XIX 



' " When Mr. James Parker was made Vice-Chancellor he appointed 

 " Mr. Smith his Secretary ; and he was also Secretary to the Decimal 

 " Coinage Commission, which made its final report in 1859. In that 

 " report there is a resume of the subject by Mr. Smith ; and one may see 

 " there not only the special knowledge which he had collected on the 

 " matter in hand, but an example of his thorough and exhaustive style, 

 " close, compressed, and rich with fruits which it had cost him long 

 " labours and careful thought to mature. Ungrudgingly and without 

 " parade he used to offer the products of his toil : ' This,' he said to the 

 " writer, pointing to one half page of figures in his book, ' cost me six 

 " ' weeks of hard work.' It was thus he ever worked : no pains seemed 

 " to be too much ; and consequently a marvellous neatness and elegance 

 " adorned all that he did. In his profession, although he did not attain 

 " the same exceptional eminence as in science, there was much that 

 " deserves notice. His mental characteristics were of course more or 

 " less apparent here. As a draughtsman few could compare with him 

 " for conciseness and perspicuity. His opinions were much esteemed ; 

 " and his arguments, though far from brilliant in manner, had in them 

 " so much sound law and careful and subtle analysis that they were 

 " always of interest and value, and commanded the respect and attention 

 " of the judges. The important change which substituted figures for 

 " words as to dates and sums occurring in bills in Chancery was made, 

 " it is believed, at his suggestion. The well-known case of Jenner v. 

 " Morris (on appeal 3 D. F. & J. 45, 9 W. E. 391), is an instance of one 

 " of his successful arguments ; and the case of Deare v. Soutten (9 L. R. 

 " Eq. 151, 18 "W. R. 203), in which the former case was reconsidered 

 " and confirmed, illustrates the research and industry which he was wont 

 " to use in all matters which came before him. A judgeship in Queens- 

 " land was offered to him about the year 1864 ; but he declined it." 



In private life those who knew Archibald Smith best loved him most ; 

 for behind a reserve which is perhaps incident to engrossing thought, 

 especially when it is concerned with scientific subjects, he kept ever a 

 warm and true heart ; and the affectionate regrets of his friends testify 

 to the guileless simplicity and sweetness of his disposition, which nothing 

 could spoil or affect. About the close of 1870 he was compelled by ill- 

 ness to give up work ; but two years later he had wonderfully rallied, 

 and, building too much on a partial recovery of strength, had recurred 

 imprudentty to some of his old scientific pursuits. A few weeks before 

 his death he revised the instructions for compass observations to be made 

 on board the ' Challenger,' then about to sail on the great voyage of 

 scientific investigation now in progress. The attack of illness which 

 closed his life was unexpected and of but a few hours' duration. In 

 1853 he married a daughter of Vice-Chancellor Sir James Parker, then 

 deceased ; and he leaves six sons and two daughters. He died on the 

 26th of December, 1872. 



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