The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-06-23
is A CATHOLIC.
Hon. chas. Fitzpatrick, Of Canada, Be.
comes a Chief Justice.

comes Chief Justice.
Like England Canada has now
honored jurist of Irish Catholic blood.
Chief Justice Russell was of yester-
day; Chief Justice Charles Fitzpatrick,
now the head of the supreme court of
Canada, is of today. Two weeks ago
he resigned as minister of justice and
last week the cabinet at its regular
meeting appointed him chief justice
of the supreme court of Canada, in sue
cession to Sir Henry Taschereau. He
is the first Irish Catholic to attain such
distinction.
The rise of Chief Justice Fitzpatrick
has been rapid. The current True Wit
ness. of Montreal. contains Il lengthy
sketch of his career. and as presented
it cannot fail to inspire young men
of his faith and race on this side the
boundary First it is proper to men,
ton that through life the new jurist
we'll as in his profession of faith. His
personal habits are and always have
been rigidly correct. He has lived a
rigid Christian life Sixteen years ago
the present Premier of Canada. Sir
Wifrid Laurier induced him to enter
politics. He was then thirty seven
years of age and a poor man. He is
now ffty-three and still poor, not.
withstanding the fact that his career
has been q remarkably brilliant enc.
The True Witness says that, though
not the youngest man to obtain Il place
on the bench of the Canadian supreme
court he is the youngest to reach the
chief justiceship. There is not, it
says. another man in the public eye
whose advancement to the highest
places in his profession in statesman
ship and in popular confidence has been
so rapid and splendid.
Except Sir Wilfrid Laurier, no other
member of any of the Liberal Min
istries since 1896 has received the same
degree of public attention as this Irish
Catholic who came into the govern
ment from Quebec. but who almost
instantly was hailed us the representa-
tive of his race and electoral element.
He came in as solicitor general ana
made his way to the ministry of jus
tice after q brief interval. Distin-
guiShed and commanding in appear
ance. with that unnistakable PERSONAL
ity which. in the common phrase, is
called magnetic, Charles Fitzpatrick
was always a sort of enigma to friends
and opponents. The most likablc of
men. his manner was not devoid of Il
general suggestion of aloofness and
reserve. a first impression of him,
when seen either in the house or on a
public occasion, Was apt To be "on-
Trajectory. The Fitzpatrcls were
princes i'm Munster and there is Il YER
liable dash of knightly bearing about
this scion of Il proud race.
He was born ut Quebec on Deccm-
Der -. 1858, being the son of the late
John Fitzpatrick. Il Quebec lumber
merchant who was ais" the son of a
merchant of the city of Waterford,
ireland. Young Charles Fitzpatrick
was educated wholly in Catholic
schools. He entered ST. AIMS College
as Il lad and passed To the seminary,
finishing in Laval University. His
academic distinctions marked his
earlier promise He is Il b. a., and
r. c. H.. and was called to the bar in
1876. being made Il @. c. in 1898. He
WAS called to the Ontario bar in 1896
to enable him to plead certain import
ant cases in that province. in which he
was engaged.
Charles Fitzpatrick was crown
prosecutor in Quebec district at diff
fercnt periods and his name became
known throughout the Dominion as
counsel for the defense in the cole
brated trial of Louis Riel for high trca-
son in 1885 He also defended the late
the government following the fall of
that able mans clouded administra-
ton. Another big case was that OF
Hon. Thomas McGreevy before the
standing committee on privileges and
elections of the House of Commons
in 1891, in which Mr.. Fitzpatrick was
counsel. He represented the Dominion
of Canada before the judicial commit
tee Of the Privy Council in England in
the notable case involving jurisdiction
of federal and provincial authorities
over the ownership of beds OF rivers.
lakes, harbors and fisheries. He visited
England in June. 1898, as Canadian
representative in the proposed arbi-
tration between the governments of
Russia and the United Kingdom with
reference to compensation for the seIu-
ure of Canadian sealing schooncrs.
Tho chief justice has a large and
happy family. His gracious and warm
hearted wife was Mile. Corinnc Caron.
daughter of the late r. r. Caron. @. c..
lieutenant governor OF the Province of
Quebec from 1873 to 1876.
URGED TO ACTIVITY.