The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-06-18 00:00:00

LORD CHANCELLOR WHAGAN.

The London correspondent of the Liverpool Albion
thus gossips :--

Speaking of a peerage reminds me of the one about to be
conferred on a gentleman who was long a brother premien.
No doubt 3ou are aware that Lord Chancellor 0' ilegan was
for • long time connected with an Irish provincial newspaper
When • law student keeping his terms here, he need to get
Into the Strangers' Gallery by means of a member's order,
and there culled materials fr " A London Letter." It was
by mune of his connection with the press he wu able to get
Called to the bar, and to keep himself till bar business got
Ballicletitly good w ith him to enable him to give up journalism.
I won't use the cant phrase and say 'tut the press." Cut it
In one sense Mr. O'llagan did; but he never has cut it in the
sense of disowning his former connection with it, or in the
sense of cutting his old friends of the newspaper.
It is a long time since the announcement of any creation
of • peerage has given more general satisfaction. Men of all
creeds anti all parties Join in hailing it with pleasure. Mr.
O'Higan has achieved professional eminence, political dis-
tinction, and personal dignity, without any human being
being able to say that he ever did an unworthy act or
uttered an unworthy speech. Ile is an enlightened Liberal,
and • sincere It ,man Catholic—one who not only professes,
but practices his religion. lie does both with seal, but without
bigotry or ostentation. Mr Gladstone made no Mastro
when, disregarding all sorts of interest brought to bear in
favour of other Irish lawyers, he appointed Mr. °liege° to
the post of Lord Chancellor of Ireland. No other person
whom he c,u1,1 have appointed to that office would have been
so acceptable to the Irish people, and no other would have
inspired all classes of suitor., with more confidence in judicial
. .

Mr. Oilman is not supposed to be wealthy, but he has no
son. Him chil lren are daughters. This fact may have in-
fluenced him in consenting to accept a peerage, which was
offered to him six mouths ago, but which for some time he
WAS not inclined to accept. His salary as Lord Chancellor of
Ireland is 48,t00 a year, and whenever he goes out of office
he seal have a pension of it WO.
"• " '

The creation will take place and be gmetted in time to
allow Lord Ullman to take part in the discussion In com-
mittee on the Land Bill. the land question is one be well
understands, and, with the view of informing himself on all
the details of the progress of the bill through the House of
Commons. he was constantly in the gallery while toe measure
was under discussion in that House. tie is not a very deep
or a very subtle reasoner, hut he has an agreeable and com-
mon-sense way of putting his arguments, and when occasion
requires he can rise to flights of rhetoric which, if rather
florid, is pleasing, and much above the standard of eloquence
in the House of Lords. ft i the discussions on the Land Bill
he will be particularly useful to Ministers. The sensation In
'• the Hall of the Courts" must be immense. Any one who
knows Dublin is aware that a much more ordinary occurrence
is sufficient to give a month's talk to that arcane of Hibernian
gossip.
It is not a little remarkable that the late Lord Chancellor
of England, Lord Cairns, and the present Lord Chancellor of
Ireland, Lord illiagan, are both Ulster men, who have won
their way to the woolsack and the peerage by the force of
ability; and yet two men more unlike each other it would be
difficult to find. Except on points of law and equity, and in
the social feelings Common to most men, they differ on
everything. It will be refreshing to bear them have an
Irish encoanter on the Saxon carpet a the House of Lords
Cairns is as hard as nails and as frigid and unsterile' as ice—a
model Ulster man In fact, ()Megan is soft and genial. Not
at all Scotchy. Indeed one would never suppose that he first
saw the light north of the Boyne. If Mr. Disraeli should
ever have the chance, he will make Dr. Eall Lord Chancellor
of Ireland.