OBITUARY.

At about one o'clock oil Friday, June 30, Mr. Allan W. O'Neill, • solicitor, of Short-land-street, died suddenly at the Northcote Hotel. A post-mortem examination was held at three o'clock the same afternoon. Dr. Sharman stated that the heart was diseased, and that death resulted from syncope. A verdict of "Death from natural causes" was returned. Mr. O'Neill was the eldest son of late James O'Neill, J.P., M.L.C., and was born in New South Wales in 1843. He. was educated in England and Ireland, and was a li.A. of Trinity College, Dublin, of which university he was an honours man. He was a member of the English, Irish, and New Zealand Bars, and was a very sound classical scholar. ■ He practised his profession on the West Coast in the sixties, and then went to London, where he remained for some years. He returned to New Zealand in 1873, and practised at Christchurch, where he entered into partnership with Mr. Joynt. About 1882 he came to Auckland, where lie has resided since, except for a few visits to England, Europe, and America. He stood for Avon some years ago, but was unsuccessful, and later he contested Eden, but again failed. Since then he has not taken an active part in politics. He was of a quiet and retiring disposition, and devoted most of his time to study. His sudden death gave a terrible shock to his relatives and friends, who had no idea, whatever that his heart was affected. He was buried on Sunday, the 2nd inst., at O'Neill's Point, and the large gathering and numerous floral tributes testified to the esteem and grief of those he left behind him. His brother, Mr. Lewis O'Neill, barrister, of Hamilton, and cousin, J. H. O'Neill, chairman of the Waitemata County Council, were chief mourners.

A very old colonist and Government officer passed away on June 20 at his residence, New North Road, at the ripe age of about 80, in the person of ex-Judge Rogan, of the Native Lands Court. He had been in the colony for nearly half a century. He was originally a surveyor by profession, but was subsequently appointed a resident magistrate in the Helensville district. He then became a Land Purchase Commissioner, and thereafter a judge of the Native Land Court. About 16 years ago he retired on his pension. Deceased was an able Maori scholar, and like the late Chief Judge Fenton, of the Native Land Court, was a warm friend of the Maori race, and desired to see their welfare and prosperity. Mr. F. E. Clarke, chief draughtsman in the Survey Office, New Plymouth, died rather suddenly on Saturday, July 1, from heart disease.

It will be seen from our obituary column that another old colonist has passed away, in the person of Mr. Jas. Ratcliffe Hunter, at the ripe age of 75. He arrived at Port Chalmers in the ship Echunga, in 1868. He was also well known on the Thames goldfields. Deceased leaves three sons, four daughters, 21 grand-children, and one greatgrandchild. A very old Thames identity, in the person of Mr. Thomas Arnold, died suddenly on June 12 at hie residence, Mackey-street. At the inquest a verdict that deceased died from syncope was returned. In our obituary column will be found recorded the death of Mrs. Houghton, relict of the late Mr. John Houghton, who passed away at her residence, Mount Albert, on June 13, at the ripe age of 80. Deceased lady was an old colonist, having arrived with her husband in Auckland 40 years ago, and was for some time in Auckland, and afterwards at Cambridge, Waikato, but latterly has resided in tie suburbs of Auckland. She leaves three sons and three daughters to mourn then' loss. Mr. John Barraclough, one of the oldest settlers in Oamaru district, died on June 13, at the age of 73 years, from apoplexy. On Juno 17 Mr. J. 6. Somers (late of Hamilton and Gisborne) passed away at the residence of his mother, l'onsonby Road. Interment was private. Our Gisborne correspondent telegraphed on June 17:' " Quite a gloom was cast over the' town this afternoon when the news was received of the death of Mr. John Somers, manager of Mr. S. MoLernon's Gisborne jewellery establishment. Mr. Somers was of a genial and kind-hearted disposition, and was held in high steem by local residents, to whom the news of his death came as a sudden surprise." Miss Mary Cooper, one of Dunedin's favourite concert singers, died on Tuesday, June 20, after a painful illness. We have to record the death of Mr. John Trevelyan, at the age of 88, at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. C. B. Kins, Rose Road. The deceased was formerly publisher of the Herald and Weekly News, and afterwards was engaged in the bookbinding department. He was very much esteemed and respected for his integrity and other personal qualities. Another old settler has passed away in the person of Mrs. Euphemia Munro, at the age of 95. Deceased was born at Deerness, in Scotland, and came from Cape Breton. She had been in Auckland since 1858.

An old Auckland clergyman and colonist has died at Wellington, namely the Rev. Thos. Hamer, at the ripe age of 85. He came out to Auckland from England, being sent out by the Congregational Union, to found a Congregational Church in Auckland. Mr. Hamer was one of the founders, with Capt. Daldy, of the Freedom of Religion Society, which was so potent in preventing a State Church being established in the colony. On the 27th of June Mr. F. Mason, of the New Zealand and River Plate Land Mortgage Company, received a cablegram from the manager of the General Grant gold mine, Thornborough, Queensland, stating that Mr. Fredk. A. Bartley, second son of Mr. E. Bartley, architect, of Devonport, and brother-in-law to Mr. F. Mason, had been killed 1 in the mine.