People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 9 August 1906, Page 28

People We Hear About

The death is reported of Mr. J. L. Toole, the famous comedian, who paid a visit to New Zealand about sixteen years ago. Mr. T. St. John GafTney, a distinguished Limerickman who fills the position of U.S. Consul-General at Dresden, was on a visit to his native land during June, lie was touring through the country on a motor-car. \ery Rev. Basil Maturin, who preached recently in M. Saviour's Church, Dublin, in aid of St. Vincent's l'emale Orphanage, won a high reputation as a pulpit orator long befoie he left the Church of England. He is a member of a French Protestant family which settled in Dublin a couple of centuries ago, and his grandfather, Charles Robert Maturin, attained celebrity as a preacher, poet, dramatist, and novelist. Father Maturin was born in Giangegornaan, of which parish his lather was rector. The Prince and Princess of Wales' carriage in the .Spanish marriage piocession was four ahead of that of the King and Queen of Spain. It was noticed that the explosion did not in the slightest degree disturb the equanimity of the Prince or Princess, both of whom continued to bow and smile at the crowds on either side with the utmost sang-froid, as though nothing had happened. This exhibition of English phlegm greatly impressed the Spaniards. It turned out, however that the Prince and Princess of Wales were in entire and happy ignorance of what had happened, and imagined that the bomb was some form of Spanish Royal salute ; of course, they novel looked behind or noticed the confusion. They heard of the attempt only on their arrival at the Royal Palace, and learned at the same time of the fortunate escape of the King and Queen. & The Marquis of Bute, who wedded' last year the daughter of Sir Ilemy Belhngham, and his brother Lord Mman Stuart, who was married on ;June 16 to Miss I reston, the daughter of Viscount bormanston, have both strange to say, chosen wives from Irish iannlies who weie prominently associated with the struggle of the Stuart dynasty against William 111. in Ireland. Sir Hem y Bellingham is the descendant of the Major Bellingham who entertained William 111. at luncheon at Castle Bellingham and to whom ' the deliverergave the little casket of wine flagons which is still preserved as an heirloom in the family. Loid Gonnanston s ancestor, on the contraiy, fought and died in the cause of James 11. The seventh Viscount Gormanston fought for James 11. at the Battle of the Boyne and subsequently died of a malignant fever during the siep;e of Limerick. The title, which was forfeited was cent J e , stored liU ls00) aftl>r lhe la P se of upwards of a Sir Joseph Ward, the new Premier of this Colony is almost wholly- a New Zealander, for he came here with his^ parents from Victoria, where he was born when quite a child. They settled in the Awarua disl tnct, where Sir Joseph received an elementary education until the age of thirteen, when he left school to enter the Postal Department. After a time he resigned to take a. place in a merchant's office only to leave this a few ycais later foi the Railway Department. By the time he had reached his twenty-first year he had made another change, this time setting up in business as a gram merchant. The saying that a rolling stone gathers no moss, might be applied to him at that time, but if he did not gather money he had been acquiring expeiience in two government departments ovrr which he was in after years to preside with such distinct success. About this time he was smitten with a desire to enter public life and became a member of the Campbelltown Borough Council later on occupying the mayoral chair for a period of five years. For many years he was a member of the Bluff Harbor Board, and was chairman of that body for four years. It is nineteen years since he fust entered Parliament as member for Awarua, and was' there only three years when he rose to the position of Cabinet Minister -a record in its way. On the death of the then Premier, Mr. Bal lance, in 18!>3, he became Colonial Treasurer. His political career since then is well known In 1899 he became Postmaster-General and Minister of Railways. The Public Health. Trade and Commerce and Tourist Departments owe their existence to him On three occasions Sir Joseph had held the position o Acting-Premier. On the visit of H.E.H. the Duke of \ork he^ received the honor of knighthood Sir Joseph is popular among men of all shades of political opinion in the House, is a fluent speaker, an able debater, and the general opinion is that he will make a very successful Premier.