OBITUARY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 December 1911, Page 8

OBITUARY.

'. SIR WILLIAM GRANTHAN. ; . . LONDON, November 30. : Sir William Granthan, Judge of the Queen's. Bench Division of the High Court of Justice, is dead. ' The late Mr. Jutice Granthan was born on 23rd October, 1835, and educated at King's College . School. .He became a barrister of the Inner Te.nple in 1863, and a-Q.O .in 1877. He was a Bencher of the Inner Temple, and for a time Chairman of the Last Sussex Quarter Sessions: In 1886 he was made a Judge of the- High Court of Justice. From 1874 to 1885 he was a member for Ea.st Surrey in the House of Commons, and in 1885-86 represented Croydon'. Greatly interest ed in the land question, lie originated, many organisations to keep the labourer on the land. Ho loaves a family of two sons and four daughters. In February last Sir William created a sensation at the Liverpool Assises by repudiating what ho described as a charge of political partisanship rising out of bis decision ,on the Yarmouth election petition case in 1906. Ho said that since, that time scarcely a week had passed without threatening and insulting (letters .being received by him. He denied all partisanship, and said that lie wais astonished at the charge. It may be explained that the election mentioned, jvlr. Arthur Fell, a brother of Dr. Fell, of Wellington, was returned in the Conservative interest for Great Vnr mouth. A petition was lodged against his ,election on the ground of bribery. Tha petition was dismissed, Mr. Justice Channel being in favour of granting it, and Mr. Justice Granch.im against. The matter was discussed in the House of Commons in consequence of a memorial signed by 347 members. During the debate the late Sir J. Lawson Walton, then Attorney-Gen-eral, deplored Mr. Justice. Grantham's demeanour, but agreed that he was honest and .straightforward, though ai: intemperate partisan. After his outburst in February last, the House of Commons again discussed Sir William. Mr. Asquith said that the jud;j;e had signally violated the obligation of the Bench to abstain from criticising Parliament, and had created an unique situation. One of the London papers thought Sir William's outburst was a swan-song—a . preliminary to his retirement. Such did not prove to be the case.]