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he held till his death, which took place unexpectedly, and after a very 
short illness, 2d December 1860. Dr Robertson was a man of 
acute mind and sound judgment, a fluent speaker, and of energy 
indomitable. I have always considered Dr Robertson an admirable 
specimen of the acute, clear-headed, business-like Scottish character. 
His pursuits and labours were all of a useful and practical character. 
The conduct of ecclesiastical affairs of the Church, general parochial 
management, the study of Church History for his lectures — 
everything connected with the poor and administration of the poor- 
laws, agricultural improvement of soils, and the currency question, 
were subjects closely and skilfully investigated by him. When 
parochial schoolmaster, he wrote a pamphlet “ On the Currency,” 
which attracted the attention of Lord Aberdeen, and which, in fact, 
led to his appointing him to the incumbency of the living of Ellon. 
There existed through their lives a friendship and sincere mutual 
regard, and these continued to their deaths, which happened within 
a few days of each other. Dr Robertson died on 2d December, 
Lord Aberdeen died on the 14th, 1860. 
Dr Robertson was through life much interested in the currency 
question, and read a very elaborate paper on the subject, at Glasgow, 
during the meeting of the Association for the Advancement of 
Social Science, which was held in that city during last year. Some 
time before this I was much interested in hearing him brought 
out upon this question, on the occasion of his dining with me, 
when he met my dear friend, the late Alexander Blair of the 
Bank of Scotland, a man of highly cultivated mind, and of great 
attainments in theology, in classical and general literature — the first 
authority in Scotland upon banking, upon the currency, and indeed 
upon every subject connected with finance and the circulating 
medium. It was very amusing to hear the discussion between two 
such men — one all theory, the other bringing every theory to prac- 
tice ; the one arguing from the conclusions of an acute intellect, 
the other, from long and accurate experience of banking, and of 
everything belonging to it, and who well knew that every opinion in 
money matters, however ingeniously - supported, must be brought to 
the test of experience in the working of it under all the circum- 
stances of the social and monetary system. 
The memory of Dr Robertson will ever be preserved in Scotland 
as connected with that great scheme of church extension with which 
