OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 52

OBITUARY.

SIR C. C BOWEN. „ The death occurred at Christchurch on the 12th of Sir Charles Christopher Bowen, K.C.M.G., formerly Speaker of the Legislative Council; aged 87. Sir Charles Bowen was born at Mil ford, County Mayo, Ireland, his father being the late Mr Charles Bowen, one of the founders of Canterbury, and from 1c55 to 1364- Speaker in the Provincial Council. Sir Charles was educated at Rugby and Cambridge. Leaving college to join the first party of Canterbury colonists, he acted -as private...secretary to Mr Godley till December, 1852, ~that gentleman returning to England after the establishment of the settlement, and having witnessed the beginning of the Provincial Government aider the Constitution Act. Shortly afterwards Sir Charles Bowen became Provincial Treasurer and a member of the Provincial Executive. At that time, he wrote most of the political articles -in the Lyttelton Times, of which paper he was, with Mr Crosbie Ward, joint owner for a few years. Ho co-operated with Mr Moorhouse and the Provincial Government in inaugurating the first New Zealand railway, and urged on the construction of the Moorhouso tunned, a. huge undertaking in those early days. Resigning from the Provincial Council in 1859, he returned to England. Two years later he issued a description of an expedition in the Peruvian Andes to the seats of the "old Inca civilisation. In 1862 Sr Charles Bowen came back to New Zealand, and was appointed resident magistrate at Christchurch in 1864, which position ho held for 10 yoars. In 1874 ho became Minister of Justice in the "Vogel Ministry, and was called to the Upper House. Almost immediately afterwards he resigned his seat to contest successfully the election of a member for Kaiapoi in the House of Representatives. He- was Minister of Just : ce from July 6, 1875, to February 15, 1876 in tho Pollen Ministry ; from February 15 to September 1, 1876, in the second Vogel Ministry ; and from that date to October 13, 1877. in the Atkinson -Government. In 1877 he introduced a Bill into the House which subsequently became the Education Act, giving New Zealand the national system of compulsory primary education now in force. While holding the portfolio of Justice, he introduced the "Mark" system into the gaols of New Zealand. _ He continued as member for Kaiapoi during three successive Parliaments, but did not seek re-election in 1881. Ho was called to the Legislative Council for tho second time in 1890, and was. elected Speaker of that Chamber in 1905—an office which he filled with great dignity and acceptance for a period of ten years. He was knighted in 1910. Sir Charles Bowen displayed a great interest in the management of educational institutions, and sat as chairman of the Canterbury Education Board, and as president of the Collegiate Union, which was affiliated to the New Zealand University as precursor of Canterbury College for the years 18721874. Ho was one of tho first members of tho Board of Governors of Canterbury College, and was for many years a member of the Senate of the New Zealand University, and for some time its vice-chancellor. Sir Charles Bowen was married in 1861 to Georsrina Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. D. Markham, Canon of Windsor. Hi 3 family numbered seven —four sons and three daughters. The eldest son, Mr Charles D. Bowen, was a magistrate and collector at Perak, Straits Settlement. The Rev. George H. C. Bowen, B.A. (Cambridge, second son, was senior curate at Sutton-Coldfield, Warwickshire. Mr Lambert Bowen was in, the railway engineer's department in Western Australia. The youngest son was Mr Gerald M. Bowen. The eldest daughter was married to Mr R. J. Scott. C.E., Professor of Engineering at Canterbury College, and another is the wife of Mr John Studholme, tho practical founder of the system of homo science in the dominion, the Studholm Hostel in connection with the homo science department of Otago University being named after him. MR M. M'LEANAn Auckland message advises that Mr Murdoch M'Lcan, of tho contracting firm of M'Lean and Sons, died on the 12th inst., after undergoing a surgical operation. This firm constructed sections of the railway to Rotorua and Kaipara, and were contractors for the Otira tunnel, the Wellington dock, and other public works. The deceased was Mayor of Mount Albert Borough, and a prominent Mafion. He twice contested Auckland seats at the parliamentary elections, but was unsuccessful.