Duffy

Duffy, The Hon. Sir Charles Gavan, K.C.M.G., was born in co. Monaghan, Ireland, in 1816. At the age of twenty he became sub-editor of the Dublin Morning Register, and in 1842, in conjunction with the Young Ireland party, helped to found the Nation, contributing to it his wellknown articles on "The Ballad Poetry of Ireland." In 1844 he was convicted with O'Connell of sedition, but the conviction was quashed on appeal. Three years later O'Connell seceded from the movement, and Duffy, attaching himself to Smith O'Brien, took an active part in forming the Irish Confederation. In 1848 he was tried for treason-felony, and acquitted, and in 1852 won the seat of New Ross against Sir Thomas Redington, the Under-Secretary for Ireland. The comparative failure of the Tenant League and the Independent Irish party inspired him with disgust for parliamentary life. He resigned in 1856, emigrated to Australia, and resumed his profession as a barrister at Melbourne. He soon plunged into Colonial politics, entered the Victorian Legislature, and became Minister of Public Works in 1857, and of Lands in 1858 and 1862, devoting his abilities to the work of federalising the Australian Colonies. In 1871, after two years' holiday in Europe, he held the Premiership for a few months, but resigned the next year, having succeeded, however, in bringing about a conference of all the Australian governments, which resulted in obtaining large concessions from the mother country. He was knighted in 1873, again passed some years at home, and returned in 1876 to accept the Speakership of the Legislative Assembly, when the distinction of K.C.M.G. was bestowed upon him. In 1880 he returned to England, and published an interesting record of his early experiences under the title of Young Ireland, which was followed up in 1883 by Four Years of Irish History. Many articles from his pen have appeared in the leading reviews.