THE DEATH ROLL OF THE YEAR.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7242, 31 December 1888, Page 5

THE DEATH ROLL OF THE YEAR.

Apart from the Emperor William J and the Emperor Frederick of Germany, the list of those who have passed away during the year contains the names of few very orominent men. No leading English statesmen are included among them, the Earl of Devon, Lord Mount-Tbmplb, Lord Evsrsley (better known as Mr. Shaw-Lefevre), and Viscount Port man, being the best known of the politicians who have died. The worid of letters sustained a severe loss in the death of Mr. Matthew Arnold and Sir Henry Maixs, the distinguished writer on jurisprudence and constitutional history. Wβ have also to regret the loss of Mr. Laurence Olipham, Mr. Gifford Palgrave —a notable man either as author or traveller—and Professor Bonahy Price, .many years Professor of Political Economy at Oxford. In another department of literature, Miss Louisa M. Alcott, the American authoress, Mrs Crajk (Miss Mulock), and Mrs. Henry Wood. will be missed. The year has been rather fatal to " military commanders. Among the roll we note General Philip Sheridan— one of the trio of able captains who fought for the Union in the Secession War—Marshal Bazalye. General Loris Melikoff, Sir Kedvers Bui&er, General Cameron, whose name is of local interest from the fact that he had command of bur troops in the New Zealand war. Among others who have died during the year we may especially mention the

Duchess of Sutherland, who will be greatly missed in social and philanthropic circles; Sir Richard Baggallay, formerly one of the Lords Justices of Appeal; Sir Anthony Musgrave, Governor of Queensland; the Pught Hon. W. B. Dalley, the most distinguished of native born Australians who have attained to emm

ence; Sir John Brand, President of the Orange Free State ; Dr. Zukertort, the great chess player; Mr. K. A. Proctor, astronomer and journalist; Sir W.Pearce, the eminent ship-builder and one of the Directors of the New Zealand Shippiug Company. In New Zealand the obituary list has been unusually heavy. Three members of the Upper House have died: —The Hon. J. Williamson, of Auckland, one of the founders of the Bank of New Zealand'; Hon. Mr. Chamberlin, of Taranaki; and the Hon. Dr. Menzie.3,

of Southland, The Lower House has lost Mr. W. F. Pearson, member for Ashley, whose untimely death we in this district have had especial reason to deplore. The Supreme Court has been deprived of the services of Mr. Justice Johnston, and in Mr. J. S. Beswick the country has lost an able and conscientious magistrate. New Zealand has sustained a heavy blow in the death of Mr. John Gully, and we shall long miss the bright and attractive pen of Mr T. H. Potts in literature and his interesting observations on natural history. Tlie lamented death of Professor Mainwaring Brown, lost while exploring the Lake Manapouri country, is fresh in the minds of all. The poor of Christchurch have lost a true friend in the death of Mrs. Harper, the beloved wife of the aged Primate, while among other local residents whose departure we,. in Canterbury, have to lixouru the names of Mb. H. A. Watt, Mr. John Lewis, and Mr. George Booth, at once occur to the mind. During the year there has also passed away a notable figure among the Native race, the Taranaki chief Titokowaru, whose name was once a name of terror throughout the North Island. It is significant of the complete change which has comeoverourrelations with the Native race, that, except among the older settlers, the exploits of Titokowaru had been forgotten. So entirely has the Native difficulty become a thing of the past that in a few years we shall take a purely anfei■quarian interest in it, and schoolboys who want to know about the battle of Te Ngutu.o-te-manu will have to study it up, as they do at present the battle of Marathon, or any other fight in ancient history. For our part.we have no desire to keep alive the memory of our wars with the Maoris; the sooner they are forgotten the better, say we.