Page:The Dictionary of Australasian Biography.djvu/53

 Bernays, Lewis Adolphus, C.M.G., F.L.S., F.R.G.S., son of the late Dr. Bernays, Professor of the German Language and Literature at King's College, London, was born on May 3rd, 1831, and educated at King's College. He also studied in the laboratory of his brother, the well-known Professor A. E. Bernays, and subsequently emigrated to New Zealand, where he spent two years; and then proceeded to New South Wales, where he was an officer of Parliament from 1853 to 1859; when he proceeded to Queensland to become Clerk to the Legislative Assembly, a post which he has held ever since. Mr. Bernays, who has written several works on economic botany, was for sixteen years Vice-President of the Queensland Acclimatisation Society, of which he was the originator. He was created C.M.G. on May 25th, 1892.

Berry, David, a well-known New South Wales colonist, was born at Cupar, Fife, Scotland, and was educated at St. Andrews University. He arrived in New South Wales in July 1836, and proceeded to the estate of his elder brother, Dr. Alexander Berry, at Coolangatta, which he managed in conjunction with another brother, John, for eleven years, and after the letter's death carried on the concern alone until 1873, when Dr. Alexander Berry died and devised the whole of his property to his brother David, who followed the system of cultivating and fencing a large portion of his land whilst the remainder was leased out in farms of varying size on peculiar and unusually profitable terms. Mr. Berry died, at the age of ninety-seven, on Sept. 22nd, 1889, and by his will bequeathed £100,000 to his alma mater, St. Andrews University, and a like sum to found a hospital in the Shoalhaven district of New South Wales.

Berry, Hon. Sir Graham, K.C.M.G., Treasurer of Victoria, is the son of the late Benjamin Berry, of Twickenham, and Clara Graham, his wife. He was born at Twickenham on August 28th, 1822, and emigrated to Victoria in 1852. In 1860 Mr. Berry purchased the Collingwood Observer, which he conducted for a considerable period. The same year Mr. Berry was elected to the Victorian Assembly under somewhat exceptional circumstances. A vacancy had occurred in East Melbourne through the death of the sitting member, and Mr. and Mr. Patrick O'Brien were contesting the vacancy, when suddenly a dissolution was granted, thus necessitating a dual election. In order to save expense it was agreed between the candidates that some one outside the colony should be nominated for the prior vacancy, and that the real contest would take place on the second election. This arrangement did not commend itself to the constituency, and at the nomination Mr. Berry's name was proposed, when, there being no other candidate, he was declared elected. At the general election Mr. Berry transferred his attentions to Collingwood, where he beat Mr. Langton, and was returned as an advanced Liberal and Protectionist. In 1864 he was re-elected for the same constituency. In the meantime Sir had come into office, with Mr. (now Sir)  as Treasurer. The latter gentleman proposed the imposition of ad valorem duties, mainly on articles producible in the colony; and the budget was thus a step in the direction of that full policy of protection to native industries which was to be so astonishingly developed under succeeding administrations. Of that policy Mr. Berry had from his first entry into political life been a firm and consistent advocate, leading a small section of the House, who made the question their pièce de résistance. He accordingly welcomed the proposals of the Ministry as a promising instalment, and accorded them a cordial support in the great constitutional struggle which ensued on the tacking of the Customs Bill to the Appropriation Bill—a device resorted to in order to force the measure through the Upper House, by whom, however, it was set aside, thus leaving the Government without means to pay the salaries of the public servants and other Governmental expenses. In this extremity the Government had recourse to the device of borrowing from a bank, and confessing judgments, which is fully described in the notice of Sir James MᶜCulloch. This device found no favour with Mr. Berry, who had previously stumped the country on behalf of the Ministerial tack; and he lost no time in denouncing any payments except by the ordinary constitutional procedure, on the ground that the action taken by the Government was an  37