People we Near About.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 21, 25 May 1899, Page 31

People we Near About.

The following is a list of the Presidents of the Third Republic in France, with dates of their appointments and the termination of tlvir Presidential careers :—l.: — 1. M. Thiers, August 21, 1871 ; resigned 3^jj 1873. 2. Marshall MacMahon, May 24, 1873 ; resigned JaR-ary, 1879. 3. M. Grevy, January 30, 1879 ; resigned December' 2,/ 1887. 4. M. Carnot, December 3, 1887; assassinated June 25, t894. 5. M. Casimir-Perier, June 27, 1894 ; resigned January 16, 1895. 6. M. Felix Faure, January 17, 1895 ; died February 16, 1899. Some time ago King Oscar, of Sweden and Norway, after 25 year of an unpleasant experience as ruler of these two countries, grew weary of the task, and, as he was 70 years of age, he decided to retire from the throne provisionally. His son, Prince G-ustave, was called upon to act as Regent. King Oscar is a statesman and a scholar, but he never could win the respect and confidence of the Norwegians, who regagded him merely as the King of the Swedes. They have the same trouble with the dual monarchy in the north that used to exist in Austro-Hungary. M. Emilie Loubet, the new President of the French Republic, is a native of the Rhine Valley South-eastern France, and a lawyer by profession. He was a member of the Chamber of Deputies, then a Senator. He became a Cabinet Minister in 1888, and Prime Minister in 1889. His Ministry collapsed over the Panama scandal. Afterwards he became President of the Senate. He is not a man of great ability or striking appearance, but he possesses good powers of administration, and has support from all parties for his moderation. He holds that the Dreyfus case should be revised, and that the civil order should prevail over the military in times of peace. In connection with the impending retirement of Sir James Prendergast from the Chief Justiceship of New Zealand, it is worthy of note that he is with the one exception of Sir H. de Villiers, of Cape Colony, the senior Chief Justice in the British Empire. The Hon. S. J. Way, who was appointed Chief Justice of South Australia in March, 1876, comes next to Sir James Prendergast in this respect. Sir James Prendergast is one of four notable examples of long service on the Judicial Bench of this Colony. Mr. Justice Williams was appointed a puisne judge on the 3rd March, 1875, less than a month previously. The late Mr. Justice Johnston was on the bench for thirty years, and the late Mr. Justice Richmond for thirty-three years. Sir James Prendergast, Chief Justice of New Zealand, has tendered his resignation, having occupied a seat on the Supreme Court Bench since 1875. Sir James Prendergast, 8.A., second son of the late Mr. Michael Prendergast, Q.C., by his marriage with Caroline, sister of the late Mr. George Dance, R.A., was born in 1828, and educated at St. Paul's School and at Queen's College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1849. He entered as a 6tudent of the Middle Temple in May, 1849. and was called to the Bar in April, 1856. Having practised in England for a time as a special pleader, he emigrated to Otago, and was admitted to the New Zealand Bar in 1862. In 1865 he wa* appointed to the office of nonpolitical Attorney-genery, l ., which he h«-M till 1875. In that year he he became Chief Justice. Sir Javn •*, dirir.g the abs-uce of the Governor, has several tie» ' e»- «i(imir>inr.orecl the government of the colony. He was created KuijrV.t Bauhelor in Novaoiber, 1881. The popular mind (says Cans IV* Journal) is not quite sure about the nationality of that consummate vocalist and deservedly popular favourite, Signor Foli. His real name is Allen Jarm-.s Foley," and he is an Irishman, born at Cahir, County Tipperary. In the singing profession and elsewhere he is very often called ' Jack.' The tiuth is that the Italians ' billed ' him Giacomo (Jame^t) Foli for Foley, and ' Giac ' he has always remained. Originally intended for an architect, the future great bass took to singing, with the result which the world knows. He has sung in every quarter of the globe, his first appearance in London being at Her Majesty's Opera under the late Mr. Mapleson. The Emperor Alexander of

Russia once presented him with a fine emerald ring, set with, diamonds ; and another valued memento of Moscow .owned by him is a turquoise nearly as large as a cob-nut, which Signor Foli secured in the ' thieves' quarter ' for a mere trifle. Signor Foli was in New Zealand a few years ago. The chief amusement of the great dramatic bass is fishing for trout and salmon. He is, however, an adept at the lathe. Signor Foli carries permanently a badge of wrong-doing in the shape of a soar on his chin, which was occasioned by an unnecessary fall when once engaged in stealing apples as a boy. He is a good hand at whist, but does not smoke.

General Elwell Stephen Otis, Commander of the American forces in Manila, who has recently defeated the Filipinos under Aguinaldo, is a man who received his first training as a soldier under two worthy Irishmen — Colonel Patrick H. O'Rorke and Major George Ryan, of the 140 th Regiment of New York Infantry. O'Rorke had a presentiment that he would be killed at Gettysburg, and he was. Just as the 140 th reached Little Round Top, only a few minutes before the confederates under General M'Laws, he was struck by a bullet, and fell dead in the arms of Otis. Ryan was killed at Spotsylvannia and Otis then became Colonel of the 140 th. He was wounded at Petersburg, and after the war he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the 23nd Regulars. He served against the Indians under Ouster, Crook, and Terry, and in 1893 was ordered to take command of the Columbia and Washington Territory Division as Brigadier-General. Later on he vs as in charge of the Western section as General, having his headquarters in Colorado. Thence he was sent to the Philippines. General Otis is a native of Maryland. He is a lawyer by profession, and is author of a work on the « Indian Question.' General Otis is a modest, quiet, unostentatious but cultured gentleman, but with wonderful activity and energy in action. He is a man likely to rule the Filipinos with forbearance bat effectively. His long experience with the Indians and cowboys has fitted him to deal with semi-savage people like the Filipinos.