Page:Bengal Celebrities.djvu/130

[ 13' ] ROMESHCHANDRA MITRA. Sir Romeshchandra Mitra, the celebrated lawyer and patriot, be- longed to a respectable Kayastha family of Bengal. His father was Head Clerk of the old Sadar Dewani Adalat at Calcutta. Romesh- chandra was born in 1840 and was educated in the Colootola Branch School, now. called Hare School, and in the Presidency College, Calcutta. He passed the B. L. Examination and became a pleader when he was only 21. Gradually he rose to the highest rank in his profession and was made a Judge of the High Court in 1874. Under the viceroyalty of Lord Ripon he was appointed offi- ciating Chief Justice, being the first native of India who got that high post Thj appointment gave great pleas ure to Mr. Mitra's countrymen, and it. may be said that it was from this time that his popularity increased. He filled this important post on two oc- casions and discharged his arduous duties with remarkable ability. Courage of convictions and a keen sense of justice characterised Mr. M^tra as a lawyer and made him an object of deep respect to his colleagues and to all who came in contact with him in the course of his profession. When he retired, those virtues inspired his deal- ings with his countrymen in general and endeared him to them. Sir Romeshchandra was a Fellow of the Calcutta University and the President of the Faculty of Law. He also served for some time as a member of the Governor General's Legislative Council and of the Public Service Commission. He was knighted after retirement. Sir Romeshchandra lived only nine years after his retirement. But these nine years may, from one standpoint, be pronounced the most valuable period of his life. He spent them in studying the Hindu Scriptures and in rendering unselfish service to his country. He joined the Congress movement heart and soul and was valued by