THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1912. "LABBY."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10531, 18 January 1912, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1912. "LABBY."

Death lias removed from the terrestrial sphere one of the- most remarkable personalities' m> modem history, in the person of Mr Henry Labouchere, the editor of London ''Truth." The famous journalist, who had (reached the ripe age of eighty-one years, entered the diplomatic service in 185-1. In 1865 he entered Barlia'moiiit as Liberal member for Windsor, but in April, 1866, he was un- , seated on petition, and from 1867 to ! 1868 sat for Middlesex. In Fehru-1 :wy, 1874, he unsuccessfully contested I Nottingham, but in 1880 was returned at the head of the poll for Northampton, aii/d afterwards sat for that borough, his fellow member for some years being the late diaries Bradiiaugh. Mir Lahouehere was subsequently returned as a strong Gladstone Liberal, and was one of the •most energetic supporters of Mir Gladstone. He expected, if not office in the Gladstoiiiian Government, the offer of a post, which he would have been proud to decline. That he was passed over he attributed—we believe' wrongly—to the influence of Lord ißosehery. He never disguised his antipathy to Roseheryism, and was never induced to bow the knee in that direction. He liked lords socially,

and 'catered foijthe "upper suck-f tes" iii the columns' of Truth, but he J < detested peers politically; Oin uth J March, io-io. Mr Labouohero moved a ( resolution in the House of Common; conatnining the hereditary principle. This was resisted by Mr Gladstone, then. Prime Minister, on the ground j that he had never supported an abstract resolution unless he was prepared to follow it up by action, and that the time for this had not arrived. On- a divisdoii the motion was negatived by 202 votes against 166. On. 9th March, 188S, Mr Labouchere again moved his resolution in the House of Commons, which was again defeated. In the session of 1894 he moved an amendment to the Addrees condemning the ; hereditary principle, which was carried by 117 to 1-15. The Government, however, holding that this was not the way in which a great question should be raised, withdrew the Address, and carrier] another without the insertion. Had| this Bill become law. it would have had the effect of putting an end to the existence of a hereditary Bou«e of Lords. In March, 1894, Mr Labouchere was conspicuous in his opposition to Lord Kosebery being appointed Premier. He headed a "cave" of some twenty members Who were understood to have been in favour of Sir William Harcourt's Premiership, but he eventually withdrew I his opposition. He sat on the Jameson Raid Royal Commission, and the extreme pertinence of his question* was not a little- perplexing to the Rhodesian party. For many .years Mr Labouchere was proprietor and editor of the Daily News. He married in IS6B Henrietta, daughter, of James Hodson, Dublin.. Mr La-bou-chere was an omnivorous reader, and of abstemious habits. He dressed so badly that Sir Charles Russell once accused him of doing so in order to reduce the damages in an action for libel, and he would, if possible, order iiis boots by the score from the .mach-ine-made boot shop..' in his beloved Northampton. Maiiy amusing stories are told of'him. When.!:- 1 was in the fate Queen Victoria's diplomatic service (he was then twenty-nine years of age) he failed to put in an appearance at Constantinople at the appointed time, and formal inquiry was made as to the reason for the delay. In due course a letter arrived at the Foreign Office, stating that, as adequate provision had not been made for liis travelling expenses, and that as his private means were limited, the Attache was. walking, and would in due course reach the shores of the •Bosphorus. On another; occasion, when the same young/gentleman was istatipiied.at "WaiTjiugtoh,"an- aggre> siveQy irate countryman called and demanded to "see'the British' MiiiisIter. -y'jNjot here! . Then L shall'; Wait till he 'comes:" "Very plied the Attache, "pray' take a chair." The visitor waited and waited'. "Was the Minister likely to be in in another hou'r?" "I think not,"' replied the. imperturbable Attache. iblandly. fact is he sailed for Europe on Wednesday, and can hard-; ly yet have reached Queenstow-n. But, i ycr. know, you said you would wait ( •til* ho came in,, so t offered you a ) chair."