OBITUARY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2521, 20 April 1881, Page 2

OBITUARY.

EARL BEACONSFIELD. Earl Beaconsfield, (the Right Hon. Benjamin Disraeli, K.G.), and eldest son of the late Isaac D’lsraeli Esq., of Bradenham, Bucks, was born in London, Dec. 21, 1804, and early evinced a taste for literature, publishing his first novel “ Vivian Grey,” a work of great brilliancy and power, when a boy of 18. In 1826 the young antlior became connected with a paper started in the Tory interest, called the “ Representative.” This journal was not destined to a long career, but it lived long enough to give a political bias to the mind of the future statesman. He now resumed the pen of the novelist, and for a number of years continued to delight and astonish the world ot letters, with his imaginative writings .in which, while politics were always more or less prominent, there was a sufficiently strong leavening of fiction to render them acceptable to the novel reader. After some rather disheartening political experiences, Mr Disraeli, as he then w as, was returned for Maidstone in 1837 in the Conservative interest. His first speech in the House was an utter failure and it was on this occasion that he made use of the prophetic words with reference to himself which have since become famous—" I have begun several things, many times, and have often succeeded at last. I shall sit down now ; but the time will come when you will be glad to hear me.” The speech was received with derisive cheers, but words were more than fulfilled ; the time came when he was listened to with the greatest eagerness and when his word became all powerful. By 1841 he was a recognised political leader and between that year and 1846 his attacks upon Sir Robert Peel and his free trade policy were as brilliant as they were frequent. Disraeli was then member for Shrewsbury, and in 1847 became member from Buckinghamshire. In 1848 Lord George Bentinck died, and he became leader of the old Tory or Protectionist party in the House of Commons. In 1852 he became Chancellor of the Exchequer under LoJd Derby, but in the same year that administration fell upon the question of his own budget. In 1858 Lord Derby once more assumed the reins, and Mr Disraeli was again appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer which office he held a little more than a year, holding it once more under Derby’s third administration however, and on that nobleman’s resignation in 1868, he was appointed Prime Minister of England. Mr Disraeli was elevated to the peerage by the title of the Earl of Beaconsfield August 16, 1876‘ Together with the office of First Lord of the Treasury, he held that of Lord President of the Council from August, 1876, till February. He married in 1839, Mare Anne, only daughter of the late John Evans, Esq., of Branceford Park, Devon, and widow of Wyndham Lewis, Esq., M.P. In acknowledgement of her husband’s official services, Mrs Disraeli was raised to the peerage of the United Kingdom as Vis-countess Beaconsfield, in 1868. She died December 16, 1872, aged 83. The Earl produced his political novel “Lothair ” in 1870 ; his last novel (published quite recently) being “ Endymion,” for which Messrs Longman are said to have paid £IO,OOO.