noted Joseph Chitty, whose daughter he married; and was joint author with Mr. Chitty of a practical treatise on Bills of Exchange, an important legal work of the time as well as "A Collection of Statutes of Practical Utility" with notes, another reference book for the profession.
Some time after his arrival, there was much comment on the long period elapsing before a sitting of the Supreme Court, and the Chief Justice was the subject of criticism and satire. The Criminal Sessions were eventually convened, in October, but shortly after their opening, we read, they had to be adjourned for a week owing to the death of Mr. Hulme's daughter, and then followed another postponement owing to his indisposition.
574
He soon earned the appreciation of the community, however, and was referred to in 1847 as an upright and independent Judge, and an acquisition to the Colony. This is important in view of subsequent efforts to bring ignominy upon the Chief Justice. It was not long before he had occasion to "tread on the corns" of people who retaliated: at a Vice-Admiralty Court held in October, 1847, Mr. Hulme complained to the Grand Jury that he had not been allowed to see the indictments described truly enough in the chronicle as being an extraordinary state of affairs, and attributed to "Sir John Davis" vindictiveness towards Mr. Hulme.
Not long afterwards, in fact, it is recorded that proceedings were initiated against the Chief Justice (who was by then a general favourite in the Colony) by the Governor.
He was considered "zealous and intelligent to a degree, of a lively and social temperament, and of perfect uprightness and thorough independence," and his judicial decisions had given every satisfaction. There is something incongruous and repugnant in the very idea of a charge of habitual drunkenness being preferred against a Judge, and supposing even that Mr. Hulme had been guilty in respect of this degrading charge, which Sir John Davis had preferred against him, the course pursued by the accuser deserved the strongest reprehension at the hands of every honourable man.
The charge was preferred in a private despatch to Lord Palmerston, who was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; it being afterwards suggested that the accuser bore the Chief Justice a grudge over a judgment in which Sir John was interested; and... the motive seems to have been to do harm to the Judge's character in secret. But the Home Government made it a public affair, and thus "the cat was out of the bag", and the general public were roused to indignation.
This resentment was fanned into a flame when, in November 1847 (Sir John Davis' hand having been forced by the Home authorities), the Chief Justice was required to appear before the Executive Council (Sir John Davis, Major-General D'Aguilar, Hon. Mr. A. R. Johnston, and Major Caine) to answer the following charges:
Being intoxicated at a dinner party given by Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane on board H.M.S. Agincourt in the latter part of 1845; being intoxicated at the house of Major-General D'Aguilar in July 1846; and being an habitual drunkard.
The announcement of these charges, we read, was received with incredulity," and well might they have been.
On the day of the Chief Justice's appearance, the principal...
3.
noted Joseph Chitty, whose daughter he married; and was joint author with Mr. Chitty of a practical treatise on Bills of Exchange, an important legal work of the time as well as "A Collection of Statutes of Practical Utility" with notes, another reference book for the profession.
Some time after his arrival there was much comment on the long period elapsing before a sitting of the Supreme Court, and the Chief Justice was the subject of criticism and satire. The Criminal Sessions were eventually convened, in October, but shortly after their opening, we read, they had to be adjourned for a week owing to the death of Mr. Hulme's daughter, and then followed another postponement owing to his indisposition.
574
he soon earned the appreciation of the community, however, and was referred to in 1847 as an upright and independent Judge, and an acquisition to the Colony. This is important in view of subsequent efforts to bring ignominy upon the Chief Justice. It was not long before he had occasion to "tread on the corns" of people who retaliated: at a Vice-Admiralty Court held in October, 1847, Mr. Hulme complained to the Grand Jury that he had not been allowed to see the indictments described truly enough in the chronicle as being an extraordinary state of affairs, and attributed to "Sir John Davis" vindictiveness of Mr. Hulme".
Not long afterwards, in fact, it is recorded that proceedings were initiated against the Chief Justice (who was by then a general favourite in the Colony) by the Governor.
宏
was considered "zealous and intelligent to a degree, of a lively and social temperament, and of perfect uprightness and thorough independence
and his judicial decisions had given every satisfaction. There is something incongruous and repugnant in the very idea of a charge of habitual drunkenness being preferred against a Judge, and supposing even that Mr. Hulme had he en guilty in respect of this degrading charge, which Sir John Davis had preferred against him, the course pursued by the accuser deserved the strongest reprehension at the hands of every honourable man.
it
The charge was preferred in a private despatch to Lord Palmerston, who was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; being afterwards suggested that the accuser bore the Chief Justice a grudge over a judgment in which Sir John was interested; and... the motive seems to have been to do harm to the Judge's character in secret. But the Home Government made it a public affair, and thus "the cat was out of the bag", and the general public were roused to indignation..
This resentment was fanned into a flame when, in November 1847 (Sir John Davis' hand having been forced by the Home authorities) the Chief Justice was required to appear before the Executive Council (Sir John Davis, Major-General D'Aguilar, Hon.Mr.A.R. Johnston and Major Caine) to answer the following charges:
Being intoxicated at a dinner party given by Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane on board of H.E.S.
› Agincourt in the latter part of 1845; being intoxicated
at the house of Major-General D'Aguilar in July 1846; and being an habitual drunkard..
The announcement of these charges, we read, was received with incredulity," and well might they have been.
On the day of the Chief Justice's apre arance, the rincipal
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.