THE NEW KNIGHTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 66, 27 June 1910, Page 8

THE NEW KNIGHTS.

SIR WILLIAM HALL-JONES. Sir William Hall-Jones was born in j England in 1851. and came out to Timjam in 1873. For some years he worked .at his trade of carpentering, and he became a member of the Timani Borough Council and the Levels Road Board. In the by-election of ]S!)0 he was elected to the House of Representatives for Timani, in opposition to the Government candidate. At the general election the same year he was again returned, and later on held the position of Liberal Whip, which he resigned to form in himself what was then known as the 1 Fourth Party, a position which left him I free for vigorous criticism of the Gov-i eminent and its administration. In 1890' 'he was offered by Mr. Seddon a seat , in the Ministry as Minister for Justice, j which he accepted, and soon afterwards he was appointed Minister for Public Works. On the retirement of the Hons. T. Y, Duncan and C. Mills he received also the portfolio of Railways, In the «i?ap.tiffl? several other Departments, including Marine, had been placed under his charge. After the dcfl.tji pf Mr. don, Mr. Sir William Hall-Jones Was for a few months Prime Minister, resigning that position in favor of Sir Joseph Ward, who was in Europe when Mr. Seddon died. In December, 1008, Sir William Hall-Jones was appointed High Commissioner, in succession to the Hon. W. Pember (Reeves. Sir William's health has been at intervals during the past few years a source of some anxiety 'to his frieads.

SIR CHARLES KOWEN. Honor has not come undeserved to Sir Charles Christopher Bowen, who has been connected with the public life of New Zealand for no less than sixty years. Sir Charles, who was born at Milford', County Mayo, Ireland, in 1830, and educated at Ktrgby and Cambridge, came to Canterbury- with the earliest settlers in 1850, and was for two years private secretary to Mr. John Robert Godley, founder of the province. He co-operated with the Provincial Government in inaugurating the ffet New Zeaalnd railway, and urged tlie .construction of the' Lyttel+on tunnel. From 18(12 to 1872 htf was resident magistrate at Christchurch', and in 1868 was invited by the leaders of both political parties to stand for the superintendency of tlie provinces, but declined. In 1874 he became Minister for Justice in the Vogel Ministry, and was called to the Upper House. Sbon afterwards he resigned to conteW tlie Kaiapoi seat, for which he waY elected. Hp was the author of the Education Act of 1877, on which the Dominion's system of education is founded. Sir Charles held various Ministerial offices until 1877, and as Minister for Justice, instituted the "marks" system in the colony's gaols. He paid visits to England in 185*9 and 11SSI. He was one of the first members of the Canterbury College Board' of Governors, and was for years a member, and' afterwards Vice-Chancellor of the New Zealand University. In 189T Sir Charles Bowen was called once more to the Legislative Council, and in 1905" he was elected Speaker of the Council. His term of office as Sneaker will empire on Jnlv 5' next. Sir Charles is widely popular bv reason of his courteous and gentle disposition.