MR VOGEL'S DOINGS,

Otago Witness, Issue 1630, 26 August 1871, Page 10

MR VOGEL'S DOINGS,

The Circular of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., dated London, June 29th, says :— " Long negotiations have been carried out with the Post-office authorities on the subject of assistance to this new service via California, and a jjromise has been given that any remissions of charges made by the American postal department shall be at once placed to the credit of New Zealand, and that the whole question shall be considered, with a view of establishing the service as a regular alternative mail line fortnightly with the P. and 0, Company's service. There is every reason to expect that this matter will he favourably considered and carried out, in which case the Californian line will have afforded to it as stable a position as that occupied by the P. and 0. line. The successful issue of the £1,200,000 5 per cent, unguaranteed debentures, we have also referred to, at a price equal to £9.1 I.ls net; but with reference tf> the further issue of unguaranteed debentures it is understood that a most satisfactory arrangement has been entered into with the Treasury, by which the guaranteed debentures may be looked upon as a deposit fund to lie drawn upon when the state of the money market in London will not admit of the unguaranteed debentures being issued on favourable terms. The arrangement with the Treasury provides that the guaranteed debentures shall be issued at the rate of £200,000 annually, and be sold from time to time only as the New Zealand Government requires their proceeds. We hear also that urgent representations were made to the Colonial Office as to the necessity of strengthening the squadron in the Australian waters, and of stationing two vessels specially on the New Zealand coast. Assurances were given that it was intended to strengthen the squadron ; and whilst departmental reasons prevented the giving an absolute promise of two vessels for New Zealand, it was intimated that the Commodore had been informed that it was considered by the Admiralty to be advisable that vessels under his orders should show themselves on the New Zealand coast as frequently as possible. In fact the special attention of the Commodore lias been called to the subject. In connection with the defence of the colony from foreign aggression, it is not to be surprised at that Mr Vogel should have turned his attention to the general defence of the principal ports of New Zealand, and we accordingly hear of direct cony

niunicatiYWis with Colonel Jervois, C.8., at the War Office, when important recommendations as to the use of torpedoes and other nieans of defence were obtained from that gentleman. The main object, however, of Mr Vogel's visit to this country lias been the carrying out of the policy of the present Government connected with public •works and immigration, a policy with which his name will probably henceforward be honourably associated. Owing to the shortness of his stay in this country, an amount of hard work had to be got through winch will effectually redeem his visit from the character of a" pleasure trip, even though no railway contracts had been entered into ; but we are informed that, within an hour or two of his departure from London, a most important contract with Messrs Brogdeu and Sons was signed for the construction of railways in the colony, either upon a system of direct guarantee, or by guarantees in connection with a system of land grants and With emigration/ the Government being at liberty to elect between the two systems. The details of these contracts are as yet necessarily private, but the engineering staff proceeds to the colony by the present mail, and the Messrs Brogden, in proof of their Loan fid p&, have deposited with the Government bankers in London securities to the value of £25,000." The San Francisco News of tho World notices the arrival in that city of Mr Yogel, ' ' accompanied by his wife, children, and sister," "having come overland in the special Pullman car, Cambria." The same journal says :—"ln: — "In crossing the Missouri at Omaha, the party had a rather rough experience. The special car Cambria was taken on board the H. C. Xutt, a side-wheel steamer. The j works for the Omaha railroad bridge are progressing, and the iron casings for the piers (to be rilled with solid masonry) are standing in the river above water-mark. Either through bad steering, or the force of the current, the steamer Nutt fouled one of the piers and smashed it over, knocking it into a second. The steamer was considerably damaged, and one wheel disabled. The commotion on board was lively, and the engineer, fearing a conflagration on board, extinguished the fires in the furnaces. A steamboat i^ut off from the Council Bluffs side of the river to render assistance, but the Mutt finally succeeded in making the Omaha, landing, to the joy of every body on board, and of many on shore, who feared that sho would sink before assistance could be rendered." The same jjaper also states that "negotiations for the construction of railroads were opened by Mr Yogel with Messrs John Brogden and Sons, the extensive contractors, and with other gentlemen. A preliminary arrangement was concluded, and Mr Henderson, as representing Messrs Brogden, is now on his way to the colony, with Messrs ( \ !N. , Bell and J, Or, Dees, as assistants. "