People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 29 February 1912, Page 41

People We Hear About

.-, A cable message received on Friday announced the resignation . of the Catholic President 01 ■ the Legislative Council of Newfoundland, Sir Edward D'Alton Shea, . after having occupied the position for a quarter of a century. Tne veteran politician, who retires at the age of 92,-was Colonial Secretary of Newfoundland from 1874 to 1886, when he was appointed to the position from which he now retires. He is -chairman of the Newfoundland Savings Bank, and was knighted in 1902. He has been for 57 years a member of the Upper House. ■ Judge Bodkin, who is equally well known as a writer of sensational fiction and an Irish politician of considerable vivacity. and resource, is about to publish another novel. 'Matt,' as his Honor was familiarly known in his journalist days, took an active part in the stirring press life of Dublin twenty years ago. He was associated for a time with Mr. William O'Brien in the production of United Ireland. Other times, other manners. The rebel journalist of those days is now a County Court Judge of. these, peaceably dispensing the King's justice to the peasants of Munster, and filling in his spare time with the production of 'shilling shockers.' ' : i '-' /

Messrs. John and*'Alexander Chisholm, two Scots Catholics, were recently recipients of the King’s Police Medal. Their records are as follow (says the Edinburgh Catholic Herald) '— Mr. John Chisholm is'the late Deputy-Chief Constable, Edinburgh ■ Police—32 years’ service, distinguished by exceptional ability and merit, and by success in the discharge of the duties attaching to his responsible . position. Mr. Alexander Chisholm, Inspector, Inverness-shire Constabulary—3l years’ service, distinguished by merit and by success in dealing with outbreaks of public disorder. He has also rendered special service on the occasion of a Royal visit. Mr. John J. Clancy, who has sat for North County Dublin since 1885, is not the only Irish member, as has been stated, who has continuously represented the same constituency since its formation in that year. The names of four Irish members come to hand. These are Mr. John Dillon, East Mayo; Mr.-T, J. Condon, East Tipperary; Mr. P. J. Power, East Waterford; and Mr. : James Gilhooly, West Cork.' Mr. T. P. O’Connor is another Nationalist member who has continuously represented the same constituencythe Scotland Division of Liverpool—since 1885. Mr. O’Connor, by the way, ; is now the father of the Nation alist<Party, in the sense that he is the only member of the original Irish Party that elected Parnell in 1880 who has been continuously in Parliament ever since. Mr. John Dillon and Mr. James J. O’Kelly, who are still in "Parliament, also voted for Parnell in 1880. but there has been a break in their Parliamentary service. . Miss Miriam Alexander, an Irish lady, has been unanimously selected by the adjudicators as the winner of the 250 guineas prize for the best novel in 'the competition organised by Mr. Andrew Melrose, publisher, of Covent Garden. The adjudicators were Messrs. A. C. Benson, W. J. Locke, and A. E. W. Mason, three well-known literary men, and the prize-winning novel is The House of Lisronun , an Irish story of the eighteenth century. Mr. Melrose speaks with enthusiasm both of Miss Alexander and her story. * This is Miss Alexander s first novel,’ he explained. ‘ She is a charminglooking young Irishwoman, who lives with her parents' in . County Dublin. She has written short stories in. Irish papers, but this is her first attempt at a long novel. The House of Lisronan, he added, ‘ will- certainly be one of the novels of the year.. The three adjudicators never even- met to talk it over. Each one wrote to me, and each of them selected Miss Alexnovel as being far in advance of any of the others.’ , ;■ -.v <¥