THE PREMIER'S "MISSION TO ENGLAND.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 103, 30 June 1876, Page 3

THE PREMIER'S "MISSION TO ENGLAND.

Sir Julius Yogel bas_writteh fo " My D^ai;., Pojlen" in. reply, tp.some of. the.. passed Upbri 'hirri -'during' last session, of .Assembly. ,with[*-eference ? to. his mission to .England.. ...He declares, ( t.h4tMt' wa_ :: decided before" the termfnai-' tion- bf"the.' sessionvthat he- w as : to gooto: England, and says ; tha^ , to, have^aß-., the possibility or probability bT' ■•his going) to Tthe ; -.Hou's'e,W.QU"ldi£hav,e led to ! an. inexpedient discussion. With re>fer]ence"'tb 'his letter' .o'' L Mr Kussell.* written while the' House Hvhs->-itting, mentioning his intended vi_.it, he says Mr Russell was in errorin the state-

ment he made- in the House '-'that the second copy of the letter 'was -found in tlie "Premier's despatch- box. •" "arid" "he" also say? the'memoirs of hiscolleague*. are at fault as to what occurred in the Cabinet as to his mission. Upon the subject of his enormous expenditure irt the shape of allowances and expense., he says :— •

I cottie : ndw to a. Question to which Irfcpl boutitj. , toi refer, althdiigh" I do so, as you <viirbelievo v i. with reluctance — the question of t my allowance? When the 1 Cabinet decided on asking mfl to "go ia " England, it was .eaolved,- as, the Cabinet ,llnd.r , „-> the Loan Act had a right to resolve, that beside. th& usual, travelling allowances I should.receiy. £LSOO as Special allowance. — See Cabinet minuted attached. I was also given to 'understand that) if it were ; f blind necessary, Parliament should bo asked to sanction a larger amount. ,;L explained to my colleagues, without reserve, that .whilst I was willing to expend my salary during nty ab* seiice, I was not willing to go beyond that, and should expect the balance to be defrayed out of travelling or special allowances. Coirimen. wad made in the House iipqnfapplying for so lai*ge ail advance as £4000 in June, prior to my going on the Continent. . -I- ani sure' that those comments would not have been made had tho, real extent) of tlio advance been understood.' Of the £4000, £800 had been. paid to Mr 7F.ox r ,for,ejt* pehses which he had defrayed. I may say that those expenses included cost* of telegram. -Soothe Colony, and also allowances to Mr ]?ox against his travelling allowanco and salary. I am under the impression the House was- not aware I was providing, the . money, either for telegrams to .-.hd.. Colony or for other purposes which I have mentioned. To resume, at the end of -June the Go*, -. , verument were indebted to mo in excess oi: ad* vances already accounted for, some £400, besides the special allo'wanco' of £1500, which, asi have already explained) the Cabinet had agreed I should draw. • Together these make £1900, and, deducted from tho £3200, left nic an ad* vance of only £1300. I thought it necessary to take this advance, as it was impossible to know to what expense I might be put for cablegrams during my 'absence. < I may; add {ha. tinder' l similar circumstances it has beon usual for Minis* * *-* ters arid' Commissioners to obtain advance.; : -I "-' ■ enclose a nofca from,. J)r- ■ Feafcherafcon on tho subject. 1 find that over arid above ' salary and allowances, and- some ; £4oo 'or; , £500 ,o. -i. private means, which may be considered to represent other than current expenditure, !»•' •' special allowance of about £1000 will be required to meet the ; couditioris* under which I understood I was to go Home. >; I- have to a,Bk Ministers in addition to the special allowanco of ! £ISOO to ask' Parliament to authorise a'fitrthor sum of £2500, making in all a special allowance of £4000. Ido riot preteiid to say that I have been economical. I lived in what I considered tb be a reasonable manner j and much

as I would like "to riiake the Coloriy a' present of my. services, I. do not feel at liberty to do mora than allow my salary to go in reduction of lho cost to which I was subjected.- .; - : .- ' "..•_.

Sir Julius next refers to the business., in which he was engaged at' Home, and concludes: — - 7 ■•"- ;

It haa boen asked what right I had to draw salary and allowances whilst absent o\ving to ill* ness ? I might reply I was away on the Con* tinent for less time than other Ministers and Cornmissieners have on.vai-ious occasions been, and that two months is not an excessive relief, considering the arduous labours which have de» volved on me. during the year I have held office. When I found that I was too ill to return, I' had to decide between sending to his Excellency a positive resignation, or leaving you at liberty to tender my resignation if, and when you thought fit.; In adopting the latter course, I thought I should be doing that which would, be most aci cep'fcable to and would show most confidence in toyi colleagues. Had I sent a positive resignation I might haVe forced a break-rip of the Govern*, merit at an inconvenient time, besides it might appear that I was unwilling to be repponslbl. for the; action- of my colleagues. You,decided,.,beforo, Parliament met, to tender my resignation, and I may say. I think 7 you, could not have done other"*, wise. It would be most inconvenient that thero should be no Premier in the- Colony during a session. His Excellency asked you to .form a Government, aud I am sure you will bear me out in saying that, without any solicitation .or. wjsh expressed on my part, you did me the honour to appoint me Postmaster-General ih it, ' Ho have refused the position assigned to me, Would hayo been in the highest degree UDgracibitsi though I feel myself at liberty to. say that had I refused, or had you not made mo the offer, I should havo been better able to consult my personal interests, besides avoiding the risk of a long journey., I hope there is nothing in this letter which is con* struable into complaint : of • tho action ■ of merii* bers of the Assembly. , I have merely, desired to plaCe on record the explanations which tho pro-* ceedings of • Parliament seem to make reasonably necessary on my part.

The above letter' is dated l_hh February, and Dr Pollen replies on the 14th. He says the only, portion of the letter to which a reply is necessary is that relating' to the question l 'of allowance. Regarding it the Doctor says :—~ '

Although np official record oijjfche eir,c|U-o)staiico „. was made it is the' fact that on the 'day following; ° on which it was determined thataspecialaUov-zancd of £1500 should be granted to you tinder the Loan Act, it was suggested in Cabinet .thafcthe amount ? might not he sufficient, and it was then agreed, and you were, so given ,; to"ulidflrstan'dj[' that ff ft proyed insufficient;, Earliamept would be asked to vote such * additional' sum as might" ho requisite. Ac(}ordingLy,asyou,nowiij^orm.u>3,thaji a : further sum of £2500 (making in all _S4000);ba necessary to defray the cost to Whifchyoii Wefei'Mbjocted, we propose that an appropriation of that amount shall be'asked for in the nexFsession.

Emboldened j\>y, the repidy f j acq*u,ies r ; ,> cerice of his colleagues, Sir Julius makes a fjurihefdefeandlfor moneys KOto'tilsity March he. ; again writes, to.his *' Dear Poillen":^ '" '-"•-"'' -••• - r: **'••-•'-•" •"■^ w

7 I think it only justice to myself to flay tha.. since I wrote to you on theJL2th February, I find __. thai; my'.xpetidi'ture bVfny tri-^Hbftie : ViH ; c^st' - me f some <• £250 more , than. _, thought when < 1 . wrote to you on that date, and .Jfchat ft- special 3 aUo>anee ; t of..£42.^(that . thei amount already authorised by Cabinet) -"Mil he -po.ce_saryt.o.>plaic.^ desmbed x|p in lihat letter, msteM of tbe £_OQO thoreih|me_i». tioned. ---•.'*>,- *pa& *£■£. -.^^ooZr^^^iQ, Dr Pollen replies;' that ah; aWopriaM. tion of .£250 willVaHqrcbe asked tfor/& ' makih^ifl £4250, for Jm|g^|i||].^^^^p