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Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 317, 16 January 1908, Page 3

VALEDICTORY. MR. T. HUTCHISON, S.M. There was a largo gathering of the local Bar at the Courthouse yesterday afternoon to farewell Mr. T. Hutchison, S.M., who had recently been appointed to Oamaru after a holiday trip to England. Mr. \V. Kerr welcomed Mr. Hutchison | back to New Plymouth, ami congratulated him upon ins appointment to the charge ot the Magistrate's Court at Oamaru, an important town in an important district, besides being a very pleasant place of residence. He made eulogistic reference to the manner in which the court had been eon* ducted by Mr. Hutchison in New Plymouth, and to the impartial judgments delivered, concluding by wishing the Magistrate and his family every success :n their new sphere. Mr. T. S. Meston followed, reviewing ■ he four years' term of occupancy of the liench by Mr. Hutchison, .stating that

ot nine appeals against his decisions one Ind been withdrawn, four allowed, and lour dismissed. _ He added that all of these decisions involved important legal questions, and the fact of their being reversed was not extraordinary. Mr. Weston concluded by wishing Mr. Hutchison a long and successful career. Mr. J. B. Roy also spoke, mentioning that he had known Mr. Hutchison personally for many years l>efore he came to New Plymouth, and ho wished now i to congratulate him upon hie I tiality and his conscientious attention

to even the most wearying cases. He [ wished him every success in his new sphere. Mr. Hutchison warmly thanked the members of the Bar for their expressions of kindly feeling, and al«o for their appreciative remarks concerning him in his official capacity. He mentioned that during his visit to England he had had

tho honor of sitting with the eminent magistrates presiding at Bow-street, He had listened to the who!e*of the evidence, and mentally adjudicated upon the cases. It was gratifying to find that the cases

were decided just as he would have decided them here. The conduct of the business, too, was on the same lines as he (Mr. Hutchison] always adopted in the courts. Referring to Mr. Weston's remarks, he said the Magistrate's decisions in the Dominion were practically perfect. It didn't matter if they were successfully appealed against, the Magisterial decisions were still pel-feet. He thanked the members of the profession

for their courtesy and assistance during his stay here, and paid a high tribute to the ability of Mr. Banks, the clerk' of the court, than whom there was no better clerk in the Dominion.