HEATH. OF MR J. P MIT LAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2528, 27 August 1902, Page 29

HEATH. OF MR J. P MIT LAND.

/Mr James Pillans Maitland, for many years Commissioner of Crown Lands in Ota-go, and well known throughout the pro--rincial district, died on Friday evening after a prolonged illness" Mr Maitlaiid was a member of the well-known family of that name in Kirkudbnghtshire, and two of his uncles attained distinction as judges under the titles of Lord Dundrennan and Lord Baroaple. He was the eldest son of Mr Joseph Maitland, and was born in Regent ten ace, Edinburgh, on December 13, 1830; educated at Lorelto under the Rev. Mr Lougham. and at the Edinburgh Institution, conducted by the Rev. Mr Little. He entered the. office of Mr Cunningham Borthwick to loam the profession of accountant and actuary, and remained there until he departed for

New Zealand with his brother George in .1852, in the barque Slams Cattle, 450 tons, Captain Andrewp, carrying 183 passengers. Among them were Major the Hon. Sir John li. C Richardson (then Captain Richardson. Bengal Horse Artillery), Mr John Gilliea aud family (one of whom became Judge Gillios), Mes«rs Oldham and Pearson (of Nelson), a Maori chief (Tamihana te Fauparaha), and Tlios. Birch (afterwards Mayer of Dunedin). On landing at Port Chalmers

Mr Maitland walked with .Sir John Richaidson to the Molyn&u\ — a rough expedition

in tho c c day° — to meet his uncle, the lion Francis Pillans, at that time settled at Myers, Inchclutha. He and Ins hi other pur chased land at Inchclutha on the Koan branch of the Mclyueux Rr.er. oppose Mr John Shaw's property at Finegand, and which they sold to Mr Howler, on the arrival of his father, mother, and biothc-i-> David and William in the Stately, Captain Leslie, 1854. The Crescent propeity, near Kaitangafa, on the Molyneux. na- tlif-n purchased, and the Hillend station, Waitahuna. •fn»B takvn up, which latter Mr Maitland managed till 1861. At that time tho Otago discoveries occurred, and Sir John Richardson, then superintendent, appointed him resident magistrate of tho Clulha and Tokomairiro district*, which appointment he retained with satisfaction to tho piibl'c and credit to himself till tiansferrod to Dunedin ♦a Commissioner oi Crown Lands ou th* r

abolition of the provinces on December 28, 1876, succeeding Mr J. T. Thomson on his becoming surveyor-general. While engaged in the prosecution of his duty, classifying nine, Air Maitland met with a serious buggy accident at Tapanui, from which he received a shock to his nervous system from which he never quit© recovered. An injury to his back, caused by his horse stumbling with him, while on a land valuation trip in the Oamaru district seriously aggravated the malady. From the consequences of these two accidents arose the condition of shattered health and nervous prostration from which he suffered of late year* As a magistrate he was, at all times, highly respected and trusted as an honourable and upright man, and hh decisions were invariably characterised by sound common s,ense and the strictest impartiality. As Commissioner of Crown Landii he was employed on many special commissions, and the Go\ eminent of the day always relied on his sagacity as a capable, confidential, and trusted servant. Mr Maitland always, took a keen interest in all mat tPi-.! of ..port »nd acclimatiiation In the earlier days he was a good shot and up til! comparatively recently a most most enthusiastic fisherman. He was an active president of the Acclimatisation Society for over 20 yeais. and together with Mr A. C. Begg and the late Mr Arthur was the mainstay of tho society, and r>laced it. in the. position it at present oe< upic-s : and it is being successfully conducted at the- present time on the lines these pioneers laid down. Amongst other activities Mr Maitland wa«, for many years, president of the Otago Rugby Football Union ; also of the Carisbrook' Cricket Club, as well as chairman of the board of directors of the Carisbrook Amateur Athletic Ground Company. for the valuable acquisition of whose ground the sportsloving public of Dunedin have mainly to thank the late Mr Henry Rose and the late, Mr Maitland. In January, 1901. owing to a sharp attack of illness which prevented him from continuing his dutie* as Crown Lands Commissioner, Mr '.sitlaud retired «n tt well-earned pension. Mr Maitland was married in 1855 to Ann, oldest daughter of the late Mr Robert Williams, and had a family of five eons and four daughters, of whom a eon and a daughter predeceased their parents. One of the daughters is married to Mr F. .7. Stilling.