Account of 

 Lord Prefident 



Miller. 



68 HISTORY of the SOCIETr. 



this line from the purefl and mod dilinterefted motives, conti- 

 nued him in his public Station, 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 higheft Criminal Tribunal, and a feat as an 

 ordinary Judge in the fupreme Civil Court. 



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

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

 the Court, and afliduous labour in the difpatch of buiinefs, 

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

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

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

 charge them. And this tafk he accomplished, 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 molt effential Ser- 

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

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

 tice, he was pofleffed 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 puSh an abstract principle into all 

 its confequences, and was ever difpofed to beflow the due Share 

 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 Sub- 

 ject to the impofition of falfe refinement. His natural good 

 understanding, joined to his knowledge of bufinefs, readily 

 pointed out to him the real Sources and objects of our cuftoms 

 and Statutes, and the conSequences to be dreaded, if thefe were 

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



ftrong 



