IN DAYS THAT HAVE GONE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15142, 13 May 1911, Page 4

IN DAYS THAT HAVE GONE.

THE WEEK'S ANNIVERSARIES. May 14.—Battle- of Lewes, 1264. Sydney Mint established, 1855. Edward Fitzgerald died, 1883. Royal Commission oil conduct, of London police appointed, 1906. May 15— Foundation stone of first; Sydney Government House laid, 1788. Sir George Grey appointed Governor of South Australia, 1841. Daniel O'Connell died, 184-7. Raihvaymen's strike in Victoria ended, IEO 3. First Imperial Conference closed, ISO 7. May 16.—Bishop Butler born, 1692. Battle of Albuera, 1811. Mrs F. D. Hcmans died, 1835. Mr Chamberlain's first Protection speech, 1903. May 17.—Dr Jenner born, 1749. Revised Version New Testament published, 1881. Alphonso XIII of Spain born, 1886. Mafeking relieved, 19C0. May 18. Murder of Edward the Martyr. 978. Warren Hastings born, 1733. Napoleon I proclaimed Emperor of the French, 1804. Czar of Russia born, 1868. Meredith died, 1909. May 19.—Commonwealth declared under Cromwell, 1649. Boswell didd, 1795, Nathaniel Hawthoriro died, 1864. Gladstone died, 1898. May 20.—Coluimbus died, 1506. Mecklenburg declaration of independenoo, 1775. Gold discovered at Gabriel's Gully, 1861. King Edward VII buried, 1910. During tho reign of Henry 111 occurred the great strugglo between the King and tho barons The.wholesale invasion 1 of England by friends of Henry's French wife Tileanor, and _ the corrupt government of tho King precipitated tho crisis. Tho barons, under Simon do Montfort, confronted tha Royalist forces at Lewes. The result was a great victory for the barons. Hon 17 was captured and his son Edward surrendered shortly afterwards. One of the results of this battle was the decision that a council should be called to help the King in the government of the country. This led to tho first Parliament being formed.

Daniel O'Connell, tho celebrated Irish barrister and agitator, was born in the County of Kerry in August, 1775. He was educated at Roman Catholic schools in Ireland- and in France, and 'by the time he was 25 he had become one of the .most promising and energetic of Catholic leaders. lie devoted his singular abilities with great vigour to the causo of Catholic emancipation. In 1828 he was elected to the House of Commons, though he could not- take his seat, and in the following year tho claim for emancipation was granted, the Duke of Wellington declaring that he must either grant, it or risk a civil war. O'Connell attained a position of great eminence in the House of Commons: as a debater he stcod in tho very first rank, though ho had entered St. Stephens after he was 50; a-nd Iris oratory, massive and strong in argument, although too often scurrilous and coarse, and marred by a tearing in which cringing (lattery and rude bullying were strangely blended, made a powerful if not pleasing' impression. In 1847 lie set out on a visit to Italy, intending to proceed' to Rome, but he only reached Genoa, where ho died on May 15 of that year

Early iir May, 1903, a. very serious disorganisation of the Victorian railway servico took place owing to the railway employees refusing to accede to the Government's ultimatum to 6ccedo from the Trades Hall. Tlio hastily-organised strike service' failed to prevent very serious inooiTvenicnce and loss throughout tho State. Parliament was summoned to pass special legislation, and: 011 May 15 tho settlement of the strike was arranged at a conferenoo between the Prime Minister (Mr Irvine), the Minister of Kailways, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Labour party, Mr Duffy, Sir John Madden, and the president and secretary of tho Engine-drivers' Association. The men made an unconditional acceptance of tho Government's terms and declared tho strike off.

During the Peninsular war, while Badajoz was being besieged by the Euglish, a French anmy, under Marshal Soult, was sent to its relief. Beresford, the British general, who had-with him only 7000 English troops and unreliable Spaniards, took up a- strong position on heights protected in front by the Album River. Soult attacked with great vigour, but tho bravery of the English regiments decided the contest in favour of Beresford, and Soult was compelled to march away and abandon all hopes of relieving Badajoz. Tho loss on both sides w-fls very heavy.

Edward Jenner, an English physician of the eighteenth century, owes his cclebrity to his having introduced the practice of vaccination as a preventivo of smallpox. The diploma constituting him Doctor of Medicine was, presented' to Jenner as a tribute to his talents by the University of Oxford. In 1802 a parliamentary grant of £10,000 was made to him, and five years later ho received a second grant of £20,000. 110 died of apoplexy in 1823.

Tho relief of Mafeking caused a wilder joy in England than any other event of tho Boer war. There had been painful anxiety 011 account of tho besieged in that rcmoto town in tho far corner of Bcehuanaland, so far from help and so stoutly defended for seven weary montlis by a. very email foroe. A flying column of mounted roan under Colonel Mahon started from Kimberley on May 4, 1900. On tho 15th, when 20 miles west of Mafeking, they wero joined by anothor detachment undcT Colonel Plunier. Tho two advanoed on the works of the besiegers, drove them out by hard fighting, and entered tho town on May 18. Meantime anothor column undor General Hunter had been securing and opening the railway to bring up tho sorelylieoded supplies for tho famished and wornout garrison and people of tho to™. Tlv> (fefencc of Mafeking was ono of the finest performances of tho war, and gavo distinction to Colonel Baden-Powell, who led tho defenders.

In March, 1804, tho Due d'Englien was seized by Napoleon's orders and shot and buried in a moat on a, charge of having bonio arms against the Republic. This affair led immediately to the thought ot giving heredity to Napoleon's power. To propitiate the army ho chose from the titles suggested to him that of Emperor. Except obtaining tho regal titlo no attempt was made to conoea.l tho abolition of republicanism. Tho change was made by tho constituent power of tho State, and the Senatus-consulto is dated May 18, 1804. In thio following' December Napoleon was crowned by the Pope—or, to bo exact, he crowned himself in tho presenco of tie Pope—in tho ancient cathedral of Notre Dame.

William Evvairt Gladstone, tho most prominent English statesman of tho latter part of last century, was bom in Liverpool on December 29, 1809. Ho was educated at Eton and Oxford, and first entered Parliament in 1832 as Tory member for New-' ark. His political opinions changed in after years, and he became the famous leader of the Liberal party. Mr Gladstone held office as Primo Minister on four occa-sions-in 1868, 1680, 1886. and 1892. Apart from his; funic as a. statesman Mr Gladstone has left behind him a groat reputation as a writer, especially on Homeric studios and l theological subjects. 110 diet] at his home at Hawarden 011 Jlay 19, 1898. His physical vigour in ok! a-ae'earncd him tho popular nickname of tho Grand Old Man. Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa in 1437, and from his earliest 1 years lie evinced a strong paesion for gcosraphi'cal ktiowlcdoe. He first crossed the Atlantic in 1492. when lie discovered tho West. Indies. TTe did not. visit the mainland of America till 1498. In 1504 ho arrived in Spain sick and exhausted. Th« death of his constant friend, the Qneon of Snain, soon followed; and after two yeaii? of illness, humiliations, and despondent Columbus died at Valkdolid on Jlay 20, IEfIS. His remains were transported, according to his will, to tho cilv of .Mr. Domingo, but. on tho cession of Hispaniol.i to the French th< v v were removed with great, pomp in 1796, to the cathedra.! of ITavannah, in Cuba. ITis conduct. wni> characterised by the grandeur of his views, and tho magnanimity of his spirit. He was pre-eminently fitted for the task h« erea.te'l for himself. Throncrli deceit and opprobrium and disrkin he nuslicd on toward' the eonsmnmiation of his desire, and when the hour for action camo tho man was not found want.in.c.