CHAPTER XXXV. Sir Julius Vogel
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CHAPTER XXXV
OF the men who have taken a prominent part in the politics of New Zealand, no one has perhaps come in for a larger share of criticism than Sir Julius Vogel. Before settling in New Zealand he was known in Victoria as the proprietor and editor of a newspaper. I think it is matter of history also that he was connected with the Otago Daily Times in its palmiest days, which grew with a great growth when the province was first turned topsy-turvy by the discovery of a rich gold-field. The discovery of gold in a colony has always proved to be the beginning of the end of old days and old ways. It quite changed the character of the population in the old colonies of Australia. It was the one thing needed to arrest the attention of the old world to the vast resources of the new. And what it did for the Australian colonies, it quickly effected in Otago. That province, saturated with the salt of an influx of enterprising men rapidly grew, developing into the most populous and perhaps the richest of the New Zealand provinces.
The following sketch, or something very like it, of what the city of Dunedin was in 1869, appeared in an Australian newspaper. The writer must have dropped on to one of those wet days which a patriotic Otago man would have spoken of as "really something quite exceptional, you know." He dared thus to write of the present well drained, well paved, and most picturesque looking city of Dunedin. "Dunedin is celebrated for its mud, its politicians, and its good beer. Its population is a mixed one, comprising Scotch, English, Irish, Americans, and Jews, all of whom seem very much at home in gaiters. Everybody there wears gaiters--men with legs, and men with no legs; and very great guys some of them look. Merchants wear gaiters, and so do their errand boys. Ministers of the Crown wear gaiters, and so do those who sweep out their offices. Ladies are suspected of wearing gaiters, of course invisible; and I am not sure that it is not sometimes thought necessary to put gaiters on the horses flopping along through the mud. As to Dunedin mud! I have never seen it equalled; but after all, that is quite natural, seeing that
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Dunedin has everything in perfection that other provinces boast of; it follows you everywhere; makes your life a nuisance; and your breeches a burden. The 'old identities' say that it rains only six months in the year; but I very much doubt that. Of Otago politicians I might write volumes, and then leave something unsaid. Like the mud, they are very tenacious. They are not very patriotic, and what is better, they don't profess to be. They vote themselves £1 a day as an honorarium during the session of the Provincial Council, and have really got to believe that they earn it. They play at responsible government, and are getting quite at home in the practice of setting up and knocking over ministries."
As to the mud of Otago in 1869, we must just believe what we are told. As to the mud of Christchurch in 1856, read what "C.W." in the "Canterbury Rhymes," says--
"At Christchurch, at the dawn of day,
All mudless stood the unloaded dray;
And in the stockyard near it lay
Eight bullocks, waiting patiently.
"The driver thought it not so nice
That afternoon, when clocks struck twice,
Plunging in swamps and mud-stained ice,
The deepness of the axle-tree.
"In slush and quagmire 'fast as nails,'
The oxen lash their muddy tails;
But furious still the driver fails,
And double-thongs unceasingly.
"Then plunge the steers to anger driven,
Then snaps the pole wit plunges riven,
And, louder than these noises even
Sharp cracks the whipcord stingingly.
"But heavier yet that whip must drop
On mud-struck oxen, neck and crop,
And longer yet that dray must stop,
Imbedded to its axle-tree."
Who would have thought that such things could ever have been written of Christchurch, seeing what it now is; but in those days no city or town in New Zealand had a monopoly of mud.
Men possessed of town allotments in the city of Dunedin were quickly made aware of their great value. The discovery of gold not
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only added materially to the value of property; it at the same time increased and intensified the political ambition of the residents. New men also, with new ideas, gradually worked themselves into notice, and amongst these was numbered the present Sir Julius Vogel. His first appearance in New Zealand politics was in the Provincial Council of Otago, as a member of the Executive. He was far from getting all his own way whilst he filled that office, which however, he contrived to hold almost uninterruptedly for over four years. During his provincial career as a minister, he was continually haunted by no-confidence motions; but he seems to have succeeded in keeping a tolerable check on these local law-makers. A writer in a Melbourne newspaper, who had just returned to Victoria from a trip round the Middle Island, in writing down his impressions of him, says, "From what I have seen of him I should judge him to be one of the ablest men in New Zealand. The expression of his face is generally dull; but when in the heat of debate his eye flashes with all the fire of a Spaniard. He is not a great orator; but he is certainly a fluent speaker. Commencing in a monotone, which might almost be called a drawl, he warms with his subject after some time, and then woe to the man who interrupts him. A perfect master of satire, his withering sarcasm has often made his opponents writhe under it. When indulging in invective, he is clear, resonant, and loud; and when dealing with facts, about which he does not care to be precise, he lowers his voice to the old standard, and the words follow each other with the speed of electrictity. When in this humour Mr. Vogel is a very difficult man indeed to report; but when he gets hold of a subject he can grapple with he is easy to follow. It is impossible to listen to him and not be convinced that he has in him the stuff of which statesmen are made."
In the Session of 1863 or 1864, held at Auckland, he first made his appearance in the House of Representatives of New Zealand; as a rule voting with the provincial party--a recognized representative and defender of Otago's provincial interests; but invariably taking his own course in dealing with all questions provincial or colonial that came before the House. I don't think it ever occurred to him to follow anyone. A strong man, he seemed from the first t9 prefer striking out a course for himself. He was not very favourably looked upon at the outset of his parliamentary career by those who had been long in the House, and who, perhaps unconsciously,
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were getting to regard themselves as having a vested interest in the chief seats of that august body; and thus was not very patiently listened to in his early efforts to secure a hearing. But in spite of all discouragements he succeeded in establishing a postition. It was the old story over again of Disraeli in the British House of Commons--"You refuse to listen to me now, but the day will come when you will be guided by me."
In the Session of 1865, held at Wellington, he bagan to be looked upon as ambitious of distinguishing himself, and as one bound before long to take a place in the front rank of politicians. I don't think that, up to this time, he ever could have been rightly spoken of as at the head of an organised opposition; but as a matter of fact, he was never found supporting a ministry until he himself became a minister. He had, for one not legally or officially trained, a remarkable aptitude for formulating his views, a steady persistency in urging them, and a fair success in Parliament in striving to get them adopted. I think the little inclination that the House showed in the first instance to regard him as a leading man and to utilise him, kept him up to the collar in his attempts to prove his usefulness. During this period, before he was saddled with the responsibility and labours of office, he was as busy a man as could be found among members of Parliament. He worked very hard outside as well as inside of the House; and like certain other prominent men in Parliament thought the proper time to carry on Parliamentary debates was when wise men preferred to be in their beds. Although quite a busy man, he was not above recreating himself in a legitimate way. I have often seen him thus engaged; but I have never seen him unoccupied.
When he became a minister he quickly exhibited an aptitude for the position, and showed to the world that he had practical as well as theoretical views. But strong as he soon got to be regarded, in speaking as the representative of a Government, one could not help thinking that in opposition he was more brilliant and interesting. I don't think he ever went out of his way to attack any one when he was at the head of a Ministry; but he was ready enough to face an opponent when challenged, and able enough to justify his policy.
I remember on one occasion his speaking in defence of the general policy of the Ministry, which had been criticised rather freely up and down the House, and by my friend Cracroft Wilson amongst others. He set to work in a very systematic way to reply. He had
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many objections to answer; many mists of error and misconception to dissipate. Going through the list of his opponents, sparing none big or little, he at length shot a glance at the group immediately in front of him, which included Cracroft Wilson, some others and myself, thus continuing, "And now Mr. Speaker, having as I consider paid due attention to these big fish swimming about, and causing a commotion in the parliamentary ocean, I would for a moment glance at the little fish, the small fry sporting themselves on the surface of the political pool." Talking of, and at us somewhat after this fashion in a superbly patronising way, as if he had some hopes of our some day developing into creatures of size and consequence.
In those days Julius Vogel had not attained to the fulness of his political stature and power; had indeed, to fight hard to prove to Parliament and to the country, that he was as safe a guide in matters financial and political as some of his friends took pleasure in maintaining that he was. But he had the patience essential to success; he bided his time, and got to be recognised as a power, and was substantially rewarded. I don't know that the community in which he strove hard and honestly to distinguish himself ever grudged him his reward. I think the popular feeling, in reviewing his career, was that he deserved to have succeeded, for that without political friends in high places he had by his own pluck and unaided ability made for himself a position and a reputation.
In one of his speeches during a debate of "want of confidence," when he belonged to the Fox Ministry, he said that if the honorable member who was attacking them was an "Enoch Arden" cast on a desolate island, he would quarrel with the beasts of the field, with the birds of the air, and even with the fishes of the sea; he could not be at peace." Again in speaking of an opponent who, according to him, saw mountains where there were only mole-hills, ruggedness and incompleteness, where there was in reality perfection and beauty, he compared him to Gulliver. "I have often wondered," said he, "How it was that he could see these qualities in others, until I have been reminded of 'Gulliver's Travels.'" When Gulliver was travelling in the country of the Lilliputs, those little beings were able to see, in extraordinary ruggedness, the imperfections of Gulliver's frame--imperfections which were not visible to Gulliver's own eyes; but when he travelled in the country bearing an unpronounceable name, he found that he himself was able to see, in beings deemed amongst
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their own kind to be most beautiful and free from imperfections, coarseness, furrows, and imperfections which were not visible in their own eyes. And I suppose that the honorable gentleman is so small a political creature that he is able to see in members on both sides of the House imperfections which they themselves cannot see."
It is a matter of history that Sir Julius Vogel, when he ceased to be Premier, was appointed Agent-General for New Zealand. He filled that office with ability, although at times he seemed to give occasion to the feeling that he was a little too independent for the position--was at times more in a mood to represent himself than the Ministry. It must be a little trying to a man who has once sat in Caesar's seat to behave becomingly as a subordinate.
The policy that he proclaimed, proposed, and inaugurated, was the biggest thing in finance that New Zealand had been called upon to face. The originality and boldness of it attracted and captivated a large number of people. His opponents spoke of it as speculative and sketchy. His habit of playing his own game after his own fashion, was as apparent in his recreations as in the important matter of carrying out his policy. I have heard men who often played at whist with him admit that he thoroughly understood the game, and that he had a marvellous memory; but that he played too decidedly to suit his own hand. That is perhaps not the highest conceivable form of good play; but it implied self-reliance; was his way, and he had a very strong conviction that his way was the right way. One thing more may be said in his favour, and that is, that when in playing at whist luck was against him he never lost his temper; and that neither in his politics nor in his play could he ever be accused of nursing his trumps.
When his hitherto large majority had vanished, he is credited with having said that the days of strong governments in New Zealand were at an end; that the House of Representatives had in it too large a proportion of men fitted, or who thought themselves fit for office, and who were always ready to join an opposition.
