice to his own feelings. If anything tended to his gratification it was the fact that his health had been proposed by one with whom he had been so long allied politically. Mr Macandrew had said that Otago might look upon him as having been educated in its school of politics, but he mighthave also addedthat a great deal of that education was obtained during the time he was one of his (Mr Macandrew's) responsible advisers. Any distinctions he had been able to gain were owing to the political education he first gathered in this province and in this city. [Hear, hear.] He was informed at an early date, and Mr Macandrew had reminded him, that this was not a political or a party gathering. It was unnecessary to remind him of that, because he could not but think that after his long absence were he to come back and presume to advise those who were so much better acquainted with the existing position of politics than he was, he should be guilty of great presumption. He could assure them that there was no danger of his considering this meeting to be of a political nature, at the same time it showed that the services of their public men would receive consideration. Since he had left New Zealand he had sometimes thought that he had shown much less forbearance to his opponents than his opponents had shown at various times to him. In referring to the Public Works' policy, Sir Julius said that the system of railway communication was forced on by the expression of public opinion. Although he was allowed to bring forward the proposals of the then Government, it must not be supposed that he was in any sense or form the founder of railways or of the railway policy. In various parts of the colony there had previously been an attempt to establish railway communication. In proof of this he would point at least to four provinces. Take Auckland first. A line was formed there, and grass was absolutely allowed to grow over the rails before the line was completed. Then in Canterbury a lino to the port had been formed, and in connection with the tunnel there would be connected, inseparable from Canterbury, with undying fame the name of an old friend, whose loss he very much regretted, William Sefton Moorhouse. Passing over for a moment this provincial district, and going to Southland, they knew that railways were constructed there, railways which were looked upon at the time as being formed with a most reckless disregard for financial considerations. Writing for the press at the time, he ridiculed the idea of railways being formed in the southern part of this island. Then, as regarded this province, Mr Macandrew's Government had offered the greatest facilities to any capitalist for forming a line by Tokomairiro, and subsequently the line to Port Chalmers was constructed. Though the various lines then formed wore made at great cost, the movement in the direction of railway construction had caused several lines to he made on terms which would be considered favorable at this day. With regard to the first railway proposals made, it was true they were widely changed in character. The two principal changes were, first, there was not a landed estate put on one side, the proceeds of which, as the line came down, would have to a very great extent covered the cost of the line. Seeing the large increase in the value of the land affected by the railway policy, he was inclined to think that if this proposal had been carried out they would scarcely by this time have had any public debt. Another matter of principle from which there had been a departure was with regard to having a trunk line through each island. Parliament, in its wisdom, thought the better course would be to decide the lines to be constructed, and as a consequence the trunk line system was not adhered to, and he was not able to say whether the departure on that point had been for the benefit or not of the colony.

At the same time, he expressed the opinion that there ought to be a trunk line through each island, and he was delighted to observe, as he had observed since he had been in the colony, that there was a determination to construct a line between Wellington and Auckland and between the East and West Coasts of this island. Referring to the immigration policy, Sir Julius said that in speaking at a banquet in Melbourne the other night, ho said that ho believed that New Zealand, as a whole, had made very fair progress during the time of its colonisation, but he did not consider that the Australasian Colonies, as a whole, were so far forward or developed, or were so prosperous as they ought to be, and he attributed the cause to the fact that they had not maintained immigration. He had been told that the working classes objected to immigration, but speaking from old recollections he had found the working men in this colony were sufficiently intelligent, and if the question was properly placed before them and it was explained that while immigration would bring nidro competition into the labor market, it would also bring at the same time a larger demand for labor with* it, their opposition would cease. [Hear.] Mr Macandrew had been kind enough to speak W }™J regard to some other measures with

which he had been connected. As regarded the Land Transfer Act, any credit respecting it attached to Sir Wm. Fox. The success of the Life Insurance scheme was a remarkable testimony to the fact that an institution of the kind might be carried on by a Government. Although he was aware that there were those who believed it was impossible for a Government to do anything, the scheme had proved successful in the past and would, he believed, be a great success in the future. As regarded the inscription of stock, its value only seemed to have been recognised within the last three months, when New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria had given in their adhesion to the Act. This Act had been the means of allowing New Zealand to float the largest colonial loan (.£5,000,000) ever floated, and at a time when, otherwise, there would have been great difficulty in getting it off. As regarded the Agent-Generalship, he had acted with a des're, during the time he had , the office, to do the best for the colony, and had continued to do so after he had ceased to act as such. [Hear.] In conclusion Sir Julius said that he could not but congratulate the inhabitants of Dunedin on their enterprise and energy, as exhibited by the improved appearance of the place since he was last here. He wished to trouble those present on a personal matter, and to say that it was a serious disappointment to him that severe illness had prevented him visiting New Zealand earlier. He intended to have landed here months _ ago, and to have remained for some time, and he regretted that in view of engagements which he could not disassociate himself from, his stay would now be rendered brief. To be able at some future date to re-visit the colony would be source of great rejoicing to him, because he carried away the conviction that whether he was present or whether he was absent he would remain in the kindly recollections of the colonists. [Applause.] He asked them to believe that while he retained strength he would always use his humble efforts for the service of those with whom so much of his career had been identified. [Prolonged applause.] A number of other toasts were honored.