A STUDY IN LEGAL ADMINISTRATION AND RECORDS SHARON ...

James A. Miller, appointed puisne judge in 1880, remained only tw years
before resigning. He was later to occupy the position of attorney-general.
Robert Smith, named in 1884, died less than a year later. 8ut T.W. Taylor, of
the Ontario bar, was to grace the Manitoba bench from 1883 to 1899, first as
puisne judge, then as chief justice. As mentioned above, his knowledge of
equity was of considerable value to the judiciary at the end of the nineteenth
century.
A.C. Killam, originally called to the Ontario bar, practised law in Manitoba
for six years before being appointed puisne judge in 1885. His elevation to the
bench met with approval for he was known to have "professional excellence and
personal integrity? Killam was named Chief Justice in 1899 and held that
position just four years before being called to the Supreme Court of Canada.
One of the first lawyers to be admitted to the Manitoba bar in 1871 was
J.F. Bain." Ontario-trained, like many othen, he went into partnership practice
the year after arriving in Winnipeg. He was well-respected in the profession;
Morris referred to him as 'the best lawyer of them all." Bain received his
appointment as puisne justice in 1887 and presided over his first case, a murder
trial, soon after. It was reported that he 'made it evident that he was judge and
thoroughly alive to the dignity as well as the responsibility of the position."*
Bain died in 1905. Tributes to him noted that he had been 'a judge for more
than the average period of service on this benchn and "an upright judge, an able
jurist, and a good citi~en."~'