The Irish standard., 1892-07-09
FAMILY GROUPS IN PARLIAMENT.
The Chamberlains, the sahsburys, the Ham
iltons, the Healys and the Redmonds

The Chamberlains the salisburys, the Ham
iltons, the Healys and the Redmonds.
There we're several family groups or
troupes in the House of Commons, which
was dissolved by royal decree last week,
but the most notable, if not notorious,
of the let is the Chamberlain family
group. The members are notable for
the celebrity with which they have changed
their politics to suit the occasion during
the last six years.
Joseph, the head of the house, was at
one time tho most outspoken radical In
England. He is the author of the "Ru d.
cal Programme" published in the Fort
nightly Review i'll the early SOS, and
which includes all the articles Of the re-
cent Newcastle program, which now con-
stitute the Gladston1an platform. He
favored absolutely free education, the
taxation of ground rents, one man, one
vote, disestablishment in Wales, Scot.
land, and England, allotments for labor
els, etc, etc. In 1886 he boasted that he
Was "a home ruler long before Gladstone
became one" Now he is the leader of
the opponents OF Home Rule; he has
voted against disestablishment in " ales
and Scotland: he t4outs and jeers at the
Newcastle program; he talks no more
about the peoples right to the ''unearned
Increment" He is pelted by the Tory
danes and the Dukes at whom he used
to sheer. And Oxford Uni 7ersity, the
headquarters of the English establish
ment, conferred one of it's degrees on
him recently. 1t was not that Of master
of political acrobatics.
All the mem ers of the family group
changed their pulltics simultaneously
with Joseph Richard, his brother, who
sat for one Of the London districts, West
Islington, where he is now being op-
posed by James Fill, an uncompromising
Radical, is dissentient Liberal Of the
most offensive type. He is now in dis
grace with some of his colleagues be-
cause he acted as Chairman of a select
committee to consider bill which it was
his interest to oppose. Since this fact
became known he. has been obliged to
resign his Craftsmanship. but the bill, to
which he was opposed for interested rea-
sons, has been defeated.
Mr.. Kendriclx, brother-in-law of Jo-
seph and a member of one of the dis
tricts of Birmingham, which appears to
be pocket borough for the Chamberlain
family, yet affects to be a Radical, but he
is opposed to Home Rule. Young Austen
Chamberlain, Joseph's son, entered Par
lament last winter as dissentient Lib
eral from East Worcestershire, after
promising the Tories that he would not
vote for the disestablishment Of the
Church Of England. His reelection is
now being opposed by Oscar Browning,
an Oxford don, who has fair chance of
election. Jesse Collins, who is sometimes
described as the footman of the Cham
berlain group is relative. He also held
a seat for the Chamberlain pocket-bor
ough. Henry Wiggin, another of the
group, rated With his relatives and has
been rewarded with baronetcy. He is
also opposed for reelection. The group
thus consists of Joseph, brother Richard,
low, X 1air
and Wiggin.
Next in Importance is the Salisbury
group. This consists of Lord Cranborne,
son of the Marquis, the Marquis two
nephews, Arthur and Gerald Balfour,
his nephews by marriage, George N.
Curzon, who recently got the appoint
ment of Under Secretary for India, and
Allan Hucks Gibbs. All are Tories of the
cruety old school. All but Gibbs, who
sits for the aristocratic borough, the City
of London, are being opposed for reelec-
ton, and Curzon, Gerald Balfour and
Cranborne are likely to lose their seats,
The Hamiltons, another group, are
we'll taken care of. The head of the fam
lily, the Duke of Abercorn, has several
sinecures in Ireland, and has pocketed
nearly ST. 100000 of the Irish Land Pur-
chase fund. Lord George Hamilton, a
brother, is the First Lord of the Admir-
atty, 'Secretary of the Queens Navee."
Another brother, Ernst, is Tory member
for North Tyrone; a third brother, Fred
erick, is also candidate. Lord Claude
Hamilton, an uncle, is a candidate for
one of the Liverpool divisions, while the
Marquis of Lansdowne is peer of Eng
land and Governor-General of India. A
comfortable family group that.
There are. two Irish family groups, one
belonging to each Of the Home Rule fac
tions. The redoublable Tim Healy and
his brothers Maurice and Thomas, and
his father-in-law, T. D. Sullivan, were
members of the last Parliament and pro-
badly will be members of the next. They
are the nucleus of what is known as the
"Rantrv Band.'' and bright. brainy, ag-