The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-03
AMERICANS IN PARLIAMENT
THREE BRITISH LAWMAKERS
BORN IN UNITED STATES.
Lady Burdett-Coutts' Husband, Who
Was Her Private Secretary Before
She Married Him.
oCn.cago Tribune.)

(OE4cag0 IT1Dune.)
One of the most liourishing of American
cities, doubtless the wealthiest in proper
ton to its population and certainly the
most fashionable, has never been men
toned in the census reports. Outside OF
its inhabitants, few realize its existence
and yet II is growing faster in size ano
Influence than any boom town in The Wesl
is growing today.
Its only name is "the American colony
In London" Careful estimates have plac-
ed its fixed population at. between ,0OC
and 10000 and Its transient population II
the season at 1900 or more. By stretch
ing the letter OF the truth TO express the
spirit Of the truth, It can be said properly
that THIS American city on foreign SOL
has four representatives in parliament,
and (what is more 4aiportant) some sew
enty Representatives in the social gov
eminent of Great Britain-women, that is,
whose husbands are in the house OF lords
or house of commons.
OF the four American members OF
parliament, three were born in the United
BtateS. The other, Henry NJ. Stanley, al
though born in Wales under the name OF
howlands, WAS adopted by an American.
Mr. Stanley of New Orleans, whose name
he took when a small boy, and, like Inc
three others, had to be naturaliZed before
he could enter parliament. Two of the
other members are Sir Ellis Ashmead
Bartlett and his brother, William Ash
mead Bartlett Burdett-Coutts the former
born in Brooklyn in lS49 and the latter in
u. nlOlncT
was one of the Ashmeads of Philadelphia.
They came to England before they were
IN their teens, and have lived here ever
since. Both We're graduated with honers
from Oxford. Sir Ellis, who got the ham
ole for his name by being made a baronet
in 1892, was first elected to parliament in
1889, and was civil lord of the admiralty
district OF Sheffield in the house of COM
mons for the last four years.
the younger Bartlett is a bright, affable
and really able man, who would have
made ms way in the world in any event.
put who achieved that end at the age of
80, in a manner that was sensational, by
marrying the Baroness Burdett-Coutts,
aged 81, by. whom he was employed as pri-
vate secretary.
Mrs. Grundy was in high dudgeon over
the affair at the time. Tor the baroness
was reputed to be one of the richest wo-
men. in England, but she and her husband
have been happy together for eighteen
years, and he. although he took his wife s
name by royal license, instead of giving
her his name, has been as active and en-
ergetic as though he had poverty to spur
him along. The baroness is one of the
world s greatest philanthrophiStS and her
husband, who was her almoner before he
became her spouse, has continued his
work of managing her vast charities. One
OF the benevolent organizations she helps
10 support is the Society for the Proven
tlon OF Cruelty to Children, of which she
Is the founder. Il is said, by the way
that lie baroness not only lost favor at
the court by her romantic marriage, but
also lost part of her fortune which came
10 her from her grandfather, an eccentric
otd banker, who used 10 go about SO shah
bly, dressed that on one occasion a pasSer-
ny, plying his apparent poverty, tried to
MIR. Burdett-Coutts has been a Con-
seiNatlve member Of parliament ever
since 1885. His brother is also Com
ServatiVe.
The fourth American member of the
mouse OF commons represents the Boston
section of the American colony. for he
pears the famous name of Claiming, and
Is nephew OF New England's great
preacher. His father was the Rev. Will
lam Henry Claiming of Boston. Fran
els Allston Claiming has a large influence
in parliament, owing in part to the inter
est he has taken il agricultural and labor
reforms. One of the most conspicuous
decorations of his library is a beautifully
engraved testimonial from the great
trades union acknowledging his efforts in
behalf Of the laboring classes.
Mr.. Channlng came to this country when
boy and was educated at oxford, where
he gained the chancellors English essay
and the Arnold historical prize. He took
honors in classics and mathematics and
became a lecturer of University college,
He was elected to the house of commons
In 1850 and has been there ever since He
was appointed a member OF the royal COM
mission on agriculture. and was made
chairman of the chamber of agriculture in
1894. and is president Of the Land Law
cadonal matters is likely to make him
particularly prominent in the present ses-
sion. in which one OF the most important
bills to be discussed will be a measure
intended to bring some order out of the
present confusion in the control of sec
ondary education in England. Mr.. Chan
ming is ar advanced Liberal. Mrs. Chan
ming. who is one OF the most charming of
women, is n daughter of Henry Bryant of
Boston.
I asked Mr.. Charming if the fact that he
was an American by birth had been
brought up against him when he was first
chosen as a. candidate for parliament.
y believe he said, that the subject
was mentioned by my Conservative oppo-
nents, but it was quickly dropped. 1t was
actually d point in my favor. 1t has been
my experience that there is a deep, strong
spirit in England of friend
ship for and sympathy with the United
States. 1t was shown conclusively at the
time Of President Cleveland's Venezuelan
Il is reasonable TO suppose that
If any other power had sent that message
10 England war would have followed in
stantly. The message was more eXasper-
ainG than Emperor William 5 famous dis
p2Ich TO Kruger about the Jameson raid.
yet the pronounced feeling upon the re-
celpt of that message was almost uni
VerSally expressed in this form: We
must not fight with our own kith and kin
if any concession at all consistent with
dignity can prevent it.
OF course, any number of americans
could hardly come over here and be elect
ed to parliament. In order TO understand
English modes of thought, prejudices and
thoroughly enough to repre-
sent them properly in the house of COM
mons Il is necessary to have been familiar
with them from youth. II is not likely !
that any American who has not been edu-
Gated IN England could ever be chosen as
q candidate for a seat III parliament.
A number of members of the house of |
have shown their good taste by |
American women. Besides Mr.. |
Charming, already mentioned, are the fol- !
lowing:
The Right Honorable Arthur Hugh |
Smith Berry. whose wife was the widow /
If Arthur Post OF New York: Arthur 4
Nonraugu Brookfield. who married Olive. /
lnly daughter OF j. Hamilton Murray of !
Buffalo. y. Y; the Right Honorable Jo- /
seph Chamberlain, secretary OF state for |
he colonies, who married Mary Endlcott, :
laughter of Ar. CleVeland's secretary of /
war Mark Anthony MacDonnell, who /
married the daughter of the late Dr.
James Hyndman of Boston; I. p. O'Con-
Tor, who. in 1879. married the daughter of /
Judge C.. ". Paschal of Texas. and the |
honorable Boothbv BUrke-Rocle. who
married the daughter Of Frank Work OF
New York.
There IS another member of parliament
Tho is almost entitled to be called an
American. He is Joseph Francis Fox.
Who. although born in Ireland has spent
most OF his life ii the United States. He
vas b professor in ST. Francis WAIVER
college IN New Eorl, and afterward took
cincinnati and pracuced medicine at
Troy. y. Y. He was the New York eyecu-
i've of the National League of America. /
md founder of the Irish National Fedora
ion OF America