HUME, JosErn, politician, was b. Jan., 1777, at Montrose. his father was the mas ter of a small coasting-vessel, who, dying while his family were young, left his widow and children in narrow circumstances. He was educated in the local schools of Mon. trose, and at the age of 13 was placed with an apothecary. He studied for the medical profession; was admitted in 1796 a member of the college of surgeons, Edinburgh; and became assistant-surgeon in the marine service of' the East India company. lie applied himself to the acquisition of the native languages, and during the Malls:Ma war, from 1802 to 1807, filled the office of Persian interpreter to the army. He also discharged duties connected with the prize agencies and the commissariat, and arrived in England, in 1808, with an honestly earned fortune of £30.000 or £40,000. Ile entered the house of commons in 1812. as m.r. for the borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis. The future radical was then of tory and paid a sum of money for his seat, which he only ThelAttinck in 1818, a seat for the Aberdeen district of burghs, comprehending his native town of Montrose. In 1830 he had gained such distinction as a radical reformer, that he was returned without onposition as one of the members for Middlesex, which he represented until 1$37. In 1842 he was again chosen
for his native burgh, Montrose, and remained until his death in the service of his fellow townsmen. Although by no means a man of brilliant abilities, his indefatigable indus try in his parliamentary duties, his plans of reform in every department of church and state, his hatred of sinecures and official abuses of every kind, and his advocacy of economy in the public service, made him one of the most useful and influential mem bers of the legislature. He was probably often wrong-headed and mistaken, and as the. leader of the radical party in the house of commons, usually found himself in active conflict with both whig and tory governments. Yet a tardy but sincere homage was paid to his integrity and public services by the late sir Robert Peel, and other political opponents. He died Feb. 20, 1855, aged 78, leaving a name venerated by his fellow countrymen for public honesty and personal disinterestedness.