THE NEW HOUSE OF COMMONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9010, 15 October 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE NEW HOUSE OF COMMONS.

SOME FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT THE MP.'s. -.-•*--.-. The number of new members this time is 217, of whom 102 are Liberals, 75 Conservatives, 11 Liberal Unionists, and 29 Nationalists, including one Parnellite. In 1886 the number of new member* was 140, and in 1885 no fewer than 330. CERTAINLY OLDER. Taken a3 a whole the new House of Commons is decidedly older than its predecessor. The ages range from —Mr. W. Allen (L) and Mr. T. B. Curran (N) were both born in 1870—to 90. Air. Villiers is again the Father of the House at 90, and the other veterans are Mr. Isaac Holden (85), Mr. Gladstone (82), and Mr. C. Wright (82). All four are Liberals, but Mr. Villiers is a Unionist. UNIVERSITY MEN AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. The new House can boast as large a number of University men as its predecessor—24s having been to Oxford or Cambridge, as against 243 in 1886. No fewer than 144 were once at Oxford, and 101 at Cambridge. As regards the public schools, Eton is again an easy first with 107, of whom 59 went to Oxford and 28 to Cambridge. Harrow comes next with 55, of whom 25 went to Oxford and 19 to Cambridge. Turning to other Universities, we find at} least • 13—probably more—are graduates of London ; 17 were at Trinity College, Dublin 16 at Edinburgh ; Bat Glasgow; 6 at the Catholic University, Ireland ; and 5 at both St. Andrew's and Aberdeen. Toronto and Sydney Universities have each one member, and several were educated in Paris, Berlin, and. other Continental seats of learning. A VERY MIXED MEMBERSHIP. The "finest club in the world" has a very mixed membership. More than 100 members have been called to the Bar, of whom, perhaps, 90 are hi practice. But it is impassible to tell with any accuracy whether" hon. members in this profession, or in any other, have retired or not. Some 70 are manufacturers—l 4 being concerned in the iron trade, 13 in wool, and 12 in cotton. Forty-five are set down as country gentlemen ; 40 as journalists—including newspaper proprietors, and acting on the principle "once a journalist always a journalist;' 39 are merchants; 3& bankers and financiers; 26 stockbrokers and gentlemen whose chief occupation is company - directing, but probably this is a good deal under the correct figure ; 23 are brewers or connected with that trade ; 18 are solicitors, and the same number represents the shipping interest; 14 are directly connected with coal ; a dozen are trade union officials and Labour representatives in the strict sense ; 10 are farmers ; 8 are doctors ; 7 are engineers; and a baker's dozen are retail tradesmen. The army is represented by 42, but if we added militia and volunteer officers the number would be nearly doubled ; while the nary can only boast of two members. INTERESTING MEMBERS. The new members are more interesting than has sometimes been the case formerly. For instance, taking a few haphazard, there is Mr. W. Allen, who shares with Mr. T. B. Curran the distinction of being only twentytwo ; there is the Hon. E. Blake, who had the reputation of being the finest orator in Canada, and only lately retired from the position of the leader of the Oppostion ; there is Mr. Daritt, who has now taken the oath of allegiance ; there is Mr. Coningsby Disraeli to maintain the traditions of "Dizzy;" there is flamboyant Alderman Hamond, who had contested Newcastle six times before last, month; there is Keir Hardie, who could not love Liberalism so m'ich loved he not Labour more ; there is Major Jones, who can tell the hairbreadth 'scapes in the American War ; there is Mr. He ore Josse, a Frenchman, now a naturalised British subject, whose presence at one of Sir E. Wat-kin's parties so angered Mr. Heneage; there is Mr. Naoroji, the first native of India—a Parsee into the bargain —elected to Westminster; there is J. H. Wilson, the secretary of the Sailors' and Firemen's Union ; and Sam Woods, vicepresident of the Miners' Federation, who " bossed" the great coal strike. RELIGIONS. Three English constituencies are represented by Ulster Protestants West Islington, Mr. T. Lough ; Whitehaven, Mr. T. Shepherd-Little; and Tower Hamlets (Limehouse), Mr. J. S. Wallace. Each of these is a new member and a Liberal. Mr. Pinkerton, an Ulster Unitarian, was again successful in Galway. One new English member is a Catholic, Mr. W. Smith (L), Lancashire (North Lonsdale); and Mr. D. H. Macfarlane, a co-religionist, has regained his seat in Argyllshire. Mr. Macfarlane was the first Catholic ever returned for a Scotch constituency. Dr. W. Kenny, who gained a victory in Dublin city (St. Stephen's Green), is of the same faith, although a Unionist. Mr. E. H. Biyley is a Swedenborgian. THE "FADS" OP THE NEW HOUSE. Turning now to the " fads" of the new House, we find 110 Liberals in favour of Woman's Suffrage; 112 Conservatives; 11 Liberal Unionists and 19 Nationalists, including 3 Parnellites. Thus there is a grand total of 252, as against 337 in 18S6. There are 167 Liberals (including Mr. T. P. O'Connor, but excluding other Irish representatives) understood to be in favour of disestablishment of the Church all round ; 30 others have only expressed their approval of Scotch disestablishment, and 9 of Welsh disestablishment; bub 44 others have declared their willingness to support disestablishment in Scotland and Wales, without going so far as regards the English Church. These figures are by no means exhaustive, as no account has been taken of the Liberal Unionists, as in their case there is apt (say the Liberationists) to be a discrepancy between promises and votes. Since 1886 most of the Liberals who then stood out for Local Option have been converted to the Direct Veto. In the new House are 263 Liberals favouring the Direct Veto, 10 Liberal Unionists, and 14 Conservatives. This gives a grand total of 293 as compared with 1886, when there were 172 supporters of the Direct Veto and 111 of Local Option. Of the 14 Conservatives 10 are Irish. The other four are:—Messrs. A. J. Balfour, A. G. Murray, H. Seton-Karr, and M. J. Stewart. Mr. Curzon is pledged to Local Option and Sunday Closing. Not a single Nationalist seems pledged to the Direct Veto. Messrs. J. Austin, S. Evershed, H. E. Hoare, J. Stansfeld, and S. Whitbread —all Liberal brewersapprove tho Direct Veto.