Mr. Christopher Rice M angel Talbot, the " father "
of the House of Commons, who had sat in the unreformed House of Commons,—indeed, he represented Glamorganshire during the whole fifty-nine years of his Parliamentary life,—died at Margam Abbey yesterday week. He was born in 1803, and kept his health and activity as a sportsman and as a director of the Great Western Railway, and an active though silent Member of the House of Commons, almost up to the last. His steadfast silence in the House of Commons,—now and then he made a remarkably able speech in a Committee,— was one of his most significant characteristics ; and though he accepted Home-rule at the last, he did not vote with Mr. Gladstone in 1886, but maintained his independence. He had an immense influence in his county, of which he was Lord- Lieutenant, and would no doubt have been returned for his division of Glamorganshire even if he had separated himself decisively from Mr. Gladstone's party, which, however, he did not do. A Home-ruler will, of course, succeed him, as Glamorganshire is Gladstonian to the core ; but it will be no loss of a seat to the Unionists, as Mr. Talbot was well under- stood to have withdrawn all opposition to Irish Home-rule.
Previous page
