HON. MR VOGEL'S MISSION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 32, 2 September 1871, Page 16

HON. MR VOGEL'S MISSION.

(Independent, August 31.) Fifty pages of printed matter were yesterday presented to the Houses of,Assembly as " papers relative to Mr Vogel's mission to England." Eight of these pages are occupied by a synopsis of the "results of Mr Vogel's"negotiations whjen in America and England, in connection with ten different subjects—the Californian mail contract, the loans, the defence of the colony, railways, emigration, flax, road engines, the reciprocity bill, the investment of trust funds, and submarine telegraphs. This synopsis is addressed by Mr Vogel to the Hon. the Premier, and appended to it are numerous memoranda, copies of correspondence, and articles of agreement between the Government and Messrs Brogden, the railway contractors. However desirable it may be to publish in full, for general information, Mr Vogel's report upon the various matters in which he has been engaged since he left New Zealand, it is impossible, in the limited space of these columns, to publish more than a mere index to its contents. This, however, we shall supplement at some other time by printing its several paragraphs in extenso, as we do, in two instances, in the present number. The Californian mail contract is the first subject referred to, and under that heading there is allusion made to the terms of the contract itself, to postal negotiations in London, to the reduction of American import duties, to the coal supplies of the colony, and to the Navigator group of islands as a port of call. With regard to the contract, and the service to the country which its execution implies, Mr Vogel recognises the great disadvantages under which, at the outset, both must be carried out, and the possible propriety of some temporary consideration being shown to the contractors, but he claims for the contract the credit of as nearly as possible representing the wishes of the Assembly, and as calculated to secure for the colony inestimably valuable results. He narrates the circumstances of Mr Webb applying for a modification of the contract, of his necessarily insisting upon its execution in its integrity, of Mr Webb's undertaking to have the steamer Dacotah made ready for the service, and of that gentleman's intention to visit the colony next month—not insensible, at the time of that intention, of the magnitude of i the contract he had undertaken, and determined thoroughly to do justice to it. As the- result of his " protracted negotiations" with the Imperial Post-master-General, Mr Vogel states that there is reason to hope that this service will be adopted by the Home Government as a fortnightly alternative route to that via Suez, and, as the result of the popular feeling in favor of a penuy postage between England and America, he contemplates the contingency of the rate to New Zealand being reduced to the same extent, or to one-half the present amount. The steps which he took in reference to such a reduction of rates are recorded in memoranda and correspondence attached to the report, but, more interesting than even this matter of a reduction of postal rates, is Mr Vogel's belief that his exertions in the United States with the view of obtaining a remission of the duty on New Zealand and Australian wools, and on New Zealand flax, are likely to meet with "very great success"—success even to the extent of Congress, in a few months,

sanctioning a large reduction in the rates of import duty on these colonial staples. As an interesting and suggestive fact in connection with the San Francisco service, Mr Vogel states that the vessels employed in the service will consume 30,000 tons of coal in a year, and ns ameansof supplying that demand, as well as the demand for freight contingent upon the increased number o f vessels coming to the colony with immigrants and railway plant, he refers to the coal-fields of the colony as an estate deserving of most particular attention. For similar economical reasons, he draws the attention of the Government to the Navigator's Group, where, according to the contract, the mail steamers are privileged to call—a privilege of which the contractors, he is informed, intend to avail themselves.

The subject of loans is only briefly referred to in the report, but occupies a number of pages in the appendices. The settlement of the_ details, we are told, proved a long arid tedious affair, but Mr Vogel does not hesitate to remark that the colony has every reason to be gratified with the results. In connection with the subject of the defences of the colony, and in obedience to the instructions of the Government, Mr Vogel placed himself in communication with the Colonial Office, and apparently received the assurance that the Australian squadron would be strengthened, with special reference to the protection of the coasts of New Zealand. He acknowledges also the assistance of Colonel Jervis, C. 8., who, besides affording important information, devised " plans by which the ports of Auckland,. Wellington, Nelson, Lyttelton, and Otago, can be placed in a position to resist the attacks of privateers and vessels not being ironclads, at a cost of £44,000, exclusive of expenses for freight and certain enclosures of land."

The subject of railway construction seems to have occupied a considerable portion of Mr Vogel's time in London, as it also occupies considerable space in these papers, containing as they do the text of the agreements entered into with the Messrs Brogden. Mr Vogel believes that he may confidently assert that, on behalf of the Government, he had concluded an arrangement highly favorable to the colony. It is favorable, he says, as compared with railway enterprises that are being floated in the London market, aud he feels sure that, with proper precautions, it will lead to the construction of railways upon advantageous terms. According to the arrangement, the Government has the power to secure the construction of railways under the provisions of either or both of two agreements, or the holding of a position which enables it to ask Messrs Brogden to substitute for the agreements specific arrangements for the construction of particular railways Upon the terms of this contract, as compared with the anticipations of last session, and upon the subject of land grants in payment of railways, Mr Vogel has some remarks which, with the other portions of his report, we shall quote at a more convenient season.

The introduction of immigrants to the number of J 0,000 is one of the conditions of the agreements with Messrs Brogden, but all that Mr Vogel did personally and immediately, as regards the shipment of emigrants, was to fulfil the arrangements he was empowered to make on behalf of the Canterbury Government. He left for the consideration of Dr. Featherston applications from several hundred Germans, and agreed with Colonel Fielding that that gentleman should, if the Government wished it, visit the colony with the view of arranging special settlements. Questions relating to flax and other industries, though they were not ignored, could not possibly receive much personal attention from Mr Vogel, but he acknowledges the interest taken in such matters by his secretary, Mr E. Fox, and calls attention to his- " carefully prepared and very valuable reports " upon the cultivation and preparation of vegetable fibres. Mr Vogel, as the result of inquiries he had instituted, recommends delay in the adoption of the grand project of submarine telegraph communication with Australia, or of the minor project of introducing road steamers to the colony. In the one case, private capital

was not likely to be readily forthcoming ; in the other engineering skill had no*t 'yet made the invention altogether a SUCCeSS. re Interviews with the Secretary of State for the Colonies on the subject of the Reciprocity' Bill passed by the Assem< bly last session, and the whole question of the policy of such measures, are referred to in some of the concluding paragraphs of Mr Vogel's account of his mission. In the reading of these paragraphs, as well as of all' the other portions of the report, we feel that our readers will find matter sufficiently interesting to justify us in publishing them, as we promised, at another time.