SIR JULIUS VOGEL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 179, 26 June 1884, Page 2

SIR JULIUS YOGEL.

Sir Julius Vogel's offers of service to the colony at the present juncture (writes a Wellington paper) have been pretty freely discussed by the Mew Zealand Press. He has not met with the reception he anticipated. His admirers are enthusiastic, but are m a minority, and there is a general feeling of disgust at the arrogant tone of his addresses. It is evident that Sir Julius Yogel is more anxious to take part m the affairs of the colony, than the colony is to place confidence m him. Should any bne-of. his numerous efforts to get into Parliament succeed, he will find it a yet more difficult task to draw around him a band of followers strong enough to give him the lead. He is distrusted, and, to the best of our judgment, not without reason.' We notice that his reappearance m New Zealand has attracted some attention m the Australian Press, arid that his claims have not been recognised to an extent likely to prove satisfactory to him. The following extract from the "Melbourne tender " will be read with^considerable interest. The writer of the article lias fallen into one or two errors, and has, perhaps, said no more about Sir Julius Vogel's claim for brokerage than was necessary ; but the picture he has drawn is on the whole true, and should be carefully studied by New Zealand colonists. This is how the Melbourne journalist discourses :— " At a crisis which threatens national bankruptcy or repudiation on the i parjt of New Zealand, a deus ex rnakhina has appeared on the scene m the person of Sir Julius Vo j 6el. This politician m 1870 inaugurated the policy which has brought about the complications that have arisen m the colony. He commenced borrowing on a colossal scale, and with the money obtained from the j London market he arranged with Messrs Brogden, railway contractors, for the construction of lines m all parts of the country and the m- • troduction of immigrants by the thouasnd. While the money lasted affairs were prosperous, and it would seem as though New Zealamd were destined to eclipse all the Australian colonies. But when the Treasury became depleted and further loans were with difficulty obtainable, Sir Julius had himself appointed Agent-General, and the colony was left to its fate. He returns, however, m the nick of time ; Major Atkinson, the Premier, has been shaking public confidence by the enunciation of some ill-digested theories ; Sir George Grey has been . setting al politicall parties by' the ears; and. there seemed for a time no one to whom the colonists couid turn m the hour of need to ?take charge of the State ship. Suddenly Sir Julius arrives m Dunedin. His immediate object is to prefer a claim of £6%50 as brokerage for his services m raising the last i? 1,000,000 loan, and as there J has been some demur to the payment, he issues an address to a West Coast constituency seeking; election to the House of Represen- ; tatives. In this document he ex-J presses himself as quite alive to the existing depression, and prescribes by way of nostrums (1), that the people should have confidence m the country ; (2) that steps be taken to finish, the, various lines of railway ; ( (3J that the land tax he abolished. ! All this means, m so many words, ' Renew your old faith m me; let me assist you to raise a few more millions sterling with which to con- i siruct more public works, and further inundate the -colony with immigrants, all of which can with ease be accomplished by throwing a sop to English investors m land by removing the obnoxious land tax.' This is neither more or less, than the panacea of a charlatan. The move is designed ; to terrorise the GovernI mentinto payment of the little bill which Sir Julius holds, and having bamboozled the Legislature lie will : shoulder his traps, and take his departure once more for the larger, more congenial and profitable sphere which London presents to the political adventurer."