THE managing director of the Weekly Mail is a son of John
Cameron, newspaper proprietor, of Glasgow and Dublin, and was born in the latter
city in 1841. He was educated at Madras College, St. Andrews, and Trinity
College, Dublin, where he was First Senior Moderator and Gold Medallist in 1862.
In the same year he graduated M.B. and C.M., being First Place-man in both
instances, and he continued his medical education at the great schools of Paris,
Berlin, and Vienna.
In 1864, however, he settled to newspaper work, in the
editorial chair of the North British Daily Mail. This he continued till 1874,
when he was elected M.P. for Glasgow. He represented the city from 1874 to 1885,
the College Division from 1885 to 1895, and Bridgeton Division from 1897 to
1900. In the House of Commons he was an active member. Among many other labours,
he carried through the resolution which led to the adoption of sixpenny
telegrams; he brought in and secured the passing of the Inebriates Acts, as well
as the Acts abolishing imprisonment for debt in Scotland, and those conferring
the municipal franchise on women. He also secured various reforms in the
Scottish Liquor Laws. He was Chairman of the Departmental Committee on Transit
of Cattle Coastwise in 1893, and of the Departmental Committee on Habitual
Offenders (Scotland), 1894, and he was a member of the Royal Commission on the
Liquor Licensing Laws in 1895. At the same time he has been the author of a
number of notable pamphlets on medical, social, and political subjects. In 1893
his long journalistic and parliamentary services were recognised with the honour
of a baronetcy.
Sir Charles has been twice married: first in 1869 to Frances Caroline, daughter
of William Macaulay, M.D., who died in 1899, and secondly to Blanche, daughter
of the late Arthur Perman. He resides at Glenridge, Virginia Water, and finds
active recreation in motoring, riding, and travel.
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Index of Glasgow Men (1909)