OBITUARY.

MR. T. C. WILLIAMS A Press Association telegram from Auckland announces the death of Mr. Thomas Cold ham Williams, aged 86, on Sunday morning, after a somewhat protracted illness. Deceased is one of the oldest New Zea-land-born settlers. He was a son of the late Rev. Henry Williams, Archdeacon of Waimate, Bay of Islands. Born at Paihia in 1825, he was educated at Waimate. Mr. Williams was brought up to country life, and for some years resided in Auckland. In 1865 he removed to Wellington. He took up the Brancepeth land in the Wairarapa, the Anne dale station on the East Coast, and the Lansdowne station near Masterton. Messrs W. and H. H. Beetham were his partners in these ventures. In 1858 he married a daughter of the late Mr. Wm. Beetham, by whom he had thirteen children, six sons and seven daughters. Their names are : — Hugh George (of Masterton), Ethel Alice (Mrs. Arthur Ruaeell, of Palmerston North), Maud Mary Anne, Hilda Temple, Guy Coldham, Wyvern Henry, Elfie Clare, Thomas Gwynne Horsley, Eila Mabel, Algar Temple (of Wellington), Una Mildred, Enid Githa Fergusson, and Erl Temple. MR. W. L. REES, GISBORNE The late Mr. W. L. Rees, whose death at Gisborne was briefly recorded in Saturday's Post, was a* native of Bristol, and a son of Dr. Rees, a wellknown medical man, who died when his family was quite young, and whose practice was taken over by his brother-in-law, Dr. Grace, father of the famous cricketer. Mr. ~Rees first studied for the ministry, but in 1865 he emigrated to Victoria, and there took up the legal profession. After serving with Messrs. Carrington and Gresswell for a time, he entered the service of the Congregational Church, later was admitted to the Bar, and subsequently came to New Zealand. He practised in Dunedin for a time, later at Hokitika, and subsequently at Auckland. Within four years of his arrival in the Northern city he was elected to the Provincial Council, and on Sir George Grey becoming Superintendent of the Province, Mr. Rees became Provincial Solicitor. The friendship then formed between the two politicians lasted until Sir George Grey's death. On the abolition of the provinces, in 1876, Mr. Rees stood for Auckland East in opposition to Mr. J. M. Clark, whom he defeated by forty votes. He sat in the House of Representatives for Auckland City East from 1876 to 1879, and for the City of Auckland from 1890 to 1893. In 1892 he was Chairman of Committees. In later years he resided at Napier and at Gisbome, and all the time took a keen and active interest in the politics of the country. In 1891 he was Chairman of the Native Land Laws Commission. Ab far back as 1888 he visited England in the interests of emigration to this country. In collaboration with one 1 of his daughters, , deceased wrote "The Coming Crisis" (1874), "Sir Gilbftrt Leigh" (1878), "From Poverty to Plenty" (1888), "The Science of Wealth in the Light of the Scriptures," and "The Life and Time* of Sir George Grey." He had a family of three eons and four daughters. Of the sons, Messrs. L. L. Reee and . E. A. Rees died after gaining prominence in the legal profession, and Mr. A. W. Rees, of Messrs. Rees Bros, and Bright, is the surviving son. Of the daughters, Miss Rees, the authoress, remained with her father. Another daughter, after some interesting experiences with the teaching staff that went to South Africa after the Boer War, like her brothers, qualified for the legal Erofession, being admitted to the Bar y Mr. Justice Chapman. The other daughters ars Mrs. H. B. Lusk, of Napier; Miss Rose Mary Rees, and Mre. (Captain) West, both in England. As a mark of respect the legal offices at Gisborne were closed to-day, when the funeral takes place. LORD STALBRDDGE By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright. LONDON, 19th. May. The death is announced of Lord Stalbridge. [Richard de Aquila Grc*venor, first Baron (created 1886), P.C., was the youngest son of the second Marqui6 of Westminster, and was born in 1837. He sat in the House of Commons for twentyfive yeare as a Liberal Unionist, and was Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury from 1880 to 1885. He was twice married, and 16 succeeded by his 6on, the Hon. Hugh Grosvenor. Lord Stalbridge wae chairman of the London and NorthWestern Railway.] MR. SNAZELLE. LONDON, 19th May. ' Mr. G. H. Snazelle, the variety entertainer, many years ago a popular figure in the colonies, including New Zealand, is dead. [The late Mr. Snazelle visited Wellington in 1892, with his famous "Music, Song, and Story" entertainment, ' with which he had toured the world. Those who heard him in those days are not likely to forget the way he told of "How Bil^ Adams won the Battle of Waterloo." Mr. Snazelle visited Australia many times, and it was he who created in the colonies the character of Bouillabasse in "Paul Jones." He was at one time a member of the Carl Rosa Opera . Company in England. It was whilst he was in Australia with his pictorial entertainment, that Mr. Musgrove picked on Mr. Snazelle to play in "Paul Jones." He then returned to England, and resumed his pictorial show and coupled with the title, "To which colony shall we send our Boys?" All the Agents- General sent him slides of scenes, and as he had visited all the colonies he was able to give first hand information. He published a series of small books under the titles : Australia, "Throe Men in the Sun" ; South Pacific, "Three Men in the Rain" ; Africa, "Three Men in the Dust" ; Mount Zeehan, Tasmania, "Three Men in the Mud" ; Canada, "Three Men in the Snow." Mr. Snazelle appeared in many operas, his favourite pai-t being FalstaiT in Nicolai'e opera "Merry Wives of Windsor." He had also played Mephistopheles in "Faust" over 1000 times, and sung the part in different languages. His last professional visit to Australia was with John Wren's National Opera Company, when "The Lily of Killarney" a*id a i-ound of old.-time operas wer» staged.]