BROUGHAM, 1)ri'ain or broom, HENRY PETER, Baron Brougham and Vaux (1778-1868). A British jurist. orator, statesman. and scien tist, descendant of an ancient Westmoreland fam ily. He was born in Edinburgh, September 19, 177S. ( In the maternal side he was a grand-neph ew of the historian Robertson. He exhibited signs of precocious talent and energy, and at an early age was compared to the 'admirable Crich ton.' He was a brilliant scholar, both at the Edinburgh High School and at the university. at the age of eighteen sending a paper. Observa tions on Phenomena of Light, to the Royal So ciety. which was read and printed in its Trans actions. He spent some time in traveling on the Continent, and in 1800 was admitted to the Scottish bar. In IS02. with Jeffrey, Horner, and Sydney Smith, lie founded the Edinburgh Review and contributed eighty of its most pow erful articles to the first twenty numbers. His liberal political views militated against his ad vancement in Scotland: and a reputation for ec centricity and indiscretion excluded him from any legal practice except the unremunerative work of the criminal courts. Aften seven years of this practice he sought a better field, and in ]SOS passed at the English bar.
In London, Brougham first attracted notice at the bar of the House of Commons as counsel for the Liverpool merchants who petitioned against certain orders-in-council. In 1810 he entered Parliament, and soon after brought in and carried an act making participation in the slave trade felony. He was welcomed by the Opposition leaders as a powerful assistant in their attacks upon the Government. lie suc ceeded in earrying the repeal of the orders-in council shortly before the general election of 3812. and contested the membership for Liver pool against Calming,. lie was defeated, and re mained without a seat in Parliament till 3816, when he was returned for Win•helsea. He es tablished a reputation in the law courts by speeches of great ability in the defense of per sons prosecuted for libel by the Crown. llis most famous appearance as an advocate was in defense of Queen Caroline in 1820. Ills elo quence and boldness forfeited him the favor of the Crown, but gained him that. of the people, and between 1820 and 1830 Brougham was the popular idol. He made good use of his power. In 1822 he supported, though in vain, a scheme of national education, and to his activity was due in great. measure the establishment of the London University, of the first Mechanics' In stitute, and of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. In 18:30, Brougham deliv ered a powerful speech against slavery, and in consequence of it was returned as a member for Yorkshire. The aristocratically disposed Whigs would have excluded him from the Reform Min istry of Earl Grey; but, in addition to enormous popularity, lie was virtually their leader in de bate in the Commons, and was indispensable. The same year. after various intrigues, he was offered the appointment of Lord Chancellor and a peerage as Baron Brougham and Vaux, which lie accepted against his interests and lions. Ile assisted materially in carrying the great measures proposed by the Liberal Minis ters. He, however, developed eccentricity, and
by arrogance and self-importance shared in the general unpopularity which afterwards attached to the Ministry. When it was dismissed by William IV. in 18:34. Brougham left office. nevor to return. After that time he held in the Upper House a position analogous to that formerly held by him in the Commons, criticising freely the conduct of successive administrations, but steadily forwarding every measure for social progress.
He is best remembered as a law reformer. in 1827. in a memorable speech which occupied six hours in delivery, he enumerated the defects in nearly every brand] of English law, and made proposals for dealing with law reform on a proper scale. Among the measures proposed were hills for the codification of the criminal law, for the establishment in England of a sys tem of public prosecutors, and for the giving of compensation to parties acquitted. Lord Brougham's acts and hills touching on law re form, as well as those regarding the slave trade, education, and other public questions, were col lected and published by Sir J. E. Eardly Wilmot (London, 3857). The volume forms a fitting monument to the activity, perseverance, and public spirit of the man.
As an orator and parliamentary debater, among his contemporaries he was inferior only to Canning. His speeches. however, had too large an admixture of exciting elements; argu ment was mingled with fiery declamation; ridi cule, sarcasm, invective, were freely used; and these he employed with a vehemence and energy that at times carried him beyond bounds. He possessed the power of ready, rapid. and forcible diction. Brougham also won repute in other fields. Ile cultivated the mathematical and physi cal sciences, and ventured upon the domain of metaphysics, and even of theology. His miscel laneous writings upon an incredible variety of subjects served the purposes of the moment, and display great powers of rapid comprehension and nervous, clear exposition, but contain few new truths in politics or morals, an I no original dis coveries in science. Brougham acquired the honors due to men of letters. and was succes sively made lord rector of Glasgow University. president of University College, London, mem ber of the Institute of France, chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, and lastly, D.C.L. of Oxford.
During and subsequent to his Chancellorship, his public appearances in a little carriage spe daily built for him excited curiosity. This vehicle became associated with his name, and was the forerunner of the modern 'brougham.' When not engaged in Parliament, Lord Brough am resided chiefly at Cannes, in the south of France. The growth and prosperity of this sea side resort is mainly due to Brougham. and he is kept in remembrance by a monument erected by the grateful inhabitants. He died there, May 7, 1S6S. He left a memoir of his Life and Times, 3 vols. (New York, 1871). Written in his old age, it contains exaggerated statements; while the partisan tone of his biographers is also unreliable. See his Works (11 vols., 1855-62), and consult Campbell, Lires of Lord Lyndhurst and Lord Brougham (London, 18(i9).