People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 25 May 1911, Page 969

People We Hear About

The well-meaning bigots whose business in life is to detect Popery and ' Jesuitism' in all sorts of unexpected places, will be able to make capital out of an interesting fact which it is a particular pleasure to be able to put at their disposal (says the Glasgow Obserevr). The annual elections in the Press Gallery of the House of Commons have just taken place, with the following result:Mr. Gibbs Watson, of the Yorkshire Post, has been chosen chairman; Mr. W. J. Flynn, of the official reporting staff, hon. secretary; and Mr. F. O'Sullivan, of the Morning Post, hon. treasurer. These three popular and distinguished journalists all profess the Catholic faith.

Emperor Francis Joseph ascended the Austrian throne at the age of 18, and has reigned for 62 years. Despite his 80 years, he is strong and vigorous. Deriving keen enjoyment from the chase, he braves wind and rain stalking deer, and exposure has so hardened his constitution that he feels no ill effect s from the experience. He dines simply and retires early. Every document presented to him is thoroughly examined, and, no matter how complete the information may seem, additional facts are frequently required by the Emperor. :/ : > <

Mr. John Edwin Tussaud, eldest son of Mr. John- T. Tussaud, of Baker-street fame, came of age on March 31. Mr. John T. Tussaud is the eldest great-grandson of the original Madame Xissaud, who was an artist and companion to Princess Elizabeth, sister of Louis XVI. The exhibition was actually founded in Paris in 1767 by Mr. Christopher Curtius and was brought over to London by his niece, Madame Tussaud, in the spring of 1802. Young Mr. Tussaud, who is an artist of no mean attainments, will, i* s hoped, carry on the family traditions. The Tussauds are Catholics. Jvfi?

Mr. T. W. Russell, Vice-president of the Department of Agriculture of Ireland, had been for a long period the Parliamentary agent of the Irish Temperance Party, van it is interesting to note that in the struggle for reform which culminated in the passing of the _ Irish Sunday Closing Bill in 1877 he had the support of the late Tv;sh leader, Mr. Parnell, in connection with which Mr. Russell relates a striking incident. After the. Bill was carried the Irish leader, came over to Mr. Russell in the Lobby and said to him, ' Now we are done with liquor. The next fight must be on the land.' ' Mr. Parnell, it will take an earthquake to upset the Irish land system,' replied Mr. Russell. Very well,' said the Irish "leader, after? a pause, ' earthquake be it.' The Land League was formed in the following year. ' Mr. Russell has been described as a Lowland Scot inspired by an Irishman, which is another way of saying that in reality there is not a drop of Irish blood in his body. He was born in Cuper, Fife, according to the usual formula, of poor but honest parents, and had a hard struggle to raise himself from his humble surroundings. Early in his career he crossed over to Ireland, and settled at Donaghmore, where he founded i a Young Men's Christian .Association, cultivated his great powers as a speaker, went in for Temperance agitation, and in that way got out of commerce into public life. Most people had a vague nation that Sir Robert Hart had definitely retired from the Chinese Customs a couple of years ago, but like distinguished prima donnas, -who make several ' last appearances," he has again "' retired * permanently, we presume. This distinguished Irishman has resided in China almost continuously for 57 years, and he has probably had the most remarkable career of any administrator in the world. Sir Robert Hart is laden with titles and dignities conferred on him by England France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Holland, Portugal, an,d Austria; while of Chinese honors he holds the Red. Button, the Double Dragon, the Peacock's Feather, the Order of the Rising Sun; he is Guardian of the Heir-Apparent, and his ancestors have been: ennobled for three generations back. A native of the North of Ireland, he went out to China as an interpreter in the British Consular service when he was 18 vears old, and has spent only three holidays since—a total of about two vears. When only 28 years old he passed into the service of tho Chinese Government as Inspector-General of Maritime Customs. That organisation 'was in a bad state at the time, but, step by step, with the patience and: perseverance which is so marked a characteristic of the Chinese people among whom he has dwelt so long, he built it up so that it has become the equal of any Government Department in Europe. The Chinese appear to have seen that they had got a man in a thousand. They not. only gave Sir Robert a free hand, but they placed 'a trust in him unknown in any other country. It proves the sterling qualities of the Chinese as well as of Sir Robert that the entire cost of running the Customs Department was handed over to him to disburse practically as he chose.