Born in Orford, Upper Canada, Mills served as Superintendent of Schools for Kent County (1856-65) before entering federal politics. He represented Bothwell in the House of Commons from 1867 until he was appointed to the Senate after his defeat in the general election of 1896. He was Minister of the Interior (1876-8) and Minister of Justice (1897-1902). From 1882 to 1887 he was chief editorial writer for the influential London Advertiser. He held a chair of constitutional law at the University of Toronto from 1888 until 1902 when he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. He died in Ottawa.