THE LATE THOMAS BANNATYNE GILLIES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8535, 27 July 1889, Page 2

THE LATE THOMAS BANNATYNE GILLIES.

The late Thomas Bannatyne Gillies, Judge of the Supreme Court for the Northern District of New Zealand, died in Auckland on Friday, July 26th, at the age of 64 years. It appears he had been sitting all day in Court, and had stated that he did not isel well when he went to bed the evening previous. He asked his housekeeper to call him at 8 o'clock the following morning, but when she knocked at that hour he made her no reply. She accordingly opened the door and found the Jud^e lying on bis bed with blooi oozing from his month. A doctor wus scut for, but the judge died three hours later.

Mr Justice Gillies was born in Rothesay, Bute, Scotland, in 1825. Having completed bis education be was articled to his father, Mr John Gillies, solicitor, but he was afterwards engaged in mercantile pursuits in Manchester. la 1854 be settled in OUgo, and became a fara.er at Warepa. Finding, however, that the practice of his profession was more advantageous than agriculture, he entered into partnership with Mr Richmond (afterward Mr Juetica Richmond, of NelBon). Turning his talents to politics he became a member of the Otago Provincial Council, and was elected to the House of Representatives. He held the portfolio of Attorney-General in the Domett Ministry of 1862, PostmasterGeneral and Secretary of Lands in the Fox-Whitaker Cabinet, 1863. He settled in Auckland in 1865, and was elected to the House of Representatives for Auckland Oity East. He b?came a strong opponent of the FoxYogel Ministry, and denounced the Public Works and In. migration Policy immediately on its introduction as wild and chimerical. Mr Gillies was elected Superintendent of Auckland, and afterwards joined the Stafford Administration of 1872 as Treasurer, only holding offioe about a month. He retired from the next election for the Superintendency, being succeeded by the late Mr John Williamson, and in 1875 he succeeded Sir George Arney as Judge of the Supreme Court for the Northern District. As a judge Mr Gillies wob painstaking, clear, and zealous, and fearleiely discharged the f unotionß of his high office.