The New York herald., 1879-11-16
FATHERS OF THE HOUSE.
REVIEW OF MEMBERS OF THE ENGLISH PAELIA-
MENr WHO ARE ENTITLED TO BE CONSIDERED
FATHERS OF THE HOUSE."

REVIEW OF MEMBERS OF THE ENGLISH PAHLIA-
MENr WHO ARE ENTITLED TO BE CONSIDERED
FATHERS OF THE HOUSE"
from the London Daily Telegraph
Will the House of Commons. when it comes
into existence, contain any member who first
sent to Parliament prior to the great Reform bill
of 1892? The last few years have played havoc
among very old members of Parliament, and the
death of Mr.. Henry Cory, in the April Of
1873, made room for his successor Father Of the
House In the person of General Cecil Forester,
who was himself removed to the Upper House by
the death of his elder brother, Lord Forester, in
October. 1874 The place vacated by General Fores-
ter was filed by its present occupant, Mr.. Chris
topher Rice Mansel Talbot who has held bis seat for
the county OF Glamorgan by unbroken tenure since
1880, and with whom Sir Philip dc Xalpas Grey
Egerton-now member for West Cheshire. but first
elected for Chester in 1S30-shares the dis
tinction of having belonged to the House of
Commons in the days when birmingham and
Leeds. being unrepresented were of less account
in the body polite than Cation and Old Sarum. 1t
will thus be seen that the House still contains two
msmbers-one of them liberal and the other
servative--who first sent to Parliament nearly
half o century since, and of whom Mr. Talbot has
temporary, Sir Philip Egerton. on the other hand,
was defeated when standing for Cheshire in 1881,
and, having been out of Parliament until 1885, he
would lose all claim to the patriarchal honors sur
rendered by Mr.. Talbot if-which sincerely hope
will not be the case-he should refuse again to como
forward on the arrival of the dissolution, for that
seat which he has honorably occupied for well nigh
fifty years. On the 10Th of April 1s73 there appeared
in these columns letter from the Earl of STAFFORD.
written upon the occasion of Mr.. Henry Corrys
death. in which the grandson Of Mr.. George Byng.
OF Mddlesex pointed out the exact conditions
sary to bestow upon Member OF Parliament the
honor of being regarded Father of the House.
II have always understood" remarked our
ie Of FatSep Of the House of Come no
rested. in the case of my excellent friend,
the venerable member for Much Wenlock. on an un-
interrupted tenure OF seat IN Parliament II this
be SO Mr. Coke of Norfolk, was never Father Of the
House. an interval occurred at least once in his
Parliamentary career. when. in 17S4. he suffered
defeat among the band of patriots who
were facetiously described Fox's Martyrs
The right OF George Byng to the designation
of Middlesex from 1889. when he succeeded to
the vacancy occasioned by the death Of his father
until the day OF his death in 1S47" Fifty yeight
years in Parliament without solution of continuity
constitute a proud record of which no existing
to 1880 no Member of Parliament among those who
have still seats chosen for its representative by
have already shown that with the exceptions of Mr.
Talbot and Sir Philip Egerton. there is no member
who entered the House before the reformed Parla-
ment OF 1882.
1t is emblematc OF British longevity that as
rule, the Father of the House, OF Commons,
upon retiring from that honor either into the grave
into the secure and tranquil haven OF the House
of Lords has been In Parliament for more and
sometimes considerably more-than half q century.
Thus in addition to Mr.. George Byng. who sat for
ffty-eight years, the late Colonel Lowther grand
father to the present Earl OF Lonsdale. was first
elected for the county of westmoreland in 1912.
and continued to represent II until his DEATH in
1s67-that is to say. for an unbroken tenure or
ffty-hvc years. He succeeded to the Fatherrhip
upon the death of Lord Pamerston In October, 1861
Sir Charles Burrcll again sat for Shoreham from
1906 until he expired in 1862, and General Cecil For
ester for Much Wenlock from 1898 until the death OF
his elder brother transferred him to the House OF
bill In 1882 the House has known seven sue
cessive Fathers To rccaptulate them scri-
atm 1t will bo remembered with interest
that Mr. George Byng, OF Middlescx; Sir
Charles Burrel of Shoreham; Colonel Low
thor. OF Westmoreland; Lord Palmerston, Of
Iiverton and OF other prior seats; Mr.. Henry Cory
OF Tyrone; General Forester, OF Much Wenlock,
and Mr. Talbot of Glamorgans shirc, have in turn oc-
cupied that patriarcha chair. 1t has often been re-
marked that. rs rule, the Father of the House IL
silent member. Thus the collective words spoken
In Parliament by Sir Charles Burreli, Colonel
Lowthcr. General Forester and MIR. Talbot
might be printed within one OF our columns.
Lord Ernest Bruce, now Marquis OF Aiiesbury
who, although never Father of tho House, ranked
as proripe dccessi, seeing that he sat for Mari
borough from 1882 until the death OF his elder
brother in the January OF last yeai. Lord Ernest
Bruce was IL is true, indefatigabe Of qucs-
tions during that nsavras quart dheure de Rabetais
to which Ministers subjected at tho afternoon
delivered by the late member for Marlborough
might all of them-to borrow q favorto ex-
preston of William Ccbbett-"be printed upon
the two sides Of half-crown."