Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/300

 274 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY His Honor J. G. Russell continued them with tiie legal tirni of Messrs. Emerson i^ Bloxam, completing his articles with Messrs. Burton & Bloxam, who practised at Mount Gambler. In the year 1873 he was admitted to practice, and for several years he managed the office of the late Mr. Rupert Ingleby, O.C., of Adelaide, with whom he was afterwards associated as a partner, and conducted business at Port Adelaide. In 1878 he entered upon that career in the Civil Service which has since been so distinguished. In March of that year he became Acting Master in the Supreme Court during the absence on leave of Mr. W. J. Hinde. Upon the hitter's death, he was appointed Master, and he performed the duties with eminent success until November, 1884. During this period, in addition to the Mastership, he held the minor offices of Registrar of Cf)mpanies, Registrar under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act, Registrar under the Trades Union Act of 1878, and Registrar of the Vice-Admiralty Court. For about twelve months also he was Acting Registrar of Probates, and was subsequently appointed as the first Commissioner of Inland Revenue. The excellence and usefulness of his work in these respects was accentuated by his services in other connections. Thus he rendered active service in the preparation of the rules and the introduction of the .Supreme Court Procedure Act of 1878, by which the systems of common law and equity were fused, one procedure being made common to both systems. He also received ])raise for his work in conjunction with the present Chief Justice in the preparation of rules of procedure, at the request of the Admiralty, for regulating the British Vice-Admiralty Courts. In 1884 Mr. Russell relinquished his Su[)reme Court appointments, and was appointed Commissioner of Taxes under the Act of that year providing for the levying of the land and income taxes. This was the first appointment of the kind in the Province, and Mr. Russell has been commended for the way in which he organised the immense work of that new office. On December 6, 1886, his duties were increased by the acceptance of the office of first Commissioner of Stamps under the Stamps Duties Act. He prepared the stamp regulations, initiated that Act, and had the whole charge of administering the stamps dutie.s. In 1889, upon the death of the Hon. Charles Mann, Q.C., who held the office of Crown Solicitor, that appointment was offered to Mr. Russell. In lieu of accepting the same, he succeeded to the vacancies which occurred in the same year in the offices of Commissioner of Insolvency and .Special Magistrate of the Local Court of Adelaide, and he discharged these new duties while also carrying on the business of Commissioner of Taxes and Commissioner of Stamps. He succeeded His Honor Mr. Justice Bundey as President of the State Board of Conciliation under the Conciliation Act, 1894, and still holds this position with his many other responsible offices. During the absence of the Right Hon. Sir S. J. Way, Bart., Chief Justice, in England from March to October in 1897, Mr. Russell performed the duties of Acting Judge of the Supreme Court. He took an active interest in establishing the Public School Teachers' Superannuation Fund, and, since the passing of the Act in 1890. has been a member of the Board of Management of that excellent fund. Mr. Ru.s.sell was President of the Public Service Association, and for several years worked hard