Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-02-08
Joseph Hume, M. P.

Joseph Hume, NJ P.
For twenty years past, if the words vet
erau reformer were caught by any ear, the
hearer took for granted that JOSEPH HUME
was the subject. His name has been identi-
fled with reform for nearly forty years, and
glance over the facts of his life NAV well ac-
company the report Of the presentation of his
likeness on Saturday His father was the
master of vessel trading from the port of
Montrose, where Joseph, who was younger
member of large family, was born in I777.
On the death of his father. which happened in
his early childhood, Joseph was placed at
school where the then superior Scotch meth
cd and amount of education qualified him for
professional training. His mother, who
supported her family, apprenticed Joseph to
surgeon at Montrose. He went through the
regular course of study at the University at
Edinburgh, and was admitted a member of
the College of Surgeons there in 1876. Hav-
ing no means on which he could sit down and
wait for practice at home, he began his pro-
fessional career as naval surgeon, IN the SER
vice of the East India Company. If his poll
tics were not constitutional, his industry was
and he rose rapidly by means of his own bust
ness. In three Years he was on the medical
establishment of Bengal; and no sooner was
he there than the qualities which made him
the reformer par ercellence began to manifest
themselves. He used his opportunity for OBJ
serving the defects of the company's manage
ment and service, and was particularly struck
with the Ignorance among those servants of the
native languages, and he set to work to study
them. In 1903, when he was serving in the
Mahratta war (when Joseph Hume was dis
tingushing himself at the moment that Arthur
Wellesley was gaining the battle of Assave,)
he found the advantage of his knowledge of
the dialects of India, and joined the office of
interpreter TO that of surgeon finding time
and energy to discharge also the duties of
paymaster and postmaster of the troops under
Major-Gen Powell. AS he was never known
to neglect any duty to which he had pledged
himself, this combination of Offices shows what
his health and habits must have been-that in
such climate he should be able to get through
properly the work of three or four men. The
secret was, no doubt, that his power of inter-
course with the natives gave him a command
of assistance which other Englishmen could
not make use Of The same faculties enabled
him to improve his fortunes by speculation,
and he returned TO Calcutta, at the end of the
war, wealthy man. He concluded his SER
vice in India in 1908, and permitted himsef a
period of repose and foreign travel before en-
tering upon a new career. He travelled
through all the Mediterranean countries on the
European side, and visited the Ionian Islands,
Malta, and Sicily, accumulating knowledge
all the while, according TO his wont. 1t is
desirable that these facts about the early years
of Mr.. Hume should be recalled, because it is
the practice of his enemies to represent him
as man of no breadth of knowledge small
souled Scotchman, who could conceive of
nothing beyond the routine of plodding life
like that of his later years whereas, few
men have travelled so much, or learned so
much from their travels, as Mr.. Hume up to
the time when he was ive-and-thirty.
He sat in parliament first for Weymouth :;
and it was loyal Weymouth-the bathing
place OF the royal family-which found Joseph
Hume a seat. During the six subsequent
years mat he was out of parliament he was an
East INDIA Director. and showed something of
his later and best tendencies BY the attention
and labor he devoted to the promotion of non.
ular education, by the Lancasterian me,hod-
which was the first form the movero,, ,a.,-
Mr.. Whitbread must ever be regarded ,s ~
first to treat the subject in a statesmanl;,.
manner, but no one has ever taken it up in /,
more earnest and disinterested spirit than 10.
seph Hume. He began with aiding the con
trivance of children teaching each other h.
proceeded with the Wilbe-forces, Romillys
and Whitbreads of the time, to encourag,
adult schools, and he never relaxed in his eff
forts, nor failed to rise in his views, till bs
had got the British Museum, Hampton Court
and other places thrown open to the Who'll,
public.-adult schools as superior to those o
Al