Durham, JOHN GEORGE LAMETON, EARL OF

Durham, JOHN GEORGE LAMETON, EARL OF, an English statesman, was born, the descendant of an ancient Durham family, in London on the 13th April 1792. Of decided liberal sympathies, he was in 1813 returned for the county of Durham, and though he did not speak on many questions, he took an active part in furthering all projects of a reforming tendency, even bringing forward in 1821 a scheme for parliamentary reform much more advanced than that of 1832. In 1828 he was raised to the peerage, with the title of Baron Durham of the city of Durham. Under the administration of Lord Grey (1830) he held the office of Lord Privy Seal, and was one of the four persons who drew up the Reform Bill, and supported it in the House of Lords. He was not in cordial relations with his colleagues, and resigning his office on the plea of ill-health in 1833, was made an earl. For a time he was ambassador at St Petersburg. In 1838 he was appointed Governor-general of Canada, where, owing to the revolt of the French in Lower Canada, the constitution had been suspended. Lord Durham's measures were statesmanlike but dictatorial; and the House of Lords voted disapproval of some of his acts. Thereupon he took the extraordinary step of returning to England without either being recalled or obtaining the royal consent. Lord Durham's famous report on Canada (which, however, was mainly written by his secretary, Charles Buller, q.v.) anticipated many of the best features in the present Canadian constitution. He died at Cowes, Isle of Wight, 28th July 1840.