The Red Cloud chief., 1878-06-20
Lord John Russell.

Tho cable has announced the death
Of Lord John Russell. He was In his
eighty-sixth year. having been born In
London In 1892, and had been twice
married-first To the widow Of Lord
RibblesdAle In 1885; and, secondly, u
the daughter Of the Earl Of Mimic, In
l84l. He was educated al Edinburgh.
and imbibed there very pronounced
Liberal opinions, which he has since re-
tained. He entered Parliament ~ one
Of the members for tho family borough
Of Tavistock, In 1878. aud during the
greater part Of the sixty-fve years that
have since passed, no has been In active
political life. II II. however. some two
or three years since no has spoken In
the House Of Lords. He had recently
been saddened by the death Of his son.
Lord Amberly, and by the struggle
which he was compelled To make to OBJ
tain tho custody Of bis grHndsons. Lord
Russell has sat In ParliAments convened
by George III. George Nv and Victoria.
He began the struggle for Pnrliamenta-
ry reform In 1870. when Mr.. Gladstone
ives q boy eleven years old; no advoca-
ted Catholic emancipation and the re-
peal Of the Test acts, and he defended
Queen Caroline. He had the triumph,
In 1899, Of seeing tho Catholic Relief
bill become law and welcoming fifty
Catholic gentlemen to seats In the
House of Commons. Then he took up
the subject Of electoral reform; and 81
1882 he had the delight of seeing tho
first Reform bill passed. He had then
become one Of the most popular men In
the kingdom, and was everywhere greet
cd ~ the embodiment Of progress. lilo
first took office In 1880, In Earl Grey's
Ministry. From 1888 till 1871. he was
Home Secretary. and tho guiding spir-
itpf Lord Melbourne's administration.
FROM lS4l till 1916, he was In OPPOSE
tiQnyVbut In is46 his party again came
Alto power, and he was made Premier
and held tho office until 1852. II was
during this period that no committed
the most foolish act Of his official life
tho one 80 wittily described In Punch as
Little Johnny Russell chalking up
No Poperyi on Cardinal Wiseman's
door, and then running around the cor
ner."
Under the administration Of Earl Of
Aberdeen. Lord Russell WAS Secretary
for Foreign Affairs, and Lord President
Of the Council. In this capacity he
brought forward another Reform bill,
but this wss subsequently withdrawn.
He was Foreign Secretary under Lord
Palmerston from 1859 until the death
Of that nobleman In 1865. He had mean
while been raised to the peersEc ~ Earl
Russell. On the death Of Palmerston
no became Premier for the second time,
and with Mr.. Gladstone ~ his ChAncal-
Tor Of the E~xchcquer, and . majority Of
eighty In the Commons, he brought In
the Reform bill. The measure was de-
feated In 1866; the Ministry resigned;
and after that time Earl Russell con-
tented himself with IN independent pc
litical career.
In person, Earl Russell was not At all
imposing. He was short. rather badly
shaped. and dressed In n style which
exaggerated his physical i~mperfections.
As an orator he was never attractive,
and Of late years IL was painful 10 hear
him speak at any length. His titles
and estates descended to his grandson,
the son Of the late Lord Ambcrley, who
10 at present . boy uf tender years.