'How do you know so much about everything?' was asked of a very wise and intelligent man; and the answer was 'By never being afraid or ashamed to ask questions as to anything of which I was ignorant.'

Abbott's term of service was considered below par and he was ranked #17 out of 20 (up to then). He served as Leader of the Government in the Senate from May 12 1887 to October 30 1893 (including his term as Prime Minister) and as Minister without Portfolio in Macdonald's cabinet. He began lecturing in commercial and criminal law at McGill in 1853 and in 1855 he became a professor and dean of its Faculty of Law where Sir Wilfrid Laurier future prime minister of Canada was among his students.

He served in the office for seventeen months from June 16 1891 to November 24 1892. Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott PC KCMG QC (March 12 1821 – October 30 1893) was the third Prime Minister of Canada.