Occasional Notes.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 59, 26 August 1875, Page 7

Occasional Notes.

SIR JULIUS YOGEL. I observe a somewhat panegyrical account of this gentleman ia an article published in the { Witness' ofthe Uth inst., entitled the " Story of Sir Julius Vogel's Life." The writer, while he lauds Sir Julius to the skies with the breath of his eloquence, is very sharp with the detractors of the great man, whom he is pleased to describe as malicious, disappointed, and bitter spirits, little minds, dwarf?, and so on, likening them to those lower creatures who are ever active in tormenting nobler animals. Sir Julius being the nobler animal, his opponents are the lower creatures— say fleas, which I suppose the great Sir Julius, like a lordly lion, shakes indignantly from his mane. Is I have occasionally indulged in a quiet fling at Sir Julius, perhaps I rnav be permitted to consider myself a dwarf or a Sea ; but as to malice, lat least never bore any towards Mr Yogel, nnd am not aware I ever saw the man, and have only judged of him as I should of any other statesman by his public acts, and I question whether a considerable proportion of those who have been prompted to do so to much extent either by motives of envy cr malice. The fact is, although the Works and Immigration scheme initiated by Sir Julius promises to be successful as far we have got, and we appear to be • reaping, or on the point of reaping, a benefit from this bold policy, yet the political' career of Sir Julius Yogel has not given complete satisfaction, and it is very questionable whether the country ever had, or has now, complete confidence in the man. A certain amount of' recklessness has characterised his administration of the public finances, and -there has been wanting on his part that display of an inclination to

Economise resources, which would have ' induced certain people to trust and. approve of his statesmanship and management of public affairs. His political course, has. been eccentric and somewhat incomprehensible, and not altogether becoming a Prime Minister, who it may ' be considered "should, usually remain at his. pose, and not be constantly taking ' advantage of the recess to gad about the .' world, proposing to do personally that which ought to be done through agents, if possible. Now he is away when a ; measure of such vast importance as a ' change in the constitution of the colony is under consideration — a change suggested ■ and proposed by himself. If he is ill from gout and overwork, he is rather to be compassioned than blamed, but the country seems harcl ly certmn, though he is undoubtedly unwell, whether he may not be foxing to some extent. It appears that Mr Yogel was once defeated in an rttempfc to become a member of the Victorian Assembly through allying himself with the squatting* interest. In this colony he has given some offence by allying- himself with the same interest., and lending the powerful support of his Government to the passing of the iniquitous Hundreds Acts, which acls were in ! fact a calling in aid of Parliament to ' give the runholders a much more conj siderable interest in ti.o waste lands | than they were entitled to under then 1 original contracts, either ns tenants at will of the Crown or leaseholders — the passing of which act? has much retarded the settlement of the country, by forcing ihe Provincial Government of Dtago to pay large sum* of money to runholders before it could utilise laud for settlement. Again, though there now appears a probability tha* the. Works and Immigration scheme vriJl torn ont :\ successful sppeulation, rtnd if the railways pay inforcr-t thero can be little doubt it will ilo so ; yet I suspect that if the action of Mr Yogel and his Government had not been controlled by the common sense of Parliament, and the opposition of more cautious people than himself, thf-re would have existed considerable probability ihat the colony wouhl have found itself in dirlleuHuy, s.nd the public creditor have had the due payment of the interest on his loans to some extent jeopardised. All things considered, however, probably the colony has made move advance under the Government of which Sir Julius Yogel has been from time yi time the real or ostensible head than it would have dune under any other Government, and it is perhaps as well the Yogel Government has remained in power as long as it has done. Under anchor Government it is at least possible we might have had. another Native war, an event which would probably have had a most disastrous effect on tho colony, and have interfered greatly with the carrying out ofthe Works and Imon^ration scheme Our exemption from war is dun in great measure to the wise management of Sir Donald M'Lean, who may well be considered to have been a tower of strength to Mr Vogel's Government. To assume, as the writer of the article in the ' Witness ' does, that Bir Julius Von'el j<ns become an object of attack merely because be has raised himself to eminence and become a very notable person is of course ridiculous nonsense. Another man — say Mr Stafford— might have originated and carried out the Works and Immigration scheme, and never have been attacked in the public I prints as Mr Yogel has been. Mr Yogel has laid himself open to criticism, and there exists so much substantial reason for criticifing his conduct, that ' it is but a perversion of tlie truth to assert that persons who have found fault with the conduct of Sir Julius are only actuated by feelings of malice. By his sagacity and boldness, Sir Julius Yogel would seem to have done much for the colorr/ of New Zealand, though in the doing of it he has also raised himself to affluence and honor. If to some extent he. has sacrificed his health in the public service, be is still more worthy of gratitude. Ido not think, however, he is altogether the tremendous patriot and lofty character the above mentioned writer seems to insinuate he is ; nor are those who presume occasionally to find fault with hi in worthy to be described as malignant, disappointed, and bitter spirits, dwarfs, lower animals, and all the rest of it.