We regret deeply to notice the death of Sir W,
M. James,, one of the Lords Justices of Appeal, which occurred on Tues- day. Lord Justice James was the strength of his Court, a learned and painstaking lawyer, who, familiar with every branch of Equity, could give not only an accurate and lucid, but a convincing judgment on points which seemed, to less compe- tent men, of hopeless intricacy. Strictly impartial and very patient, he could still bring pleaders to the point with a cer- tain persistence, and had in his talk just that flavour of latent satire which makes a well-informed mind formidable to adver- saries. He was a decided Liberal in politics, especially upon, Irish questions, and, though never in Parliament, had in him many of the qualities which make a statesman, more especially. freedom from rancour and prejudices of class. It is to be regretted that he never reached the Peers, a House for which he was better fitted by nature than for the Commons, and in which he might have exerted a great influence. He was just the man to be a great Lord Chancellor.
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