A REMARKABLE CAREER.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11569, 28 April 1903, Page 3

A REMARKABLE CAREER.

(SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.•') WELLINGTON, April 27. On Saturday morning as I heard Mr W. T. L. Travers, as the oldest member of the New Zealand bar, speaking in defence of the privileges of the New Zealand Court of Appeal, I could not but marvel at the clear intellect and vitality of a man over whose liead eighty-four summers had passed. It seemed as if he might well continue in active practice for several yeans to come, but to-day in the same chamber where on Saturday lie spoke as the representative of tho New Zealand Bar the scene was a sad one, as bis colleagues assembled after his somewhat sudden and tiagio death to pay _ tribute to his memory and his many virtues. Mr Travers was certainly a very remarkable man, and a great deal might be- writ; ten not only about his attainments but also" about his experiences as a young man. He gained distinction on the battlefields of Spain, where during the Carlist war of 1835-38 he served as lieutenant in the British Legion, and in recognition of his services received a decoration from the King of Spain. Mr Travers was born in Limerick, Ireland, on the 9th of January, 1819, and was educated in France at the College, of St. S-.:ivan. Aft-r his experiences in the Spanish Revolution Ins studied law in England, and was ciiih-d to the Bar in London in 1844. He came to New Zealand in 1849. For wine- time lie was Judgo of the Diisirii't. Court of Nelson, but he resigned that position, und returned to the practice of his profession in 1854. Ht> was returned to the first General Assembly as member for (Nelson, which lie represented during the two ewsious of that, year and the sessions of 1855. Mr Travers was ■elected a member of the second Parliament in the year 1856 for the- Wainwa District, and'continued a member till 1858, when ho resigned.

Two years later Mr Travers left Nelson for Canterbury, where he lived and practised till 1868" and was for several years a member of the General Assembly for Christ church City. While resident "there he took a prominent part in local politics, being elected to a seat in. the Council in 1864, and afterwards becoming one of the Executive at the time- when Mr Bealev was Superintendent of tlu- Province. "After his removal to Wellington in 1869, Mr Travers represented that City in the General Assembly, thus he had the honour of representing the three cities in which he lived. Mr Travels has taken a foremost pait in connection with many colonial institutions and societies. He was one of the founders of the X.w Zealand Institute, prepared all tlu- statute* <onnetted with it, has been a governor since, its incorporation, and ha.s contributed many papers on the foundation of the Wellington College. He was elected one of the first. Board of Governor.?, a posit h.-n from wliich he- retired hecau.se he believed the. whole of the endowments were being misapplied. He resigned his seat as a protest. The "Post," in an obituary notice, mentions that Mr Travers continued in the active practice of his profession to the very last, displaying a knowledge of law and practice as well as a general keenness a_d a capacity for quickly grasping a point that wa-J remarkable in one of his years. In one of his last casts before a jury he had opposed to him a. leading banister, considerably Ids junior in veare. Mr Travers, in addressing th. jury- at the closa vf a prolongs: hearing, frankly admitted that he was labouring under a great disadvantage in having to carry i*oaie four score years ou lv's shoulders. " He made some pointed lemarks on the per_ua»ive eloquence of his learned friend, and gave an interesting disquisition on the subjv-t of the duties of solicitors to clients and on the jury system, dealing, inter alia, in forcible terms with the tact that the oily-tongued lawyer with tlie weak case only "too often succeeded in getting th? jury to his side. The address wa_ plentifully interspereed with e„_mples ot pungent wit that were fully appreciated by all that lieard it, and was distinctly unique. In the. latter connection there are many who will remember incident- connected with the veteran lawyer's appearance before the late Mr Justice Richmond. The Wrned Judge himself dearly loved a joke, and had always an apt simile to apply to the case before him. Mr Travers would occasionally cap a smart remark or a good story by the Judge with another equally as good, and Ida Honour would chuckle and tell another. It served to relieve the tedium of dry law, and made the proceedings etu: ruining, and certainly tlie panics to 4,he .suit lo.=t nothing by the diversion. In the conduct of cases in the Courts. Mr Travers was always scrupulously fair, and this fact has on more than one occasion evoked the favourable comment of the Bench. Quite recently, in a ca«e before Mr Justice Dennaston, his Honour, while disapproving of certain aspects of the "case, said he could not refrain from expressing his full approval of tha attitude taken by Mr Travers throughout. He had acteii with the but interests of justice in view,

and fully in accordance with the reputation he had earned in the past. No sketch of the deceased gentleman * career would be completed without a reference to his high scientific attainments, and his valuable services through a long series of years as a members of the small, but brilliant, body of men who have given this colony an honoured place in the world of science." An enthusiastic photographer, ski'led in nearly every branch, of natur-t history, in geology, palaeontology, zoology, and botany, abreast of all the latest discoveries which _c followed with keen interest, ho could speak with tho authority of an expert. xVssociatcd from the beginning with the New Zealand Philosophical Institute, he has, during the many years of his residence in this city, taken a leading part in tho work of the local branch, being almost ti-ntiuii.ily on the Council, and repeatedly filling the presidential and vice-presidential chairs. His successive addresses as president, embracing as they usually did, a review offthe world's science for the year, took in a wide scope, and evinced extensive acquaintance with the subject and fin* powers of generalisation. Besides his active work the local branch of the Philosophical Society and other institutions of a scientific character. Mr Travers was also for many years a member of the Board of Governors of the New Zealand Philosophical Institute, and he presided at its List meeting on the 2nd of tlie present month. He received from the French Government the Grand Cross of the Order of Cambodia, for services rendered to that Government. For some time he was viceConsul for France.

Mr Travers was married twice. His first -wife died in Wellington about ten years aeo, leaving him a son (Mr H. H. Traversf, and a daughter (Mrs Coleridge). Hid second wife, daughter of Captain Barclay, of Wellington, survives him. SYMPATHETIC REFERENCES. The brief scene enacted in the Supreme Court tliis morning in connection with his death was a most touching one. The Court was crowded, and nearly every member of the Bar w-ho could attend was there in wig and gown. Mr H. D. Bell, to whose lot as President of the Law Society it fell to voice the feelings of the profession in regard to the death of their colleague, was so affected that his utterance occasionally could barely be heard. Mr Bell paid a high tribute to his virtues. He said, aa they all knew, ho sustained an even and most impartial mind in the most stirring of events, and had borne his share of managing the affairs of the colony. Outside the profession of the law, he was, if ever a man was in this colony, honoured, respected and loved. He was the last of tlie members who sat in the first Parliament New Zealand —the last of the men who helped to found our constitution and system. Although he held only for a short time the office of Attorney-General, yet he was offered and refused tlie permanent and continued position of that office. A man who'had throughout his career left an example to the profession, an honourable and upright lawyer, whose only defect as an advocate was his extreme fairness, his was not only a brilliant career, but an honourable one to him, and honourable to the members of the profession, and a real example to those who had now only to honour his memory. Mr Skerrett, President of the Wellington District Law Society, paid an equaLy touching tribute to the memory of Mr Travers. Th« whole of the members of the Bar present remained standing while these addresses were being nj&deThe Chief Justice (Sir RobeH>*Stout), also rising from his seat on the Bench, then proceeded to refer to the distinguished career of the deceased. In concluding, he said: —"The other members of the Bench, as well as myself, exceedingly regret the decease of Mr Travers, and feel that we have lost one who was ever an aid to us in the performance and administration of justice.'' In the Supreme Court sitting in civil jurisdiction, Mr Justice Edwards also referred to the sad event, and reference was also made to it in the Magistrate's Court. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) DUNEDTN, April 27. On the Supreme Court assembling, Mr Justice Williams paid a tribute of rcqv t to Mr Traven's memory, saying in conclusion that his last appearance in Court was on Saturday, when with jjreat dignity and vigour h* spoke to defend the honour of the Court, with which It- v.-ns jo lout: associated. That was indeed a .'ittin_ crown to :•- long and useful career. The entire Bar remained standing while t!i* judge epoke.