Earnshaw, Manuel, 1862-1936

EARNSHAW, Manuel, a Resident Commissioner from the Commonwealth of the Philippine Islands; born in Cavite City, Cavite Province, Luzon, Philippine Islands, November 19, 1862; graduated from Ateneo de Manila University, Manila, P.I.; graduated from the Manila Nautical School, Manila, P.I.; served in the Spanish navy; nautical engineer; business owner; elected as an Independista to the Sixty-third Congress for a three-year term, reelected to a succeeding term, and served until his resignation on January 10, 1917 (November 12, 1912-January 10, 1917); was not a candidate for renomination in 1916; discontinued his former business pursuits in 1921 and lived in retirement with residence in Cavite, P.I.; died on February 13, 1936, in Manila, P.I.; interment at Cementerio del Norte, Manila, P.I.

<p>As a marine engineer and shipbuilder, Manuel Earnshaw never intended to dip his toes into political waters. Even when he did represent the Philippines in the U.S. Congress for two terms, he left nary a ripple.</p>

<p>But Earnshaw’s selection as Resident Commissioner, engineered by the kingmaker of Filipino politics Manuel L. Quezon, ended an ugly impasse between the islands’ commission and assembly and—not coincidentally—also cleared Quezon’s path to single-handedly negotiate the first step toward Philippine independence: the Jones Act of 1916. Earnshaw readily admitted his lack of policy chops, noting that, when discussions turned to politics, he sought the refuge of “the billiard room or some other part of the club, for politics is not, nor has it ever been my game.” Still, he dutifully followed Quezon’s lead and seemed content to serve as a symbol of the Philippines’ thriving economy—an accompaniment to the political arguments advanced by Quezon of Filipinos’ readiness for autonomy. Like all good businessmen, he longed for the stability and order that certainty brought. “The main thing, the essential thing in the whole matter is this: That something definite be given [to] us,” Earnshaw told the New York Times. “We want something specific in the way of time, not ‘when we are fit for self-government,’ or ‘when it shall seem best’ in the eyes of somebody. We want the year, month and day—and until that date is set there will be unrest and disquiet in the Philippines.”</p>

Manuel Earnshaw was born in Cavite City, Cavite Province, Philippines, on November 19, 1862. The oldest son of a British engineer, Daniel Earnshaw, and Gavina Noguera, a Filipina, Manuel grew up in the Manila area with his brothers, Tomas and Daniel. Earnshaw graduated from Ateneo de Manila University, a prominent secondary school. Cavite City sits on a peninsula jutting into Manila Bay just south of the city of Manila. Drawn to the sea, he learned the business of shipbuilding as an apprentice in his father’s engineering business. He joined the Spanish Navy and earned a marine engineering degree from the Manila Nautical School.</p>

<p>Manuel Earnshaw (November 19, 1862 – February 13, 1936) was a Resident Commissioner of the Philippines.</p>

<p>He was born in Cavite, Philippine Islands, on November 19, 1862. He attended the Ateneo de Manila and the Nautical School in Manila.</p>

<p>He became engaged in engineering and in the drydocking business in 1884. He was the founder, president, and general manager of the Earnshaw Slipways & Engineering Co.</p>

<p>He was elected, as an Independent candidate, as Resident Commissioner from the Philippines and served from March 4, 1913, to March 3, 1917. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1916. He discontinued his former business pursuits in 1921 and lived in retirement in Cavite.</p>