893 John Slagg

Constituency : Manchester  1880-85, Burnley  1887-89

John  took  over  from  Thomas  Bazley  at  Manchester.

John  was  the  son  of  a  Manchester merchant. Richard  Cobden  had  been  his  godfather. John  became  president  of  the  Manchester  Chamber  of  Commerce. He  lived  in  South  Manchester.

In  1880  John  spoke  in  favour  of  a  new  commercial  treaty  with  France.  He  supported  the  opening  of  museums  on  a  Sunday.  In  1882  he  clashed  with  Sir  Wilfrid  Lawson  over  the  latter's  term  of  "Cotton  Jingoes"  to  describe  Liberal  supporters  of  the  intervention  in  Egypt . He  agitated  for  the  removal  of  tax  on  silver  and  gold  plate.  He  attacked  opponents  of  a  Channel  Tunnel  for  their  "timid  and  unworthy  state  of  mind". He  was  a  critic  of  British  policy  in  India.

John  stood  for  Manchester  North  West in  1885  but  was  defeated.  That  same  year  he  became  a  director  of  the  Suez  Canal  Company.

In  1887  John  returned  to  Parliament  at  a  by-election  in  Burnley.

He  died  two  years  later  aged  47.