SIR GEORGE LEWIS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 746, 19 February 1910, Page 14

SIR GEORGE LEWIS.

' * ' { END OF EMINENT LEGAL CAREER. ; - : if! '?:] ■■ Yy. h- A-: Sir • George'.Lewi-v-i.who has 1 been ,deScribed: as 'the'most'distinguished solicitor' t;«¥;K'of;'his:: on| .the last day of the old yoar. lie . will : .be seventy-seven.years old.in; April,' and /;iej'has; that:;the \time vhsis come v .- '.jwhon lie ;is entitled to 'a little, poaco. and v'; ; v tiUiotne s s. \\Vhen business hours ended on J;?;'/;.Friday, December 31j' Sir George bade farc- , well'to Ely Placo and tho law. SiS- ® eol 'S e lewis's: practice was unique,■ and-all the credit of it is duo to. himself. ma.de : it/iiiSociety-.;soon;:began ;to recognise the

■ -adviser ;who could arrange all sorts of; r;v .. -diffuroltieswith a ripe-prudence; and,wis-. ... doni.-; Society went; to : ; him' in all' itsemj-. . ba'rrassments, and society soon. acknow-giij-i-ledged 'him: not.' at j i viser.-. but also as :'a confidant and-long-r" 'headed friend. Sir George L«wis knows about .thesocial-history of England, ./thin My .man alive, and what he knows | '.will die.with him: No man ever knew. b(;;jl.-;more ? no'man kept' them better. - ' {, Great Reputation.

t- -'.' Sir.' George's ' extraordinary ability, is B reflected -by his presence. A short, p/>ft.B6yenty-seyen years with the air of a man If i-Sl'i Pf fy;' Confidences—and .he 1 ; must, possess iheavy tons of them—do : notseewHb"woig}r p&'^i'lipcsicliiß![si>ak/i-.He ;-is'; always' ready to jjSjjllisteri,'-always:ready to'adyise..^;-'There is. lawyer.;ab6uti ; him..Ee ••' vaiits the''facts'; , he ; has an almost un-i K > V--'jr.c£My"knack ; of ; .seizingfupoh, i ;theif6W,;.that |v'.i■:':■}■, matter; and his advice is prompt ;and de-. ! - eisive,'- couched in, comm°ii-6onso . language K- v.-i'.v that.-'any 'iperson f can' 'understand; ;■ '■' "Sir'. it miist -be' soi" ;repre- !•-.• - ■ fonts tho 'general attitude, of. his 'blio'nts;;' L-:;;' mark; ;and tho ' opportunity' for, making it-'does"not-df op i from- the' clouds. has pf- Bever -yet, been established - that Sir George 'i: lewis's' cradle -'was ' bedeckedj 'with' - red r tape, but-it is probably .true. .'• He was jiV/p' ? ■ born in tho; business,* and on the--actual premises of the.: firm, in-J3ly Place.; • : . His- . father,' Mr. James praham Lewis,.founded hp A ;the ;firm:'.;ninety 'ago; "Ho lived on, |v ; ; -i in' tiioso ' days,';' and;his - soil' was -born inR :< 's.®' flne 'ot■■ the/three',houses iiow; cbnsfr. [rsv'nhi^'that :J rad' !^r^drk^:ijr-'V: ■= '■ ' -S; I First Case. [ George Lewis wasborn in 1833.';,' He f- , 'jras articled to -lu^Vfa)^Wj':.'i!i4'- r .iji} ; lßs6.. /. Qio was'admitted.as a''solicitor:' His fiftj;&^V;i;.'ifour'years;'of ,practice'':lkve.',;been'',plentii f/:' ffnlly -cpriTilrlpH , with . famouisV'.-'causes; ,ini 1; '... . 'which he tobk a'prominent part. His first ', -caso.' of importance was'' the projecution of blithe I '' directors -'of Overeiid, Guraey, and / ' Co., a great financial; house of its time, jv; . . ior issuing a false'prospectus. Seigeant J'- ißallantyne and other • distinguished bara ; yomig [ solicitor, fought alony. Tl:o defendants S; were committed for> trial,-and Mr.-Lewis f,'.'.- ' then retired from -the; (ase 1 .;; After; a : :long ' trial the 'directors -wore acquitted. Nest ;in-imMrtanceTcaniOi the notorious' - - ißravo ■ case.. Mr. Ijravo, a barrister livr.;; -;V,'ing at Balham, die<i from poisoning. Was suicide, or was it;murder?;A coroner's' I s^t; their, .verdict •• was questioned; orderedfby; feS.3f' ; tko.! Court' ef'Queen's; Bbnch,?and r it lasted; fg/vi month. Most distinguished •'■ advocates' t%v ; : ''%vere .briefed. .v-The Jate, Sir,^John Holker, 1 ; then-'Attorney-General, ,and 'Sir John, Gorst,?then solicitor-General, : .represented- ; . .the,' CrowhSii..Henry James, .now iord ; IS'?;,.. [James-': of? Hereford;? 'appedted !: fe?.?.v'!»bo,'.i'w'aa''..r^esented.'^y-Jth'b\late\ / Mr..''Ji? Kfe';;?!;P.jMurphyv;K:C.,- and-the late DrJ'Gully. of''! tho./Lord Selby''',who .'.wasi ;of tho Mouse.. of Commons); by p.-'jthe late' Serjeant -l'ariy. ..Sir. George, H '' Xewis. .(though'..thntljrak>long. .before\ ho. KS'ftibecamb'. a apixmred'for the repre- )' , eentatiVes of. Mr. - Bravo. The - jury reh'' . "-turned a' verdict of -.wUful murder, but (■ .-V ; xlcclared that tiiero ivas not sufiicieiit evi--4 denco to say. by whom it was committed;. Eand that was' fhe.end of the case.; . While; -it lasted.the-,inquiry created as much-ex- @ ciicmeht 'as the Maybrick trial. of . later fc j.Vv vears, and newspapers sold -at three ,;,or their; faco yaluo.' ' V'i'iiV ! 'A Royal Witness.

!... -~ Everybody: remembers the picturesque Lt: jlibel suit of ■ Belt. v. ■ Lawos- and Bowles.. r-.V .-illr. Belt was ;a sculptor; ;Mr. :■ Lawes, -now. pK-Sf In "Yan£ ';- iity Pair," then owned by Mr; Bowles, apMt^ipeaied:an- article /suggesting 'that- much of Mr. Belfa work was dono by ?/':/s?/;|He':'claimed/.d^ 3 ; iawarded -.£SOOO. •. A-jlittle while afterwards ri*xS.filHr.yXewis''(who' -likd''■■'defended ?the former? Bf,v;.; : 'prose"c'nted'Mr. Belt'for l obtaining f;. ; uhdney- by : fraud'from:? Sir } William? Abdy, t?Sf) and- : Mr.Belt: was : r sentenced. tb: - twelve; : ;B;:im6nths':;iiaprisonßie*nt; : with">hard Jabonr.'. .: , Then came the historic baccarat' case. g.v^')Sir , !-WflKam l 'Gordon:Cmnmmg;l)rp!aglit.aii: ' . lEition for -slander' against/Mr?- ana. Mrs. , llArthur of Tranby Croft, and :.-".? letter.'defendants, in with ;a f- Vcard-playing scandal. Sir. George Lewis • ->acted for the- defendant's.' •: Sir Charles lied 'forv.the ;: defendants; Sir? Ed-, • fward Clarke for. the plaintiff.' The King, jtheh-Prince cf Wales, was.,'called. as -a. After-a- trial of unusual pi- ¥?{■£ knancy tha jury found 5 for- 1 the- defend.;ln theparnell Commission,-one of tho :J ;- '? 'ionijcst jmliciil.'iiiquirica cvar-kuov.il, . Sir / ' -'George -Lewis acted', for Mr.™ Parnell: and . 4he'-Irish: Nationalist- parly. They had ?• •./ . :ibeen->accused -by ?The Times", of -. eoin- ■ '-/•' plicity in Irish crime..-A- commission ffi-v: V-Vas 'appointed „ by. .Parliament to invest*-! v ' -.".gate'-' tho matter. It was composed of p.'-iii:■ Sir- James Hannen, Mr.- Justice A. L. ■f■ ' 1 Smith,. and. Mr.':; Justice/.-Day—all ;now. I dead. The inquiry; lasted-fifteen''.months:; ! ? ./? J?or the'; Irish members appeared' - Sir :?. - ,j- ■ ,'Charles Russell - (afterwards. Lord Chief f ;.- Justice), Sir. Asquith (now Primp-Min- !■: . -v.ister), Mr. -E. .T:= Eeid-(now. Lord' Chan- : - ■ cellor); . and -for' the: other side Sir Itich? ~i- ard Webster (now Lord Chief Justice), I-. -, (Sir: Robert Finlay, and the late Mr.-. J. , I. Murphy, K.C. 1 The Irish members - were acquitted of: :. ./complicity in'the erme&V .Immediately -Mr. .Gladstone recommended j3fc<:liewis.for : ffie-honour? of-Imighthood,? , {which was duly conferred by Queen Vic-|tona;-ot-'the.last Coronation Sir. George !wi; rai'sedo to'' theidi^ty/ofia.b'afonet'i

• (an-, in 1905 the King honoured him with >the C.V.O. :- Another, action which aroused'general K-f' [excitement},was the/divorce suit, against: fedy Colin Campbell,' in. which the late !//-::?; :Q)uke ; bf .'Marlborough: and three other ',<& i i (respondents were cited. -The trial: lasted- '. (twenty-four days, and Lady Colin and the! fl''. -■: {co-respondents•/ (for //.whom / Sir George' ;.- ' (Lewis acted) won;their/case.'" ;The' latest t-'S;-y! (suit of general interest.? in . which Sir [???";: [George acted 1 : was ; the-' recent' libel' action' pti.V ( (brought by, Mr. Lloyd-George, which;:re- :; '.isuited .in.:a /complete retraction, -in'".open ;. " court of all 'charges'against the Chanceliv;>' lor of the Exchequer, and an-agreed ver- - diet damagesiiwith'costs,''against r't' ': the. defendants. • \ .-.