Farewell in the Supreme Court.
Sir Hiram Shaw Wilkinson sat yestorday afternoon for the last time as Chief Justice of His Majesty's Supreme Court for China and Cores. With hardly an exception the members of the local Rar attended to take formal farewell of his Lordship, and there were also present in Court. several ladies and others of the general public. Sir Hiram was sccom-
Panied on the Bench by {the {Acting Assistant Judge (Mr. J. C. E,/ Douglas), end the whole staff of the Court was in attendance.
A preliminary interest was given to proceedings by the reading of his Lordship's last Judgment, a monumental effort, breaking even Sir Hiram's'previous records for length. It occupied an hour anda bait in delivery. At its: conclusion, Mr. Platt, the Acting Crown Advocate, rose and offered the following remarks My Lord,—We understand that this is the last time "you"will sit in this Court as-Chief Justice, and the members of the Bar who have practised: before you for the Jast six years have therefore assembled in order to bid you farewell."
You can look back upon many -yoars spent in the Far East in-the service of yor country. You began so far back -as the zant 1864 whau you entered the Coneular Berviee in Japan, you served with distinct. tion in that service, and after leaving that service you joined our ranks and practise eclat the Bar of this Court. While so of [practising you always uphold the your clients well, and your fellow Principles of our profession, you serve: practitioners had always an honourable opponent in you. Later you were again called upon to serve your country when you were appointed Crown Advocate, you did good work asthe holder of that office, and-at the same time as the leader of the Bar you always zealously so guarded our interests. You were in course of time promoted to the Bench, taking up the position of Judge of LB. Court for Japan, and after serving in that position with distinction you were promoted to the high post you now fill, namely, Chief Justice of this Court. Your sicpewecee in that office were mon who had so ably carried out the duties entrusted to them that thi Court had come to be universally garded by Chinese and foreign: as a tribunal where Law and Justi administered impartially, and litigant knew that the merits of hi case would be thoroughly gone into and justice administered. Such was the reputation which this Court had when you were appointed Chief Justice, and you leave it with that reputation hig if possible than ever, and with its prestige unimpaired, And not only have you carried out your duties in this Court' in the most honourable, conscientious, and upright manner, but you been vonstantly called upon to arbitrate upon differences that have arisen between other nationalities than British; it is not only British subjects who lave recognised ud the ised this. also. Your Sovereign has also graciously recognised your merits by having conferred on you the honour of knighthood, My Lord, you leave us with a record which any Englishman would be proud of. We bid you farewell with regret, 8 feeling which, I am sure, is shared by all members of this community both Chinese and foreign who have experienced many acts of kindness from you. We look forward to the time when we shall meet again in your Homeland and we trast we shall find you still serving your country in some capacity as ably and honourably as you have served it in the East.
Mr. W. V. Drummond, the doyen of the local Bar, who had not been soon in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.