SIR, JULIUS VOGEL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1049, 30 May 1882, Page 1

SIR, JULIUS VOGEL.

Sir Julius Vogel was entertained at a luncheon in Wellington on Thursday. About 250 ladies and gentlemen were present. The chair was occupied by the Mayor, having on his right Sir Julius Vogel, and ou his left His Excellent'v the Administrator of the Government, Sir J Po .elergast After the toast of * Ilia Excellency the Acting-Governor’ had been drunk, and responded to by Sir James Prcndcrgast, Sir William Fhzberbort proposed the toast of the evening, ‘ Our Gucs-,’ and alluded iu cugolislic terms to the servic s rendered by Sir Julius Vogel to the colony Sir Julius Yogel, on rising to acknowledge the toast, was received with prolonged and enthusiastic cheers. Jlc spoke for exactly half an .hour. He said if those present would place themselves in his position they would recognise that he was not able to say as Sir Wm. Fitzherbert had done, that his task was an easy one, for he thought they must allow that public speaking was somewhat difficult when the feeling that one spoke under, so to say, gashed up Ulster and in greater rolunm than one was able to fin - utterance for. To come back here after his long absence, to have to make so hurried a a visit at so short a notice, to lie received so kindly by such a gathering as the present one, t o hear kind remarks made by Sir Wm. Fitzherbert, —all this overpowered his feelings, and ho could only say that it was a source of extreme regret to him that he was only able to make so short a stay in Wellington. (Cheers.) Had it not been for a sudden illness with which he was stricken down in Melbourne, be would have been here many months ago, and would have made a much longer stay. (.Renewed cheers.) They might well believe that as ho bail visited this colony with which so mm-h of his early life had been associated, arousing a recollection of all his former sueoesse-, trials, cares and anxieties of public hie, the old feeling would naturally recur to him again like the warrior ou the war, alii—a feeling that he should like once more to resume a position in public life in this colony (Loud cheers.] lie had not been many hours in .New Zealand before he was ollered ■—•he was going to sav tuo scam bid he ought to sav reasonable prospect' of two seats, by gen Icm m oho acre willing to resign then- pu-it ion.- in hi' favor. lie had some I iioagSl ■. belore he letl England of this eoul ingen -y, and rcco nhing the weakness which sometimes led persons to wish for that which was nut always wise for them, had taken care to guard against the fascination of renewing, his acquaintance with public life in New Zealand bv leaving at Home some very substantial hostages in the shape of Ids children. (Laughter,! Those familiar with public life could b. ar him out in saying that the e wus a -peeial fascination about h, tiuugh as again--’ that faseinat ion there was an equal extent of prriale sacrifice. It. was, however, very much to I he credit of public men in New Zealand that dubhe life had never been, and lie (liongid never would be in tills colony, the road to

private advancement, beyond that which came from regard, such as that which be was receiving to-day, and the knowledge of the appreciation entertained by one’s fellow colonists. (Cheers.) He alluded to Sir William lutzberberr, who had described to them how the highest positions in the land "ere open to those who had the courage strive for them, and were open, moreover,-do * . the humblest classes. They should not out of the governing Vnat m'Jh impoi'■ *it arm of it. the Cirri Service- . t,Hoar "ear.) He felt that he would have spoken incompletely on the present occasion if ha had one away from Wellington witUout express ng dm sense of gratitude which he, in common with other public men of the co ony, ov-ecl to the devoted service of the Civil servants of 2s cw Zealand. There were many positions in the (Government service—such for example as the charge of Departments like (hose of Hallways, Tel •graphs, Life Insurance, ami Public Trustee—which, it they were priva e undertakings, those who were in charge of them wool t receive salaries four or fire limes greater than those received by Civil servants. It was evident, therefore, that the Government as a rule secured the services of its employees at less than the average cost, paid to able men in private undertakings. (Hear, hear) It wsis a matter for great gra ideation t hat the public works of this colony were admitted to have been so successful from the standpoint of a visitor, lie would like to say that the work of the future was by no means finished ; that there was one point which was as much a burning question of the present as of the past —immigra. ion (Cheers.) The visitor was constantly reminded, as re travelled through the colony, of the waul of popusati u. In LS7O we aspi ed to convert 250,000 persons into 500,000. Wc ought to be more ambit nous now, and seek to convert that 500,000 into ami lion. (Loud cheers.) He was pleased with the substantial progress made by Wellington during his absence, and especially that the Wellington-.'danawai u railway had {commenced. (Loud cheers.) Both Lady Vogel, whose absence on that occasion was keenly regretted by her, and himself would ever lemcmber the kindness that they had invariably experienced at the hands of the people of Wellington, where eo many important years of their lives ha i been spent, and whether m Wellington or away from it, wlio'ber, in fact, in JS r cw Zealander uvay from it, his hopes and his cx< rtious, humble as they might be, would always be at the command of colonists —(loud cheer*) and he was still young, although ha did not look it, and he could indulge in the hope that it might not be denied to him at some future time to come back to the colony and make a long slay. (Renewed cheers.) He thanked them all most heartily for the kind and enthusiastic reception accorded to him, and asked them to excuse the imperfect nature of his utterances. (Loud and prolonged cheer* ) The company then separated.