During the long interval which elapsed before the revival and reconstitution of the Secretary-ship in 1885, the Lord Advocate of the day was really Minister for Scotland. The technical right to control Scottish affairs in their various departments no doubt belonged to the various Ministers of the Crown; but so little was known in London about Scotland and the country was in so distrubed and backward a condition that responsibility was easily devolved upon the only man who knew or cared much about the subject.'

p. 86 - A Man of Law's Tale (1952)