Mr. F. H. D. Bell,

Second Member for Wellington.

Mr. F. H. D. Bell,

Francis Henry Dillon Bell is a son of Sir Francis Dillon Bell, who is an ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives and Agent-General of the Colony immediately prior to Sir Westby Perceval's appointment. Mr. Bell was born at Nelson in 1851, and was partly educated at Dunedin, subsequently at Cambridge where he enteredat St. John's. On his return to the Colony, he joined Mr. C. B. lizard, of Wellington, barrister and solicitor, the firm being Izard and Bell, and soon took a high position in the legal profession of the Colony. In 1878, he succeeded his partner as Crown Prosecutor and Solicitor at Wellington, a position The held till 1890. He is head of the firm of Bell, Gully and Izard, of Wellington; the second partner in the firm is now Crown Prosecutor, and the remaining member is a son of the founder of the firm (Mr. C. B. Izard). Mr. Bell is an ardent sportsman, and takes great interest, not only in horse racing, but also in rowing and other athletic sports. He is married to a daughter of the late Hon. W. ("Ready-money") Robinson. Mr. Bell was Mayor of Wellington in 1891-2.

Votes recorded, 36,102; number on roll, 16,497. Women on roll, 7280, of whom 6146 voted.