LORD BROUGHAM. (From the Daily Times, June 24.)

Otago Witness, Issue 865, 27 June 1868, Page 17

LORD BROUGHAM. (From the Daily Times, June 24.)

The arrival at Wellington of the Rakaia, with European news, brings . down our intelligence from Home to the 12fch May. Very little information is added to that already to hand, if we exoept the death of Lord Brougham, an account of which was received by the Cuban Cable. Few men played a more conspicuous part in public life than he. The few following particulars are culled from a short biographical notice of tha deceased nobleman given in Walford's "Men of the Time :" — Lord Henry Brougham and Vaux, the eldest son of Henry Brougham of Scales Hall, Cumberland, was f'orn September 19fch, 1779. His early education was received at the High School, Edinburgh, whence he passed to the Edinburgh University, where he was a pupil of Dugald Stewart, Black, Robinson, and several other well known professors. He early distinguished himself in Mathematical and Physical science, and contributed some papers on the " Refraction and " reflection of light," to the Royal Society in 1798. In the year 1800 he was admitted an Advocate at the Scottish Bar; and in 1803, at the age of 24, he published his inquiry into " The " Colonial Policy of the European " Powers," which is described as a work of " vast research, and of great breadth " and comprehensiveness of view for a "young man." In 1804 Mr Brougham removed to London, and in 1808 he was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn, and entered upon practice as a barrister in the King's Bench and on the Northern Circuit. He was shortly afterwards returned to Parliament as member for a " pocket borough," Camelford, in the patronage of the Duke of Cleveland, and made his first speech in the House of Commons, March sth, 1810. The speech is said to have been good, and even eloquent ; but with little promise of theiNjrensic efforts of the subsequent five years, " when the House became con- " tscious that in his presence it possessed " an orator such as had not sat within " the walls of St. Stephen's since the days "of Burke, Pitt, and Fox." After the close of the war in 1815, Mr Brougham's attention was chiefly directed to salutary domestic reforms. " Hia " effort? on behalf of the abolition "of flogging in the army, the repeal " of Catholic disabilities, reform in the " Government in India, the spread of " education, the improvement of prison " management, the abolition of slavery, " law reform, and the independence of " the public press," will remain on record. In 1820 he was engaged professionally as Attorney-General to Her Majesty Queen Caroline, whose cause he sucessfully advocated against her dissolute husband, George TV. In 1825 he was elected Lord Rector of Glasgow University. In 1827 he laid the foundation of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, of which he was the first President. In the month of August, 1830, he was elected member ! for the West Riding of Yorkshire, and the same year, in Earl Grey's administration, he was raised to the Peerage, and gazetted to the Chancellorship. Lord Brougham resigned office in 1834, when Sir Robert Peel became Premier. He continued to take a conspicuous position in public affairs for many years, but latterly, we believe, he has resided chiefly at his estate at Cannes, in the South of France. Although Lord Brougham is 'known to the present generation chiefly as a Lawyer and Statesman, Science and Literature owe much to his industry, research, and talent ; and of few can it be said with so much truth as of the deceased nobleman, that being dead, he "yet speaketh."

The Mount Alexander Mail regrets to learn that "inconsequence of the assassination of the Hon. Darcy M'Gee, twn of his sisters, who have been residents of Victoria for upwards of seven years, have been deprived of a considerable resource which they relied upon and received from their late brother. To those fully acquainted with the career of the hon. gentleman, there can be no doubt, that his life was sacrificed to his sense of duty. He was in favor of preserving the connexion between Canada and the United Kingdom. This was regarded as a crime by his opponents. A proposal is about to be made, to raise a sum of money to be given to the disconsolate sisters of Mr M'Gee, in testimony of honor to the deceased, and of sympathy with- the principles which caused the sad calamity. A number of gentlemen connected with Victoria, have formed themselves into a committee to collect subscriptions, and so far as their mission has extended they have met liberal encouragement."