494
CAIRNS — CAIRO
Magazine, vol. xi. p. 133; the Law Quarterly, voi. p. Lindley, Huddleston, Manisty, Hawkins, Lopes, Fry, Law 365 ; Earl Russell’s Recollections ; Memoirs of Lord Malmesbury ; Stephen, and Bowen, form a list with which no Sir Theodore Martin, The Life of the PTiuce Consovt, Manson, (E> A- Ak ) Chancellor need be ashamed to figure in the history of Builders of our Law. his profession, while he was also responsible for the raisCairns, a, seaport and municipality in Queensing of Baggallay, Cotton, and Thesiger (son of his old land, Australia, in the county of Nares, about 900 miles rival, Lord Chelmsford) to the Court of Appeal. In N.W. of Brisbane, on Trinity Bay, with a fine and filling up vacancies on the County Court bench, Lord well-sheltered harbour. It is the natural outlet for the Cairns was not quite so successful, but the complaints gold-fields, tin-mines, and silver-fields of the district and that werd made did not contain charges of personal or for the rich copper district of Chillagoe. In the vicinity political prejudice in favour of those appointed; they are extensive sugar plantations, with sugar mills and suggested rather that the best chance of success attended refineries; the culture of coffee is rapidly extending, those whose religious views or professions were of the bananas and other fruits are exported in considerable Evangelistic type. Of Lord Cairns’s honourable desire, quantities, and there is a large industry in cedar. however, to act for the best in all things, few can doubt. Population, about 3000. His piety was reflected by that of his great opponent, rival Cairo, the capital of modern Egypt, situated on and friend, Lord Selborne. Like Lord Selborne and Lord the right bank of the Nile, 12 miles S. of the apex Hatherley, Cairns found leisure at his busiest for teaching of the Delta, in 30° 2' N. lat. and 31° 15' E. long. It in the Sunday-school, but it is not recorded of them (as of is 130 miles by rail from Alexandria, and from Suez it him) that they refused to undertake work at the bar on is distant 148 miles, though only 84 by the old overland Saturdays, in order to devote that day to hunting. He used route across the desert, before the opening of the Suez. to say that his great incentive to hard work at his profession Canal. It occupies a length of 5 miles on the right in early days was his desire to keep hunters, and he re- bank of the Nile, from the old Roman fortress of Babylon on tained his keenness as a sportsman as long as he was able the S., to the new railway bridge on the N., and covers to indulge it. Of his personal characteristics, it may be an area of about 8 square miles, occupying all the availsaid that he was a spare man, with a Scottish, not an able space between the Nile and the Moqattam hills. It Irish, cast of countenance. He was scrupulously neat in is built partly on the alluvial plain of the Nile valley and his personal appearance, faultless in bands and necktie, partly on the rocky slopes of the Moqattam hills, which and fond of wearing a flower in his button-hole. His rise to an altitude of 550 feet above the town, on a lower chilly manner, coupled with his somewhat austere spur of which (200 feet) stands the Citadel. Though the religious principles, had no doubt much to do. with the eastern or native part has changed but little, whole new fact that he was never a popular man. His friends quarters have sprung up of late years to supply the claimed for him a keen sense of humour, but it was not demand created by the large increase of European poputo be detected by those whose knowledge of him was lation and the growing wealth of the country. Thus what professional rather than personal. Probably he thought in 1875 was an open space on the western side, is now a the exhibition of humour incompatible with the dignity closely-built-over district, comprising the quarters of Qasr of high judicial position. Of his legal attainments there el Dubara on the south of the Qasr el Nil bridge; Ismailia, can be no doubt. His influence upon the legislation between this bridge and the main road leading to Bulaq, of the day was largely felt where questions affecting and Tewfiqia to the north of the main road. In these religion and the Church were involved, and in matters districts the houses are large, high, and well built, resempeculiarly affecting his own profession. His power was bling those of southern Italy and France. In most cases felt, as has been said, both when he was in office and they consist of residential flats, detached single houses when his party was in opposition. He had been chairman being the exception, most of the latter being situated in of the Committee on Judicature Beform, and although he the Qasr el Dubara quarter. To the south the rubbish was not in office when the Judicature Act was passed, all mounds of ancient Fostat, the first Arab town on the site, the reforms in the legal procedure of his day owed much have prevented any extension in that direction, but to to him He took part, when out of office, in the passing the north and north-west growth has proceeded rapidly. of the Married Women’s Property Act, and was directly Bulaq, the river port, is now a part of the city itself, am responsible for the Conveyancing Acts of 1881-82, and Abbassia, an outlying district on the edge of the desert for the Settled Land Act, which a Chancery judge (Mr two miles from the wall of the old town, is now connected Justice Byrne, in the Law Magazine, vol. xxv. p. 260) by a continuous line of houses. Large and luxurious has called “ the greatest real property revolution, effected hotels have been built in the newer quarters for the in England for centuries.” Many other statutes in which accommodation of the increasing number of visitors who he was largely concerned might be quoted. His judg- arrive each winter; while on the island or “Gezira ot ments are to be found in the Law Reports, and those who Bulaq are to be found polo, cricket, and tennis grounds, wish to consider his oratory should read the speeches as well as a racecourse. On the west bank of the iSile, above referred to, or that delivered in the House of Lords not far from the town of Giza, are the Zoological Gardens on the Compensation for Disturbance Bill in 1880, and his in the grounds of the former Khedivial palace of Giza. memorable criticism of Mr Gladstone’s policy in the A large number of the newer houses are lighted with Transvaal, after Majuba Hill. (See Hansard and the electric light, and electric trams traverse most of the Times, 1st April 1881.) His style of delivery was, as a principal streets. The improvement m the houses the rule, cold to a marked degree. The term “ frozen oratory ” laying out of open spaces, and a good water-supply, have has been applied to his speeches, and it has been said of done much to improve the sanitary condition of the chy, them that they flowed “like water from a glacier The the death-rate for the native population being 37-o amt several stages of his speech are like steps cut out m ice, 36'7 per 1000 for the years 1898 and 1899 respective}. as sharply defined, as smooth and as cold. Lord Cairns In recent years a railway bridge has been built across the married in 1856 Mary Harriet, eldest daughter of Mr Nile, a little to the north of Bulaq, so that the Upp John Macneill, of Park Mount, county Antrim, by whom Ecrypt line, which extends to Assuan, with a brealc oi he had issue five sons and two daughters. gauge at Luxor, passes over this bridge, and is now com Authorities. —See the Times 3rd and Uth April 1885 ; Law iiected with the railway system of the Delta. To t Journal, Law Times, Solicitors Journal, 11th April 188:; ; the
