GIBSON, THolfes MJLNEB- (1806-84). An English statesman. The only son of Major Mil ner-Gibson, he was born at Port of Spain, Trini dad, West Indies, September 3, 1806. He was first educated at Dr. Cogan's Unitarian School, Walthamstow, where Benjamin Disraeli was his classmate. He entered at the Charterhouse School in 1819, and in 1830 proceeded B.A. at Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1837 he entered Parliament as Conservative member for Ipswich, but became a Liberal, and resigned two years later. He assumed the surname of Milner-Gib son by royal license in 1839. After unsuccessful attempts to reenter Parliament, he was returned for Manchester in 1841. In 1846 Lord John Rus sell made him Privy Councilor and vice-presi dent of the Board of Trade. As president of the Association for the Repeal of the Taxes on Knowledge, his crusade against the excise on paper, the advertisement duty, and the newspaper stamp duty, resulted in the repeal of these taxes in 1861, and Milner-Gibson was the recipient of a public testimonial. At the outbreak of the
Crimean War he identified himself with the `Peace Party' of Cobden and Bright. His views were distasteful to his constituency, and he was unseated in 1857; but the same year was re turned for Ashton-under-Lyne, which he repre sented till 1868, when his defeat at the general election led to his retirement from political life with a pension of f2000. From 1859 to 1866 he was president of the Poor-Law Board, and presi dent of the Board of Trade with Cabinet rank. He was a justice of the peace and deputy lieu tenant for Suffolk. and after his retirement was one of the most diligent of the Public Works Loan Commissioners. He was an enthusiastic yachtsman, senior member of the Royal Yacht Squadron, and an elder brother of the Trinity House. He died on board his yacht at Algiers, February 25, 1884.