The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1885. SIR JULIUS VOGEL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1368, 21 July 1885, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1885. SIR JULIUS VOGEL.

“ Coming events cast their shadows before.” There are not wanting at present ominous signs of the complete downfall of Sir Julius Vogel, and unless we make a great mistake he will not occupy the position he now holds twelve months hence. First of all there is his petition to Parliament praying that a sum of £6OOO should be given to him for services which he rendered in connection with raising loans in England. It is popularly supposed that Sir Julius Vogel was employed as Agent-General during the time for which be claims to be paid in connection with these loans, but according to his petition !the services were rendered after the relinquishment of the AgentGeneralship. If so there can be no legitimate reason for refusing to pay him what he is justly entitled to, but this is not the point which we desire to discuss at present. Before offering an opinion on the merits of his claim it would be necessary to be in possession of all the facts of the case, and these have not yet been made public. What we desire to point out is that the presentation of this petition indicates that Sir. Julius Vogel means to retire from Parliament very soon, for if he did not he would not have brought forward the petition. Day after day rumors come floating on the breeze to the effect that differences of opinion exist in the Cabinet, and that Messrs Ballauce and Stout are anxious to get rid of Sir Julios Vogel. The merciless way in which the supporters of the Government have wrecked the Government policy also indicate that the magic influence which Sir Julius Vogel once wielded is gone, and that he can no longer carry his measures through the House as he was wont to. All these indicate that before long Sir Julius will relinquish his pi eition, and, without doubt, lie will never again jetum to political lEe,

Tlnre can be no doubt but that Sir Julius Vogel has contributed largely to bringing about the presentstafe of things. He returned to this colony about fifteen months ago, and at once began to preach that what we wanted was confidence. His first performance was an address to some constituency then vacant in the North Island, but he withdrew from that and offered himself to the people of Ashburton, flis speech at Ashburton consisted principally ot boastful reference to his past career, a warning to people not to interfere with the rights of property, and a condemnation of the Property Tax, of the Education Act, and of the Atkinson Ministry. The Property Tax, he said, was ruining the ci lony, by driving capital away. He also held that the colony was right enough, only that through bad Administration the people had lost confidence. In fine, the whole burden of his speech was that people had lost confidence in the colony, in the Government, and in themselves. His utterances were taken up as if they had fallen from the lips of an Angel known to draw inspiration from the very Fountain-head of Truth. Newspapers repeated what he said about confidence almost daily, and public speakers took up the chorus of confidence till it rang from end to end of the land. We pointed out at the time that this confidence cry was nothing more nor less than unmitigated nonsense ; that too much confidence had more to do with the depression than want of it; that want of money was at the root of it all; and that men with empty pockets could not possibly feel any great amount of confidence in themselves. Sir Julius Vogel has since found out that he was altogether wrong. In his recent performances in Parliament there is no talk about the colony going ahead by leaps and bounds ; the “ confidence cry is no longer heard, and a determination to adhere to the Property Tax is expressed. Twelve months previously irfir Julius Vogel led people to believe that he could do without this tax altogether, but instead of doing so he has found it necessary to increase it. Thus last year he raised people’s hopes by making making promises which could not be performed ; this year he dashes them down, and disappointment is the result. Sir Julius Vogel has therefore himself to blame for the declination of his popularity. If he had faced the difficulty last year in the practical common-sense way that he has done this session, he would have held a higher place in public estimation now than he does. We confess that we do not all rejoice in his downfall. We opposed him at every step last year, because we felt convinced he was altogether wrong, and his own actions since have proved that we were right. A good deal of the policy of the present Government, however, appears to us to be exactly what is wanted, and consequently it is not without iegret that we notice their power lessening.