JUDGE GILLIES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 392, 10 August 1889, Page 6

JUDGE GILLIES.

REMARKS BY MR HESKBTH.

Auckland, August L At the half-yearly meeting ot the Auckland Law Society held yesterday afternoon, Mr E. Hesketh, Vice-President, who occupied the chair, made the following remarks : - ' Befoio entering upon our usual duties, I a s Chairman, and in tho absence of the President, as your Vice-President, cannot abstain from making reference to an event by which many of us have been deprived of a sincere friend, and our Supreme Court of one of its most able judge?. The late Mr Justice Gillies died on Friday morning at the age ot 64 years. I littlo thought when nearly two years ago it fell to my lot, as the mouthpiece of the Bar, to welcome the return of the late Judge to bho Bench, that in so short a time we should be called on to bow our heads and giievd over his sudden and unexpected decease. On that occasion, while addressing to him our words of welcome, appearances? justified the thought in the minds ot all then present that a longer .span of life would be hi*. Such were my thoughts when addressing him in Court on Thursday last, and when we separated, to meet again on the next day, littledid I think that meeting would never take place. Providence had, however, ordered otherwise, and we have been taught that in this, as in many other instances, there is wisdom, and with contented minds therefore let us accept our lo&«. In presuming to refer to the late Judge, 1 am glad to know that thcro are those present who will support what I am about to say. For a period of 24 yeai-s I had the privilege of being intimately acquainted with him, and during that peiiod I have met him in all capacities connected with the nracticc and administration of the law. He was otten my opponent, he was often my leader, and I have acthely practised in his Court from the occasion of his elevation to the Bench in 1874. When at the Bar together, I was oftentimes amazed, I might say, at his singular display of tact, and application to his profession ; and his abilities being of a very high order, a large measure of success followed, and secured for him an extensive practice, followed by his elevation to the Bench. Gifted as he was with a robust constitution, a vigorous and practical intellect, S'real powers of foresight, and an extensive store of varied experience and knowledge of human nature, he was possessed of many of those qualities which belong to a strong English judge. I, like many who are within hearing, have bad much experience in bis Court, and, if we have not always met with success, let us remember what I have read somewhere, what i« well known, that in every action one party alone can win, and as both generally expect to succeed one is certain to be disappointed, and it would be impossible for the most perfect judge to please everyone. When we consider tho embarrassing positions in which a judee is frequently placed, and how often he is called upon bo decide upon a mass of conflictingtestimony, none but those whose duties require them t,o do so can know the difficulties of so deciding. I feel sure that all who are present, and who have met with some measuie ot this disappointment —and which of us has not done so ? —will join with me in allowing that a powerful and far-seeing intellect enabled the late Judge to grasp the facts, and generally arrive at an accurate conclusion. In addition to all this he was possessed oi many other good qualities. He was, as we all know, generous, and unostentatiously charitable, and recipients of many characters will, I feel sure, deplore his loss, 1 would conclude by moving the following resolution : —' That the members of this Society desire to express to the relatives of the late Mr Justice Gillies their deep feelings of regret oh hearing of the sudden decease of tho late Judge, and their sincere sympathy and condolence in this season of affliction.'" Mr W. J". Hill, the senior member of the profession present, seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously.

We arc not surprised to learn that the impurities that have been exported with Indian wheat have seriously prejudiced its consumption in England. The Secretary of State for India, feeling the importance of the matter, recently convened a conference in London of the leading importers of wheat, and millers from all parts. Tt was explained that India now exportß more than one million ton^ of wheat, but along with this wheat no less that 150,000 tons of dirt are received. It seema that the Home producers, knowing what to expect from India, only pay for wheat of " fair average quality," which is supposed to include 5 per cent, rubbish. These contracts unfortunately hold out no inducement to exporters to send clean wheat. Indeed, in some instances, earth is said to be mixed with the grain to bring it up to the 5 per cent, adulteration.^ To such an extent is this dirtying process earned out that millers are becoming quite shy of Indian wheat, preferring the grain from Russia and the United States. It should be explained that some of the dirt which finds its way into the wheat, and to separate which involves the use of expensive machinery by the English millers, is largely due to the want of suitable machinery by the small growers in India. The threshing floors of the Indian ryot are formed of mud, hardened in the sun. The sheaves are trodden out by cattle, and in the process, the dirt is kicked up, and gets mixed with the grain, which cannot be properly separated in the primitive method of winnowing by hand in the wind. —"N"ew Zealand Farmer." Poor bachelor ! no one to sew the buttons on hi^i shirts ! Yes, very true ; but how about tho poor married man who very often j has no shirt to have bubtous sewn on ?