JUDGES AND MAGISTRATES

Otago Witness, Issue 2298, 17 March 1898, Page 60

JUDGES AND MAGISTRATES

upreme

/^^■^.HE first appointment to the Supreme Court Hcnch in Otago was that. //||]^ N of IVIK ' JusTtCK Stepiikn in July, 1850. The Judge had little or Ifllk nothing to do, and held sittings twice a year. The third of these ■if/ t^\ sittings was held on December Oth, 1851, when there was neither civil nor criminal business. The judge was transferred to the Ntf^ North in March, 1852, and died in 1858, the whole of the first number of the New Zealand Government Gazette of that year being devoted to the announcement of the death. His Honor Mr. Justice Guesson was appointed the Supreme Court judge at Christchurch in 1855, with jurisdiction over Otago and Southland. His Honor made periodical \ isits to these parts — sometimes riding overland from the north- until the gold discoveries rendered a change necessary, and on the 21st April, 1863, the Otago and Southland district was constituted under the Supreme Court Act, and assigned to the charge of Mr. Justice Richmond, who had been gazetted a judge on the 20th October, 1862. On the 23rd March, 1861, Mr. H. S. Chapman was reappointed a judgej udge of the Supreme Court, and, it being found necessary on account of the great increase in business to assign another judge to the Otago district, that gentleman was given the position. In October, 1867, Mr. Justice Richmond was removed to the Westland and Nelson district, and M r. Chapman took a holiday in 1868. To fill the temporary vacancy Mr. C. D. R. Ward, who had been appointed a resident magistrate on 6th January, 1864, and a judge of the District Court the following

year, was on the Ist October, 1868, raised to the supreme Court bench during the pleasure of His Excellency the Governor, which m this instance meant during Mr. Chapman's absence. Mr. Chaj man finally left the bench in March, 1875, and his Honor Mr. Justice Williams was aupoinied to tho A^acant seat on the bench. The able manner in which his Honor has fulfilled his duties during the twenty-three years he has presided over the Supreme Court in Dunedin is too well known to need detailing. Mr. Ward has on several occasions since that referred to above been temporarily raised to the Supreme Court bench and was offered the judgeship rendered vacant on the death of Sm Patrick Buckley, but declined it. Mr. Ward is still a district iudge having jurisdiction in Otago and other parts of the South Island. Alfred Rowland Chetham Strode was the first magistrate appointed to.the settlement of Otago. Mr. Strode arrived a short time after the first

immigrants, and remained identified with Otago till he left for the Old Country, after some thirty odd years of service. Mr. Strode filled many offices during his long connection with the province of Otago. He was the first commissioner appointed when gold was discovered, and he was also sheriff of the province at one time. Me. John Gillies was appointed a resident magistrate in 1857, and held the office for some years. On the 13th January, 1859, Mr. John Hyde Harris was appointed a judge of the District Cmirtof Oiago and also resident magistrate, and Mr. T. W. Parkeh gazetted a resident magistrate from loth August, 1860, he heing for many years stationed at Oamaru. This brings us down to the days of the gold discoveries and the necessity for the appointment of a new set of officials. Major Croker, who had seen service in India, and was at the time engaged in farming, was ap-

pointed to the Tuapeka district and re- ' sided there for some years. Then Captain Baldwin was appointed to Waitahuna. The Captain had a run at the Teviot and happened to be passing through the district when the gold discovery was made

known, when he quickly joined the diggers. MR. (JIIARLISS WORTHINGTON Was appointed to the Waipori division on January 23rd, 18(52. Major Keddell, at present in charge of Oamaru district, was srazcted a commissioner for the Dunstan Hold fields on the Ist October, 1862, and on the 13th ot the same month he, John Nugent Wood, and Thomas Bastian Archibald, together with Major Croker and Charles Worthington, as already mentioned, were appointed wardens and judges of all Wardens' Courts on the goldfields of the province of Otago. Captain Wm. Baldwin was gazetted a warden on the 22nd Nov., 1862. Then came Richmond Beetham and Henry Wirgman Robinson, who were gazetted on the 16th March, 1863. Both these gentlemen have ably filled their offices as magistrates ever since, and to-day the former is the senior stipendiary magistrate at (Jhristchurch, while

the latter is a District Court judge m the North Island. Henry Form an was appointed a resident magistrate on the 7th August, 1863, and Charles Williamson and Edward Hardcastle to the same oflice on the loth August and wardens on the 15th September of the same year. There seems to have been some necessity for re-gazetting the wardens now and again, for on the same date (loth Sept.) the names of Edward Croker, Chas. Worthinaton, J. N. Wood, R. Bectham.lH. W. Robinson, Alex. James Willis and J. S. Hickson also appeared. Two of these— namely, Messrs. Willis and Hickson — had been appointed resident magistrates in the preceding May. On the 11th November, 1803, .John Dewe was gazetted resident magistrate at Tokomairiro in place of Edward Musurave, whose resignation had been recei\cd, while two daj s later Mr. Lowtiier Broad, for maiiy years destined to worthily occupy the bench, was appointed the resident magistrate at Wakatipu. On the 2tith November, 18(53, Vincent Pykk was gazetted a warden and judge of the Warden's Court. On the same day William Laurence Simpson and Charles Broad were appointed resident magistrates, and on the 7th December, 1803, theho gentlemen w ere made wardens. James Fulton was aLso gazetted a resident magistrate on the 20th November, 1803. During 18(54 Justin Aylmer was appointed a warden and judge of the Warden's Court and Mr. Wilson Gray's appointment as a resident magistrate and district judge was

gazetted in the same year, his appointment, being made the subject of public congratulation in an address to the grand jury by Air. Justice Richmond. •MSm S t!? 0110 , 1 ' llsou Grn> ' occupied the bench of the District Court of Otago till March, 1870, when he was to have retired on a pension with a year's leave of absence, but his health, which had been broken by the hard life he T was forced to lead in travelling about on circuit, gave wav, and he died at the beginning of April, 1875. Hexry Stratford was appointed warden at Cromwell on the 21st March, 1860, while John N. Wood had a similar appointment to the Nokomai on the 4th July. Joseph B. Bortox was appointed warden at the Teviot, a position he held for some twelve years, lhis gentleman had occupied several positions connected with the goldfields betore this last appointment, and is now in the Public Works department. Isaac Newton Watt was appointed resident magistrate at the Bluff in 1802, and was transferred to Dunedin as sheriff of the Supreme Court, resident magistrate, and coroner in 18(58. He was afterwards in the Oamaru district tor a short time. He retired on a pension in 1880. Edgar Hall Carf.w was gazetted warden and resident magistrate for the goldflelds district of Otago on the 24th August, 1871, but had held important positions before in the early sixties on the goldflelds, and is now stipendiary magistrate at Dunedin. ;™ GE , Batiigate was appointed districr judge and resident magistrate in 18<4and retired in 1880 owing to physical infirmities. The gentlemen who h ive presided in the Resident Magistrate's Court in Dunedin are included 111 those here dealt with— viz.. A. R. C. Strode. J. Gillifts. .T. H. TTarris. T. NT. Watt, J. Fulton, W. L. Simpson and E. H. Carew. The gentlemen whose dates of appointment are here mentioned did not all continue in the service, though some remain to this day. Captain Baldwin was elected to the House of Representatives in 1863 and also to the Provincial Council and consequently had to resign his position. Major Croker resigned, went to Auckland, and from there to the Home countryMr. W. L. Simpson also resigned and is now a prominent business man in Dunedin. Mr. John Dewe became an Anglican clergyman, and the Hon. Vincent Pyke a journalist and politician. Some have gone to that bourne whence no traveller returns, but all served their country well, and deserve to be honoured at this time of Jubilee. Some of the portraits we publish on this page were taken thirty odd years ago, when the subjects were comparatively young men.

Dunedin and Her Lawyers.— lv the early sixties lawyers were numerous, and the law more profitable than now. Police Court business was plentiful. Magistrate's Court business, could not be overtaken. The Court sat every day (Saturdays excepted) till long after office hours. As for the Supreme Court, both civil and criminal business, the list used to last well on to the following session. Whilst one jiidge was taking civil or criminal business, the other would be taking Banco, Bankruptcy or Chambers business. Bankruptcy and business in those days was worth looking at, no £6 to pay on filing petition as now : the Government were modest then and were content with a

fee of three shillings on filing of petition. Mr. Strode was then R.M. and had as assistant W. D. Murison. They were succeeded by John Bathgate, W. L. Simpson, I. N. Watt and latterly by our present magistrate. Mr. St. John Branigan was Commissioner of Police, and Messrs. Keligher, Deane, Anderson, Hanlon and others sergeants, while Messrs Farrell, Golder. Bain, and others were the detectives. At the time referred to the following lawyers were practising here: Messrs Kenyon, Prendergast (the present Chief Justice), Maddock, J. H. Harris, Macassey, G. K. Turton, Jas. Smith, Uempsey, George Cook, Richmond (afterwards judge of the Supreme Court), B. C. Haggitt, John Stamper, T. B. Gillies (afterwards a judge of the Supreme Court), Howarth, G. E. Barton (now a judge of the Native Land Court), W. W YYilcrm Mio.Vin.nl T-Tpnotnn V, -ff Wnrfl nr><l ntVio^o