The Canadian Portrait Gallery - Volume 3 (of 4)Dent, John Charles
History
The Canadian Portrait Gallery - Volume 3 (of 4)
Dent, John Charles
Canada -- Biography
throughout the whole of England and Scotland, and liberal contributions
were sent over for the benefit of those who stood most in need of
assistance.
The practical knowledge of the condition of the Irish people acquired by
Lord Dufferin during this visit was such as the most diligent study of
blue-books could not have imparted. From this time forward he gave more
attention than ever to the Irish question. It was a question in which he
might well take a deep interest, for he was dependent upon the rent of
his estates in county Down for the bulk of his income. His
unselfishness, however, was signally proved by the stand he took, which
was on the side of tenant-right. He has written and spoken much on the
subject, and has contributed more than his share towards enabling the
world to arrive at a just conclusion respecting it. His public
utterances displayed a genuine philanthropy and breadth of view,
mingled, at times, with a quaint and touching humour, which attracted
the attention of every statesman in the kingdom. Twenty years before Mr.
Gladstone's Irish Land Act was passed, its provisions had been
anticipated by Lord Dufferin, and urged upon the attention of the House
of Lords. In an eloquent and elaborate speech delivered before that Body
in 1854 he suggested and outlined nearly every important legislative
reform with reference to Irish Land Tenure which has since been brought
about. A work on "Irish Emigration, and the Tenure of Land in Ireland,"
gave still wider currency to his views on the subject, and it began to
be perceived that the brilliant young Irish peer had ideas well worthy
of the consideration of Parliament. He was created an English baron in
1850, by the title of Baron Clandeboye.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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