time handing it over to his brother, Percy Adams. His resignation caused the , which was won by Henry Levestam. Railway supporter In 1872, as treasurer of the Nelson and West Coast Railway League, he proposed constructing the line by means of land grants. When he moved to Christchurch in 1885, Adams joined the Christchurch League that was seeking to have a railway connection with Nelson. He along with others formed the East and West Coast and Nelson Railway League and became its chairman. Adams' work resulted in the Midland Railway Company. Christchurch In 1881 Adams went on a trip to Europe to regain his health, taking his family with him. In 1883 Adams returned and settled in Christchurch. He had agreed not to practise law in Nelson when he resigned from Adams and Kingdon. Adams went into partnership with Thomas Joynt, founding Joynt and Acton-Adams. When the partnership was dissolved in 1887, he founded Acton-Adams and Kippenberger. Adams also continued his interest in sheep-farming, adding the Molesworth Station to Tarndale station, purchasing the Hopefield-Woodbank station in the Amuri district, acquiring Island Farm and the Salop Downs estates in Selwyn County, and purchasing a part of the Motunau property and other adjoining lands he founded the Tipapa Estate. Adams converted several thousand acres of tussock land to grass pastures. Rabbit invasion and later life About 1890 the Amuri was invaded by rabbits from Kaikoura and Blenheim in such numbers as to practically ruin the back country runs. Adams sustained very severe financial losses. Fighting the rabbits and the consequent financial depression compelled him to devote most of his time to farming matters and practically to retire from the law. Adams was one of the largest landholders in Marlborough and Canterbury with some 75,000 sheep. He later returned to England to London where he continued to take a keen interest in New Zealand. While in London he was a Fellow of the Royal Colonial Institute and was on the council of the Imperial Institute. He had three sons Herbert, Reginald, and Percy; and one daughter, Adine. Adams died in London at 74 Park Mansions, Knightsbridge on 24 January 1924 after what was described as a long and tedious illness that had resulted from an operation he had had in 1920. He was cremated and interred in the family vault near the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Tenbury. His estate was