The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-11-09 00:00:00

THE LATE MR. MAGUIRE, M.P.

The Freeman'g Journal commenting upon the death of
Yr. Maguire, If .P., says .
"It ix some v., eke since we announced the serious
indisposition of Mr. Maguire. But though his i
induced in the first place by excessive mental labour,
.and agravated by a temperament whose rest Was I
action, necessitated his retirement, it WWI hyped that a
tiamporary quietude would restore him to perfect I
ilealth. By advice of his physician, Dr. Scriven, of
fitephen's-green, who was consulted at an early stage of
his malady, and attended him to its fatal conclusion, he
sought retinae and rehabLitation at Dr. Barter's Sanato-
rium, at rit. Anne's, Blarney. The primary effects of his
new abode were beneslcial, but a grave change super-
veneil, and.at Length symptoms; so alarming presented
'themselves that his physician declared his only chance of
recovery lay in the most absolute rest, and a complete I
isolation from even the neighbourhood of business or I
exertion of the slightest character. Upon the re-
commendation of Mr. &riven, the illustrious patient
was removed to Dublin, where he arrived at stated, on
liknday afternoon in last week, and where Dr. Adams,
:.:f ti is city, was summoned to ail in the crisis. We
unties:stand that the first examination of both
the physicians in attendance convinced them of
' the hopeless nature of the case, and nothing re-
mained but to exert the tenderest ministrations of
science in rendering easy the descent into the valley
of the shadow. The patient progressed as might
be expected, and appeared somewhat better on
Thursday, when he was visited by his distin-
guished relative the Master of the Rolls. On Friday
morning, however, he was seized with a sudden attack,
from which he never rallied; and, fortified by the rites

of that Church of which he was so eloquent and earnest
a defender, he departed this life at eight o'clock on
Friday evening, in the presence of his wife and
daughter, at the age of 57 years. We presume to ob-
trude no ill-timed conscllation for grief which must be
sacred ; but we feel that it must soothe the sorrows of
bereaved survivors and the sadness of innumerable
friends to know that his last hours were without pain,
and his death, in truth, a Christian's euthanasy."
Mr. John Francis Maguire was the son of a merchant
in Cork. Big earlier years were passed in his father's
establishment ; but in 1843 he was called to the Irish
Bar. He did not devote himself to his profession,
having enteredthe career of journalism, and started a
newspaper advocating temperance, under the auspices
of Father Matthew. In 1848 Mr. Maguire unsuccess-
fully contested Dungarvan with Mr. Shiel, and was
again defeated as a candidate for that borough in
1851 ; but was returned for it in 1852, and re-
tained his reat till the general election of 1811.5,
when he WAR elected for Cork city, which he
ever afterwards represented to the moment of his
death. He was chosen Mayor of Cork four times.
He was proprietor of and some time editor of the Cork
Examiner. Mr. Maguire is known as the author of
several works, viz„, the "Pontificate of Pius 1X.,"
"The Life of Father Matthew, ' 'The Irish in
America," and a novel entitled "The Icext Genera-
tion," which portrayed a state of things likely to exist
when the principle of "Woman's Rights" was fully
established. In politics Mr. Maguire was an Inde-
pendent Liberal ; but above all he was an Irish and a
Roman Catholic member. Not very long ago he
adopted Home Rule politics. He was is well known
a figure in the House of Commons that it is impossible
but that he will be missed these.

The funeral of Mr. Maguire, which took place in
the Mathew Cemetery, Cork, on Tuesday, gave rise
to the most imposing demonstration ever witnessed in
that city. All the shops were closed, and business
was entirely suspended. The Mayor mid Corporation,
the Harbour Commissioners, and other public bodies,
the Trades Association to the number of seven or eight
thousand, drapers' assistants, the constabulary wear-
ing side arms, the charitable associations and children
of the schools, and a great concourse of mourners from
every town in the southern counties, appeared in the
procession. The pall was borne by eight gentlemen,
including Mr. Downing, M.P., Mr. Murphy, M.P.,
the High Sheriff, &c.