4&0
POBSTTH.
the commencement of the year 1875, it seemed probable that Mr. Porster would become the leader of the Liberal party in the House of Commons ; but in a letter dated Feb. 1, he stated that even if the choice of the party fell upon him at the "caucus" which had been summoned to meet at the Reform Club two days prior to the assem- bling of Parliament, he could not undertake the task of leading the party, " as it appeared to him clear that he should not receive that general support without which he ought not to attempt to fulfil the duties of this most difficult but honourable post." The choice of the party consequently fell on the Marquis of Hartington. Mr. Porster was elected a Pellow of the Eoyal Society in 1875. On Nov. 13, 1875, he was elected Lord Eector of the University of Aberdeen by 233 votes against 145 recorded for Lindsay ; and the same University conferred upon him the honorary degree of LL.D. in 1876. On the return of the Liberals to power, under Mr. Gladstone, in April, 1880. Mr. Porster was appointed Chief Secre- tary for Ireland, with a seat in the Cabinet. The Land Bill and coer- cive measures were passed, the Land League was suppressed, and the gaols were filled with "sus- pects," including Mr. Pamell and other leaders of the extreme party in Parliament. Some members of the Cabinet, however, were in favour of releasing the imprisoned M.P.'s, and of employing the power of the Land League to restore tran- quillity in Ireland. The result of these dissensions was that Earl Cowper (the Lord Lieutenant) and Mr. Porster resigned their offices in April, 1882. He is the author of a narrative of his visit to Ireland, published by Joseph Crosfield in 1847 ; " William Penn and T. B. Macaulay; being brief observations on the charges made in Mr. Macau- lay's History of England against the character of William Penn,"
1849; "How we tax India: a L^ ture on the Condition of In( under British Rule," 1868; a " Speech delivered after laying t memorial stone of the first sch< built by the Liverpool Sch< Board," 8vo. Lond., 1873. 1 Porster is a magistrate and depul lieutenant for tiie West Riding Yorkshire. He married, in 18J Jane Martha, eldest daughter the late Rev. Thomas Arnold, D.] head master of Rugby School.
PORSYTH, Sir Thomas Dot LAS, C.B., K.C.S.I., son of the li Thomas Porsyth, Esq., of Liverpo bom in 1827, educated at Rugby a afterwards at Haileybury, where highly distinguished himself a carried off several gold medals. ] went out to India in 1848 in t civil service of the East India Co pany, and was first appointed 1 sistant Commissioner in the Pun ji and afterwards Deputy -Comm sioner, which office he held fr< 1852 to 1856. He took an acti part in the suppression of the Indi Mutiny in 1857, while holding off at Umballa, and was in oonsequei made a C.B. He then became » retary to the Chief Commissioz of Oudh, and in 1859 Commissios and Civil Judge in the Punjab, which Sir Rol^rt Mon^omery n the Lieut.-Govemor. For a she period he held the office of Pinanci Commissioner in the Punjab. 1870 he was selected by Lord Ma^ the Qt)vemor-G«neral of India, conduct a mission to Yarkund, Eastern Turkistan^ and was thank by the (Jovemor-General for 1 services. When in 1873 it was c termined to send an envoy to t ruler of that country in order negotiate a commercial treaty, { T. D. Porsyth was asain appoint to that po«t, and after an arduo journey across the gig^tic mou tain ranges which separate Ind from Kashgar, he succeeded getting a ^eaty signed which fikely to produce important adva tages by opening up commercial i
