SIR JULIUS VOGEL'S SPEECH.

West Coast Times, Issue 6560, 2 August 1887, Page 2

SIR JULIUS VOGEL'S SPEECH.

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS.

The Auckland correspondent of the Dunedin Herald telegraphs: — - Sir Julms Vogel's defence has produced a favorable impression in Auckland. The Herald, which has been going in strongly for Hall and Atkinson, is unusually mild, saying that the only blame to be attached to Sir Julius Yogel is for allowing himself to be diverted from bis original railway scheme ; and with regard to the figures adduced by tho Treasurer in support, it alleges that " statistics are very delusive." The Evening Bell has a long article of unqualified praise. It maintains that the defence is complete, and that it makes the charge of extravagance recoil on Major Atkinson. It declares that a reaction has already set in against the misrepresentations of the HallOrmond faction who cave been trying to lash up the public inta a retrenchment frenzy,-and asserts that Sir Julius Vogel's magnificent defence will be a powerful stimulus to it. It hopes that the speech will be published in cxtenso, and spread broadcast over the laud. Tho Bell continues :: — v Weanticipated from the beginning of this campaign that there would be a strong reaction. The tactics o£ the Hall-Ormond party seem to be to get up excitement of a wild kind which has proved to have been premature, and then writers on the Press were apparently incited to lash up the people until there has been a "roar" for retrenchment. The public had already come to see the hollowness of these tactics. Major Atkinson has been renounced by his own constituents by a vote of want of confidence, while Mr Brace's Freetrademission has been howled down by the excited people of Christchurch, and everywhere over the colony, even near home, wo aeo that the public are thoroughly disgusted, and sometimes in their own rough way.are showing a determination that they should be bamboozled no more." After reviewing the items of the speech in detail, the Bell concludes: — "These are facts that are now forcing themselves on the minds of the people as distinguished from tbo monopolising, selfish, and would-be governing classes, and now that the unreality of the retrenchment roar is being laughed at, and people are becoming awake to the fact that suspicious efforts are being made to hound them on to play into the hands of the monopolists, a re-action has already set in, and to this end the magnificent and telling speech of the Colonial Treasurer will give a powem ful stimulus."

The New Zealand Tablet cays :— So great is the interest taken by the public in the present election campaign that we feel assured all have already read Sir Julius Vogel'B speech at Christchurch delivered on Tuesday evening last. Everyone, too, we suppose, has formed his own opinion about it. We are not party men. We do not care a pinch of snuff for any party, nor do we care in the lea«t which of the parties now seeking the suffrages of the people Bucceed in gaining place and power. But we have read all the speeches', not only of all the leaders, but also of all the rank aud file, and hare formed academically an opinion as to their merits ; and we must cay that tbis speech of Sir Julius Vosjel is far and away the ablest of all we have rea<'. Ho speaks like an expert who is thorough y master of his subject. He knows his business, and can evidently not only think ably and clearly, but can also express himself clearly. There is something touching in his resume of hia services to the country, and his comparison of statistics as regards the period of initiation of the Public Works policy, and of the present term, is convincing, and, to his

opponents, crushing, That he has been hardly treated no one can deny. Sir Julius Yogel stands out head and shoulders above every public man at present before the people as a statistician, politician, and financier. And as to statesmanship, there is no public man that can come near him. Let the result of the approaching election be what it may, it will be a calamity if S r Julius's services should be lost to the colony.