SIR JULIUS VOGEL'S RESIGNATION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 227, 15 September 1876, Page 4

SIR JULIUS VOGEL'S RESIGNATION.

t ;Tbe. following is Sir Julius Vogel's retiring address to hia Wanganui stituents:—'Gentlemen. — In announcing to you tbat I have resigned my seat as one of your representatives, T desire to explain the reasons which have led to it. T,I have already assured you of my gratification at finding, on my arrival id Australia from England, that you Had' 5 in my absence done me the honor of ..electing me. On my return to Wellington I resumed, at the request of ray colleagues, tjae Premiership which I had previously l|eld. , : I did not disguise from my colleagues my opinion that the state of my health, aud the attention I owed to my private affairs, would not allow me tp'cohtinne at tho head of the Government for a lengthened period, During the present session nothing has occurred to induce me to cbauge that opinion. On the contrary, I have found that my health has suffered very much from th. necessary labor. i; On the occurrence of a vacancy in the Agent-Generalship, au impression o&'tainud, not trom any uction of mine, -ha.'i. was likely I would receive tho Appointment. I may explain that it would not have b.uu inconsistent with precedent lhat ilia Gov.ruaunt slioulj have cO'*t'm___ in ollic.-!, aul on iis ietirement huvti nominated mo to the

position. Such a course would not, however, have been agreeable to me; and when the question came to be generally mooted whether or not there was likely to he a change in the Go-, vernment at the end of the sessioo, V felt that, — irrespective of the AgentGeneralship — it was impossible I could' assure the , Honse that I would be abie : to continue to hold office for any lengthof time. Under these circumstances it waa : strongly represented to the Government that the House was entitled to be brought face to face with the Ministry, which would have the responsibility of administering the laws, as well as of conducting them through Parliament. It was forcibly urged that it was not fair to the House, or to the future Government, that the business of the session should be conducted by an : Executive that might probably cease to hold office as aoou as the session was ended. : -'These were the circumstances and thiß reasons which led me to tender to hi. Excellency the Governor my resignation, leaving the future Government to take its own course as to the appointment of an Agent-General; I, also, being left free to take such course as I might consider desirable. After consultation with otber members of the party, I recommended his Excellenoy to send for Major Atkinson, as the gentleman most likely to be acceptable to the party as a whole aa the future Premier. You are aware that Major Atkinson accepted the duty, and has formed the Government. That Government bas since offered to me the Agent-Generalship, and bas expressed the opinion that it is desirable I should lose no time iv 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 oogently pointed out that to continue to sit in the House with an implied appointment before me would be inconsistent with the spirit, if not the letter of Parliamentary iawj and so with great regret, and, until within the last few days, unexpectedly, I find it -necessary to resign my seat. I ljo£e you will believe that only the conviction 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 ara unable to see how I could have adopted any other course. You must not suppose tbat the contingent appointment as Agent-General solely led to the result. I could not, under any circumstances, see my way to continue in office; and, with n prospact in the change of Ministry, it seemed to me that the House had a right to demand that the change would be made at as early a date as possible. Before arriving at the conclusion to resign, I anxiously considered whether my; so doiug would be inconsistent with thb interests of the colony, and of the party with which I was identified. The conclusion to which I came was that it was not undesirable I should leave the others the completion of the work of the se.sioo. Apart from my conviction that, in my present state of health, tbat work was too enormous for me, I haye 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 tbat decorum which has hitherto characterised the proceedings of the New Zealand Legislature. Members of the 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. I do not complain; but it is due to myself to say that my feeling has been that the services I bave rendered, or endeavored to render, to New Zealand, giivi. rhe the right to consider thai; I waa not called upon day by day to reply to personal attacks. During* tbe years I have been in office, great changes in the colony have 1 tuken 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 lhat policy makes it neceesary that I should continue in office when the state of my health has rendered it undesirable I f hould do so. Nor can I suppose 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 Public Works, has v from the force of circumstances obtrhded itself upon the attention of the country, indeed, the abolition question/ for the time being, occupies most a'tyntion. With that question lam so fir identified that I first proposed it, when I became convinced that it was a necessity from which tbe country could uot esoape with advantage to itsell; and I have been no less zealous t.un others in endeavoring to give it effect. But lam not more closely identified with it than are many other prominent public meo; and whilst I ielt il,n>ydutyj as Jong as I w_s able, to support, aud promote Ait, I see no reason to doubt tbat it will be effectively competed without further assistance from me. I say this much, not in defence but iv explanation, lor I feel that there are in Now Zealand. thousands upon thous.md_!rit pei-Bons' wh. would be glad to constitute themselves my defenders, bo

as not to leave me a task the performance of which would savor of egotism.* I confidently appeal to tha people of I^ew Z.aland for their verdict whether' I have not done my utmost to ba of j ; of service to the country. | i To yourselves, gentlemen, I owe a i debt of gratitude, inasmuch ac during! my absence, and without personal acquaintance, you did me the honor -of! j choosing me aa one of your repreaen-; tatives. I very greatly regret that I ! | am not able to bold the position for ft' longer time; but it may ba thar, in future years, I shall be able again to ! take part in the public affairs of the colony; and should that be so, I know of no constituency to whose approbation I ehould with greater pleasure 1 submit myself. I cannot conclude without expresetug my conviction tbat there is not a country possessing greater element* 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 capable of taking advantage of the natural features in their favor. It is regardied by the outside world as a country possessing eminent attractions. Without expense to the Government, a very considerable immigration ia goitig oni and a Very large amount of capital voluntarily finds its way bere. 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 haß received— by which it bas been enabled to do ia seven -years that which, without the 1 -oloblsing efforts tbat have been put forth, would have required many more years to effect— haa placed it in a position to show, alike bow capable it is of progression, and to invite from its people equal efforts in the future. Through you, gentlemen, I can speak to the colony at large; and I venture fo ex« press the hope that active efforts in colonisation wili never ba allowed to cease until New Zealand has been made, as it is evidently destined to become, the home of some millions of people. I have, &c, Julius Yogel,