Sir Julius Vogel's Address.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 185, 17 July 1884, Page 2

Sir Julius Vogel's Address.

[Per Press Association.] Christchurch, July 17. Sir Julius Vogel has addressed the electors of Christchurch North through the newspapers. He claims credit foi having reinspired confidence, and refers to 1880, when the Government prevented thousands of valuable farmers, with capital and knowledge, coming out from Home. He deprecates attacks on the ground of extravagance, which are cruel in the extreme, and from none more cruel than from Major Atkinson, At Ashburton ho had admitted the responsibility for £13,000,000 because he did not wish to appear to shirk the responsibility; but he ought to have deducted nearly £1,000,000 of Imperial guaranteed bonds negotiated, and £1,000,000 authorised in 1876. He continues :

“ But, as between me and Major Atkinson, I might have gone much further. Major Atkinson joined me in 1874, and he had charge of the finances during the fifteen months I was away. Major Atkinson was a party to the £4,000.000 loan of 1874, and to the £1,000,000 loan in 1876 ; and, deducting these, my responsibility, apart from Major Atkinson, is £8,000,000 only, A number of men new to public life, who have no knowledge of me, excepting that when I was out of the way it became convenient to make ni\ a type of extravagance—to contrast with the asserted economy of others—have thus conconceived a false idea concerning me. There is just as little truth in his economy as in my extravagance. Major Atkinson, by muddling his accounts into a number of divisions, and having recourse to a variety of temporary expedients, deceives himself, and deceives others of what lie is doing. He will leave the treasury with an immense amount of debt to be either borrowed permanently or kept afloat by temporary expedients.” Sir Julius Vogel then goes on to twit Major Atkinson for appearing to think that when a railway is made its advantages have ceased, unless to use it as a taxing machine. He declares that if a change of Government should take place on the House meeting, he does not desire office, but will not shrink from the responsibility. He would be quite content to stand aside and support men whose policy he approved. "With regard to the West Coast (Middle Island) Railway, he thinks so highly of it that he would be prepared to support its immediate construction by the colony, failing arrangements for private enterprise with Government ; and concludes by acknowledging the consideration shown him, and stating that nothing but physical inability kept him from visiting Christchurch.