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 RUSSELL principle" in the construction of ships, and Brunei adopted it in the Great Western and in the monster ship Great Eastern, the latter constructed under Mr. Russell's superinten- dence; and he read in 1857 a paper before the British association on the " Mechanical Struc- ture of the Great Ship." After being manager of a ship-building yard in Greenock for several years, he settled in London in 1844, where he has been extensively engaged in building large steamers. His principal works include " The Modern System of Naval Architecture for Commerce and War " (London, 1864), and " Systematic and Technical Education for the English People" (1869). He has also been engaged in efforts f6r the improvement of the working classes. RUSSELL, William, lord, an English states- man, second son of William, fifth earl of Bed- ford, born Sept. 29, 1039, beheaded July 21, H583. He studied at Cambridge, travelled on the continent, and was elected to parliament for Tavistock in 1660, but for the next 12 years was a silent and inactive member. In 1669 he married Lady Vaughan, a widow, and daughter of the earl of Southampton, first lord treasurer to Charles II. In 1673 he ranged himself with the Protestant or "country par- ty," of which he was one of the leaders till his death, coming forward in opposition to the attempts of the king and his partisans to destroy English freedom through the aid of Franco. On the death of his elder brother, at the beginning of 1678, he became Lord Russell, and heir apparent to the earldom of Bedford. On March 14 of that year he seconded the mo- tion to declare war against France, and spoke in support of it. In November ho was cho- sen to move in the house of commons that the duke of York should bo removed from the king's presence and councils. He was one of the chief actors in the impeachment of the lord treasurer Danby, but afterward admitted that he was mistaken in the part he took against that statesman. When the new council pro- posed by Sir William Temple was formed, Lord Russell was appointed one of the 80 members. He was not at first in favor of excluding the duke of York from the succession, but finally supported the measure. He left the council at the beginning of 1680. On Oct. 26 he spoke in favor of measures against " popery, and to prevent a popish successor " to the crown ; and a week later he seconded Col. Titus's motion to disable the duke of York from becoming king of England. His influence in the house of commons was one of the causes of the pas- sage of the exclusion bill through that body ; but it was thrown out by the peers. When tho reaction against the whigs took place, the government of Charles II. resolved to destroy their leaders, proceeding to do so according to the forms of law. Lord Russell knew that his life was in danger, but he would not fly. He was arrested on the charge of being con- cerned in the Rye House plot, said to have been formed by Rumbold and others, for an attack on the king and the duke of York. When he was taken before the council, the king told him that nobody suspected him of any design against his person, but that he had good evi- dence of his being in designs against his gov- ernment. After the examination was over, Lord Russell was committed to the tower. From that moment he began to prepare for death, as if he were already under sentence. The trial took place at the Old Bailey, July 18, 1683. The charge was "for conspiring the death of the king, and consulting and agreeing to stir up insurrection; and to that end to seize the guards [appointed] for the preserva- tion _of the king's person." The case for the government was conducted by Sir Robert Saw- yer, attorney general, Heneage Finch, solicitor general, and Jeffreys. No counsel was then allowed to the accused, except on points of law, but Lady Russell was permitted to assist her husband in writing, " to help his memory." The jury was formed in violation of law, and it is certain that he was not guilty of the crime of which he was accused according to a proper construction of the act of 25 Edward III. ; so that the act of 1 William und Mary, reversing his attainder, declared that ho " was, by undue and illegal return of jurors, having been re- fused his lawful challenge to tho said jurors for want of freehold, and by partial and unjust constructions of law, wrongfully convicted, attainted, and executed for high treason." The extent of Lord Russell's error was, that he had engaged in "some discourses about making some stirs," such as were common enough with the whigs after it had become evi- dent that the king had resolved to govern con- trary to law; this was all that was sworn against him, and this was not treason. Lord Russell made a short but strong speech to the court and jury ; but the former charged against him, and the latter found him guilty. When brought up to receive sentence, on July 14, Lord Russell pointed out that judgment ought not to pass upon him for conspiring the death of the king, of which there was no proof by any one witness, all the witnesses having sworn a conspiracy to levy war, but no intention of killing the king. He was answered that it was an exception proper to be made before the verdict, but that the court was now bound by the verdict, as well as the prisoner ; and sen- tence of death was passed upon him. Great efforts were made to save his life, but the king seems to have been impressed with the belief that he could not with safety to his own life spare that of Lord Russell. To please his friends, and because of his wife's distress, Russell petitioned the king and the duke of York to spare him, on condition of his living abroad, and taking no part in English affairs ; but he never supposed his petition would be favorably received. He was attended by Bur- net and Tillotson, but could not be brought to subscribe to their servile doctrine on the right