SIR JULIUS VOGEL'S FINAL PUBLIC ADDRESS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XIX, Issue 3198, 20 October 1876, Page 2

SIR JULIUS VOGEL'S FINAL PUBLIC ADDRESS.

[per press agency.] Wellington, Oct. 18. At the conclusion of the reply to the address in acknowledgment of the presentation, and after Sir Julius had briefly referred to matters more particularly of a personal nature, coming to his political career, he said all he owed as a public man, was due to the Hon Mr Fox. He said the origin of the Public Works scheme was that it came upon the Fox Ministry as a conviction that it was an absolute necessity for the colony to place itself in a position of bearing the burthens which it had to bear, by encouraging the growth of population, and endeavouring to make the country more useful for the people within it. He was told by the head of the Victorian Government, "New Zealand is doing the very best thing for us it can do ; they are bringing out immigrants, and after their arrival they are sure to leave and come to Victoria." What had been the result 1 During the time that we added so largely to the population by the introduction of immigrants from Home, a much larger number of persons liave arrived from other colonies than left New Zealand for other colonies, the balance being in our favour. He paid a high tribute to the great results brought about by Messrs McLean and Richardson, and generally gave considerable credit to other colleagues. The abolition question was engaging a very great deal of public attention just now, but he would not refer to it. • He was now holding the position of AgentGeneral. .'They would agree with him that he'walTonly consulting the dignity of his position by abstaining from all reference to that question. He had taken the position of Agent-General because the duties would not be of so never-ending a character as those of a Minister of the Crown * in fact, he had abundance of medical advice to show that the state of his health was such that he could not have continued as Minister to the end of the session. He had been often urged to take things more easily, and not to work so hard. Lt was with him doing a thing entirely as he thought it ought to be. done or not doing it at aU. Ifc had been said thafc he left the Government at the most inconvenient time. He was unable to see that, because it appeared to him thafc he resigned when the Government was certainly mosfc powerful, and when its policy was fully recognised. They would,' he hoped, excuse him for saying that he had not been a selfish politician. There would have been many and abundant opportunities whicll he could quite creditably have taken advantage of, but he declined to do so becaiiase he considered that at some future period it might lead to a conflict with his position in the Government. He expressed a hope that the colony would adhere to the policy of immigration and public works until tlie whole of the islands were peopled. With regard to the Natives, he believed that in the very face of their adaptation to warm climates, it would be found, in course of time, that by a commingling of the two races the people of JNew Zealand would carry dominion to the whole extent of Polynesia. Too much attention, hs begged to remind them, could not be given to the making of the rising population of the colony an educated one. Another question which he believed before many years, perhaps month.*-, had elapsed would be brought prominently before the colonists for their consideration — he meant the federation of the Australasian Colonies — and then would come the question whether or not it was expedient that New Zealand should join in such federation. That a federation was urgently demanded by many local and natiou.al considerations, no one could doubt who had thought over the subject. As far as New Zealand was concerned, his own opinion was that it, would not be for the interest of New Zealand to join in such federation. Three cheers were given at the close for Sir Julius Yogel and also for Lady Yogel .