EX-MEMBER'S DEATH.

MR. GEORGE HUTCHISON. PROMINENT POLITICIAN. INTERESTING LEGAL CAREER. The death oi Mr. George Hutchison, at one tirno a prominent member of Parliament, occurred at St. Heliers Bay yesterday. Mr. Hutchison, who was 84 years of ago, was born iri Dundee, Scotland, and camo 'to New Zealand with his parents in the early 'fifties. Mr. Hutchison settled in the Wanganui district and practised his profession as a barrister and solicitor. He and the late Mr. Justice Denniston were in part neiship for a timo, and the late Mr. Justice Edwards was subsequently associated with him in legal practice. In his

early days Mr. Hutchison was piominently connected with the volunteer movement, and was a major of the West Coast (N. 1.) Battalion. In 1184. Mr. Hutchison contested a Taranaki scat against Sir Harry .Atkinson, then Premier, and was narrowly de feated. At the next general election, in 18b7. he defeated the Hon. John Bryco for the Waitotara scat, which constituency lie represented until 1894, when tlio electoral boundaries were charged, and he was returned for Patea. He retained this seat until 1901. when he resigned to take up his residence in South Africa. During Mr. Hutchison's political career he fought many keen battles on the floor of the House. Throughout his political career he was an Independent. Mr. Hutchison brought about a reform iri tiia criminal procedure of New Zealand by introducing in 1880 bill, which became law, allowing an accused man (or his wife) to give evidence in his defence, a step in which New Zealand led the way to tho British Empire. When the South African War broke out in 1899 Mr. Hutchison went to South Africa, and as a member of the New Zealand Parliament tvas attached to the staff o? Lord Roberts as a legal adviser. He took part in the Bloemlontein march and then went on to Pretoria with the Com-mander-in-Chief.

Mr. Hutchison resigned the Patea seat to lake up his residence in Johannesburg, where lie practised for some years as an advocate ot the High Court of South Africa. Later he resided for a short period in England and returned to New Zealand in 1909 to resume practice as a barrister, but ho did not re-enter Parliament. He practised for a time in Auck land. Mr. Hutchison was the first member of the New Zealand Parliament to sit in the House, at the same time as his father, the late Mr. William -Hutchison, being also a member. Mr. William Hutchison was associated with the Southern Cross, later incorporated in the New Zealand Herald, and afterwards founded trie Wanganui Herald and the Tribune, Wellington. Since his retirement- from active practice in the legal profession some years ago Mr. Hutchison spent much of his time in travel. His family took up their residence in England after 'leaving South Africa. He leaves a widow, now in London, two sons, Mr. Gordon Hutchison, of Auckland, and Mr. L. G. Hutchison, of London, and three daughters. Mrs. S. H. Dagg, of lunbridge Wells, Mrs. Eric Hutchison, of St. Heliers Bay, and Mrs. 0. Bishop, of Twickenham, England. His two surviving brothers are Mr. James Hutchison, managing editor of the Otago Daily limes, and Mr. William Hrtchison, of the Cape Argus, Capetown, who both attended the recent Imperial Press Conference in London. His two sisters, the Misses Hutchison, of Dunedin, are at present touring Europe. .