Page:The Indian Biographical Dictionary.djvu/348

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

INDIAN BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY, 1915.

Norton.

Merton College, Oxford; called to the Bar (Lincoln’s Inn), 1876; joined the Oxford Circuit, had a brief or two at Assize and Sessions, and was on more than one occasion junior to his father in the Privy Council; landed at Madras, 1879; practiced in the Madras Courts for well nigh 30 years; was Counsel either for prosecution or for defence in very many sensational cases in the Madras Courts as well as in Burma and Hyderabad (Deccan); Coroner of Madras for 7 years from 1880; worked on the popular side in the famous Salem riots of old; was engaged in the equally famous Garstin Dacoity case; in his admirable address to the Jury in this case, Mr. Norton was alleged to have made observations derogatory to Government; he was asked to explain why he should not be proceeded against under the Charter; the case was heard by a Full Bench of the Madras High Court; Mr. Norton defended himself in person and successfully mentioned that the “Privilege of Counsel in England was the measure of Counsel’s Privilege in India”; defended Timol at the Calcutta High Court Sessions, 1906; settled in Calcutta, at the instance, it is said, of a Calcutta Solicitor, who is said to have offered him as many as six briefs as an opening; returned to Madras temporarily to defend Sir George Arbuthnott, 1907; was engaged on behalf of Government in the famous Manicitollah Garden and Harrison Road bomb cases, 1908-03; staunch supporter of the Indian National Congress movement from its start; was Captain of the Volunteer Artillery for 5 years; Member, Madras Municipal Commission for 4 years, representing that body in the Madras Legislative Council; elected a Member of the Supreme Legislative Council, 1S94; resigned this some time after; was a Freemason in Madras and was Junior Warden of the District Grand Lodge of Madras; is the 4th of his name who has taken up the profession of law in India. Recreation: Watching football, and the reading of Law Reports. Address: Calcutta, India.

Nritya Gopal Basu, Rai Bahadur (1900), C.I.E., (1910), Calcutta; entered service, 1881; acted in various capacities and became Assistant Comptroller-General, Government of India, 1899; a reputed Sanskrit and Bengali Scholar and has published many works relating to the antiquities of Bengal, specially ‘The Antiquities of Orissa’. Address; Calcutta, India.

Numberumal Chetty, Tatikonda, B.A., Rao Sahib (1901), Engineering Contractor and Timber Merchant, Madras; b. 1856; educ: at Madras; B.A., 1879; joined the College of Engineering and completed his course for the B.C.E.; began life as a building contractor and soon acquired a name in the profession; some of the public buildings of Madras, notably the present High Court buildings, were constructed by him. Address: ‘Crynant’, Harrington Road, Madras, W., India.

Nunjundayya, H. Y., M.A., M.L., 1st Councillor, Mysore State; b. 1860; educ: Madras; B.A. 1880; B.L. 1883; M.A. 1885; M.L. 1893; joined British service as Sub Registrar; resigned and joined

308