ROSCOE

See also:

• ROSCOE CONKLING (1829-1888)

CONKLING (1829-1888)  , American lawyer and political leader, was born in Albany, New York, on the 3oth of October 1829 . He was the son of Alfred Conkling (1789-1874), who was a representative in Congress from New York in 1821–1823, a Federal district judge in 1825–1852, and U.S. minister to Mexico in 1852–1853 . Roscoe Conkling was admitted to the bar at Utica, New York, in 1850, was appointed district-attorney of Oneida county in the same year, and soon attained success in the practice of his profession . At first a Whig, he joined the Republican party at its formation, and was a Republican representative in Congress from 1859 to 1863 . He refused to follow the financial policy of his party in 1862, and delivered a notable speech against the passage of the Legal Tender Act, which made a certain class of treasury notes receivable for all public and private debts . In this opposition he was joined by his brother, and was thanked by parliament . In 1886 the duke went to India and commanded the Bombay army until 189o, when he returned home . He commanded the southern district from 1890 to 1893, and that of Aldershot from 1893 to 1898 . On the departure of Lord Roberts for South Africa the duke succeeded him as commander-in-chief of the forces in Ireland, 9th of January 1900 . On attaining his majority in 1871 an annuity of £15,000 was granted to Prince Arthur by parliament, and in 1874 he was created duke of Connaught and Strathearn and earl of Sussex . On the 13th of March 1879 he married Princess Louise Marguerite of Prussia, third daughter of Prince Frederick Charles, and received an additional annuity of £1o,000 . The duke and duchess represented Queen Victoria at the coronation of the tsar Nicholas II. at Moscow in 1896 .

On the reorganization of the

war office and the higher commands in 1904, the duke was appointed to the new office of inspector-general to the forces, from which he retired in 1907, being then given the new post of commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean, stationed at Malta, which he held until 1909 .