We regret to record the death of Viscount School, at the Charterhouse, and at Trinity Alverstone, which took place on 15th December College, Cambridge. At Cambridge he was a at his residence in Cranleigh, Surrey. Lord Alverstone had been in failing health, and at the end his death was not unexpected.

Richard Everard Webster was the son of Mr Thomas Webster, Q.C., a counsel who in his day enjoyed a large practice, especially in patent cases. Born in 1842, he was educated at King's College

noted athlete. In 1864 he entered for the steeplechase in the university sports and came in second. In the following year he won the mile and the two mile races, and when he left the university he took with him the reputation of being the best long-distance runner of the year. His early taste for athletics remained

a

with him all his life. He took up lawn tennis when he was over forty and continued to play even after he became a judge.

He was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1868. He first became known as a junior in the Lord Mayor's Court and in the City of London Court, where he was mainly employed in shipping cases. He practised for some time at the Parliamentary Bar, but after a few years his common law business became so extensive that he found it impossible to continue his work in the committee rooms. He took silk in 1878 after only ten years' work as a junior, and for the next seven years he conducted an enormous practice, especially in shipping, railway, and patent cases.

occasionally took part in the judicial work of the House of Lords; in particular he was one of the majority who decided the well-known Free Church case. He also acted as one of the arbitrators in the Alaskan Boundary dispute between Canada and the United States.

APPOINTMENT OF KING'S COUNSEL.

The Attorney-General has addressed the following letter to the Lord Chancellor: "House of Commons, S. W., 13th December 1915. My dear Lord Chancellor,-I trust you will excuse me calling to your attention the fact that no appointments have been made to the office of In July 1885 Mr Webster was appointed King's Counsel since October 1914. It is, of Attorney-General in Lord Salisbury's first course, well understood that the question of what administration, and received the honour of members of the Bar should be recommended to knighthood. He did not hold the office for the King for the grant of the dignity of King's long, for the ministry resigned early in 1886. Counsel is decided by the Lord Chancellor alone, But he returned with his party in August and that the Lord Chancellor should not be of that year, and remained in office until invited by any member of the Bar to indicate 1892. During these years the most important the course which he proposes to take in this event of his career was probably his appearance before the Parnell Commission in 1888, The case was one of exceptional complexity, and Sir Richard Webster's wonderful mastery of all the complicated facts, and his skill in presenting the case to the Commissioners, made a great impres sion on all who were engaged in the case. Richard went out of office after the general election of 1892. In 1893 he represented Great Britain in the Behring Sea Arbitration. He was again Attorney-General from 1895 to 1899, when he was appointed Master of the Rolls in succession to Lord Lindley, and was raised to the peerage. A few months later he succeeded Lord Russell of Killowen as Lord Chief-Justice of England-an office which he held until failing health compelled him to resign in the autumn of

1913.

Sir

Lord Alverstone was a most distinguished Lord Chief-Justice. He presided with great ability at all the most important criminal trials during his term of office, of which the famous Crippen case is probably the best known. He attached great importance to the work of the Divisional Court, and sat there as President whenever he could possibly do so. He possessed an unusually intimate knowledge of the maze of statutes which regulate modern local government, and he gave an authority and continuity to the discipline which the Divisional Court exercises over magistrates and inferior courts which it had not always possessed. Some of his best work as a judge was done in the Court of Criminal Appeal. That Court was a new departure which many lawyers regarded with misgiving, and the successful manner in which it has performed its functions was largely due to the ability and tact of Lord Alverstone.

During his tenure of office Lord Alverstone

matter. In ordinary circumstances, therefore, I should not think it proper to communicate with you on the subject. The circumstances, however, of the present time are exceptional, and I think right to inform you that, in my opinion, the Bar would understand your decision should these circumstances lead you to postpone taking steps to recommend the appointment of new King's Counsel. I hope you will allow me, without breach of the understanding to which I have already referred, to enquire whether, under present conditions, it is your intention to make any recommendations to His Majesty in the immediate future. Yours sincerely,

FREDERICK SMITH."

-

The Lord Chancellor has replied as follows: "House of Lords, S. W., 13th December 1915. My dear Attorney,-It is true that no appointments have been made to the office of King's Counsel during the last fourteen months. This is not necessarily too long a period to elapse between the dates of such appointments, but as I do not propose to make any further recommendations to the King in the immediate future, I think the Bar may rightly be informed of my intention, and the reason which lies behind. The removal of juniors in good practice is the opportunity to which all young men rightly look for the purpose of establishing, or improving, their position at the Bar. It is almost the only event which diverts the steady stream of legal business from its accustomed channel, and increases the chance of even the youngest man to gather work. It is unnecessary to tell you what a splendid response has been made by members of our profession to the national demands; this must be known to all, but it is not so generally realised that in the large

majority of cases the men who have gone have The Lord President has received a letter in left at the most critical moment of their pro- the following terms from the Secretary for fessional career. In these circumstances it is Scotland: the first and obvious duty of everyone to see "Scottish Office, Whitehall, S.W., that they do not suffer by their patriotism and "23rd December 1915. that no unnecessary opening is made in the ranks of the profession during their absence. Unless, therefore, some unforeseen and special exigency requires an appointment to be made, I do not propose to make any recommendation to the King until the war ends, and I am permitted by His Majesty to state that this course meets with his entire approval. Yours sincerely, BUCKMASTER."

The following correspondence has passed between the Dean of the Faculty of Advocates and the Lord President of the Court of Session:

"Advocates' Library,

"Edinburgh, 18th December 1915. "Dear Lord President,-I beg to refer to the public intimation, recently made by the Lord Chancellor, with regard to grants of the dignity of King's Counsel to members of the English Bar during the war.

"May I say that I believe the Faculty of Advocates, in view of the absence of a very large number of its members on military service, would welcome any official pronouncement which it might be thought proper to make, defining the position as regards this matter in Scotland? I have, therefore, taken upon myself to address your Lordship on the subject-holding, as your Lordship does, an authority with regard to recommendations for silk in Scotland analogous to that of the Lord Chancellor in England. "I am, yours faithfully,

"J. A. CLYDE,

"Dean of Faculty."
"Court of Session,
"18th December 1915.

"My dear Dean of Faculty,-I am favoured with your letter of to-day. During the period of the war it is my intention to make no recommendations for the grant of the dignity of King's Counsel. My reason for taking this course is indicated in your letter, and is fully set out in the letter addressed by the Lord Chancellor to the Attorney-General dated the 13th inst. As you are aware, the response made by the members of the Scottish Bar to the call of duty has been beyond all praise.

"I take it for granted that His Majesty's pleasure will in this matter be the same in Scotland as the Lord Chancellor intimates it is in England. I shall, however, lay our correspondence before the Secretary for Scotland for communication to His Majesty.

"Believe me, yours very sincerely,
"STRATHCLYDE,
"Lord President.
"To the Dean of Faculty, K.C., M.P."

"Dear Lord Strathclyde,-I have to thank you for your letter of 19th December, enclosing copies of letters which have passed between the Dean of Faculty and your Lordship upon the subject of recommendations for the dignity of King's Counsel during the war, and have pleasure in informing you that these have been laid before the King, and that His Majesty has been graciously pleased to signify his approval of the same procedure being followed in Scotland as that laid down by the Lord Chancellor with regard to the withholding of appointments of King's Counsel in England until the termination of the war. Yours faithfully,

"T. M'KINNON WOOD."

"Dear Sir Edward,-When you announced your retirement your friends desired that you should have a reminder of their admiration and regard, and you approved the suggestion to present you with your portrait. It falls to me as official head of the Bar to ask you to accept it. Those who come after will see in it the likeness of an orator of unsurpassed eloquence; of a lawyer who might have been a great judge, but preferred to remain a great advocate; of a politician whose high character and singleness of purpose were acknowledged by all.

"(Signed) FREDERICK SMITH." "11th December. "My Dear Attorney-General,-I accept with much gratitude the picture which represents the kindness of many friends. It is a constant happiness to me to know I am regarded with so much esteem by those among whom my professional life was spent.

"(Signed)

EDWARD CLARKE."

SIR MATTHEW INGLE JOYCE, late a Judge of the High Court (Chancery Division), has been sworn a member of the Privy Council.

WE regret to record the death of Mr Alexander Moody Stuart, LL.D., Advocate, Emeritus Professor of Scots Law in Glasgow University, which took place on 22nd December.

Mr Alexander Moody Stuart was a son of the

late Rev. A. Moody Stuart, D.D., of St. Luke's Free Church, Queen Street, Edinburgh. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy, of which he was dux, and at Edinburgh University, where he obtained the first prize in the senior Greek and Latin classes and took a high position in Mathematics and Logic. Choosing law as his profession, he was admitted a member of the Faculty of Advocates in 1874. In 1887 he was appointed by the Crown to be Professor of Law in the University of Glasgow, in succession to Mr Berry on his appointment as Sheriff of Lanarkshire. He was a man of great ability and profound knowledge of law, and he was highly popular with the students and among his colleagues. He also took part in the public life of the city, and for two or three years filled the office of Legal Assessor to the Dean of Guild Court. He was for a term Dean of the Faculty of Law. In 1894 he received the degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Edinburgh. He found it necessary to resign his office of Professor of Law in the University in 1905 in consequence of ill health and since then he had lived in retirement.

SIR ARTHUR WILSON, whose death took place on 28th December, was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple in 1862. He made his way rapidly, and it is probable that he would have been raised to the Bench in this country had he not accepted a Judgeship of the Calcutta High Court in 1878. When he was in India he was President of the Commission of Inquiry which sat at Poona in 1888-99 to investigate charges of corruption and of borrowing money from subordinate officials brought against the late Mr Arthur Crawford, then Commissioner of the Central Division of the Bombay Presidency. After holding sixty-seven public sittings, the Commission found the defendant not guilty of the graver charges, but guilty of borrowing money from Indians in his jurisdiction. In 1880 Sir Arthur was elected ViceChancellor of the Calcutta University. In 1892 he was appointed Legal Adviser and Solicitor to the India Office, a position which he resigned in 1902. Meanwhile he received the K.C.I.E., and some years later he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed to the Judicial Committee.

of Ayr, has been appointed Procurator-Fiscal of the Lower Ward of Lanarkshire in succession to Mr James N. Hart, whose resignation from the office was intimated recently. Mr Mackenna is a graduate in Arts of Glasgow University, and holds also the degree of LL.B. of Edinburgh University. He was born in Girvan, and was in practice there as a banker and lawyer before going to Ayr twenty-one years ago to take up the duties of Procurator-Fiscal. Since the out. break of war Mr Mackenna has been on service. He holds the rank of major, and is in command of the third line unit of the 5th Royal Scots Fusiliers.

THE death has taken place in Edinburgh of Mr William Tait, of Messrs Tait & Johnston, S.S.C., 33 York Place, Edinburgh. Mr Tait was born at Hamilton in 1855, and came to Edinburgh about thirty-five years ago, entering the office of Messrs Mitchell & Baxter, W.S., Edinburgh, as a clerk. Afterwards he carried on business on his own account, becoming a member of the Society of Solicitors before the Supreme Courts in 1885. He was well known in golfing circles, and was captain and afterwards secretary of the Royal Musselburgh Club.

MR ROBERT C. WALKER, a well-known Dundee solicitor, died on 7th January at Newport after a short illness. Mr Walker was highly esteemed by his professional brethren and a large circle of clients, and was an honorary Sheriff-Substitute of Forfarshire. He was a widely read man, and had intimate knowledge of heraldry and antiquarian subjects, and was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquarians. He was secretary of Dundee Royal Lunatic Asylum and other public institutions. His son, Captain Norman Walker, 4th Black Watch, was killed in France last September.

Mr

THE death of Mr James Steven Burns, S.S.C., Edinburgh, occurred on 29th December. Burns was a partner of the firm of Messrs W. & J. Cook, W.S., 61 Castle Street, Edinburgh. Mr Burns, who was seventy-two years of age, was an Ayrshire man. He entered the firm as an apprentice clerk when he was sixteen years of age. The father of Sir Henry Cook was then alone in the business, and Mr Burns was assumed as partner in 1872 at the same time as Sir Henry Cook. Mr Burns was recognised as an able lawyer, particularly in the branch of conveyancing, and his genial personality and unfailing good humour made him a popular member of the profession. Mr Burns was admitted to the S.S.C. Society in 1870, and he was President of the Society for the term of three years from 1909 to 1912. Two of Mr Burns' sons have been killed in action one at Neuve Chapelle and the other at Loos-and another son was on MR PETER F. MACKENNA, Procurator-Fiscal board the "Arethusa" at the Heligoland fight.

JUDGE SMYLY, who has presided over the Shoreditch and Bow County Courts since 1902, has resigned. Prior to that year he was Judge of the Courts in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Judge Graham, K.C., County Court Judge at Leeds, has been appointed County Court Judge at Shoreditch, and Mr A. R. Macklin has been appointed County Court Judge at Leeds.