538 Biographical Sketch of 



Thompson was anxious to look to the comfort of the working- 

 clergy, now struggling with poverty. On the subject of Rail- 

 way Accidents (1861), he urged that Railway Directors were 

 impressed with the grave character of their responsibility ; 

 influenced not only by pecuniary penalties, but still more 

 strongly by that natuial regard for life and limb which was 

 common to all human beings. He supported the second reading 

 of the Accidents Compensation Bill (1863). He spoke on 

 educational subjects, on parochial assessment ; and opposed Game 

 Law Inquiry (1863) ; spoke on the subject of Agricultural 

 Statistics (1864), in which he took deep interest ; on Cattle 

 Disease Prevention (1864) ; and against Repeal of Malt Tax 

 (1865) — bad tax, but its repeal would not benefit the great 

 majority of farmers. Himself a great barley grower, he opposed 

 repeal from conviction that if carried, repeal would disappoint 

 expectations of its warmest supporters. In favour (1865) of 

 the principle of Union Rating. The able pamphlet which Mr. 

 Thompson published in 1870, entitled ' Ireland in 1839 and 1869,' 

 was a patriotic labour of love ; no pains were spared to collect and 

 to methodise information. Though agricultural in its substance, 

 it is clearly political in its essence, and therefore it is fitly 

 considered in this place. It has been suggested to us that the 

 Irish Land Act bears traces of Mr. Thompson's opinions ; but 

 whether or not this impression is correct, we are unable to 

 express any confident opinion ; but he says, in effect, let the Irish 

 turn their backs on the past, and march forward to a hopeful 

 future ; and for the rest, with confidence we may rely upon 

 even-handed justice, and upon Time the reconciler. 



The place is vacant, the voice is hushed, — Avhere the familiar 

 face? — Often it is then, only then, that worth is fully realised, 

 character justly appreciated. The best gloss on Mr. Thompson's 

 parliamentary career is to be found in the fact that immediately 

 after his defeat for Whitby in 1865, and during the cattle-plague 

 debates, frequent references, from both sides of the House, were 

 made to him as an authority on agricultural questions, and many 

 unavailing regrets followed him into his ever-busy retirement. 



" Home ! there is no place like home." We have followed 

 Mr. Thompson from boyhood to youth ; we have traced with 

 care the more important highways of his public life ; it remains 

 for us just to indicate the lesser paths of duty, which he trod 

 with so much benefit to his family, his neighbours, and the 

 public, and it is as pleasant as it is essential to the completeness 

 of our biographical sketch, to conclude with a rapid glance at 

 the home life at Kirby. We have seen that the two great 

 Agricultural Societies were founded in the years 1837-8 ; two 

 years afterwards Mr. Thompson established his home farm. 



