New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-07
A BLIND MAN IN PARL1As,sxp.


Secretary of the Sem1se.
ABLlND MAN IN PARLIAMENx.
NJ. D. Conway's discussion of tn, z,afas
ical influence of Professor FawceSx, =.
present one of the most prominent ssnaez.
Of the liberal party in England, ~ Entru
duced in the Ha'per's for February with 4
personal and biographical sketch, wAica
exhibits that admirable specimen aH sAs
better class Of Englishmen in a higAs3s IN
teresting light
The visitor to the House of Corx,znoux
waiting at the door OF the strangers gslSsry,
and watching the members Of Parl;axrneni
as they file in by the main entrance, xlll mo
doubt have his eye arrested by ta5s. fair
haired young man, evidently blind ND nm
to the door by youthful petite lady with
sparkling eyes and blooming cheeks. Shn
will reluctantly leave him at the dOss. Tia
British constitution would be quite usssee
were woman to invade the floor I'll the
House OF Commons after the chaplain b in
canfatl0n has been heard, even 80 fay M 10
conduct her blind husband to his seaax. SO
she has to consign him to q youth zsho
stands waiting to lead the blind meuaE.er 10
bis place. As she turns away Insany \
| friendly face will smile, and many
a pleasant word attend her r. she
trips lightly up the stairway LEADING II, the
whisper passes around, ''One day, I,as:haps
not far of, she will take her seat esasr Atr
husband, and remain there" And s-yrfxir
It Is that when ladies have the suffrage. ths
first female member of Parliament y I;31e
the lady Of whom write-Mrs. Faswreet.
Not one-half ut the members of thar boar
are as competent as she to think desr,ay ara
speak finely on matters of public rDalcy
while not the daintiest live doll sIs,yinS
about London drawing rooms surpasssa h,.S
in the care OF her household, her hszsharR
and child. The two whom I have msn-
TONED are as we'll known figures as apy WHO
approach the sacred precincts of tbs. teeik.
lature. The policemen bow low an sher
pass; the crowd in the lobby make a ,m3E
the doorkeeper, Mr.. White, the moss arDior
BILE Cerberus who ever guarded an eutzusuus.
utters his friendly welcome. The strangers
ask who ia that, and dozen bystanders
respond, Professor Fawcett." rs, one
face the characters OF courage, frsalknsso,
and intelligence. He is six feet two auohes
in height, very blonde, his light hair and
complexion and his smooth bearllsss fare
giving him something of the air Of a boy.
HIS features are at once strongly marked
and regular. He narrowly escaped hiring
handsome and his expression is very WIN
rene. and no cloud or frown ever lsassse
over it. His smile is gentle and winujpQ.
1t is probable that no blind man hae sysr
before been able to enter upon so Important
political career as Professor FawceSs. who.
yet under forty years of age, is the rrasst IN
huenuai OF the independent liberals m par-
lament. From the moment that ne fook
his seat in that body he has been abla-ana
this IS unusual-tO command the csssse at
tention OF the House. He has clsrar FMS
voice; speaks with the utmost flueDsy. fss
none OF the univerei:y information, arsS mons
OF tne hesitation or uneasy attitudes sst the
average parliamentary speaker Es, sfa,rns
all subterfuges, speaks honestly his ,vb,iIe
mind, and comes to the point. At th,aes he
Is eloquent, and he is always interesting.
he Is known to be man Of conySs.ticu9.
The usual English political theory ta,a,s yo,
need not prove thing right in prinrs.ain
you can show that it for the time wcrks
Wl disaster, Is one which Professor
tawcett ignores. He defends tbs. night
against the wrong, with little resDect TO
consequences. He, Sir Charles Dixie, r. A.
Taylor and AuborOl Herbert are intisnate
trends, and are looked upon as the fsrr ir-
reconcilables Of the House of Commrns.
Professor fawcett is the son of OH. fsS TIN
snded gentry OF England. He WA .
10 graduated with the highest mat6ernxtca6
lonors IN 1856. He studied law and VISA
admitted to the bar at the Middle Yrarn1e
1862, but he could not proceed vith -
PROFESSION owing to his blindness. n wna
y sad accident that he lost his sigh1. He
lao Just graduated at Cambridge, and an
rs Oiushlng hOnOra were thick upon AIM
no as tair prospect as ever opened be-
ore young man welcomed him, wbsn he
vent out hunting with his father. IA the
atter was getting over hedge his nr7n yss
,lscharged accidentally, and part of The
narge went into his sons face, putting out
on IN; OF ms eyes; but leaving him otbrEwise
ndlshgured. The father, who sypa}y
ooked forward to a distinguishes s..-s:,
Dr. MS son, was almost inconsolable. ard 4
'as ior time feared that he wor,a n1f
arVlVe the event. l have heard from
rofessor Fawcett's intimate fr,ends
amorldge touching acconnse OF
Nv Inc olnd boy sat besiGe the
'ther, who felt tie affection ra,cs,
eenly than himself, ASSURING RIM
nat the accident should make no difference
M .natever IN the career to which they both
al looked forward. "The accider,s h,
onld say, did not happen until ! had rs.
3lved at the university the basis ut nv
iucatlon, and fortunately we have the
70 ~ secure a'd from the eyes Of uabars
II practical needs. Rejoice with mr. that
y health is unimpaired, nv PURPOSE, stia
rong and my spirit as cheerful az rrsr:D
g has lived to make good the l,fu,a m
lne held out to his father At first . s.,iim~
MS college and now professor of vspgitiCHs
,onomy IN bis university, Henry t,awee1f
as acquired an influence among seshelars
unsurpassed in his own direction nv anw
,n me living Englishman. John Ssewsyf
lli, as 1 happen to know, este ersa TIA
oung professor as a leading thinker. While
so loving him as personal frier.a- No
cent work on political economy has
"a greater success than Professor Faw
~ manual winch is now used Nv thu
uoents OF many colleges. When firrt
si'14 cambridge, more than nins ezra
all, but he was as really a nrofss.o.
~ IN the university, It was mr .tr6
rtune to be his guest on that oaras;"n
~ l nave never known anythiny 900
re the Noctes A0sbrosian,s of ones fanc;eS
sa me evenings passed in his roe,ns.
..sl ulnner many Of the scholars asseno-
gu Inero' among them, it might be. one rr
W ProIessors. Cigars were lit are then
SUBJECT relating to politics and
..S' was discussed in o war which
ny !eit one reason to envy the asseyDaais~
leI,cies anything but their asxras;S
:wceIts mlhd has the instinct Of ltnf1e-.
iP' IL Is able to bring out every ss,puUlr
q circle Ut minds. He has also = rsr-
lmor' enriched by imagination. ana h.s.
rye repertoire of good stories WITH ,rbs,S
enlven his altogether extraD,hin.-r
nvereau0n. His marriage and bis 80;
nce IN London have n0t drstyorss, -
auence IN Cambridge, where he ia - LIE
.,soineo with q symposium of to-, IS
pio''y winter has been discussing the