The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-03-16

Death orIIon. Geo. VI. Bober

IL becomes our painful task . record the death
Of Hon. George NJ. Robertson, associate Justice
of tie Supreme Court, which occurred on Tues-
d4y afternoon, the 18th instant. Accompanied
by hs eldest son, he rode during last week 10
Wiinnae, on this island, seekin. u little recreI-
ton from lis artlOus official duties. lie vas 70
all appearances in good health when he left
t'wn. Daring Tuesday. while seated alone in
the house Of Hon. Mr.. Mahelona. Of Waianae.
reading a NEWSPAPER, he fell over and was found
BY h> son lying on the floor. where he soon after
expired. His body was brought - the city in
a sloOp which Glanced II be leaving fo- this
port On Nednesday q post norton examination
was held, and the cause Of hi- Death found - be
anuerism Of the aorta. He Lad complained
occasionally Of what appeared 10 be rheumatic
pains, and during the laying Of the corner stone
Of tine new Cathedral. had an attack Of pain
near the heart. and faintness, bat We believe was
not aware that he was affected with tbs in
sidious disease.
Judge Robertson vas born in Scotland. If we
are rightly informed. in 1920, but when quite
young migrated to Nova Scotia. where a
brother and other relatives now reside. lie
arrived at these islands in 1911, in the British
whaleship PeJurian, and after a cruise north,
obtained his discharge and decided 70 settle here.
He served for q short time as clerk in the house
Of Skinner Il Co., but being required t. perform
acts which be considered wrong. gave up that
place, and entered the Foreign Office, rs copyist.
Subsequently, he served in the Treasury and In.
terror Offices, and when the gold fever broke out
in California, went there and remained a couple
OF years, returning to these islands in 1850. In
august Of that year he was appointed to be one
Of the Board Of Land Commission, and was con-
nectcd with the Board for five years, though
during the same time he held the Office of Cir
cult judge on Hawaii and Police Justice in this
city. In 1856 he was appointed Associate JUS
tice Of tie Supreme Court, a position which he
continued to fill till his death. except for q few
months during 1863 and 1, when lac was Minis
ter Of the Interior.
Thus. during twen;y-,lree years that he resid-
ed here, he was intimately connected with the
government in various positions, in all Of which.
it Is no exaggeration to say that he reflected
honor to the government. The duties Of the
Land Office were at one time very laboriOus,
requiring much study and Investigation yet 10y
untiring zeal in connection with the late Judge
Lee and the present Secretary Of the Board,
Judge Smith, the new land sy-teIn-invOlyinG
countless changes Of boundaries, and various
divisions and subdivisions Of estatcs-was mod
died and perfected, and the MAHELE Book now re-
mains a monument to those who performed the
labor connected with it. KAMEHAMEHA TIE Coop
gave the lands TO his people, but between the
giving and the occupying of them, there was a
vast amount Of labor performed, which no one
not conversant with it, can have any idea Of.
EaIurhIe as yVpra .Iulre R,barr-,u- = sary;aas
in the Land Commission, they were not less so
in the Supreme Court. He early made the IIa-
waiian language a study and mastered it with a
proficiency which few hayeequalled. 1t was this
knowledge OF the vernacular that made him pre-
eminently useful on the bench. Though not u
lawyer by profession, he soon, by extraordinary
zeal and study. became familiar with the rudi-
ments and practice of law, especially in its APP
p~lication to our local transition society. His
decisions reflect credit ON his legal atiairments.
He displayed great executive ability in every
position he held, and in all business referred to
him, was very prompt. This was often ex-
hibited, but one instance, especially we remem-
Der occurred at Wailuku last summer. in a water
right case, where after hearing all the evidence,
and arguments, he went home and in Il hour or
t wo returned TO Court and gave a decision which
has substantially been sustained since. This trait
Of executive ability was also shown when he
took the Office of Minister of the Interior in
1864. On his entry into that Office, a life and
energy were impaired 10 its administrator which
had never before been known there. and never
since seen. His term as Minister was short, as
he was strongly urged to relinquish that Office
and return to the Supreme Court Bench, to which
ne at length yielded.
Besides filling the offices we have named. Judge
was for several years elected a repre-
sentative to the National Legislature, and several
times chosen Speaker of the House of Repre-
sentatiyeos. He also took an active part in
the present Civil Code, which at
the time Of its adoption was one of the most
complete codes ever framed in any country. lie
also a member Of the Kings Privy Council
Of State, and also of the order of kamehameha
the Great.
He was married in this city in 1871, to Miss
Sarah Humphreys, daughter of tie late William
Humphreys, who survives him. lie leaves also
an interesting family of five children, who have
a kind aud devoted father. 1t will be in
eresting, in this connection. to the friends of the
,ercaved family. to know that his life was insured
or so, 900 in the New England Mutual Life
Company, and thus by his prudence
md fOrethought. provision has been made for
heir comfort and necessities after his death.
Judge Robertson's death will he Il great loss
o the community, but especially to the govern
nent. in which he was a wise councillor and an
IMPARTIAL upright judge. Native IIawaiians al
Ways found in him a KIM friend and adviser.
nd learned to trust to his wisdom. 1t will be
impossible to eli the vacant j~udgship with a man
Il the same varied qualifications. for there Is no
ne living possessed Of the knowledge of the ma
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