OBITUARY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7722, 4 June 1903, Page 3

OBITUARY.

United Proas Association — .By Electrio

Telegraph— Copyright. - (Received June 4, 101.36 a.m.) SYDNEY, June 4. News has been received of the death in Paris of Mr G. Elliott Barton, formerly a well-known lawyer in New Zealand. (Mr George- Elliott Barton, who was for soma time judge of the Validation Court' for dealing with the validation of titles to Native lands, etc., was. appointed to that position in 1892. Previous- to the appointment he had been for somo years-one of the ordinary judges of the Native Land Court. While practising as a barrister in Wellington, ih January, 1878, and pleading a case before the Chief Jqstipe, he was found guilty of contempt of Court and fined £50, which, he declined to pay. Next day the Chief Justice and Mr Justice Richmond stated from the Bench that by some oversight the proceeding of the Court had been illegal. On the same day, while acting as counsel for Mr E. T. Gillon, Mr Barton characterised the judgment of tho Bench as unintelligible and proceeded to argue with the Bench. He was four times ordered to sit down and be silent, but, continuing to remonstrate, he was sent t-o gaol fpr a month. While in gaol he was elected to Parliament for Wellington. When the result was known a vast crowd collected at the gaol and cheered the new member, who appeared at a window but was not allowed to speak. Mr Barton was a pronounced democrat and a man of high culture and ability. He left the colony some years ago.). ■