The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1890-02-01
A NO-Limbed Statesman.


A No-Limbed Statesman.
The simple cable announcement
that Mr.. Kavanagh, sometime mem.
ber of Parliament for Carlow, Ire
land, was dead. recalls to public
memory one of the most remarka-
BILE men who ever sat in the British
House of Commons. Nature had
endowed Mr.. Kavanagh with sin
gularly handsome face and fine
torso, but had deprived him of arms
and legs, and therefore it became
necessary on his election to Parlia-
ment to make special provision to
admit of his entering or addressing
the House, as he could neither walk
nor stand. The matter was dis
cussed privately before the assem-
bling of Parliament, and as soon as
the name Of MacMurrough Kava-
nagh was inscribed on the roll of
members the Prime Minister rose
and moved ''that an exception to
the rule that members must address
the House standing be made in the
case of the honorable member for
Carlow, and that he be permitted
to address the House seated"
This being settled the further diff
fculty arose in respect to his man
ner of entering the House, which
required the relaxing of another
law to permit him the assistance of
his servants. An inexorable rule
exists that when Parliament is sit
ting none but members must pass
beyond the bar, which is near the
members entrance, on line with
the seat of the sergeant-at-arms. On
his first appearance Mr.. Kavanagh
had been carried in chair to. the
table to take the customary oath
and inscribe his name by his two
introducers, but as it was evident
this could not be done continu-
ously, it was moved that the hon
orable member for Carlow be ex-
cused from entering by the mem
bers' door and be allowed to enter
by door at the opposite end of
the chamber used by unparliamen-
tary persons. This being settled,
Mr.. Kavanagh was carried into the
House by his attendants and placed
in his seat under one of the side
galleries almost daily during his
term, he being most assiduous in
the discharge of his duties. Seeing
him thus, with light wrap thrown
over him. no one would have hesi-
tated to describe him as other than
a man of striking and noble ap-
pearance. The member for Carlow
soon justified the wisdom of the
choice. made by his electors, his
maiden speech placing him at once
far above the ordinary level of
House of Commons oratory. He
possessed a strong and original
mind, enriched by varied reading,
and was one of the few men who
never spoke to empty benches; the
words, "Kavanagh is up" which in
this case was somewhat incorrect,
never failed to bring a crowd of
members from the terrace,
smoking-room or library. Mr.. Kav-
anagh was the happy husband of
a beautiful wife, and the father of
a large and handsome family, none
Of whom shared in any degree their
fathers affliction. He was a man
Of old family and possessed consid-
cradle wealth, was fond of society,
and was exceedingly genial and
popular. The defects of nature were
80 we'll supplied that he was enabled
10 participate freely in field sports,
of which he was exceedingly fond.
He was widely known in the most
famous hunting districts as a
straight, bold and fearless rider
While the style in which be drove a
;our-in- hand coach was the despair
If many of his brother whips. He
wrote beautifully, was particularly
;ond of the fine arts, and had won
considerable fame among amateur
artists as a painter.
To-day" said the preacher, we
ire taking a collection to procure J
] new suit for our city missionary.
Chia morning when the nlate WAS