People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, Volume 11, Issue 10, 11 March 1909, Page 388

People We Hear About

The Emperor Francis Joseph has bestowed upon Queen Helena of Italy the Grand Cross of the Order of Elizabeth, in recognition of her Majesty.'s self-sacrificing devotion to the victims of the earthquake in Southern -Italy. The decoration is accompanied by an autograph letter from the Emperor. Mr. Arthur a Beckett, who passed away in London on January 14, was a well-known journalist and author, and had been on the staff of Punch for a period pf 28 years, part of which time he acted- as sub-editor, Sir F. Burnand, a fellow-convert to the Catholic Church, being at the same time editor. Prior to his connection with Punch the late Mr. a. Beckett edited daily papers in London, and during the Franco-German waV acted as war correspondent to the Standard. He wrote several novels,, dramas, comedies, and other works. After his reception into the Church he was for .four years' private secretary" to the Duke of Norfolk. Quite a number of notable -anniversaries were ' celebrated 'on January 15 (remarks the Irish Weekly) . Hans Sloane was born at Killyleagh, County Down, in 1660. During an enterprising and successful career as a physician and naturalist, jie accumulated a vast library -of 50,000 books and 3566 valuable MSS., which were purchased from his executors by the British Parliament, and formed into the nucleus of the British Museum which -was founded on , January 15, 1759— just 150 years ago. Sir Hans had left earthly riches and cares behind him just seven years' previously. The Rational Portrait Gallery was founded on January 14, 1859; and on the same date half a century previously (1809) ; Sir John Moore fought and ' lost the Battle of Corunna. Moore was, like Abercromby, a brave and humane commander, and he had strongly protested against barbarities of the yeomen and militia who provoked the Irish Insurrection of 1798. His memory would have fared like those of many other British "commanders of greater achievement were it not fgr the Rev. Charles Wolfe's immortal ballad commencing — ' Not a drum was heard, not a funeral note.' *-~ ■ Henry Matthews, Lord Llandaff, is j-ust eighty-three _years of-age. This (says the London correspondent of the Manchester Guardian) recalls the remarkable fact that he is one of "four distinguished lawyers who were called to the Bar in 1850 and 1851 and still take ail active part in life. The other three are Lord Halsbury, Lord James, and Sir Harry Poland. Henry Matthews joined the" Oxford Circuit with Henry James, now Lord James, and they were professional rivals on circuit and in London unjiil 1886, when Matthews left the legal for the political arenato Tsecome Home Secretary in Lord "'Salisbury's Ministry. It was through his friend Lord Randolph Churchill that he got his appointment, and there were few better qualified for the post. When Lord Salisbury formed his next Ministry in 1895, he was offered a viscountcy, which Tie _ accepted. In the House of Lords he has taken no part in debate, except on one or two occasions w-hen Catholic interests have been in question. He spoke on the question of the Coronation Oath last session, and in the House, sitting on the same benches, were the two other great : lawyers with whom his life has been passed in professional conflict. He and Lord Halsbury are two survivors of the Tichborne case — almost the only ones. Lord Halsbury was counsel for the claimant witn Sergeant Ballantine. Lord Llandaff represented the Tichborne family, but he had no locus standi in the court, and although he sat in it for the year the trial lasted he never opened his mouth. Mr. Arthur MacMurrough Kavanagh, ' father of Mr. Walter MacMurrough Kavanagh, the present Nationalist M.P.-for Carlow, sat for the same county in the seventies as a -Conservative, and was an extremely able man." He had neither arms nor legs, and had to be carried in and out of the House.- Strangest of all, he used to ride 1o hojinds, and achieved the distinction of riding from Russia over the Caucasian Mountains to the Persian Gulf. He was also noted as a yachtsman. He entered and left the House of Commons on the back of his valet; he spoke while sitting ; and his vote was recorded without his passage through the lobby. He was a clever speaker and writer. When writing he held the handle of his pen in his mouth, and guided it with his artificial arm. The Kavanaghs are lineal descendants of MacMurrogh, the King of Leinster, who brought the Normans over in the reign of Henry 11. Father Schell, the eminent Dominican Assyriologist, has just been elected a member of the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles Lettres, in Paris, receiving thirty out of the thirty-three votes cast. Out of seven volumes published by the French Legation in Persia on Assyriology, five were from the pen of Father Schell. -This is but another instance of the work of priests in forwarding the progress of science.