* GLADSTONE, THE RIGHT HON. WILLIAM EWART, is the fourth eon of the late Sir John Gladstone, Burt., of Fasque, N.13., an eminent merchant of Liverpool, by a daughter of the late Provost Robertson of Dingwall, N.B. He was born at Liverpool in 1809, and received his early education at Eton, and afterwards at Christchurch, Oxford, of which he was elected a student in 1829, and whero he graduated as a double first-class in 1831. Ilaving spent several months iu a tour through a great portion of the continent, he was elected member of parliament for Newark, in the Conservative interest, in December 1832, through the influence of the late Duke of Newcastle, just at the time when the struggle of parties was past its height. His mercantile origin, the success of his university career, and his habits of business, in which he strongly resembled the late Sir Robert Peel, all joined to recommend him to the notice of that statesman, who, on taking office in December 1834, appointed Mr. Gladstone a Lord of the Treasury ; and in February 1835, under-secretary for colonial affairs. Mr. Gladstone retired from office together with his leader in the following April, and remained in opposition till Sir Robert Peel's return to power in Sept. 1841, when he was sworn a member of the privy council, and appointed vice-president of the Board of Trade, and Muter of the Mint. In this positiou it was his duty to explain and defend in parliament the commercial policy of the government, iu which his mercantile origin and connection proved of great service. The revision of the British tariff in 1842 was almost entirely his work. When brought before the House of Commons this laborious work was found to be as admirably executed in its details as it was complete in its mastery of principles ; and it received the sanction of both houses with scarcely an alteration. In May 1843 he succeeded Lord Ripon as president of the Board of Trade, but resigned office early in 1845. In January 1846 Sir Robert Peel announced his intention of proposing a modification of the existing corn-laws. Mr. Gladstone, who had recently succeeded Lord Stanley in the poet of Secretary of State for the Colonies, adhered to his leader, but, being unwilling to remain under obligations to the Duke of Newcastle, he resigned his seat for Newark, and remained out of parliament for several months. At the
general election of 1847 however, he was chosen as representative of the University of Oxford. In this parliament the questions of univer sity reform and the repeal of the last remaining Jewish disabilities were frequently agitated. Mr. Gladstone consequently found himself frequently opposed to his own friends, and finally separated himself from the rest of the Conservative party by refusing to take office under the Earl of Derby in February 1852. In the July of that year he was again returned for the University of Oxford, and in the following November it was mainly in consequence of his able speech upon Mr. Disraeli's budget that the Derby ministry were thrown out of office. On the accession of Lord Aberdeen to power, Mr. Gladstone was appointed to the Chancellorship of the Exchequer, in which office the thorough knowledge of finance which he had acquired in early life proved again of the greatest assistance.
On the breaking-up of the Aberdeen ministry, or rather on its recon• struction under Lord Palmerston, Mr. Gladstone continued to hold the same post, but resigned it in the course of a few days on finding that Mr. Roebuck intended to persevere in his resolution for the appoint merit of the Committee of Inquiry into the State of the British Arms before SebastopoL Since then Mr. Gladstone has held no public °ilia up to the present time (September 1856), but has contented himsel with lending to Lord Palmerston 's ministry an independent support et matters in which he could approve of their general policy. Though a' first he was opposed to the idea of any university reform effected by thi state, yet recently he has lent to tho government very valuable assist once in supporting the suggestions of the university commissioner by his personal and official influence with the authorities of Oxford a member for that university.