The Sun.
London, England, 1826-09-14 00:00:00

LORD GIFFORD.

We understand the following elegant portrait ol
Lord Gifford is from the pen of Sir James Mackintosh,
who, as the intimate friend of. his Lordship, had
ample opportunities of duly appreciating his amiable
character, both in public and private life. 'lbis
tribute of affection
_is, not more honourable to the
memory of his Lordship, than creditable to the
genius and kindly feelings of the writer.]

(From the Morning Chronicle.)

. . .
Few men will beimore deeply deplored by their family,
or more tenderly remembered by their friends.—His own
affectionate nature secured for him the warm regard of
those who were near enough to see into his character. His
mind, unstained. by vice, had no need of concealment, and
was at liberty to indulge its native frankness. He was un-
assuming,• unaffected, mild, friendly, indulgent, and, in inti-
mate society, gently playful.., His attachments were con-
stant, his resentment (for he had,no enmity) was hard to
provoke, and easily subsided. In his last moments, he was
sustained by the domestic affection and religious hope
which had cheered his life. His natural simplicity and
modesty were unspoiled by rapid elevation and splendid
prospects of ambition; and if these retiring virtues could
without losing their nature, be generally known, they must
have softened many of those ungentle feelings, which such
an elevation is apt to excite. It may with truth be said
of him,-that he rose by " fair means," and in a high station
bore' his faculties meekly. i.3y the very diligent applica-
tion of an uncommonly quick, clear, and distinguishing mind
he became so learned in .his profession, that the late Lord
Chief Justice Gibbs (himself one of the greatest lawyers
of his age,) assured the present writer, that since the death
of Dunning, he )sad known no man equal as a general lawyer,
to Gifford. He had the gift of conveying the subtle
dis-
t.inctions and abstruse learning of the law, with a very .rare
union of - perspicuity and brevity. ,He was soon distin-
guished on the Western Circuit, where the friendship of
two such admirable persons as Horner and Lens,_ was an
earnest of the esteem of wise and good men. He was
sought out by Ministers,. to all of whom he was personally
unknown, to fill the office of Solicitor-General. Sir Samuel
Bomilly, a severe, but most upright Judge, in the House
of Commons declared his satisfaction that the appointment
bad been made on the fair principle of professional merit.
It was his lot to hold office in a stormy season, but all
who knew him will bear a testimony now unsuspected,that
the performance of rigorous duties was uncongelial to his
nature. The most remarkable display of his talents was
made on a splendid theatre, but on an occasion so painful,
that to revive the remembrance of it more distinctly would
not be in unison with his amiable temper. He was ap-
pointed, with universal approbation, Lord Chief. Justice of
the Court of C.:i-mon' Pleas, with a title of honour which
seemed to be the pledge of higher advancement.
When the immense accumulation of Scotch appeals was
thought to reiptire some. alteration in the appellant juris-
diction, Lord Gifford was chosen for his unequalled know-
ledge of' Scottish law to carry the new measure into-effect,
aid for that purpose Wits appointed to the newly created
office of Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords. Various
opinions existed about the necessity of the office, but there
was no diversity of opinion about the fitness; of the man,
and it was universally owned • that he was ,selected for his
fitness. The Journals of Parliament will attest the speed
with which he removed the mass of the undecided appeals,
and the-unanimous applause of Scotch lawyers, is the best
evidence of the wisdom, learning, and justice, with which
'he accomplished that arduous task.,
Among the numerous body who have risen from the
middle classes to the highest stations of the law, it will be
hard to name any individual who owed his preferment more
certainly to a belief of his merit than Lord Gifford; or who
possessed more of those virtues which are most fitted to
disaain jealousy naturally attendant on great and sudden
advancement. • .

in(From the Pottery Mercury.)
"We give another part of our paper a short account
of the death, &c. of Lord Gifford. It is not generally
known that this gifted individual wrote the leading ar-
ticles for the original Pottery Gazelle, from its commence-
ment to its death, or rather its suspension. This was in
the year 1809, and about the period at which Mr. Gifford
was called to the bar. The politics.of Mr. Gifford were of
the Tory class; but without violence or rancour. The
Proprietdr of this Journal, at the above period, edited the
Stajbed.rhire• Advertiser; and was thus, from difference of
political opinions, brought frequently into cos iet with the
then rising Lawyer and liarrister.° •
(,The object of the 'Move paragraph, which we have
copied from the Gazette,. is to make its readers believe
that the present journal of that name, is 11:"' continuation of
the Pottery Gazette which was commenced in the year
1809 and discontinued in the year 1810. The writer of it
must indeed be possessed of a very powerful (lialvanie bat-
tery, to enable him to revive a Journal, with which he
had never any connection, after a "suspention", of eleven
years. If there tan be any continuation of the original
Pottery paper, it must be the Pottery Mercitty, for its
proprietor was the publisher and part proprietor of the
Gazette, during the first eight months of its existence.—
The boast of the" conflict" .1/ reminds us of a story told of
a peasant in France, who - hAtl been in Paris, and fret
quently boasted " that the King bad spoken to him ;" and
upon being asked how the conversation teak place, replied,
" Why, twos standing in hiss way, and lie gave me a kick
behind" (on his seat of honour, we presume), and said,
" Get out of my way, you dirty fellow." The peasant bud
more 'cause for boasting than- the Editor of the Gazette, for
we have examined all Lord Gifford'a articles in the papers
from Jan. t, 1809,.t0 April 16, 1810, inclusive, and have
haves not seen one solitary remark concerning the then
Editor of the Stqford shire Advertiser, in any of the num-
bers. Mr. Amphlett's name indeed. Mentioned Once ;
bpi that is as the author of a most serious kind of comic-
called Ned Bentley, to which we may refer the
laughter!' of our readers some day.]