CLYDE TOWN COUNCIL.

Dunstan Times, Issue 679, 23 April 1875, Page 2

CLYDE TOWN COUNCIL.

—o— The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council was hold in the Council Chambers on Wednesday evening last, the 21st instant. Present, Councillors James Hazlctt, (in the Chair) M'Connochie, Bock, Huoston, Welsford and Cox. The minutes of previous meetings were read and confirmed. The outward correspondence was read and adopted, and the inward, comprising the following, were received. From Messrs Hart and Buckley, Parliamentary Agents, Wellington, re Water Works’ Bill. From General Assembly Librarian, asking tor authenticated map of the Town of Clyde, for the use of Members of both the Houses of Parliament. From Mr Alexander ‘Willis, Under Provincial Secretary, notifying that error in gazetting Bye-laws should bo amended. From Mr Cambridge, Contractor of Athenaeum, asking for progress payment. Resolved—That Messrs Hart and Buckley be referred to previous letter sent them. Resolved—That a progress payment of L 75 be made Mr Cambridge.

Resolved—That letter from the General Assembly Librarian stand over till the next meeting. The Town Clerk was instructed to have list of Corporation properties prepared, and that in future no property is to bo lent. Accounts laid on the table wore ordered to stand over till next meeting. A vote of thanks to the Chair concluned the meeting. DISTRICT COURT, CLYDE, o—(Before His Honor George William Harvey, Judge.) • Wednesday, 21st April, 1875. Mr A. D. Harvey, Clerk of the District Court, read the warrant of appointment of George William Harvey, Esq., to the District Court Judgeship of the Otago Gold Fields. Mr W. Johnston, Barrister and Solicitor, rose and said Your Honor, —It has become my duty and my privilege, as senior member of the Bar in this district, to make a few inaugural remarks on this your Honor’s first sitting as District Judge of the Otago Gold Fields. And in so doing I feel that it would evince bad taste and want of feeling on my part to omit to take advantage of the opportunity of paying a passing tribute to the memory of your predecessor in office, the late Wilson Gray, who, though no longer bodily present amongst us lives, and will for bng years continue to live in the memories of all who knew him as the “ Good old Judge,” who never spoke an unkind word, or thought an unkind thought of any human being, a character which might well be coveted by the most ambitious ; a man whose hand was ever ready to perform, in secret, the untold generous actions which his sensitive heart prompted ; a man whose heart and entire nature were the very essence of the milk of human kindness. If the late Wilson Gray had a judicial fault it was, I think, that of being a too profound a lawyer, of being too keenly and sensitively alive to the delicate intricacies of the law, which, when combined with his painfußy sensitive heart, made it difficult, almost impossible for him to arrive at and give judicial utterance to a decision upon any point involving complicated questions, simply because his arriving at a decision would unavoidably give pain and inconvenience to one of the litigant parties ; in this respect bearing a strong resemblance to the most profound lawyer who ever sat upon the English Woolsack, the late Lord Chancellor Kenyon. But, your Honor, it is not my object to make a labored panegyric of the late Judge Gray ; but simply to point out to your Honor that, coming as you now do as the judicial successor of one who was admired, beloved, and esteemed, both personally and judicially by all who knew and came into contact with him, both as a man and a judge, that you will have a delicate task before you to afford the same universal satisfaction, and inspire the same universal esteem which your predecessor gave and inspired, up to the last moment of his judicial career, when, in the over sensitive discharge of what he considered a sacred duty ho actually died in his judicial harness. But, having had the pleasure of being a brother barrister with your Honor, and knowing, as I do, from past professional experience, that your Honor possesses an astute intellect, a keen tack and quick perception of right and wrong, combined with a sound knowledge of law, and having had a considerable amount of practical experience as District Judge of the Hokitika District, you will, I doubt not, discharge the important duties of District Judge of the Otago Gold Fields with credit to yourself, and entire satisfaction to the suitors of the Court and the public, and I think I may say for my brother barristers in this district and myself, that you will receive every assistance from the members of the Profession in upholding the decorum and dignity of your Honor’s Court.

Hia Honor, in reply, said he desired to thank the members of the Bar for their address. Ho felt acutely taking his position so soon after the decease of the late Mr Wilson Gray, of whose critical state he was not aware, or he would have endeavored to have taken the circuit at the last sitting. He had received a long letter from the deceased, who had arranged to accompany him on hia first tour through this important district. He fully endorsed every kindly expression towards the deceased, as, from friendship of many years he could say a more single-hearted man there could not be. Regarding the kind expression of feeling towards himself he felt grateful, and would ondeavor always to merit them, and did not doubt but that he would receive every assistance from the Bar. IN BANKRUPTCY. E. G. Barnes, of Bannockburn, minor, applied, through Mr F. J. Wilson, for his final discharge.—Granted. Mr Wilson said ho might remark that the case might be fairly cited as an honest one, and would apply for costs out of the assets. Hia Honor said the creditors apparently were satisfied, and as there was nothing in the document to lead to any other belief, he would order, after the Trustee’s fee of two guineas was paid, the costs were to be paid.

A Paper Wait.—When the printing-press breaks down. A Builder, when returning thanks to those who drank his health modestly observes that he was “ more fitted for the scaffold than public speaking.” The obituary notice of a much-respected lady concludes with : “In her life she was a pattern worthy to be followed ; and her death—oh, how consoling to her friends !” Patience in Difficulty.—A noted politician is reported to have stood two hours on the kerb-stone, the night after an election, waiting for the red light over an open sewer to come along, supposing it to be the lamp of a street tram. He said ho hadn’t drank more than usual either. —American paper.