ABOLITION. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7158, 24 January 1885, Page 4

ABOLITION. TO THE EDITOR.

_ SIR,—I see a comment on Mr Stout's speech in your leader this morning which is incorrectly put. You say: " Instead of this, we are twice told that the author of Abolition was no true statesman. How does the Colonial Treasurer like this ?" Sir Julius Vogel was not in New Zealand when the bill was either introduced or passed. Iho reference was obviously intonded for Major Atkinson. He, and not Vogel, is the author of Abolition.—l am, &c, Critic. [Sir Julius (then Mr) Vogel introduced and carried the resolutions for abolishing the Provincial form of government in tbe North Maud in 1874. He went Home, and in 1875 Major Atkinson introduced the Abolition Bill, which, he declared, was based on the resolution carried the previous year. ("Hansard," vol., 17, p. 280.) Thus Sir Julius Vogel and Major Atkinson may jointly claim to be " the authors of Abolition," and if one has more title to the designation than Ihe other, we think it is Sir Julius Vogel, since it waß his Public Works policy which necessitated Abolition, whilst Major Atkinson merely worked out ths details and completed Sir JuHub' work, —Ed. 0. D.T.]