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existence was anything but blissful. Ross was a m u c h better m a n of business than his partner, and after dissolving with Quarry he joined a Mr. John Clark, and they constituted a legal house which had for several years a lucrative run of business. Ross, for a short period, sat as a Government non-official nominee in the first Legislature of Victoria. EDWARD SEWELL was a dashing member of the second branch of the law. He was an intimate friend of Mr. R e d m o n d Barry, and mixed up with more than one of the early duelling farces in Melbourne.* ROBERT DEANE, arrived from England in 1839, and immediately plunged into cold water, by taking an active part in the establishment of thefirstTemperance Society in Melbourne. His devotion to teetotalism was not of long continuance, for by 1842 he had sunk into such an intense worship of alcoholism that Judge Willis was more than once obliged to rebuke his unsteady appearance in Court. Deane c o m m e n c e d partnership with M r . Richard Ocock, and the firm was for a while in a fair business, but Deane's irregularities precipitated a dissolution. It was said that he was driven to intemperance by an attachment contracted prior to emigrating, and that the lady of his love had promised to come to Melbourne as soon as her fiance had settled d o w n in his new h o m e ; but with her, absence did not m a d e the heart grow fonder. Another wooer came, and Deane and Port Phillip were speedily forgotten. H e was not the same m a n after the receipt of this intelligence. S o m e forty years ago he was rid of the cares of life, and at an age of twice that period, Ocock was alive at Ballan, the oldest surviving Attorney in Victoria until 1883, when he m a d e his exit from the world. CHARLES SLADEN, arrived in Port Phillip in 1841, was admitted in 1842, and selected (with others) Geelong as the field in which he would labour. Here he worked hard until 1854, when he retired from the profession, was no longer known as "an Attorney, Solicitor, and Proctor," but blossomed into the " Politician." H e sat in the first Legislature, the Assembly, and the n o w Upper H o u s e ; served his country as Treasurer and Chief-Secretary, was deservedly Knighted in consideration of what he had done, and in 1882 retired from the political arena, taking with him into private life a profusion of good wishes such as never before were borne away by public m a n in the colony. Sir Charles Sladen will occupy a high and honoured niche in the history of Victoria ; for no m a n ever laboured with more sterling honesty and unremitting devotion for her welfare. H e may fairly be accounted her political Bayard, for he served her like a true Knight, sans peur et sans reproche. THOMAS T. A'BECKETT was not admitted until February, 1851, and is therefore the name with which I close m y enumeration. H e was brother of Mr. Gilbert A'Beckett, the famous L o n d o n comic writer ; of Sir W . A'Beckett, the well-known and highly-esteemed Victorian Judge; and of Dr. A'Beckett, a physician of eminence, w h o followed his profession for several years in Sydney. Like all the family, Mr. T. A'Beckett had a mind above professional drudgery, and was gifted with literary attainments of no m e a n order. H e was lucky in getting into partnership with Moor, after Chambers had seceded therefrom, and that of M o o r and A'Beckett was once known as one of the leading law firms in Melbourne. A'Beckett is a brilliant lecturer when he likes, and a clever pamphleteer; and though he won a respectable position as a politician, his displays in public speaking were inferior to his written discourses. For twenty years he represented the Central Province in the Legislative Council with marked ability, and once held office as Commissioner of Customs. H e was, until recently (1888), Registrar of the Church of England,' and to no two lay members of that denomination is the Anglican Church in Victoria more indebted than to him and Sir W . F. Stawell. H. F. GURNER was the senior by priority of admission, for he was the first enrolled. He arrived from Sydney with Judge Willis in the temporary capacity of Deputy-Registrar, in which he was succeeded by Mr. J. D. Pinnock. Montgomery was thefirstCrown Solicitor, but not pulling over well with the Judge, he resigned, to be replaced by Mr. Gurner, w h o continued in the office until 1878. Montgomeryjoined M'Crae in partnership, enjoying for years considerable practice, and the former was the first amusing episode in M r . Sewell's professional career will be found in Chapter VII,