KING, Ruins, LL.D., 1755-1827; b. Scarborough, Maine. After his graduation from Ilarvard college he read law with chief•justice Parsons, and was admitted to the bar in 1780. In 1782 he took his seat in the legislature of Mass., to which lie was several times re-elected. In this capacity lie supported a measure which gave congress power to lay an impost of 5 per cent. He became a member of the continental congress in 1784 and introduced a resolution prohibitiug slavery in the territories. The substance of this reso lution was subsequently incorporated by his colleague, Nathan Dane of Mass., into the famous ordinance of 1787. He took a prominent part in the proceedings of the conven tion which formed the U. S. constitution, and, in the convention called in Massachusetts to decide upon the adoption or rejection of the new constitution, he was one of the most distinguished defenders of that instrument. In 1788 he removed to New York, from which state he was elected senator in 1789, and at once took a high place as a leader of the federalists. King was re-elected to the senate in 1795, and in 1796 he accepted from president Washington, who had previously offered him a place in his cabinet as secretary of state, the responsible post of minister to England. He distinguished him
:self highly in the diplomatic service, in which lie continued for eight years. In 1813 and again in 1819 he received the honor of an election to the U. S. senate by a legislature a majority of which was republican and strongly opposed to his politics. During the war with England Mr. King did not side with the extreme federalists, but supported the administration in such measures as seemed to him to be for the general good. After the war lie opposed the bill for the creation of a U. S. bank, and he was strongly opposed to the admission of Missouri to the union. Mr. King retired from the senate in 1825 and re-entered public life only to accept for a time the post of ambassador to England during the administration of John Quincy Adams, but owing to ill-health lie remained but a short time.