[bocrinot] builders OF NOVA SCOTIA 79 



and humble. For many years the prize he had always in view was the 

 chief justiceship — the natural ambition of a great lawyer. The contest 

 lay between him and William Young, of whom I have already briefly 

 written. Both in polities and law Johnston and Young were rivals ; their 

 aim was the same, the leadership of the government, and the chief justice- 

 ship as the crowning result. The office had been already held for very 

 many years by Sir Brenton Halliburton — no relative of the famous 

 humorist, also a judge whose name must be spelled with only one " 1." 

 When the contest was at its height Sir Brenton was an octogenarian and 

 his usefulness was fast disappearing, but he held on with persistency, to 

 the great anxiety of Conservatives and Liberals, who wished the prize to" 

 fall to their respective chiefs, Johnston and Young. One daj^ Sir 

 Brenton died and unhappily for the aspirations of the Conservative 

 leader, the Liberals were in otfice, and William Young became chief justice 

 and was afterwards ktiighted. It was undoubtedly a blow to Mr. 

 Johnston, not quite mitigated by his subsequent appointment as chief 

 judge in equity — an office made specially for him by the Conservative 

 party as soon as they came into power. New generations have grown up 

 since Mr. Johnston was a force in law and politics, and his name seems 

 fast fading away from the memory of the people of the province where 

 he laboured so earnestly and conscientiously. His speeches have never 

 been collected in a volume, but it is questionable if they would now be 

 read, since they were, as a rule, powerful political and legal arguments 

 intended for present efl'ect, and not replete with those graces of literary 

 culture and eloquence that still make the best efforts of Howe and McGee 

 quite readable. He was no writer and consequently we have no memorial 

 of his undoubted genius except in the statute book and the official 

 debates which can be found in pamphlet form or in the old files of the 

 party newspapers. He was a pure and incorruptible politician, and 

 despite his natural aspiration for the chief justiceship, to win it he would 

 never have sullied his character by corruption or intrigue. Although 

 he had, for a while, doubts as to the successful operation of responsible 

 government, once it was won, he used his great talents to work out its 

 principles with fidelity to the crown and people. He remained on the 

 equity bench from 18C3 to 1872, when he visited Europe with the hope of 

 prolonging a life which was too obviously ebbing to its close. He would 

 have been appointed lieutenant-governor of the province in succession to 

 Joseph Howe, but relentless fate intervened and Nova Scotia was not 

 permitted to welcome the great Conservative chieftain and distinguished 

 jurist to that venerable building, which in old times of conflict, before 

 the union of the provinces, seemed so far beyond the reach of colonial 

 politicians, though it had so frequently for its tenants far inferior men 

 from the parent state, who happened to be favourites with Downing 

 street and imperial politicians. 



