506 
SCOTLAND. 
Died.} ‘The Right Honourable Robert 
Macqueen, late Lord juftice-Clerk, one of 
the Lords of Seffion for Scotland. He was the 
fon of a fmall land-holder in the fhire of 
Lanark. After the ufual preliminary edu- 
cation, he was called to the Scottifh bar, 
—diligence, fkill in the municipal law, a 
ready eloquence, and great acutenefs of ju- 
yidical difcrimination, gradually recommended 
him to very confiderable employment, as an 
advocate. More than twenty years fince, 
at a time when he was, confeffedly, for the 
united talents of a profound counfellor in the 
law, and a vigorous perfuafive pleader, the 
moft eminent lawyer prattifing before the 
Scottith courts; he was raifed to the dignity 
of a Judge in the fupreme courts, civil and 
criminal. To fome judges, the Bench may 
have been a place of reft from the toils of the 
-bar. But, Mr. Macqueen, who affumed, upon 
his ‘elevation, the title of Lord Braxfield, 
continued to exercife, as a Judge, the fame 
ailiduity and a@tivity in bufinefs, for which 
he had been hitherto diftinguifhed. His op!- 
nions were liftened to, with great deference, 
by the ableit among his brother-judges ; and 
to the bar and the public at large, thofe deci- 
fions which were founded upon kis views of 
Jaw and fatis, rarely failed to give perfect 
fatisfattion. When the late Sir Thomas 
_ Miller of Glenlee, was raifed to the dignity 
~of Prefident, of the Court of Seffion, Lord 
Braxfield was thought worthy to fucceed him 
in the office of Lord Juitice-Clerk, or principal 
judge in the fupreme criminal court in Scot- 
land, as it is ordinarily conftituted. In this 
high office, he continued to difttingnifh himfelf - 
as before, by a difplay of almof unrivalled 
tkill in the Scottith criminal law, by a temper 
not difpofed in ordinary cafes to enforce ri- 
gorous punifnment, where it could not be ufe- 
ful towards the ends of general fecurity, by 
a firm energy of mind, that- was not to be 
influenced in the difcharge of duty, either by 
the fear of vulgar cenfure, or the ambition 
of popular applaufe. Many of the moft re- 
ipectable perfons in Scotland, are decidedly 
of dpinion, that, but for the boldnefs of Mr. 
Macqueen’s conduct in the office of Lord 
juitice-Clerk, revolutionary opinions: might 
have embroiled the public peace in that coun- 
try, fince the era of the commencement of 
the revolution in France. Thofe unhappy 
fentences which fent Mefirs. Muir, Palmer, 
Skirying, Margarot, and Gerald, to Botany- 
Bay; thofe which condemned “Watt and 
Downe to the gallows; thofe which, more 
vecently, were dire€ted againft the United 
scot{men, and every other fevere meafure in 
scotland, was either fuggeited and directed, 
or at leait cordially and very boldly approved 
by this Judge. ‘Frat if lefs vigorous mea- 
aures had been employed, diffenfion and aif- 
orler might have now detracted that coun- 
iry3 mo pesfen can haftily seny.~-Yet, it 
ee Notice of Lord Fujtice Clerk, 
[ July 
is extremely doubtful, whether too much 
recourfe has not been had of late, to the pre- 
cedents of the period between the reftoration 
and the revolution. His fuccefs at the bar, 
and the economy with which he enjoyed his 
income, enabled him to accumulate confi- 
derable wealth. His eldeft fon, Dundas 
Macqueen, Efq, who marffed a daughter of 
the prefent Earl of Eglinton fucceeds to the 
pofieffion of his eftates. His fecond fon was 
an officer in the army, and was much ef- 
teemed for profeffional merit, and for the 
propriety of his condu&t as a gentleman, 
The eldeft daughter is a lady of Lord Arma- 
dale, a refpeCtable judge; his fecond daugh, 
rer is the mother of the prefent Mr. Macs 
donald of Clammald. He was twice married, 
By his fecond lady who furvives him, he | 
has had no children—He had lived nearly ty 
the age of fourfcore, in the full enjoyment of 
all his faculties, and almoft to the laf, ig 
the conftant, vigorous difcharge of the duties 
of active life. 
At Edinburgh, James “Burnett Lord 
Monboddo, of whom an authentic memoir 
will be given in our next number. T. Elder, 
Efqr. of Forneth, colonel of the batallion of 
Edinburgh volunteers, Poftmafter general for 
Scotland, and late chief magiftrate of the 
Scottith metropolis. Authentic and intereft- 
ing memoirs of this gentleman are alfo un- 
advoidabiy poftponed till our next. 3 
Mr.A.Mafterton, teacher. Mifs Helen Men- 
zies, daughter of the deceafed, T. Menzies, 
of Lethem, Efg. Mifs Mary Stewart Wal- 
lace, eldeft daughter of Alexander Wallace, 
Efq. banker, Mr. RobertDickfon, = 
At Glafgow, Mrs. Margaret Colquhoun, 
relict of David Dalzell, Efq. merchant. : 
At St. Andrews, Dr. Jofeph M‘Cormick, 
principal of the United College of St. 
Salvator, and St. Leanord in the Univerfity 
of St. Andrew. a: 
EAST INDIES.- 
Died.] Henry H. Afton, Efq.—This gentle- 
man entered early into the army, and rofe 
to the rank of Captain previous to the late 
peace. On the breaking out of the prefent 
war, he attained the rank of Lieutenant 
Colonel, and fhortly afterwards embarked for 
the Eaft Indies. In the promotions of 1796 
he attained the full rank of Colonel in the 
army, and at the time of his death com- 
manded at Tanjore. In confequence of a 
mifunderftanding between the Colonel and 
two of his ofieers, he was compelled to 
accept a chalienge from each of them, and 
in the la& duel received a wound which occa- 
fioned his death. He refufed to fire, “* as 
he faid he believed his wound tobe mortal, 
and ‘that it fhould not be faid thar the laf? hour 
of his life was an a& of revenge”. He fat 
down @a the ground was carried home, where 
he languiibed fora week in great pain ang 
then expired, am aot ; 
MONTHLY 

