Account of 

 Lord Prefident 

 Miller. 



68 HISTORT of the SOCIETr. 



this line from the purefl and mofl difintei'efted motives, conti- 

 nued him in his public ftation, and ever after honoured him 

 with his particular attention. 



In the year 1766, on the death of Lord Minto, he was ap- 

 pointed Lord Justice Clerk ; which office both beftows the 

 Prefidency of the highefl Criminal Tribunal, and a feat as an 

 ordinary Judge in the fupreme Civil Court. 



In thefe high ftations, he fully juftified the choice that had 

 been made of him, and foon, by his fcrupulous attendance on 

 the Court, and affiduous labour in the difpatch of bufinefs, 

 gained a high place in the efteem and confidence of the public, 

 as a man deeply impreffed with the importance of his duties, 

 and adluated by a warm and fteady zeal confcientioufly to dif- 

 charge them. And this tafk he accompliflied, in the civil de- 

 partment, in fuch a manner, as both added credit to the Court 

 of which he was a member, and was of the mofl efTential fer- 

 vice to the interefts of law and juftice. For befides the learn- 

 ing and experience, acquired by long ftudy and extenfive prac- 

 tice, he was pofTeffed of many other more material qualifica- 

 tions, which added much to the power of thofe attainments, 

 and peculiarly fitted him for the important charge of deciding 

 on the rights of his fellow-citizens. 



He was happy in a great natural temperance of difpofition 

 and foundnefs of judgment. Whence, though he was well 

 able to purfue an intricate and fubtile argument, and could, on 

 proper occafions, fuccefsfully pufh an abftradl principle into all 

 its confequences, and was ever difpofed to beftow the due fhare 

 of praife on this fort of acutenefs in others, yet few were fo 

 little apt to be dazzled by new or fplendid notions, or lefs fub- 

 jedl to the impofition of falfe refinement. His natural good 

 underftanding, joined to his knowledge of bufinefs, readily 

 pointed out to him the real fources and objeds of our cuftoms 

 and ftatutes, and the confequences to be dreaded, if thefe were 

 at any time forgotten ; and thus, occupying on all occafions a 



ftrong 



