LATE JUDGE ARNEY.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1920, Page 7

LATE JUDGE ARNEY.

| PORTRAIT UNVEILED AT NEW PLYMOUTH COURT. INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. There was a large and representative gathering of members of the Taranaki District Law Society at the Supreme Court, New Plymoutn, yesterday morning for the purpose of witnessing the unveiling by his llonor Mr. Justice Chapman of a portrait of the late Sir George Alfred Arney, who was the first Chief Justice of the Dominion of New Zealand to preside at a sitting of the sitting of the Supreme Court in New Plymouth. In addition to members of the bar, there were also present Mr. Henry Weston, Mr. T. A. liaiiey, S.M-, the Registrar of the Supreme Court, and the members of the staff of the local court office, as well as the Sub-Inspector of Police.

Mr. H. Billing, president of the Law Society, in asking his Honor to unveil the portrait, after referring to the illustrious career of the late Chief Justice to visit New Plymouth on circuit, said it was very gratifying to the members of the Law Society that one of the citizens of New Plymouth had been generous enough to gi'3 nt the portrait to be hung in the Lour*. Mr- Henry Weston, who had a photograph of the late Chief Justice in his possession, thought the Society woUl4 like to have it hung in the Court, and he had an enlargement made and presented it to the Society for this purpose, and arrangements had accordingly been made to have it unveiled at the present session of the Court. The late Chief Justice was unknown to any members of the bar present with the exception of Messrs. R. C. Hughss and J. B. Roy, and of course his Honor. Mr. Hughes, after referring to the great qualities which were to be admired in the late Sir George Arney, said ho had the honor of being .admitted in IS7O by the late Chief Justice, being the first student to pass the law examinations in this district. As an articled clerk he remembered the first sitting in local Court by the iate Sir George in 1868. On that occasion he tried two soldiers who were charged with assaulting an old lady known as "Grannie" Ashton, and for the offence they were sentenced to 15 years deportation. The speaker indulged in some reminiscences of his early acquaintance with the practice of l,aw and the visits of the late Chief Justice to New Plymouth, wlto was not above accepting the hospitality of citizens, and who, prior to his return to England, entertained the citizens to a ball.

His Honor Mr. Justice Chapman, said it was a great cTcdit to the Bar that there was such an assemblage to do honor to the late Chief Justice, who was a very distinguished man, and in his capacity of Chief Justice in those days acted practically as chief advisor to the Government, and was both upright and impartial. His Honor remarked that judges in those days did not work at the same pressure as judges of the present day. The law he had to administer was more like the English law he was used to than the law of the present time. He called to remembrance some of the experiences of the judges in the early days of the Dominion, remarking that in 1844 the late Chief Justice Martin (Sir George Arney's predecessor) walked from Auckland in order to meet Judge Chapman (the father of the present Justice Chapman) who came from Wellington by boat, but was unable to land here on acqount of the state of the weather and was carried on to Cape Albatross and walked back to New Plymouth. When the two judges had completed their business at New Plymouth they commenced their return journeys on foot, the one to Auckland and. the other to Wellington. Mr. Justice Chapman then referred to his father's association with the late Chief Justice Arncy, and also to the services rendered by them ai:d Judges C. W. Richmond, 11. B, Gresson and A. J. Johnston, whom he spoke of as five notable men who had a great deal to do with the moulding of the affairs of the colony in its early daysJudge Chapman said he had the honor of practising before the'late Chief Justice Arney, and had appeared as junior counsel in the Appeal Court, and humorously remarked that although he might I not have added much weight to the argument of his seniors he had always been allowed to have his say be had appeared. Justice Arney's decisions were always" remarkably sound and eeldom, if ever, reversed by the Court of Appeal. Unfortunately, the judgments of the late Chief Justice had not been recorded outside the Court of Appeal reports, but the speaker thought if the Auckland papers were searched there would be found an array of judgments which showed great learning. His Honor remarked that the late Chief Justice had sat in Auckland through the troublous times of the Maori wars, and also those of the Thames goldfield rush. Judge Chapman 6oncluded with some complimentary references to the remarks made by Mr. Hughes, and then said it gave him great pleasure to unveil the portrait, which, he said, was a most admirable likeness. The portrait, which occupies the position of honor on the panel of the wall at the back of the Bench, is a full size picture of the late Judge, well framed in stained oak.