PILLARS OF THE EMPIRE.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 72, 15 February 1879, Page 3

PILLARS OF THE EMPIRE.

SIR JUlja VOOBL, K.CiM.O, For more tlinn bite reason, the AgentGeneral for New Zealand is to be nsgiirdud n« ft pre-eminently reprewntativfc man. His ciueor Las been typical in its Industry, iu energy, its moral and Intelleetual qualities, its indefatigable perserveranoc, and its dhtiriguhhed sueeoss, of tliu cartel's associated in ft special defrrtje with tlic national character. Wo oxjioct t.lic Engllinman who seeks his fortune in r far country to do well and prosper. Wo expect tlint he should persistently refuse to admit the word failure to Ins vocabulary. The eifßßTKlion is but, too often not raolisecl Tii.it. tket howow r. makes no ditlbt.meo to the national idea, and this idea linn at least been fulfilled in tlis msrtif Kir .'iilinr. VMgol 86bonilly

Iho represents in his views and aspirations i tlie Colonist quite ns much ns in his temjper and achievements he does the Englishman. lie lias brought back with him to Great Britain not only tho old dogged determination of the race to carry out in this country whatever he may take in hand, or to contribute to its elocution nil that lies within his power, blit bo has brought with him also a very definite conviction of the duties which Groat Britain ewes to her Colonial daI pendencies, of the advantages which she 1 derives from thorn, of tho responsibilities imposed by thoso advantages on her and lof tho particular niannur in which they I can bo most eltoetlVoly discharged. As ! loyal a subject of tho English Crown as lit behove.-, a truo-horn Jjrltou to be, Inj never forgot; that ho in an Englishman Ifor he is an English Colonist. 11 o would

like to see tin- bunds that unite Ore*) I' ;•. .'i i -. i luoi

i i many bowi ful ei -' mi-n's in favom ■ ; J ... mire bin ling. But t : i -ru i- a ithlng i,hat ■»..- an ■- • ktie iii hii a-ipeal. I. wouM Iw a cmianmmatioui he Ulls us. :,'i-ei'l_v :■.'..'■ wish ,-1 for, if prompt ::nd d-iiiivu notion is t.i'v-n in the lines that he indicates. But the gain will by n i in tans accrue exclusively to the c ilonios. It wuT, in a w.ii I, be tbo cementing of a partnership a tit ■ as pr ifltahlo t i the senior as to sua jantot member of f!..11 porta 1. -n. I'-. ■ i-'.i i ipj -,i t>f •■ .■!:'■- derail m wli i tvrii -in flm n i '. ■.' arl

dig :..-■ i wfiy, has an iuflaitulv ibejtoi :. Ig ai Mi li :; ••■ an I c nni -.. • ; ; • ;::i one who i;R"S the! . -■ of n merely sontimenfal poll- . i...- v.i.o ai.-ijU the in: udlin laetapliors common with patriotic rbetori&'a is of the fifth-rate order, who protest against fche manstrbsitjl of the Mother Country desertiug her loving and longing childr. a. Sir Julius Vogel has had just a quarter of a c-.-ntnry of active t,'ohmin[ life. Ho went to Victoria in 1853. Nine' years later ho removed to' Now Zealand, ilis first appeorauce in public life in that colony was in the capacity of journalist, and a journalist of admirable coinage and enterprise. Five wewkly papers existed at the time of hi* arrival in Dimedin. The pressure of advertisements upon their columns made ifr. Vogel think iii.it thore whs an opportunity inenlarging the sc'ope of the Press. II" determined to s'art a daily paper. Hii friends dissuaded him, and iceouimendeil a tri-weekly issue. Mr. Vogel pe;sc-i rvl with his experiment, and to him New Zealand is indebted for-its first daily newspaper. From journalism he went into politics, was successively a member of the Provincial Council of Otago. a member of the General Assembly, a member of the Provincial Executive, a id Colonial Treasurer of the Government. This last position Mr. Vogel assumed in lSii!>. It was a period of anxiety and trial for (ho colony. A deadly reaction after the stimulus atfortleil by the 'opening up of the Gofd Fields had fallen upon the ciuntry. Mercantile credit had been almost destroyed. Many substantia! persms seriously racdilitted leaving the colony. The removal of the Imperial troops on the close of the' Maori war brought the colonists face to face with the fact that in the event of anv subsequent disturbance they hail only themselves on whom to rely. The population of Xew Zealand was strictly limited, 'dr. Vogel and his Ministerial colleagues saw at. once the necessity of extending i*. Hence the Immigration and Public Works policy of Mr. Fox's Government in which ifr. Vogel served. The mere title of this policy conveys but tin iiiada- ■ piate idea of its extent and. boldness. Its key-note was to render Enc recurrence of the Maori insurrection impossible by the construction of roads through tieNorth Island ami the temporary establishment of a force of arm id constabulary, as well as to stimulate the productive energies of the country by the introduction and settlement of immigrants, the supply of water to the goldficids, the purchase of Maori lauds in tho North Island as a public estate, and I'm- construction of a grand system of trunk line;- of railways extending through bothjisk.nds. 1: was an ambitious and comprehensive scheme, that excited not alittle of adverse criticism at the time. The new immigrants, Mr. Vngol and his friends were told, would pour into Victoria, and New Zealand would bo as barren of men as before. The results of Hi" course justified its wisdom, and |'jotli tho public works and the railways have proved financially as well as politically, remunerative, Immigration was conducted on a large scale. Parliamentary roads through disturbed districts were completed, and railways which provincial

governments had boggle"! at or freely dealt with, wero at once contracted for. It. oould not, iudeed, have been executed without assistance from the Mother Count rv. and in 1870 Mr. Vogel came to Rugland to negotiate n loan. Four years later be again visited the Mother Country —this time as Prime Minister. It was then that ho carried to u successful issue tlio negotiations with the Bank of England for the inscription of Now Zealand Stock, which, h.y opening up a now investment for Trust t'uuds, has materially increased the value and utility of Colonial Securities. Some idea of the ability and inexhaustible capacity of the man for work may be seen in the fact that nt o'llo arid the same time be held the portfolios of Premier, Treasurer, Minister 1 for Immigration, PnstmastorGenoral, and Commissioner of Telegraphy, to this, satisfaction even of -his bitterest Opponents. Colonial Ministries are, for the most, )>nrt. exceedingly shortlived. Probably Sir Julius Vogel is the only Colonial Secretary who. in the course of a decade and a half, has P&fod a full seven years in the enjoyment of place and power. . It was to bo expected that a man who had thrown himself with such ardour, devotion, and success into the politics of his colony, and who in a I'limpurativciy short time had won no commanding n position in the scale of Colonial st«t?v niansliip, would not lie content to rest on his oars when ho returned to till Mother Country to discharge the duties of tho Agenoy'-Citincial. While he wan yet Premier of »w Zonliunl Sir Julius Vogol hs<l in a letter to tho Stnudord in the month of May, IB7li sketched in out line u plan for the great sehoine of t!i., "Confederation •■!' the IvnpiiV fig did, hstteedjdo iometuttfg mere tbun sdniu brttto the empty I'ora* </«' an uinu'.ivj i

dr**tW Sir .luiins Vogol has klio\Vh !iu.iH*r't!iroa*h.>at his varied mil •.- mark ible career above all things practical. If In- is sketchy he is also "trictly om•iiri»o. If In- declares that the nui.rinli for. th* rearing of off edifice e*e m. ro, 1« does-not) rajf-to luy down t.*-r----ahlv ill*-;-* instructions a* tnthe maimer in wliicb. the Work should be undeiticxen. ill- has lint ottlv flia courage of his con-j vi.-t!..ns lit- Ins the knowledge and the in-. nuit.V to show that they may be eon--.vr!til into realities. TJujjij Li* letter to ihe .Standard was s.melhiiig mme thin the spirited expression or on imposing .-i rjcS of vague aspiration 3-- If -•'* before I the pHbliii ft design, 11k! it' Contained delinito hitota sis to Die mode in whi»h that ■ i.-ii might be DXPciitel. Siiice then •1- up.} materially elaborate I those Uinta, lie ha* h#ld liisown in tlia advocacy of the selionie against so subtle a nasoner us ilr,2j»we, and so logical ai well us so ixperiopwl a, critic as l»|xl Blachiordj llr linn Convinced many who werj coldly •. ;,!ii-iW ho-has won tho active support uf not a few who-, friendly to his. s igges| l ion as a thcoiy, despaired of its re ilisa-j .lion us a fact In an article in tbJ Century, July, 1877, fcnr J, V.ige! hod hot difficulty in tfenioiistfating the unsatisfactory nature of cue relations between the Mother Country and the! Colonies. He then went on to show that if Uie d%iutegrating movement which is in progress is to lit- arrested, something den nits iDiust ho done. A union between the different parts of the Umpire during pleasure meant, lie argued, separation sooiwr or later. The only preventive of .separation is, he insisted, confcderutioii which, lie explained. '■ Would bo fraught with advantage both to the parent country and the colonies In the shape of increased tiudo, increased value- of property, the augmented happiness of the people, and the saving of much misery and disaster." His attempt to show that '.' its accomplishment does not prevent great difficulties " was met with an answer from Lord Blnohford, which at softie points must be admitted to have bcc.i K deally ' complete. But nations am i.ot governed by login only, and the weak point in Lorn I>lachford's exceedinlg able rely win that lie failed to lay! strsss oil t le conditions of Bonlinierit ami pride which are the chief factors in .such aqustinn. Thus Lord Blackford contends! that the absence of perfect community of interest between its diflei-entl members tumped the confederation scheme as impracticable, that a community of language, traditions; habits, education, may be as powerful in its way as a community of material interests. " All Questions of war. said Sir J. Vogeli wil Ii a correct insight into Anglo-Saxon fecliug fell the world over, * must. be, questions in which the people in Great Britain have comilioii interests with their fallow-subjects in other parts- of tin; lithe quarrel is Cue because of an insult to British subjects or wrong to British property, the pro-, oration is equally felt by every subject of the Sovereign of Great Britain." i'.iit the most striking points in Sir Julius Vogel's cose for confederation liave. to be mentioned! First, take what maybe called i.ir commercial argument The (Monies, lie says, so long as they remain an integral part of Great Britain will perpetuate for her the trade which she is losing with foreign countries. But it is said we ran afford to lose that trade! It will only involve a-lossof £140,000,000; and what is that when compared with tho aggregate income nf the country. " The fallacy of tho argument," returns Sir .1. Vogel, " lies in the fact that it presupposes mora or less a commuuHy of ownership. Ii tho thirty-two millions of people who inhabit this country drew each u proportionate shore of the total income, the loss arising from the loss of foreign trade might, by a like equal division, bo little felt. But there is no such equality,Von cannot equally divide tho consist quenccs. You havu tii-Pt, a number who primarily stiller, and to whom the loss moans ruin. Yon have thru around the principal group a widening circle of suffering, which becomes less severe as it enlarges in extent, till in the far background you have those win are only remotely affected. If this he well considered, it will be seen that the loss of a portion of tho extensive trade of the country may mean a calamity which cannot be measured in its effects by dividing its extent into tintotal means of tho nation.'' Further English trade with foreign countries is diminishing through the agency of specific causes—high runts, the uvil reputation earned by doubtful practices, misooncontinps arising from the artificial system by which manufacturers and consumers are separated. Without her shipping, and without the capital which she herself supplies by loans for tin- purchase of her owu goods, she wwuld have no foreign trade at all. But English capital and English money is invested in foreign countries, it goes to lands whore her own lews give her no redress. Sir J. Vogel cites tho silver legislation which is now proceeding in the United States as a warning on this head. The chock upon foreign loans has led to an enormous increase in Colonial investments. Is not linn tho conclusion inestiblo —first, that the colonies are cnuiiuotuially useful to England; secondly, that tho essence of this utility li«s in the fuel of their being legally a part of England ( Finally, theie is the absolutely unanswerable argument win -h Sir Julius Vogel gives in these words; —

As Held* for tlio labouring d&ije* lot I '■■' 'iiii-n powew liTfu'wtiblo oscillation. I'Lo.r vbo tlo not go rejoice at leant in »tl knpwk'fiw Iml il y cn;i 'I • so, nti'l

• 11') tH*' a.'it' TiT.it theai MOo'htva >■ f.-.jiidj inoiv. -i hj« tc;t ui C-.e cwa-

j muiiity othi-i than the latsurid few hav' ' inU-rttiis more or le«s extensive beI yond the tea* Sx> much of tlrtt interest as is given to foreign iwm tries it. is ceittuily not desiruble t» iurreuar and if the Colonies are to he come foreign countries the tame objection* woiildnpplv to the in-rcaae of British jntejvstin (hem. If Great Britain ran retain her ilej-endencii-s fur another fitly v-.-iis. theanust become powerful in the extreme, By that time her consolidated

ks compared with that -off the rest ot '.he civilised wi-rid M jlild be nearly ; irrestibte. As a mere matter nf instir-a-.ice, ;t v.-uld be better to luaintnin the conneiti.in, even at a heavy cost, than to have those dependencies added to the number of foreign nations. Between Kngland with world-wide iut<T?,sts and England shut up within herself it is haul to se* how there can lie any hesitation. Divested of her exterior dominions she would become the theatre, of fieite war b(-t\M.-cii the lahoiiring, the-moneyed, and 'thehiiiil'd cliises. ' Flooded with foreign Mods to repay interest on past loans, «ifficiciit occupation wo'nl'l, be djeuipl to the-people ; thu moneysd classes would abVoa<l, j-wonld- : see no room for investments at home,.and would tight agajust the taxation they, alone coilM pay. A fu.'ree onslaught would be made on the lam), and yead by yar the aggregate wealth of the nation Would lb-crease, / ,7 . Such reasoning as thi*has yet to; to refuted, and it is dillicult to seo from what quarter refutation is to come. In

all probability there is much good and groat work for *ir Julius Vogel yet to do in the Mother Country. He has' already made himself the chanipiou of a noble aud bcnclieient idea. He has done luueh towards showing that it is more tlian an idea. He is at the present snoinent master of the controversy in which ho has mgnged. liis views, supjyirted as they are by facts and figures of the utmost significance, are receiving careful consideration in the highest quarters. It may be believed thai, before, long Sir Julius Vogel will have a further opportunity of Showing his skill and exercising his practical genitin in the highest and greatest scheme of constructive statesmanship winch-has ever been proposed to the rulcia of a mighty Empire.