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Mr. Gordon only held the Solicitor-Generalship for a single year, when he was elevated to the still more distinguished post of Lord Advocate, on the accession to political power of the Disraeli administration. Coming in with the Tories, Mr. Gordon was likewise compelled to go out with them; and as they were only allowed to hold the reins of office for a year, his tenure of the Lord Advocateship was very short lived. Some measure of compensation was, however, obtained for his loss of the highest legal office in the Scottish administration, by Mr. Gordon's appointment in November, 1869, as Dean of the Faculty of Advocates. This is one of the most honourable, if not one of the most lucrative offices in Scotland, and Mr. Gordon's selection as the successor of many of the most distinguished pleaders at the Scottish bar showed that, although rejected by the country, he was not despised by his professional brethren.
It is, however, for his political rather than for his legal abilities that Mr. Gordon is known, although, of course, he could not have earned such a reputation in St. Stephen's but for his knowledge of Scotch law. Although short, his Parliamentary career has neither been uneventful nor inglorious. Simultaneously with his return for Thetford, he was appointed Lord Advocate for Scotland; and although some of his detractors have argued that he was only selected to fill that post because the Conservatives could not find another man, it is hardly credible that the Court of Session is so barren of Tory talent and leanings. Besides, the malicious insinuation has been completely disproved by Mr. Gordon's zealous and efficient discharge of the duties of his office, in which his conduct completely vindicated the choice of his party. Unfortunately for his own peace of mind, Mr. Gordon identified himself with a rotten borough. Thetford is a constituency on the East Coast Railway, near to Norwich, which had in 1861 a population of 4208, and returned two members to Parliament. At present the constituency only numbers about 200. Although the ancient borough of Thetford, which was in the seventh century the see of the bishopric of Norfolk and Suffolk, had many claims to the veneration of Parliament, and the affection of the Conservative party, to which it had been faithful for generations, it was doomed by the inevitable decree of destiny, of which—sad to tell! its best and most devoted friends were the ministers, to political dismemberment; and Mr. Gordon, having been dispossessed, at one blow, of his seat in the House of Commons and his place in the Cabinet, was compelled to seek for
"Fresh fields and pastures new."
He had not long to wait. At the general election of 1868 he contested the Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities with the Right Hon. James Moncrieff. A very severe struggle took place; indeed, the contest may justly be described as one of the most bitter and hotly contested that ever took place in Scotland; and both in Glasgow and in Aberdeen it gave rise to a great deal of animosity and personal feeling, which will be long remembered, and the effects of which, we believe, have not yet completely died out. In the end, however, Mr. Moncrieff beat his opponent by sixty-seven votes, a majority so small in proportion to the constituency that the bitterness and humiliation of defeat must have been felt with more than ordinary poignancy. It seemed at that time as if the Conservatives would never have another chance of lifting their heads above water. There were few constituencies in Scotland on which they could place perfect reliance, and the Universities of Glasgow and Aberdeen they regarded as a special preserve—as their own inalienable and chartered possession; but this confidence was scarcely justified by the result, and they were not permitted even the satisfaction of recording of the most intelligent constituency in Scotland that—
"Amid the faithless, faithful only they."
The appointment of Mr. Moncrieff to the Lord Justice Clerkship in November, 1869, caused a new writ to be issued for Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities, and Mr. Gordon again came forward as a candidate. On this occasion, however, he was opposed by Mr. Archibald Smith, who appeared in the Liberal interest. Mr. Smith had neither the influence nor the abilities of James Moncrieff; he was a comparatively untried man, and almost his sole claim to the support of the Universities was his Liberal promises and proclivities. Such a candidate was evidently no match for Mr. Gordon, whose defeat in the preceding year, after a severe and plucky fight, had drawn towards his interest the sympathies of not a few who differed from him on political questions. Hence Mr. Gordon was triumphantly returned at the head of the poll, which stood at the close—
Edward S. Gordon 2120 Archibald Smith 1616
The result of this election was looked forward to with eager expectation by men of all shades of politics throughout the length and breadth of the land. In Glasgow, as we can well remember, the excitement was intense, although the proceedings were, upon the whole, of an orderly character.
Mr. Gordon has voted with his party on all the great questions that have come before Parliament since he entered the House of Commons. During the last two sessions he was very regular in his attendance to legislative duties, and made several telling speeches on Scotch questions, in which he is, perhaps, better informed than any other man in the House. He is always listened to with respect, if not with admiration, for he exhibits a mastery of details, and a perfect apprehension of the subject in hand, which enables him to speak with effect, when others, who possess greater oratorical powers, would be liable to "put their foot in it." Indeed, Mr. Gordon is not an orator, in any sense of the term. His legal training at the Scotch bar has stunted the development of his rhetorical gifts. In pleading before a judge or a jury he seeks to influence their judgments rather than their hearts, and this tendency is to a greater or less extent characteristic of all good Scotch lawyers, although it is fatal to those nicely rounded periods and soul-stirring appeals to the imagination and emotional faculties, that tell so forcibly upon an English jury. It is disappointing to listen to Mr. Gordon for the first time. His appearance is sufficiently distingue, for he is tall of stature, and he has a decidedly intellectual cast of countenance. But when he commences to speak there is an almost painful absence of embellishment or emotional feeling; his language is severely practical and argumentative; but his logic is unimpeachable, and he can summon to his aid no end of hard and dry, albeit telling, facts—
"Chiels that winna ding."
During the session of 1868, while he held the office of Lord Advocate, Mr. Gordon passed the Scotch Reform Bill, and it is to his efforts that the Universities of Scotland are indebted for direct Parliamentary representation. It seems, therefore, consistent with the fitness of things that a constituency which he himself had been the means of creating should become his own. To Mr. Gordon we are also indebted for the Titles to Land Act, passed during the session of 1868, by which the whole conveyancing system of Scotland has been consolidated, and placed on a more satisfactory footing. In the same year he succeeded in passing the Writs Registration Bill, which has affected beneficially the whole of the land system of Scotland. A bill for the purpose of amending the Feudal System of Scotland was introduced during the session of 1870, by Mr. Gordon, but although it was hailed with every symptom of approbation and encouragement by the leading men of the country, it had ultimately to be withdrawn. The same fate was reserved for a bill to abolish the feudal system altogether, which was brought in by Mr. Young, the present Lord Advocate of Scotland.
In ecclesiastical matters, no less than in matters political, Mr. Gordon has taken a conspicuous part. He has often appeared at the bar of the General Assembly of the Established Church of Scotland, of which he has always been a devoted adherent, both in a professional and in a private capacity. In the General Assembly of 1870, he seconded Dr. Pirie's motion against the Law of Patronage in a speech of great argumentative power, and on the same and other occasions he has spoken effectively on behalf of union with other Presbyterian Churches, his leading ecclesiastical idea being in favour of the reconstruction of the National Church on such a basis as will enable her to co-operate and unite with other Churches, and thereby emphatically make her what she professes to be. His disposition is of a most kindly and generous tendency. He practises charity and toleration towards all mankind. At the time of the Disruption, he used all his influence with the late Lord Justice-Clerk with a view of maintaining intact the position and privileges of the parish schoolmasters, who had elected to leave the establishment and become members of the Free Church. He strongly urged upon the leaders of the Establishment that a measure so harsh as this, besides being unduly severe upon the teachers, could not benefit the Church of Scotland, and would only raise up enemies against her. This is only one of many proofs of his broad humanity that might be adduced.
It is almost unnecessary to remark that Mr. Gordon enjoys in a high degree the confidence and esteem of the political party with whom he acts. We happen to know that the present Earl of Derby values his counsel and co-operation very highly, and as for Mr. Disraeli he has long made it a principle to consult Mr. Gordon on questions specially affecting Scotland. He is regarded as a decidedly safe man. Prudent and unassuming, he never seeks to catch the eye of the Speaker unless he has something of importance to say, and hence he is listened to by both his own and the opposite parties with attention and deference. In the discussions that have taken place during the present session on the Scotch Education Bill, he has proposed several amendments all tending in the same direction—namely, that of preserving the element of religious teaching in our national schools. He is also strongly in favour of maintaining a high curriculum, and, as far as possible, improving the status and efficiency of the teachers.
We may add, in conclusion, that Mr. Gordon is a Queen's Counsel, and he has been rewarded for his splendid legal and literary acquirements with the degree of LL.D. by Edinburgh University. He is likewise Chancellor's Assessor for Edinburgh University, an office of considerable honour, and in virtue of which he is a member of the University Court. Mr. Gordon has taken a lively interest in the Volunteer movement, and at the present time he holds the commission of Lieut.-Colonel in the Queen's City of Edinburgh Rifle Volunteer Brigade.
[Transcriber's Note: The text has been regularised so that "Mr", "Dr" and "Mrs" always have a period after. Other errors in the original that have been corrected are listed below:
Page 13: savans changed to savants - 'listened to by the savants'
Page 20: Pall Mall Gazeite changed to Pall Mall Gazette - 'about which the Pall Mall Gazette'
Page 24: a priori changed to a priori
Page 25: missing quotation mark added - 'Non incompatibles;"' gout changed to gout
Page 26: Bysche changed to Bysshe - 'Percy Bysshe Shelley'
Page 27: the the changed to the - 'on the banks of Lake Windermere.'
Page 28: 'early party of the nineteeth century' changed to 'early part of the nineteenth century'
Page 29: elite to elite
Page 31: mor changed to more - 'more than a match'
Page 32: improssed changed to impressed - 'favourably impressed' act changed to acting - 'while acting as'
Page 33: suavitor changed to suaviter
Page 34: jurisprodence changed to jurisprudence
Page 40: transcendant changed to transcendent
Page 43: eldst changed to eldest
Page 46: requsition changed to requisition
Page 55: furtheir changed to further
Page 64: In coure changed to In course
Page 74: Halfax changed to Halifax
Page 75: couse changed to course
Page 85: practitical changed to practical
Page 89: Philsophy changed to Philosophy
Page 106: parcular changed to particular
Page 113: formally changed to formerly
Page 114: phreno-magetism changed to phreno-magnetism
Page 120: missing quotation mark added - 'flowed like eloquence."'
Page 126: be be acknowledged changed to be acknowledged
Page 133: ready!' changed to ready!" glimses changed to glimpses
Page 135: prelininary changed to preliminary
Page 136: aggregtae changed to aggregate
Page 139: herefore changed to therefore
Page 141: confrere changed to confrere
Page 142: an an author changed to an author been been published changed to been published
Page 143: Blanehard changed to Blanchard
Page 148: Transatlanque changed to Transatlantique Brittannia changed to Britannia
Page 160: causus belli changed to casus belli
Page 170: knew changed to know
Page 172: M Ewen changed to M'Ewen
Page 176: Collosians changed to Colossians
Page 179: but the changed to but they
Page 181: Academy' changed to Academy's
Page 184: Depot changed to Depot depot changed to depot
Page 187: depot changed to depot
Page 188: depot changed to depot
Page 191: discoved changed to discovered
Page 192: rotton changed to rotten
]
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