THE LATE SIR E. BARTON.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 January 1920, Page 8

THE LATE SIR E. BARTON.

A GREAT LEGISLATOR. Sir Edmund Barton, first Prime Minister of Australia and Senior Judge of ' the 'Federal High Court, who "died-with dramatic suddenness at Sydney on Wed- ] nesday last, was born at the Glebe, Syd- ; ney, on January 16,1804, and was educated at the Sydney Grammar School, and Sydney University. He graduated in ( 1868, with first-class honors, and the > university's special prize. In 1870 he > took the M.A. degree, and he was after- 1 wards a member of the University Senate. He was called to the Bar in 1871. ' Six years later he contested the seat in : the Legislative Assembly given to the ; University, but was defeated by Mr. (afterwards Sir) N. Windeyer, by six votes. Continuing the practice of his profession, he was appointed Q.C and .Crown Prosecutor, but only held that office until 1879. when he again contested the University seat, and defeated Sir Arthur • Renwick by a large majority. He afterwards sat for Wellington in the Assembly, and was Speaker from January, 1883. to January, ISB7. He was considered one of the best speakers that colonial Parliaments had ever produced. From January to March, 1889, he was Attorney-General in the Dibbs Ministry, and represented the Government in the Upper House. He was ouc of the representatives of New South Wales at the Federation Convention held in Sydney in March, 1801. In 1891 he resigned' his seat in the Upper House to contest the East Sydney seat in the Assembly. He was returned, and, on the formation of the Dibbs Ministry in the same year, he again took office as Attorney-Genera!. He was Acting-Premier, during the absence of Mr. Dibbs in England, from May to September. 18!)2. Subsequently he was out of Parliament for some time, but continued to devote himself to the Federation movement. He was returned at the head of the poll for New South Wales at the Convention election of 1897, and when the Convention met at Adelaide he was unanimously elected its loader. When the Convention Bill was referred to the people, he fought valiantly for it in New South Wales against tremendous odds, and, lest the measure should be shelved, lie challenged Mr. 0 H. Reid to a contest in the King Division of Sydney at the ensuing general election. Though Mr. Reid was returned, Mr. Barton's dramatic action had the effect he intended, for the people were roused to a determination to have Federation. He quickly found a seat, in tlto Assembly, and as leader of the Opposition fought fiide by side with Mr. Reid to get the Bill, which had in the meantime been amended, endorsed by New South Wales. Together they succeeded in inducing New South Wales to endorse the Commonwealth Bill. He resigned his seat in Parliament on accepting a commission to visit England ns delegate from New South Wales, and as chairman of the delegation, succeeded in inducing the Imperial Government to silbmit the Commonwealth Bill to Parliament with verv few amendments. y When the Governor-General commissioned Sir William Lyne to form the first Federal Ministry, and he failed to do so, Mr. Barton was sent for. He undertook the task, and succeeded. During his three years of office, he had to contend not nnlv with *he difficulties inseparable from the new order of things, but also with those creaisd by the "three-party system." Among the measures passed under the Barton administration during the first session of the Federal Parliament, were the Immigration Restriction Bill, and the Pacific Islands Laborers Bill. The first Federal tariff was enacted, the Federal Judiciary Bill was introduced. New Guinea was annexed, troops were sent to aid the Motherland in South Africa. and the Federal electorates were rearranged. The session lasted seventeen months.. During its currency the Premier attsnded the Imperial Conference of 1902 iu London. During the second pession. tlie Federal Arbitration Act was introduced, and that measure immediately became "a. storm centre. The Prem;er. in defiance of the wishes of the Labor Party, declared against including public servants within the scope of the measure. Tn the midst of the crisis thus occasioned, Sir Edmund Barton (for he had been created G.C.M.O. in the preceding year) tendered his resignation, and it was announced on the same d:;v that he had accepted a position on the newly constituted Federal llish Court Bench. Amidst all that was said of the political aspect of Sir Edmund Barton's action, there was no difference of opinion as to his fitness for his position on the Bench. Tt was agreed that, his gift? were those of a great Judge rather than of a contentious politician.