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 on the one hand and those of the Liberal party, under Mr. (now Sir Graham), on the other. At the general election in May 1877 the latter swept the country, and Mr. Berry formed an administration, which in the course of a lengthened struggle with the Upper House on the question of payment of members, and ultimately of the reform of the latter body itself, resorted to measures which were denounced by its opponents as unconstitutional and cruel, the latter term being applied to what were known as the "Black Wednesday" dismissals of civil servants in Dec. 1878. Throughout the whole of the struggle Sir George Bowen acted on the constitutional principle of accepting the advice of his Ministers when not illegal. He was thus exposed to some personal animadversion from the Council and its organs in the press. On the whole, however, the Colonial Office justified his attitude, which was also approved by Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Childers, the late Earl of Carnarvon, and the late Mr. W. E. Forster. Sir George Bowen quitted the government of Victoria in Feb. 1879, on the expiry of the usual term of office, and was Governor of Mauritius till 1883 and of Hong Kong from that year till 1887, when he retired on a pension, having declined the offer made to him of continuing at Hong Kong. In 1886 he was appointed to the Privy Council, having been created C.M.G. in 1855; K.C.M.G. in 1856; and G.C.M.G. in 1860. In 1888 Sir George Bowen was appointed Royal Commissioner at Malta to make arrangements respecting the new constitution granted to that island. He is the author of "A Handbook for Travellers in Greece," in Murray's Series; "Mount Athos, Thessaly, and Epirus: a Diary of a Journey from Constantinople to Corfu" (1852); "Ithaca in 1850"; and "Imperial Federation" (1886). A full account of his public services will be found in "Thirty Years of Colonial Government," which comprises a selection from his despatches and letters whilst in the service of the Colonial Office, and was edited by Mr. Stanley Lane Poole. Sir George Bowen, besides being an honorary D.C.L. of Oxford and an honorary LL.D. of Cambridge, is a member of the governing bodies of the Imperial Institute and of Charterhouse School. He married in 1856 the Countess Roma, only surviving daughter of Count Roma, G.C.M.G., then President of the Senate of the Ionian Islands.

Bower, David, was born at Upper Mill, near Saddleworth, Yorkshire, on April 11th, 1819. In 1841 he emigrated to Port Phillip (now Victoria), and after a varied experience in New Zealand and New South Wales, finally settled in South Australia in 1847, where he established a successful business as a timber merchant at Port Adelaide. In 1865 he was returned to the Assembly as member for the combined electorate of Wallaroo and Port Adelaide, and in 1875 was elected for Port Adelaide, which he represented for a number of years. Mr. Bower was Commissioner of Public Works in the Ministry from April to June 1884.

Boyes, Edward Taylor, J.P., Collector of Customs, Tasmania, was formerly Collector and Landing Surveyor at Launceston, and in March 1883 was appointed Collector and Inspector of Customs, Landing Surveyor and Registrar of Shipping at Hobart.

Bracken, Thomas, was born Dec. 21st, 1843, in Ireland, and arrived in Victoria at the age of twelve. After experiencing the ups and downs of colonial life for several years, Mr. Bracken went to Otago, N.Z., in 1869, and connected himself shortly afterwards with journalism in that province. He was connected with the Otago Guardian in the first year or two of its existence, and subsequent founded a weekly paper, called The Saturday Advertiser, which he conducted with marked ability. In 1881 he was elected to represent Dunedin Central in the House of Representatives, but lost his seat at the elections of 1884. Mr. Bracken is best known as the author of several collections of verses, and the following books are from his pen: "Flowers of the Freelands," "Paddy Murphy's Budget," "Pulpit Lectures," "Beyond the Tomb, and other Poems," "The New Zealand Tourist," "The Land of the Maori and the Moa," and "Musings in Maori Land" (Keirle, Dunedin, 1890).

Braddon, Sir Edward Nicholas Coventry, K.C.M.G., born June 11th, 1829, is the son of Henry Braddon, of Skisdon, and member of the junior branch of the Braddons of Treglith and Treworgye, who temp. Elizabeth sent  52