SIR BASSETT EDWARDS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 128, 3 June 1927, Page 7

SIR BASSETT EDWARDS

NEW ZEALAND JUDGE'S CAREER

(United Press Association.—Copyright) tt, t «. • SYDNEY» 2nd June. me death is announced of Sir W Bassett Edwards, late senior puisne Court* of the New_Zealand SupremeSir Bassett Edwards was born in tao ship Isabella Hercus, and settled at Portobel o. Worley Bassett Edward, wa. s educated at the Duriedin High rtJZ V^V* 6 3? ev--p- c- Sin">»«I here he took special prizes for English essays in 1864-5. Between 1871 and 1874 he travelled in Europe. Sub.sequently he was articled to Messrs. Julius and O'Meagher, solicitors,' of • Oamaru. He was admitted to practice as a barrister ana solicitor in 1875, and entered into'partnership with Mr.'W S. Moorhouse, of Wellington. On the" retirement of Mr. Moorhouse in 1878, Mr. C. W. Cutten was admitted iito the partnership. After Mr. CutfenV death in 1885, Mr. Edwards continued rsQnraC£ ICe ,° n his own amount until 1890, when he accepted a.seat on the Supreme Court Bench. The appoint, ment was made the subject of a politi. cal party fight in Parliament in tho session 1890, on the ground that tho Atkinson Go vernment. had exceeded its powers by appointing a sixth Judge. After the accession to offico Of the Ballanee Ministry in 1891, proceedings were taken to test the question. ThY appointment was upheld by tho Court of Appeal, but the case;was taken by the Ministry to, the Privy Council, which allowed the appeal," and MiEdwards was thus, excluded from the '.Bench. In the year 1894-95,. Mr. Edwards was president of the Wellington Law 'Society. In 189 ft he was again appointed a Judge. He was President of the Industrial Arbitration Court from 1898 to 1900. No imputation was%tl 5." * af al nst M* iji connection, with the first Supreme Court appointment. The whole question was as to the legality of the proceedings of the Government which appointed him. The result of the proceedings involved him in a loss of several thousands of pounds, and were the ground of a petition on his own part to Parliament for redress, which resulted in his being voted m 1902 a sum of £5500.in'compeni sation. At one stage in his -judicial career Mr. Justice Edwards held tha omce of Commissioner under the Nativo Land Acts, which involved him in some years' work in connection witlU the great blocks of Native land in, the East Coast^ districts of the south-east portions of Auckland provincial digtnct, in the neighbourhood of PovertyBay. Ever afterwards he was acknowledged as. the highest judicial author-; ity on the New Zealand Bench in regard to Native land titles. For some years in the latter part of hi. JudgeS^P *•*« stationed in Auckland. Then, after attachment for a eont»a«£ able time to the Wellington circuit. he retired from the Bencl. Shortly becv° r- ev^ M 164I 641*6111611* the honow of knighthood was conferred upon him. The remaining years of his life we re