THE LATE SIR WILLIAM UNKNOWN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 20, 24 January 1881, Page 4

THE LATE SIR WILLIAMTIN.

{Evening Post.) An Auckland telegram to-day reports that intelligence lias been received by the San Francisco mail of the death of Sir William Martin, first chief Justice of New Zealand. The news will ho read i •with general regret, his name having been so closely identified with the early history and progress of New Zealand that ho has always seemed an integral part of fin's colony, even though latterly sibsent from onr shores, and few of the Dames which have hecn famous in the beginning of our career will he remembered longer, or with more respect., than that of Sir William Martin. In him the Church of England in New Zealand loses one of its chief founders as a practically autonomous body, and one of its most valued pillar? and lay counsellors. The late Sir W. Martin was a son of Mr Henry Martin, of Birmingham, nnd was born in the year 1807. He was therefore in his 74th year at the time of his death. Ho received his University education at St. John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated in honors ■with high distincton, Inking his B.A. degree in 1829, when he was 26th Wrangler and Second Chancellor's Medallist. In 1831 ho became a Fellow of his college, and the following year took his M.A. degree. He was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 183(1, and five years later, in 1841, he received from ihe Crown the appointment of first Judge of the Colony of New Zealand, which appointment ultimately became merged info the position of Chief Justice He retained this appointment until the year 1858, when failing health 'compell©l him to retire on a pension of £300 per annum, which was voted by the Legislature, and which was increased about two years ago to £500 by special Act. Tn 1860 ho received the honor of knighthood. After his resignation, he went home to England. He subsequently paid a visit to the colony, but then returned finally to Great Britain, where he remained until his death. He was married in 1 841 to Mary, daughter of the Rev. W. Parker, Prebendary of St.Paul's Cathedral, London, but he had no family. The late Sir William Martin was greatly respected, both in his public capacity and privately. As a Judge he displayed remarkable ability and perspicacity, but his disposition was singularly modest and retiring, and he always shunned rather than courted notoriety. He took a very active part in tho early legislation of this colony before the Constitution was granted, and left behind him many memorials of his statemanslrip, in the shape of native enactments especially, and papers on native questions. Tie was an earnest and devout member of the Church of England, and a close personal friend of the late Bishop Selwyn. He took an active part in the preparation of the Church of England Constitution for this colony, and up to ihe time of his death he has been a most valued adviser on all subjects relating to Church matters and Church law, his opinions always being received with a degree of reverence onty second to that attaching to thofo of tho late Bishop Selwyn himself. No session of the General , Synod of the Church of England in New ! Zealand has evpr yet passed without Sir William Martin's opinion being frequently cited as a chief authority on all New Zealand Church matters, and his loss "will be deeply felt.