REMINISCENCES OF MR T. P. O’CONNOR, M.P.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20704, 30 April 1929, Page 3

REMINISCENCES OF MR T. P. O’CONNOR, M.P.

MEMORIES OF “ THE FATHER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.” Eights of Publication Secured by the Otago Doily Times. VOLUME I. CHAPTER VII. The year 1881 was a marvellous year for the young and small Irish Party. It did very remarkable things at subsequent times in later epochs, but that year will always retain its position ns the highwater mark which they, or any other small party, coqjd reach in resolution, in tenacity, and in success. As will be seen in most of the divisions, the Irish minority varied from 20 to 27; it rarely got to 30. They were practically deserted by the so-called Home Rulers on the Ministerial side, led by Mr Shaw. They got an occasional vote and speech from tbe small group of Radicals in the Ministerial party; Mt virtually, and especially as passion grew more intense and their unpopularity reached something like frenzy, these English auxiliaries were swept away from them, and they could count on, ns a rule, only 20 members for active work. Yet even this small, insignificant group were able to hold up an assembly consisting of 615 members, virtually united to a man against them, to thwart all the plans of a Ministry led by the greatest parliamentarian in the history, of the House of Commons, backed by a majority of 100, increased at vital moments by .nil or nearly every member of the Tory Opposition. It\ was a fight of 20 men against 615. Parnell at this time was in full possession of that inexhaustible energy, that tireless industry, and those steady nerves which were the characteristic features' of his earlier years as a politician. In order to be nearer the scene of incessant action in the House of Commons, he took a room in the Westminster Palace Hotel, as I did, and he was in his place as steadily throughout the long day and night sittings as any member of our party. His mind was still uncorrupted by the sense of dictatorial power, and he assumed none of the airs of leadership. He sat even in an inconspicuous seat. I may say here that I was convinced, from my first days in the House of Commons, that the leadership of Parnell was the centre-stone in the arch of our fortunes, that I regarded every attempt to displace or overthrow him as a dagger aimed at the heart of Ireland, that I used every power and influence I possessed as a writer in newspapers to exalt him, and that I was only too ready to regard with suspicion anybody whom I could think of as an enemy or a possible rival. I confess that sometimes I made mistakes and misunderstood men. The bitter quarrel which parted for a season Michael Davitt and myself was largely due to something 1 had written which suggested that Davitt bad spoken slightingly of Parnell. Davitt was the best ami most unselfish of men, but he had his prejudices and his jealousies for the old politicians like O’Connor, Power, and others who had given Ireland years of service before Parnell was ever in the House, and he had something of the same feeling of jealousy of the man who to him, as to them, was a modern and recent upstart, 1 come now to some of the other great personalities in the mighty struggle of the session of 1881. First, I must call up the figure of Joseph Gillies Biggar. There could not have been a more typical Belfastman than Biggar. He was the son of a very successful Belfast merchant. Henry Lucy, in his days of violent vituperation, used to say that when Biggar rose to speak there was a faint smell of a kippered herring! This was a rude way of saying that Biggar was in the provision trade, I do not think kippered herrings, but rather cattle, sheep, and pigs were the things be disposed of. How a man brought? up in these circumstances could have become a violent agitator it is hard to believe. In later life, I suspect from, political rather than theological reasons, Biggar became a member of the Catholic Church. I have found this difficult to explain, except that he had the feeling that this change of religion would bring him more into accord with the sentiments of tlje people he loved. ■ For a man who had not a particle of wildness in his mind, who was essentially by nature and upbringing business-like, it seems a hard thing to say, but he certainly ifaa a fanatic. In political opinion he was fanatical enough to have joined the I enian conspiracy-—a rebel and somewhat hopeless movement, with a risk of imprisonment, and even of the scaffold. Then like so many of the Fenians, he began to have faith in the effectiveness of constitu* tional agitation. He was returned to Parliament in the election of 1874, for the county of Cavan. At no time had he the Rift of speaking. His speeches wore just like his letters, terse, direct, and business-like-great things in business life but rot good material out of which to make the eloquent and endless speeches which the members of his party were expected to deliver when our policy was that of obstruction. His physique was like his character in its extraordinary contradictions. He had a fine, well-shaped face, with regular features, a well-shaped nose, and very bright eyes; he had powerful limbs; but all this was spoilt by, a prominent hunch back. In Ireland they used to have the curious nickname of " lord ” for a hunchback, and once an Irishman (who, unfortunately, was also hunchbacked) was, Jong after Biggar’s death, recommended to a Northern constituency as “ the son —which he was not—of that great Irish parliamentarian Lord Bigcar There was something of the same contradiction in Biggar’s qualities. He was hard sometimes, and'ehowed a little arrogance when brought in contact with the poverty stricken. He was essentially ruthless. Some of these features in tbe Irishmovement have a certain faint rest-mb- 4 lance to those of the French Revolution, and, - different though they were. in upbringing and race, Biggar always suggests to me the replica of the spirit' of Marat I rather think that if Biggar, like Marat, had had the services of the guillotine at bis disposal, the lives of his political opponents would have been seriouslv in danger. He had also a great deal of the “ nearii.css of the typical Belfastman. of Scottish descent. Whenever we had to discuss the questhm of salary for a very poorly paid official. Biggar was adamant against any increase. Once we. were de'termined to make such an increase if we could, even if*it meant a long struggle. Fortunately, Just as the business came on, Biggar fell into one of those deep slumbers which occasionaly overcame him, and were tbe forerunners—though we did wot reahee it—of the midden death in which bis life unexpectedly ended. We hurried up the proceedings, and by tbe time Biggar woke the salary had been increased, and we had gone on to other matters.

At one time, owing to some trade complication,-he lost part of his capital, and he resolvedto meet these losses with n direct reduction of his expenses Belore, h$ used to dine in the House, and even there the price of his dinner was not large. Ae part of his new economy Biggar used to leave the House for an hour or so, walk _ across .Westminster bridge, and take his meal’in one of the eating houses in the somewhat sciuaJid neighbourhood of West* linster Bridge road. , Ho had violent passions, rather coarse in wieir cnoico, and on this point he was Quite unabashed* On one occasion he the unsuccessful defendant in an action for breach of promise. So little yid he feel the humiliation of the proceedin«a that he wrote a monumental letter to the great Sir Charles Russell accusing him of incompetence in the conduct of his case. It must have been the first, and was no doubt the last, time that that great counsel, of so arrogant and hot a was subjected to such an insult. What I believe happened was that Big. wished questions to o 0 put to the Plaintiff full of arose insinuations, which could scarcely be proved, against her character, and which, if asked, would have added enormously to the amount of damages awarded to her by the jury. Any other man of bis notoriety might hayo; died under the ridicule and diweeJw p < r , oceedln S ß i but Bjggar said Piimself that no man could go down who had the courage to face his enemies.” At the large dinner given on the occasion when Parr-el], was to recejve >< mg cheque tJ lf if" r d !', Big: P, ar «.^ od «P nfV I arnell had taken the cheque to say a few words. At that a large number of the ladies In the gathering left the room. Bifl-gar did not mind, and went, on his tempestuous way unmoved. ,