WILLIAM TRANT FAGAN

PARLIAMENTARY PORTRAITS – MR. WILLIAM FAGAN – (London Illustrated News, 31/3/1849) – The very valuable section of our Parliamentary representatives, familiarly known in Westminster as ‘the working members,’ received an accession to their numbers of no inconsiderable worth when the hon. Gentleman, whose portrait we present this week, entered the House of Commons. Discriminating in the choice of subjects which he brings before Parliament, painstaking in the judicious selection of is materials, elaborate and calm of manner in the exposition of them, at the same time moderate in his views, and gifted with much good sense, he has, within a comparatively short period, won for himself a highly-respectable position in the ranks of the legislative body.

Although the honourable gentleman’s efforts for the amendment of the law in various matters, particularly those affecting mercantile interests, the poorer classes in Ireland, &c, have not uniformly met with the success they merited, he has not been discouraged; but, appreciating the advantages of perseverance, he proceeds on ‘the even tenor of his way’ of usefulness with the confidence of a man who feels that ultimately he will effect his object. Towards the close of last session he brought in a bill of a very useful character, ‘to make life policies of assurance assignable at law.’ On that occasion, in explaining the object of the measure, Mr. Fagan said: ‘Let a life policy be assignable at law by a simple endorsement declaring the time and reason of the transfer, and let the insurance office be placed upon the same footing as a dock company, and be bound to recognise the plenary title of the holder of a policy who presents it with a perfect chain of endorsements.’

The passing of a measure of this kind, having for its object the enfranchisement of life policies from obstacles which now impair their value, and are a source of inconvenience to those who hold and to those who grant them, would have been a great boon to the public; but advantage was taken of some details which were considered of an objectionable nature, and the bill was defeated. This session he has again taken up the subject, and has met with more success, as he has got his bill referred to a Select Committee, which was nominated on Thursday evening last.

The question of small debts in Ireland has also engaged his attention this year; and though the measure relating to it, which he brought in a short time ago, was rejected on the second reading on Wednesday week, by a majority only of two, the numbers being 31 and 29, the statement of its purport, as given by himself on the occasion referred to, will show the nature of his exertions in a second sphere of usefulness. The object of the bill, he said, was to assimilate as far as possible the law of Ireland with that of England, so far as the recovery of small debts was concerned. The County Courts Act passed for England in 1846 had given very general satisfaction; and if that enactment was good for England, the same law ought to be extended to Ireland. As an instance of the existing state of the law in Ireland, he might mention that he held in his hand a writ which had been served on a respectable farmer in Waterford for a debt of £4 0s 9d, and the costs on the back of the writ amounted to £310s. He had copied verbatim the 129^th clause of the English Act, and had inserted it in the bill which he had submitted to the House; and he saw no reason why a law that was found advantageous to the wise and discreet people of England, should not be extended to Ireland.

During the week just ended he has been again conspicuously before the House, on a question which is felt as a grievance by the Roman Catholics of Ireland – minister’s money. On Tuesday night he brought forward a motion for ‘a committee of the whole House to consider the law relating to ministers’ money in Ireland, for the purpose of repealing it, and finding for it a substitute for the money now levied under that act.’ The hon. Gentleman reminded the House that the subject had been matter of consideration before a select committee of the House of Commons, last session, which, after laboriously examining a number of witnesses, both Roman Catholics and Protestants, both clergy and laity, at length reported in favour of the alteration which it was now his desire to press upon the attention of the House. Since the commencement of the present session, however, when it was known that he had given notice of this motion, he said he had received letters from the clergy, both of the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, urging him to use his utmost endeavours to obtain such an alteration of the law as would spare the poor the pain of having to pay the tax, and the clergy the pain of having to exact it. He had received two letters since the 1st of January last, from the Rev. John Ellmes, incumbent of St. John’s, Limerick, pressing him, by every argument, to use what influence he could to have the law changed; and letters to the same effect had reached him from the Franciscan Convent, Clonmel, and from gentlemen of the Roman Catholic persuasion. Thus pressed on either hand, by Protestants and by Roman Catholics, he came forward at present, indulging in the hope that the object of those persons who wished to avoid the unhappy collisions that continually occurred, in consequence of levying a rate on those of one persuasion to support the ministers of another, might be attained, and a substitute fund in the funds now in the hands of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for the £15,000 which was at present levied under the title of ministers’ money, on eight towns in Ireland.

Here again, Mr. Fagan was in some degree unsuccessful; for the Government not wishing to give a direct negative to his proposition, Sir George Grey moved ‘the previous question,’ which was carried by a majority of 72 to 44, thus getting rid of this subject for the present, without condemning the principle involved in it.

The hon. Gentleman is one of the few Irish members who are in favour of the Government proposition of a rate-in-aid.

Mr. William Trant Fagan is a wealthy merchant and Alderman of the City of Cork, which place he also represents in Parliament. He has also filled the office of Mayor in his native city. He is in the prime of life, having been born in Cork in 1801. He was educated in England, at Southall Park, Middlesex, and he has shown some literary ability in his ‘Life and Time of Daniel O Connell.’ The honourable gentleman is a Roman Catholic, and in politics is a Liberal, in favour of Free Trade, and a Repealer. He was first elected to Parliament for the city of Cork in 1847.

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