LATE LORD JAMES OF HEREFORD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 6, 23 August 1911, Page 3

LATE LORD JAMES OF HEREFORD.

o —- A NOTABLE CAREER. Born in 1328, the; son of a wellknown Hereford surgeon, Henry James went to Cheltenham, where lie was first, boy on the roll, not straight to the Bar, hut to the study of civil engineering, for which lie showed aptitude in a good office. It gave him .invaluable business instincts, by which he and his clients afterwards benefited. Called at the Middle Temple in 1852, after twice winning the Lecturer’s Prize at the Inner Temple,; he soon became leader of the Lord Mayor’s Court. It is said by a “Pall Mall Gazette” writer that no man ever knew so much about concessit solvere as Henry James, but few ever fought a winning .case better. tie bad a genius for putting issues to a jury with beautiful clearness and in a style that impressed them equally with Ins ability and the convincing character of his case. He was “post-man” to the Court of Exchequer 1567-9, took silk in 18G9, and became a Bencher and Treasurer of his Inn in due course. Having come into Parliament as Liberal M.P. for Taunton in 1869, be soon caught Mr Gladstone’s notice, and succeeded Jesscl as Soli-citor-General. Presently he became Attorney-General with Sir W. Harcourt below* him. 'As Attorney-Gen-eral again from 1880 to 1885, bo distinguished himself , particularly by the Corrupt Practices Act, which rivets his refusal of the Lord Chancellorship as the most historic incident in his career. 1 In 1885 he moved from Taunton to Bury, which ho represented until he was raised to the peerage in 18,95. His speech before the Parnell Commission, in which he reviewed the history of. Ireland, was a most able performance, and some of his amendments to the second Home Rule Bill were incorporated in tiiat ill-fated measure. He was Attorney-General to the Prince of Wales (King Edward) and the Duchy of Lancaster from 1892 to 1895, and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1895 to 1902. His settlement of the labour troubles in the boot trade was one of the triumphs of that courteous tact which lias been one of the secrets / of tins success, polical, legal, and social. Since 1896 he has been a valuable member of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. • In former days be might have taken Mr Asquith’s place as the victim of the Suffragettes, since he was very persistent as an opponent of “votes for women.” Lord Jambs never married, and left no heir.