LOlll) HoUGHTOX. 
3Sl 
biography of any celebrated personage who has passed away in England 
within the last forty years, and the chances are ten to one that he 
will find in it some reference to Lord Houghton. • There is another 
class of memoirs in which also his name constantly occurs. That is 
in the history of those struggling poets and men of letters, who, in 
spite of the endowanent of genius, have failed to attain success. Of 
such men Lord Houghton through his whole life had been the generous 
and unfailing friend ; and if he had no other claim to be remembered, 
his memory would deserve to be cherished with gratitude by all, 
because of the apparently boundless kindness which he has shown to 
genius in distress. 
VISCOUNT HALIFAX. 
Viscount Halifax was born December 20th, 1800, and graduated 
as a double first at Oriel College, Oxford, in 182L He succeeded 
his father as third baronet on December 31st, 1846, and became Sir 
Charles Wood. Li 1866 he was raised to the peerage as Viscount 
Halifax. He took his seat in the House of Commons as member for 
Great Grimsby in 1826, and afterwards sat for Wareham. In December, 
1832, he was elected Member of Parliament for Halifax, and retained 
that position until 1865, when he was elected to represent Ripon. 
hi 1832, he was Secretary of the Treasury, and in 1835, Secretary 
to the Admiralty. From 1846 to 1852, he was Chancellor of the 
Exchequer in Lord Russell's first administration. On the formation 
of the Aberdeen Cabinet in December, 1852, he became President of 
the Board of Control. He was First Lord of the Admiralty in Lord 
Palmerstpn's first administration from 1855 to 1858, and Secretary 
of State for Lidia and President of the Lidian Council from 1859 to 
1866. Li Mr. Gladstone's administration he became Lord Privy Seal 
in July, 1870. Viscount Halifax, as well as his father, Sir F. L. Wood, 
were amongst the founders of the Society, and took considerable 
interest in its proceedings. His Lordship's constant attendance on 
pubHc affairs in London, however, prevented, during the later years 
of his Hfe, his frequent attendance at the meetings of the Society, 
but reference will be found on previous pages to matters in which he 
took an interest, pertaining to its welfare. 
Sir F. Lindley Wood, the father of the subject of this notice, 
