People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXVI, Issue 19, 14 May 1908, Page 28

People We Hear About

Anglican Bishop of Llmlick, and "a S, of IS K2 iS'. AuiStralla sa y s the Adelaide 'Southern 2f >• 1 H + e an earnest protectianist, and has SKth «JS help forward the cause in the Commonwealth. Both Mr. Hoare and his wife are devout Cathotacs, and are much interested in the work of X archdiocese ot Melbourne. Three of his daughters are in bfH&d'Sr h ti S e p^o^ * cUter at M - ly to

The Rev. Dr. Kolbe, the talented' editor of our k! nf nCa S contemporary, 'The Catholic Magazine,' is a niany T si|tled man, for besides his editorial ajur hi£n% W A° rk " h J V* 68 - a great ' interest in nartSd SI 0 !'- A n g °u d , story 1S told of hlls first visit to the Iranskei. Dr. Koloe on nis way to Kokstad was deeply interested m a fine specimen of a spider, and for a lime was lost to mundane affairs. An old man "was standing behind the doctor's chair, whilst our naturalist was examining his specimen through a powerful microscope At last the old chap could stand it no longer • he shook his head and exclaimed : ' What a pity to see a grand man like that so far gone 'in the head but glory be to God he seems quite harmless ! '

Sir Nicholas O'Conor, British Ambassador at Constantinople, whose death was recently reported by cable, was a descendant of the last Xin X of Ireland Koderic O'Conor. sir Nicholas was educated at Stonyhurst, and had a most distinguished career in the diplomatic Service. ' Though naturally amiable and poute, Sir Nicholas ' (says the ' Tiires ' biographer) did not -Belong to wh a t has been called the oily school of diplomacy ; on the contrary, in manner he was direct amd straightforward almost to bluntness, and when he held strong views on any subject he usually diet not seek to conceal them. In harmony with this trait of character, and with the unceremoniousness which is not infrequently to be met with in the best class of Irishmen, was a tendency to neglect the minutiae of ceremoiAal. On one or two occasions in nds official life this tendency gave momentary dissatisfaction in certain quarters, but it never affected injuriously the public interests or Ms own career. Among his colleagues and in general society he was extremely popular, and among those who had opportunities of knowing his private character and his official activity he was universally and justly respected. At his death Sir Nicholas was in Ms sixty-fifth year.

It looks as if the long-expected resignation of Sir Antony McDonnell, as Under-Secretary for Ireland, has at last come to pass. He is to be called to the House of Lords. Sir Antony was born in 1844, and entered the Indian Civil Service in 1805. He had a brilliant career in India, rising to be a member of the Council of the Viceroy of India and Lieutenant-Gov-ernor of the North-West Provinces. His statue stands in Lucknow. In 1902 he was ' lent ' to the Irish Department through Lord Lansdowne, who, as an exViceroy of India, knew of Ms ability. Sir Antony was an ay.owed Home Ruler, and his selection by a Unionist Government -was naturally much commented upon-i It came out subsequently that the correspondence relating to his appointment was in cipher. 'In. 1905 Sir Edward Carson, known as ' Coercion Carson,' Solicitor-General for Ireland, discovered that the Government, or at least Mr. Wyndbam, the Irish Secretary,, was coquetting with devolution. Sir Edward, being a very militant Unionist, raised strong objections, and as a result of his action, Mr. Wyndham resigned, .taking all the responsibility on himself. Sir Antony remiained at the Irish Office, to everyone's surprise, and' it was suggested that he had some hold over the Government. . , ( i .jil II i