Judge ; and the manner in which he presented cases to a jury rendered much satisfaction. As in Jeffcott's time, the proprieties of a Court of Justice were observed, and nothing of a "scene" occurred, except a harmless "flareup " n o w and again between the brusque old Crown Prosecutor and some opposing Barrister. In the beginning of 1846 Judge Therry tendered his resignation, to accept a seat on the N e w South Wales Bench; and on the n t h February an address, signed by all the then Bar (Messrs. Croke, Brewster, Barry, Pohlman, Williams and Stawell), was presented to him, in which the subscribers expressed regret for the loss of " a Judge whose assiduity in the unaided discharge of his duties has upheld the dignity of the Bench, and whose extreme urbanity of deportment, invariable courtesy, and considerate attention to the members of the Bar have rendered less difficult the discharge of their professional labours." In his reply, the Judge declared that " no change of position, nor time, nor distance, can ever efface or weaken the sentiments of respect, esteem, and gratitude towards the Bar of Port Phillip with which I a m deeply imbued for the kindness with which, when a stranger amongst them, they received m e on m y arrival, and for the uninterrupted manifestation of fair-minded and amicable dispositions which have marked their intercourse with m e from the commencement to the close of m y tenure of judicial office in this young, prosperous, and rapidly advancing community." T h e Attornies and officers of the Supreme Court rendered him a similar compliment, and prior to his departure he was entertained at a Bar dinner in the Prince of Wales' Hotel, where their Honors the Superintendent and the new Judge (A'Beckett) appeared also as guests. Mr. Therry returned to Sydney, and obtained a seat on the Bench there, which he held until 1859, when he retired, and proceeded to England. H e was knighted, and died on the 17th May, 1874. In ten days after Lady Therry died also. MR. WILLIAM A'BECKETT
Arrived as Resident Judge from Sydney on the 7th February, 1846, per the steamer "Shamrock." He appeared to be in very delicate health. Born in London, on 28th May, 1806, he was admitted to the English Bar in 1829, and after his arrival in N e w South Wales quickly took a good position in the Sydney Courts, where he was Solicitor-General in 1841, and ultimately Supreme Court Judge there. T o benefit his health, an exchange was negotiated between himself and Mr. Therry, who was an ardent Sydneyite. M r . A'Beckett was feted at a numerously attended Bar dinner in Sydney, and received a very laudatory address from forty-nine Solicitors. O n the 16th February, the new Judge was inducted. H e was suffering from an attack of rheumatism, and was supported to his place by the Sheriff. This was thefirstmaiden assize in the province, though the time-honoured presentation of white gloves was forgotten. Messrs. Croke and Pohlman were the only Barristers in attendance, and the absence of business was not occasioned by any dearth of prisoners for trial, because there were several in gaol; but the change of judges had interfered with the issue of the necessary venire, a preliminary without which a jury could not be constituted. Judge A'Beckett was a m a n of cultured mind, varied attainments, large intellectual calibre, and a deep groove of thought. S o m e of the Sydney newspapers passed strictures on his brief judicial career there, insinuating a vacillation of purpose, and a proneness to be unduly influenced by colleagues, but these inuendoes were not justified by Port Phillip experiences. Learned and impartial in the judgment seat, liberal in opinions, freehearted in charity, and tolerant of all religious denominations alike, a Unitarian himself, he w o n the respect and esteem of the community, and his delicate health never interfered with an official career the reverse of a sinecure. H e was, besides, an accomplished writer and lecturer. S o m e meritorious effusions from his pen appeared occasionally in the Melbourne newspapers under the nam de plume of " Malwyn," a family name, and were m u c h admired. T h e Herald was usually selected as the medium through which his bardic utterances winged their way into the world ; but a time came when some of the rival journals penetrated the anonymity, and spoke out their mind about the improper preference, so the current was cut off, and the Parnassian chirrupings heard no more. Judge A'Beckett also displayed a good deal of quiet humour on the Bench. T h e queer old Crown Prosecutor, often as uncouth in his tongue as in his general demeanour, used to be very loud in his talk at times to those about him, and one day he and ChiefConstable Sugden were " barneying " about some hitch in a criminal case. Their recrimination attracted the attention of the Judge, who, looking determinedly at both the offenders, exclaimed " Mr. Croke
