▁February ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 8 7 4 . ▁ ▁Member ▁of ▁Parliament ▁ ▁Despite ▁this ▁set back , ▁De ▁Cos mos ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁re - elect ed ▁as ▁a ▁Liberal ▁Member ▁of ▁Parliament ▁for ▁Victoria ▁City . ▁Cons istent ▁with ▁federal ▁promises ▁to ▁place ▁the ▁termin us ▁of ▁the ▁trans cont inental ▁railway ▁in ▁Victoria , ▁in ▁Ott awa , ▁De ▁Cos mos ▁pushed ▁for ▁completion , ▁especially ▁the ▁V ancouver ▁Island ▁portion . ▁De ▁Cos mos ▁also ▁became ▁an ▁oppon ent ▁of ▁land ▁con cess ions ▁to ▁First ▁Nations ▁in ▁the ▁province , ▁seeing ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁h ind rance ▁to ▁British ▁Columbia ' s ▁economic ▁growth ▁and ▁settlement ▁by ▁those ▁of ▁European ▁descent . ▁It ▁is ▁generally ▁conced ed ▁that ▁De ▁Cos mos ' s ▁ten ure ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁domin ion ▁parliament ▁was ▁und ist ingu ished . ▁ ▁Ret irement ▁and ▁death ▁De ▁Cos mos ▁lost ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 2 ▁federal ▁election ▁and ▁retired ▁to ▁Victoria . ▁Although ▁widely ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁stir ring ▁or ator , ▁master ▁deb ater , ▁and ▁a ▁man ▁of ▁great ▁intellectual ▁depth , ▁De ▁Cos mos ▁had ▁always ▁been ▁considered ▁ecc ent ric . ▁Contempor aries ▁paint ▁a ▁portrait ▁of ▁an ▁isolated ▁person ▁( he ▁never ▁married ▁and ▁had ▁few ▁int imate ▁friends ; ▁some ▁claimed ▁he ▁had ▁a ▁daughter ▁from ▁a ▁friend ▁he ▁met ) ▁with ▁grand io se ▁man ners , ▁pr one ▁to ▁public ▁out bur st s ▁of ▁tears , ▁and ▁a