William Ballantine, who for many years filled the office of magistrate at the Thames Police Court. He was born in London, Jan. 3, 1812, and was called to the bar at the Inner Temple, June 6, 1834. For some years he practised in the criminal courts; in 1856 he was created a serjeant-at-law; and he was at one time engaged in many of the important causes tried in Westminster Hall. He received a patent of precedence from Lord Westbury. Amongst other causes he was counsel for the Claimant in his original suit to acquire the Tichborne baronetcy and estates (1871). He has the reputation of being a skilful cross-examiner, and was highly complimented in the House of Lords in a suit for a divorce which he conducted with success against Sir Fitzroy Kelly and other counsel of great eminence. In 1869 he was appointed by vote of the House of Commons, to conduct, in conjunction with Mr. Barry, the Irish Attorney-General, the legal proceedings against the Mayor of Cork, Mr. O'Sullivan. That functionary had made himself conspicuous by the violent expression of his political sentiments on various occasions, and had eulogized, at a public banquet, the Fenian O'Farrell, who had attempted to assassinate the young Duke of Edinburgh in Australia. The House of Commons ordered a prosecution to be instituted, but Mr. O'Sullivan resigned his office, and consequently the affair came to an end. In 1875 Serjeant Ballantine received a brief to go "special" to India to defend a native prince, Mulhar Rao, the Gaikwarof Baroda, charged with an attempt to poison Colonel Phayre, the British Resident. The retainer was 5,000 guineas, and a further scale of fees was arranged, being estimated at not loss than a further sum of 5,000 guineas. This honorarium is probably among the largest ever paid to counsel. The Commission which tried the case was divided in opinion, the native members holding the Gaikwar's guilt not proved, and the result was an acquittal; but Her Majesty's Government deposed the Gaikwar on the ground of obvious incapacity and misconduct. Serjeant Ballantine is the author of "Experiences of a Barrister's Life," 1882.
BANCROFT, George, Ph. D., LL.D., D.C.L., born at Worcester, Massachusetts, Oct. 3, 1800. He entered Harvard College in 1813, and graduated in 1817. Almost immediately afterwards he went abroad, where he remained for five years, studying at Göttingen and Berlin, and travelling through Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Great Britain, when he made the personal acquaintance of many of the leading European scholars. He received the degree of Ph. D. at Göttingen in 1820, and returning to America in 1822, was for a year Greek tutor in Harvard College. In 1823, in conjunction with Dr. Joseph Coggswell, afterwards noted as the organizer of the Astor Library in New York, he founded the Round Hill School at Northampton, Massachusetts. The same year he published a volume of poems, and in 1824 a translation of Heeren's "Politics of Ancient Greece." He was also at this time meditating and collecting materials for his "History of the United States," the first volume of which appeared in 1834. In 1835 he removed to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he resided for three years, and completed the second volume of his history. In 1838 he was appointed Collector of the Port of Boston, a position which he occupied until 1841, being also a frequent speaker at political meetings, and still keeping up his historical labours. The third volume of his history appeared in 1840. In 1844 he was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Massachusetts, but was not elected.
