Page:Men of the Time, eleventh edition.djvu/954
in March, 1872. In Aug., 1874, he proceeded to the Fiji Islands for the purpose of settling matters between the British Government and the native power. On Oct. 15, he accepted the unconditional cession of the islands, annexed them to the British Empire, and hoisted the British flag. For some time he retained in his own hands the general supervision of the Provisional Government which he established. In Jan., 1875, he was created a Grand Cross of the Order of SS. Michael and George, in recognition of his services in connection with the cession of ihe Fiji Islands. He was, in Dec, 1878, appointed Governor of New Zealand, in succession to the Marquis of Normanby. He was appointed Governor of the Cape of Good Hope in the place of Sir Bartle Frere, in Aug., 1880, but he came home before assuming the Government, which was administered in the meantime by Sir George Strahan, the Governor of Tasmania. On May 22, 1883, he was sworn of the Privy Council.
ROBINSON, John Richard, born at Witham, Essex, Nov. 2, 1828, became connected at an early age with provincial journalism. On coming to London in 1846 he joined the paper which had been known as Douglas Jerrold's Newspaper, and soon afterwards undertook the editorship of The Evening Express. This was the property of the Daily News, and Mr. Robinson soon took an active part in the conduct of the morning paper. On the change of proprietorship in 1868, when the Daily News joined the ranks of the penny papers, he was appointed sole manager. On the outbreak of the Franco-German War in 1870 he developed an effective system of special correspondence, and in his selection of writers, as well as in his method of organisation, was very successful. His management during the campaign in Ashanti, the Zulu war, and the Russo-Turkish war, was distinguished by equal initiative faculty and fertility of resource. During the Franco-German war Mr. Robinson suggested that a fund should be raised for the relief of the French peasants in the occupied districts of the North-West, and upwards of £20,000 was subscribed under his auspices, the whole of which was distributed without one shilling being taken from the fund for expenses. For many years Mr. Robinson was a copious contributor to the columns of the American press, including the Boston Advertiser and the Chicago Tribune. He has also edited a work on short-hand.
ROBY, Henry John, M.A., son of Henry Wood Roby, solicitor; was born at Tamworth, Aug. 12, 1830. From the Grammar School at Bridgnorth he proceeded to St. John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1853, being first in the first class of the Classical Tripos. He has been Fellow and Assistant Tutor of his College, and examiner in the University in Law, Classics, and Moral Sciences. Mr. Roby took an active part in promoting reform in his college, and in the university under the Cambridge University Act, and published a pamphlet on the subject—"Remarks on College Reform," 1868. He left Cambridge in 1861, in which year he married Matilda, elder daughter of P. A. Ermen, Esq., of Dawlish. He was Under Master of Dulwich College Upper School, 1861-65, and Professor of Jurisprudence at University College, London, 1866-68, lecturing on Roman Law. He was appointed by the Crown Secretary to the Schools Inquiry Commission, Dec. 28, 1864, and Secretary to the Endowed Schools Commission, Aug. 3, 1869; and one of the Endowed School Commissioners, March 25, 1872. The latter Commission expired Dec. 31, 1874. He has since been engaged in business in Man-