SIXTY YEARS' MEMOIRS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20229, 13 April 1929, Page 8

SIXTY YEARS' MEMOIRS.

T. P. O'CONNOR'S CAREER, " FATHER OF TH£ COMMONS.'! PUBLICATION IN THE HERALD. The memoirs of l.he "Father of the House of Commons," Mr. T. P. O'Connor, will be published serially by the Nsw Zealand Herald, commencing on Monday next, April 15. "T.P.," as he is familiarly known, entered the great field of London journalism almost 60 years ago. He was first elected to Parliament in 1830 as member for Galway, and he has been there ever since, though since 1885, when ho was returned for both Gahvay and the Scotland Division of Liverpool, he ha:; represented the English constituency. has had an unbroken experience of the House of Commons for 49 years, lie is now in hir, 81st; year. Mr. O'Connor's has been a remarkable record of a remarkable man. It has been said of him that he is more of a journalise than a politician. The fact is that journalism was his choice. He might, harfl seized opportunities of taking Cabinet rank but he remained a rank and file member and a busy journalist. But to class Mr, O'Connor as a "rank and file" member is to do his political importance less than justice. In Parliament he occupies a singular position. He is respected by all. No party barriers can disturb his unique position or affect his popularity. A Storehouse of Knowledge. And because fliis is so, "T.P.'s"' memoirs have much mors interest than those of men of dazzling bub transitory greatness. The keen observations of such an intellectual over half a century of political and journalistic life, in London are a storehouse of unusual knowledge.Fortunately, though his memoirs have not appeared until his ciOth birthday has been celebrated—a celebration which was not forgotten by His Majesty the King—they are not too late. He retains all the vigour which mad>3 his reputation. H 9 does not write as a garrulous old man, but as a man of keen memory and true judgment. His impressions of men and thing 3 are clean cut and thoroughly characteristic. Through these memoirs pass the great figures of the decades. They live. But they do not linger too long upon stage nor is there any attempt to give more life to their "lines" than is in keeping with the task of a cairn historian. However much an Qvent —fiver ■an Irish political event—may havs s,reused the passions of Mr. O'Connor at tie time, he writes without a trace of biherness and>often with gaiety. Entry Into Journalism. Mr. O'Connor was born at Athlone in 1848, he was educated at Queen's College, Galway, and entered journalism in Dublin as a reporter on a, Conservative journal. By contrast it has been recorded that Mr. Garvin began his journalistic career, some 20 years later, as a contributor to a Fenian newspaper. Soon Mr. O'Connor was struggling, and struggling hard,-for a crust in Fleet Street. In London he knew dire poverty for years. But his talent had to be recognised. While enduring "Grub Street" he wrote his life of Disraeli. It appeared during the struggle . between Disraeli and Gladstone, and as it was an indictment of the former, attracted such notice that the author was offered the Galway seat by Parnell. Probably no living man capacity and the knowledge to write memoirs of the nature and scope of those of Mr. 0 Connor, the serial rights of which the New Zealand Herald has secured.