PROFESSOR FAWCETT.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1416, 29 August 1878, Page 3

PROFESSOR FAWCETT.

It is characteristic (says the “ World”) of a hard-headed country-bred lad that, after an education atQuoonwood College in Hampshire and King’s College, London, Mr Fawcett took his country tastes and country ways to Trinity Hall, where, although he gave evidence of great mental force, he was beet known as an athlete. Fond of rowing, cricket, and racquets, walking and riding, he yet found time to graduate as seventh Wrangler twentytwo years ago, and later was elected a Fellow of Trinity Hall. Two years after taking his degree he met with that accident which has exercised so powerful an influence over his future career. While out partridge shooting he was shot in the eyes by one of his companions, and became instantly blind —not with a partial blindness, but with absolute insensibility to light of any kind. It speaks well for the mental fibre of Mr Fawcett that no sooner had he recognised that he was hopelessly blind for life than he determined that “it should make no difference,” exespt perhaps that his career should be political rather than legal. Already entered at Lincoln’s Inn, he relinquished, after some thought, a legal career entirely, and, to the amazement of his friends, proceeded to active political work. How completely his own opinion has been justified at the expense of that of his friends is now well-known; but success could hardly have been predicted for the blind young man, who, without money, connections, or political backing of any kind, came up to town on the death of Sir Charles Napier, and, attended only by his secretary, took a committee-room, and proposed to the electors of Southwark that he should represent them in Parliament. His courage, however, made him many friends, and he only retired from the contest when Mr Lijard was brought forward. Unsuccessful in his first attempt to gain a seat in Parliament, he made a second at Cambridge, which, as well as a subsequent venture at Brighton, resulted in defeat. At the general election of 1865 ho contested Brighton again, and was then elected by a largo majority. Again beaten at Brighton in 1874, he was shortly afterwards returned for Hackney, Meanwhile he became Professor of Political Economy at the University of Cambridge, a post which he still holds.