NEW ZEALAND HONOURS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12767, 23 June 1911, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND HONOURS.

The following particulars concerning tho personnel of the New Zealand iecipieiits of honours are of interest:— BARONET. Hie 'Right Hon. Sir Joseph "Ward, P. 0., K.C.M.G., Hon LL.D., M.E.C., Prime Minister of NewZealand. Sir Joseph Ward, Prime Minister of j New Zealand, was born at Emeralu Hill, Melbourne, on April 26, 1856. He was educated privately in Melbourne and at tho Bluff State School. When 13 years of age he" entered tlio service of the Post and Telegraph Department at Invercargill, but left to go into a merchant's office. At 20 years of age ho entered the Railway Department, but left to go into business on his own account in Invercargill. After a sue- < cessful career in 'municipal politics he was returned for A-xvarua in 1887, and three years later was appointed Post-master-General in the Ballance Minis- | try, and continued in office when tho ; late Mr. Seddon took the reins oi j office. On that gentleman's death, in j 1906, he succeeded to the Prime Mm- ] istorship. In 1883 lie married Miss ; Teresa Dorothea de Smith. His heir is Mr. Cyril Ward, of Invercargill. I PRIVY COUNCILLOR. Baron Islington, Bt., D.5.0., Governor 61' New Zealand. I His'-Excellency the Governor. Lord Islington, is the first baron of that name, having been created such in • 1910. His name was formerly Sir John i Poynder Dickson-Poynder, Bt. ~He was born in 1866, and was educated at Harrow and 'Christ Church, Oxford. He assumed the name of Poynder on succeeding to a maternal uncle's property in 1881. He was a major of the Wilts Yeomanry and a lieutenant in ! the 3rd Royal Scots, and served in : South Africa, for which ho holds the Queen's Medal and threo clasps and D.S.O. From 1892 to 1910 he was member of Parliament-for Chippenhara Division, Wilts. He married Miss Anne Dundas in 1896. I KNIGHT COMMANDERS. Tho Hon. J. Carroll, Acting-Primo Minister of New Zealand. Sir James Carroll, Acting-Prime Minister and Minister for Native Affairs, was born at Wairoa (Hawke's Bay) on August 20, 1857. He was the son or Mr. Joseph Carrbll and Tapuke, of the Ngatikahunga tribe. After receiving a. good ground education at Wairoa and Napier, ho was employed on a station at Wairoa for a few years. In 1870 he, with other boys, volunteered for service in the Urewera campaign, and was specially mentioned in dispatches, and received the New Zealand medal and a bonus of £50 for services in Hamlin's expedition against 'Te Kooti. He served eighteen^ Jmonths with Mr. Locke, Native Commissioner for Hawke's Bay, in which connection he camo under the notice of Sir Donald M'Leari, by whom he. was transferred to the Native Department in Wellington, where he remained twelve months. He then returned to station ljfe, and later took up interpreting^ work in the Native Land Court. From 1879 to 1883 he avos employed as interpreter in the House of Representatives,, but retired from that position to, contest the Eastern Maori seat against Wi Pere, by whom he was defeated. In 1887 he stood again, this time successfully, and has ever since been regularly returned. He became a member of the Executive in 1892, and on be•ing returned for Waiapu (a European constituency) he was admitted to tho Cabinot, of which he is the senior member. Sir James Carroll is a man of urbane temperament,- genial in disposition, and fond of quiet sociability, jie is a gifted speaker, and when "the spirit move's "him—which is seldom —is capable of displaying,,very iii\o o-aiori-cal powers. Tho Acting-Prime Minister is the first of his people—Maori or halfr-casto —to bo knighted. : Dr. J. G. v Fmdlay, Attorney-General oi ) New Zealand. ' ; Sir J. G. Findlay, Attorney-General, was born at Dunedin in 1862, and was educated at Hokitika and the Otago University, taking his LL.B. hi 18S<5 and his LL.D. in 1893. He was admitted to the Bar in 1887, and; in partnership with Mr. F. G .Dalziell, •IMactised'nis profession at IPalmerston^ South. Subsequently- he cam,e 'to:3Vellington as a partner of Sir Robers Stout, and when the latter - was appointed Chief Justice, took Mr. Dalziell into partnership. On the death of the Hon. Colonel Pitt he was npjiointed Attorney-General and Colonial Secretary, prior to which he had contested r* Wellington seat for Parliament and had been defeated. J KNIGHT BACHELOR. Mr. Justice Williams, Now Zealand. His Honor Sir Joshua Strange Williams, M.A., LO. M., Camb., is the eldest son of the lato Joshua Williams, Esq., Q.C., Professor of Real and Personal Property to the Inns of Court, and author of several standard legal works, which havo passed through numerous editions. He was born in London in 1837, and was educated at Harrow during the headmastership of the late Dr. Vaughan, and had for his tutor Mr. Westcott, afterwards Bishop of Durham. Continuing his studies at Trinity College, Cambridge, he was I second in the first-class ia the Jaw i tripos of 1858 and junior optime in the mathematical tripos of the following year, gaining also tho gold medal given by the Chancellor of the University (the late Prince Consort) for legal studios. In the Michaelmas term of 1859, Sir Joshua took his degree, M.A. LL.M., and was called to tho Bar at Lincoln's Inns. Ho studied conveyancing under his father, and was a pupil in equity of Mr (no.w Lor !) Mobhouse. Ho left England in 1861, in search of health, by the ship Denventwater, which brought many emigrants for Otago. After a short stay at Dunedin, he proceeded to Canterbury, and early in 18G2 ho was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, and commenced practice with Mr. Duncan, Provincial Solicitor. The partner shin continued until 1864, when Mr. Williams visited England. On his return to the Colony at tho end of the same year ho resumed the practice of his profession in Christchurch on his own account. Mr. Williams took a prominent part in the Provincial Government of Canterbury. In 1864, and, again, in 1866, he was elected for the Heathcote district; he held office as Provincial Solicitor, and was -a member of the Provincial Executive until ho resigned about the end of 18G3, find <. subsequently occupied those positions during Mr. Moor- . house's superintendency, 18G6-71. Mr. j Williams became District Lnnd Registrar at Christchurch in 1871, and Re-gistrar-General of Land the following year. In 1875 ho was appointed ;i Judge of the Supreme Court, in succession to the late Mr. Justice Chunnian. His Honor was the first President of the Arbitration Court, occupying tho position from 1895 until 1898, when he obtained leave of absence to visit England. t Justice Williams has since then presided over tho sittings of the Supreme Court in the Otago and south districts. He was the first chairman of tlm Board of Gover-

nors of Canterbury College, and ; :for many years, was Chancellor of the University of "Qtago. He married twice, in 18&4 to Caroline Helen, a daughter of the late Mr. T. Sanctuary, of Horsham, Sussex, who died in 1875; and two years later, a daughter of Mr. J. W. Jago, of Jbhe "Bvening Star," Dunedin. . '" Sir Joshua Williams israt the present time bn a visit to England. ■