OBITUARY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12394, 2 July 1902, Page 8

OBITUARY.

• MR JOHN MOUAT. There passed away yesterday, after a prolonged illness, Mr John Mouat, whoso name has for the last 40 years been widely and favourably known throughout Otago, and also wherever those who had been connected with gold mining in Otago were to be found. Joint Mouat, one of 10 children, was bom at Unst, Scotland, on the 12th November, 1830, .where his father was proprietor of a small estate (Brookpoint), which carried a. number of crofter tenants. Ho received his education at the parish school of Unst, and at. the High School of Lerwick, whose-he had as schoolmate the kte Mr Basil Sievwright. Here he acquired a, very competent knbwledge of Greek and Latin, and'sufficient French and German to enable him to read with facility works in (he?? language* throughout his life. During Ins school ddys, also he acquired a knowledge of chos; from Sergeant Steel, of the Sappers and Miner?. Mm was then in charge of a. district of the Shetland Islands for the Ordnance Survey. This knowledge he retained through life, '. and . many an anxious and weary hour he beguiled over the board, his aptitude for the'' game, both. in theory and practieo, being very-pronouncc-d. At tho age of 21 ho left . Shetland for Victoria, being attracted, like' many another, by the stories of fabulous wealth to be made jn the newly-discovered goldfields of Australia. He arrived in Victoria on the 11th November, 1852, and engaged in gold mining. Ha was located at Simpson's Ranges, White Hills, in tho Maryborough district,, for some time, and met with the usual varying succes of the goldseeker. Here die made the acquaintance of Mr ,T. P. Armstrong. Subsequently he 'decided to try his luck in Otago, and left Victoria, arriving in Dunedin on the 22nd December, 1561, .setting out for tho Tuapeka goldficlds immediately thereafter. He had a- claim-at the Blue Spur and .another at Wethers tones, both proving of a remunerative) character. In 1864. ho was elected to tho Otago Provincial Council as member for the Goldfields, and sat as such representative .almost continuously until 1871. On March 4, lc'GS, he was appointed a member of the first Mining Conference held in Otago. l'lus commission was sat up hy the Provincial Government for the "purpose of revising the goldfields regulations and drawing li[S now regulations suitable to tho advtuic&d' condition of mining in the province. The other members of this conference were: Vinoent , Pyke (chairman!, John Lillie (-.illies (both, witli Mr Mouat, Provincial Council ,representatives), Michael Gaffney (representing St. Bathans), William CaiT (Tuapekaj, James Hoylc (Mount Benger), Peter Limmond Lcttc (Switzers), Robert Swyei' (Wakatipu), Colin Campbell M'lntyre (Clyde), arid John Shannon (Hamilton?). Tho outcome of the labours of the confercrca was, a now, and amended code of> regulations, published in the Provincial Gazette' of April 22,. 1E63, whiph were generally conc.doa to be of an eminently' practical character, On the resignation or the Otago' Provincial Executive on May 6. 1869, the members' then being Messrs Julius Vogel, Arthur John Burns, Bryan Cccil Haggitt, and Johii Hughes, a new Government was formed on' May 10, 1869, the members of which were' McsSrs Donald Roid, Georgo M'teaii, Bryan Cccil Haggitt, John Lillie Gillies, and John Mouat. Mr Mouat was for some timo a member withmit portfolio, but afterwards filled the offices of Provincial Secretary and Secretary for Public Works., The Executive existed till April 3, 1871— somewhat longer than the usual term of office, the' Provincial Governments of the early days lasting sometimes for a period less than a . month—and then resigned. Thereafter Mi: Mouat turned his attention to tho study of law, and he articled himself to the" late Mr B. C. Haggitt, and subsequently, on JOrh April,'-1872, he was admitted to the New Zealand /Bar as a barrister and solicitor by. the lato Mr Justice Chapman. He commenced practice at Lawrence, and was for fome time in partnership with Mr W. H. M'Keay,(at present Supreme Court librarian), tho. latter looking after the Dunedin branch of the business. Mr Mouat, however, after some years' residence in Lawrence, returned ■to' Dunedin, and practised on his own account until, l®, when he was joined in his law practice by his eldest sou (the iato Mr C.. M. Mouat), whose early death in 189° cut short a- promising career, and no doubt was .severely folt by Iris, father. In 1889- - l c 9o-Mr Mouat filled the office of secretary to- .this Mining and Metallurgy Committee »ot-un in connection with.the New Zealand and South' Seas Exhibition. The other mornbora wen 1 ; Messrs W;.L. Simpson (chairman), Vincent Pyke, James Allen, M.H.R., Jqllh Mitchell, .R. S. Sparrow, George . M'Giivin, Professor Ulrich, " James Haz- , lctfc,' Ct. J. Binne,' W.. E. M'Adam, W. P. Watson, L. 0. Beal, jun., and R. , B. Denniston, Of Mr Mouat's forensic i onrper it, may be said that, in the zenith of his fame, ftis services as counsel in all .mining, cases-of importance wero eagerly: .sought.' He was leading counsel in pro- , ti'ibly the longest jurv case in the District. ■ Court Lawrcnoe—Clayton v. Morrison,—: which lasted- for 27 days. Other' causes' , celcbre in which he was engaged may be mentioned the : equity. suits of Elliott v. I Burke and others, V/cbb v. National Bank i of New Zealand, and, more recently, the' , protracted action of Mills and others v, . Isaac, and . others, which, we believe, lias 1 not yet ended. His special line, however, • was mining law, and as an old digger lie I made a deep study of everything in con- ; nection with this subject. As a consequence j lie was frequently engaged in writing lead- : inft. articles for the Otago Dailv Times on mining and kindred subjects. He was also ■ on the staff of the. "Mining Journal" when Mr R.-L. Stanford (now magistrate at Pal- , merston North) filled the editorial chair. Tt may bo. mwitioncd here that Mr Mouat took an active part in establishing the first newspaper in. Lawrence—tho Tuapeka Recorder. He was alfo, while at Lawrence, secretary of • tho. Railway League which eventually pmmqtccl the railway line from Dunedin .to Lawrence, and was furthermore at. one time employed by the Government, along with tho 'late Messrs B. C. Haggitt and T. L.' Shepherd, in drafting a Consolidated and -Amended Mining Act. His one recreation was Jho game of chess, and for'.alwut 15 years lie had been chcas editor of the Otago Witness. Mr Mouat was a strong and enthusiastic player, and frequently carried off prizes at. the various tournaments held from time to time. Mr Mouat leaves three sons (all of whom are in-the civil service) and two grandchildren." Tho only son resident in Dunedin is Mr ] F. J. Mouat, of tho Lands and Survey DcI partment.