Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/796

790 MACKENZIE confinement. A council of officers was called, which, after a careful investigation, decided that the conspiracy had already attained a for- midable growth ; and as the mutinous spirit evidently increased, even while the investi- gation was in progress, the immediate execu- tion of the three persons principally implicated was recommended. This recommendation was carried into effect at sea, Dec. 1, 1842. The Somers soon afterward arrived in New York, when a court of inquiry was immediately or- dered to investigate the affair. The result was a full approval of the conduct of Mackenzie. Subsequently a court martial was held upon him at -his own request, and the trial resulted in his acquittal. He was ordnance officer at the siege of Yera Cruz, and commanded a division of artillery, detached from the fleet, on the storming of Tabasco in 1847. He pub- lished " A Year in Spain " (2 vols., 1829 ; en- larged ed., 3 vols., 1836) ; " Popular Essays on Naval Subjects " (2 vols., 1833) ; "The Amer- ican in England " (2 vols., 1835) ; " Spain Re- visited " (2 vols., 1836); "Life of John Paul Jones" (2 vols., 1841); "Life of Oliver H. Perry " (2 vols., 1841) ; and " Life tf Stephen Decatur " (1846). He also left in manuscript a journal of a tour in Ireland. MACKENZIE, Henry, a Scottish author, born in Edinburgh in August, 1745, died there, Jan. 14, 1831. He was educated at the university of Edinburgh, studied law there and in Lon- don, and became attorney for the crown in Edinburgh. His novel " The Man of Feeling " yas published anonymously in 1771. Its pop- ularity induced a Mr. Eccles of Bath to lay claim to the authorship, and to support his pretensions by a copy transcribed in his own hand, with interlineations and corrections. It became necessary, therefore, for Mackenzie to acknowledge himself the author. His second novel, "The Man of the World" (1783), was followed by "Julia de RoubigneV' He was the editor of the "Mirror," which appeared once a week for 17 months from January, 1779, and contributed to it 42 papers; and of the " Lounger," which continued for about two years from February, 1785, to which he fur- nished 57 papers. Among these are his " Story of La Roche " and a kindly criticism of the poems of Burns. For the highland society he wrote a " Report on the Ossianic Controversy," against the genuineness of the poems. He was likewise the author of political tracts in the tory interest, and in 1804 received the appoint- ment of comptroller of taxes for Scotland. His collected works (8 vols., 1808) contain three tragedies, two of which had been performed. MACKENZIE, Robert Shelton, an American jour- nilist, born at Drew's Court, county Limerick, h- eland, June 22, 1809. He was educated at Fermoy, and at the age of 13 was apprenticed to a surgeon apothecary in Cork. After pass- ing his medical examination he opened a school in Fermoy, and in 1829 he became the editor of a country journal published in Stafford- shire, England. In 1845 he became editor of a railway journal in London. In 1852 he ar- rived in New York, and in 1857 became lit- erary and foreign editor of the " Philadelphia Press," a post which he still holds (1874). He wrote a considerable part of "The Georgian Era," a collection of biographies (4 vols., Lon- don, 1832-'4), and has published "Lays of Pal- estine " (1829) ; " Titian," an art novel, the scene of which is laid in Venice (1843) ; a treatise on " Partnership en Commandite " (1847) ; " Morn- ings at Matlock" (3 vols., 1850), a collection of fugitive magazine pieces ; Sheil's " Sketches of the Irish Bar " (New York, 1854), with me- moirs and notes ; an edition of the " Noctes Ambrosianse," with sketches of the principal contributors and numerous notes (5 vols. 12mo, New York, 1854) ; " Bits of Blarney " (1855) ; an edition of Curran's life by his son (1855); one of Dr. William Maginn's writings (5 vols., 1855-'7) ; " Tressilian and his Friends " (1859) ; an edition of the "Memoirs of Robert Hou- din" (Philadelphia, 1859); "Life of Charles Dickens" (1870); and "Sir Walter Scott: the Story of his Life " (Boston, 1871). MACKENZIE, William Lyon, a Canadian poli- tician, born in Dundee, Scotland, March 12, 1795, died in Toronto, Canada, Aug. 28, 1861. He received a good English education, and com- menced business at the age of 17 by keeping a circulating library in Ayleth, near his native town. Subsequently he went to England, and became a clerk in the employment of Lord Lonsdale. In 1820 he emigrated to Canada, and was made superintendent of the works of the Lachine canal, and afterward opened a drug and book store in Toronto. He entered political life about 1824, and from that time till 1833 edited the "Colonial Advocate," an opposition journal published at Niagara. In 1828 he was returned to the provincial par- liament; but, for alleged libel upon the as- sembly, was expelled five times, only to be as often reflected, until the government at last refused to issue another writ of election. In 1832 he went to England with a petition of grievances from the reformers of Canada. In 1836 he was the first mayor of Toronto ; and in 1837 he abandoned his journal, " The Con- stitution," started some time previously, and, believing the provinces ripe for revolt, appeared on Yonge street, near Toronto, at the head of an armed force, and demanded of the lieuten- ant governor, Sir F. B. Head, a settlement of all provincial difficulties by a convention, which demand was not acceded to. He now deter- mined to march on the city, secure a quantity of arms stored there, arrest the governor and the members of his cabinet, and declare Canada a republic; but the government was soon in the field with a superior hostile force. An en- counter took place at Montgomery's hill, about 4 m. from the city, Dec. 7, 1837, when, after some skirmishing in which several lives were lost, the insurgents fled, and took up a position on Navy island in the Niagara river ; whence