The Daily News. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1903. A FAMOUS IRISHMAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 41, 16 February 1903, Page 2

The Daily News. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1903. A FAMOUS IRISHMAN.

It is a remarkable fact tha*", notwithstanding the continued agitation and unrest in Ireland Irishmen, have held the foremost place amongst the Empire builders of our glorious country. Amongst tho greatest of tha many gr*at Irishmen who havo dona splendid and leyal Eervica in < he coloni- s is the late Sir Ohirles Gavan Duffy, whose death wes reported during the past week. Sir Charles Duffy did such good service in the neighbouring colony of Victoria that (he following particularsof h ; s career will be read with iateivs*. " Tho Hon. Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, K.C.MG., was born in Monaghan in 1816, descended of a native family which produced eminent scholars and (c-lefias-ic--. In his twentieth year Mr Dutiy became cub-editor of tho Dublin Morning liegister," and a Utile later editor of an iijuential j ur.ml in Belfast. H? returned to Dublin in 1842, arid established tho Nation, in conjunction with Tr.omas Davisand John Dillon. A remarkable lifrra'ure sp.- ng up in connectioa with the A'alion, 010 of Mr Duffy's contributions to which, the 'Ballad Poe'ry of Ireland,' has run through fotty edit : ens. In 1844 Mr Duffy was tried and convicted of sedition along with O'Oonnell. The conviction, however, was set uside, on appeal, by. the House of Lr.rds. In 1846 O'Connell quarrelled with the Young Irish party, and they established I he Irish Confederation, of which Mr Dußy was one of t l e fonnde s. He was tried with the other leaders of that body for treason-felony in 1848, but i.fier four indictments it weß found impossible to secure a conviction. He then revived the Nation, which had been suppressed, and opposed S-r Thomis Redington, UnderSecretary for Ireland in the Gowrnment which had prosecuted him, and defeated that gentleman at New Cess, for which borough Mr Duffy was elected member in July. 1852. Mr Duffy had beba called to the Bar in 1816, but he practiced for only a short period. He was one of the founders of the Tenant League ; and in connection with Fred- rick Lucas and George Henry Moore, founder of the Independent Irish party in the House of Commons, which fprang out of the Lecgue. The defection of a larg*section of that party induced him to resign his seat in Pailiement in 1856, whea ha emigrated to Austr-lii. H < practised for some time at the Bar in Melbourne, nut was finally drawn back to p li'ics, and in 1857 becime Minister of Public Works in tho first Administration under responsible g iVrrrment in Victoria, In the Bsme year he was chairman of a Select ComuiitUe iu the Legislature to procure the federation of tha Australian co'onks, and at a liter period chairman of a Roy.iljCfmmissioa for the sain* purpose, and author of tho r. ports of thesy bodies In 1858 he became Minis'er tf Lands, which office he again in a third Administration in 1862. After a vinii of t vo years to Europe he re-entewd Parliament in Victu-ia, snd became Prime Minister iu 1871. While ho h-ld thh, oltiee ho w'ar, chairman of a confereiic of all the AusLraii'tn Govarurn nts f.o procure ie:-»ain enlarg ments of their pawtre, which lis since been conceded by the lmp:ria! Parliament. In the following yenr ho resigned office, and iu 1870 was knighted. On his return to tho colony in 1876,! . ("'or to yeai'3 ( absenca in Europe, hoi wins eaojjijn. a member of the Legis-

lative Afsembly on the first Vacancy occurring; uni on the meeting of a now Parliament in May, 1877, he wa<! unanimously elected Spsaker of the Legislative Aseernuly. I n the same year be was created a Knight Comnundeaof the Order of SB. Michael and George. Sir Gavan Duffy was | chairman of the trustee* of the National Gallery of Victoria, and had takoa an active share in projects for encouraging art literaturp, and industrial eatepiisa in that new oouatry. I He returned to Europe in 1880, and hadsiuci published 'Young Ireland : A Fragment of Irish History, 1840-50,' London 1880; and 'Four Years of Irish History, 1845-1849,' publish* d in 1883, being a s quel to "Young Irelaud'; and in 1892 ' Conversations with Oarlyle,' which had a remarkable success. He also published "The Leagues of North and South, a ' Life of Thomas Davis,' and a ' Bird's eye View of IrisbJEListory.' He wrote on colonial and Irish questions in the 'Contemporary Review,' 'Nineteenth Century,' and ' National Review.' In 1891 he became President of tbe newly founded Irish Literary Society (London), and delivered its inaugural address. Sinca that period he has resided chiefly in Nice, In January, 1898, ho published his memoirs in two volumes. Tha first edition was s?ld in a month, and the ciitical Press in London, Dublin, and the provinces rec rived it with great favour, and American and Aus ralian editions have Ben welcomed by leading journals in boh countries. Up to rectntly his health rtrnvned uiiimpured, and he was able. I to cuiry oii lrensry work.