MOLESWORTH, Sir WILLIAM, Right Honorable (eighth baronet), English statesman, was b. in 1810. Lineally descended from an old Cornish family of large possessions (the first baronet was president of the council in Jamaica in the time of Chartes IL, and sub sequently governor of that island), he early showed promise of distinction. His univer sity career at Cambridge was, however, cut short by his sending (under eirctunstances of great provocation) a challenge to his tutor to fight a duel. He continued his education at the university of Edinburgh, and subsequently at a German university. After making the usual tour of Europe, he returned home, and threw himself, in 1831, into the move ment for parliamentary reform. Next year, although only just of age, he was elected member of parliament for Cornwall (East). Be sat for Leeds from 1837 to 1841, and then remained out of parliament four years, during which interval he used to say he gave himself a second and sounder political education. He was the intimate friend of Bentham and James Mill, and was regarded as the parliamentary representative of the "philosophical radicals." Having been is great admirer of Hobbes, he accumu lated materials for a life of the "Philosopher of Malmesbury," which remains in MS. uncompleted. In 1839 he commenced and carried to completion, at a cost of many thousand pounds, a reprint of the entire miscellaneous and voluminous writings of that eminent author. The publication was a valuable contribution to the republic of letters, and the works of Hobbes were placed by Molesworth's munificence in most of our university and provincial public libraries. The publication, however, did him great disservice in public life, his opponents endeavoring to identify him with the freethinking- opinions of Hobbes in religion, as well as with the great philosopher's conclusions in favor of despotic government. In 1845 be was elected for Southwark
•(which he continued to represent until his death), and entered upon a parliamentary -career of the greatest energy and usefulness. He was the first to call attention to the abuses connected with the transportation of criminals, and as chairman of a par liamentary committee brought to light all the horrors of the convict system. He pointed out the maladministration of the colonial office, explained the true principles of colonial self-government, prepared draught constitutions for remote dependencies, and investigated the true and natural relations between the imperial government and its colonial empire. Molesworth's views, although at first unpalatable to the legisla ture, have been adopted by successive administrations, and are now part and parcel of the colonial policy of Great Britain. In January, 1853, he accepted the office of first commissioner of works, in the administration of the earl of Aberdeen; and in 1855 the post of secretary of state for the colonies, in that of viscount Pal merston. This appointment gave great satisfaction to our dependencies; but before he could give proof of his administrative capacity, he was (Oct. 22, 1856) struck by the hand of death, while yet in the full vigor of life and intellect. He established the London Review, a new quarterly, in 1835; and afterwards purchased the Trestminster Review, the organ of the "philosophical radicals." The two quarterlies being then merged into one, under the title of the London and Alolesworth contributed to it many able articles on politics and political economy.