Thomas Sanderson

“ At Washington, Pauncefote by his personal influence contributed materially to the solution of the various differences, some of them sufficiently acute, which arose between the two countries, and rendered invaluable service in producing a more friendly feeling towards Great Britain in the United States. His patience, urbanity, and habits of complete and impartial study of complicated details combined with his legal training greatly to assist him in dealing with American politicians and officials, most of whom were lawyers. ”

“ Elliot was in England on a short leave of absence early in 1859, and Lord Malmesbury, then foreign secretary, despatched him on a special mission to congratulate King Francis II on his accession, with instructions to hold out the expectation of the re-establishment of a permanent legation, if a more liberal and humane policy were pursued in the new reign, and also to dissuade the king from allying himself with Victor Emanuel in the war which had broken out between Piedmont and France on one side and Austria on the other. ”

“ But we thought it would not be fair to centre in one man constructive as well as diplomatic duties.' Malet aided Lord Dufferin in drawing up a scheme of reorganisation, and after Lord Dufferin's departure superintended the development of the scheme, helped actively and courageously to cope with an epidemic of cholera in July 1883, and left amidst general expressions of affection and regret on promotion to be British envoy at Brussels in September following. ”

“ In 1897 the troubles in Asia Minor were succeeded by the revolt of Crete, the despatch to the island of a Greek force, the consequent outbreak of war between Turkey and Greece, resulting in the disastrous defeat of the Greek army, the intervention of the powers to secure favourable terms of peace for the Hellenic kingdom, and the autonomy of Crete under Turkish suzerainty. ”

“ The allusion to the brief duration of French ministries was made the subject of interpellation and attack in the French chamber of deputies, and it was a striking tribute to Monson's popularity that his defence was warmly and successfully undertaken by the French government, and that the incident in no degree affected his position. He remained at Paris till the end of 1904, and had the satisfaction of seeing a general settlement of the principal questions at issue between the two countries affected by the agreements signed in London in the spring of that year (8 April 1904) . ”

“ His straightforward but considerate demeanour gained the confidence of the sultan, Abdul Hamid II, who, several years later, on the occurrence of a vacancy in the embassy, expressed a hope that Malet would leave the embassy at Berlin for Constantinople. In October 1879 he was appointed British agent and consul-general in Egypt. Three months before Tewfik Pasha had succeeded as Khedive on the abdication of his father Ismail. Malet was at once occupied with negotiation for financial and administrative reform which Ismail's reckless extravagance and mismanagement made imperative. ”

“ The publication in the American press of incitements to murder and violence, and the arrests in the United Kingdom of Irishmen, naturalised citizens of the United States, on a suspicion of crime, involved West in disagreeable correspondence between the two governments, and when some of those who had taken part in the Phoenix Park murders were traced and convicted, there were veiled threats against the British minister's life at the time of their execution. ”

“ In 1876 Servia and Montenegro declared war against Turkey, and an insurrectionary movement commenced in Bulgaria. The Turkish authorities, being insufficiently provided with regular troops, proceeded to enrol irregulars and ' Bashi-Bazuks,' who resorted at once to savage massacres, which became notorious under the term of ' the Bulgarian atrocities.' The British embassy at Constantinople and the consular officers in the vicinity were at the time much criticised for their delay in reporting these events, which first became known through the public press. ”

“ In Oct. 1895 O'Conor left China to become ambassador at St, Petersburg. In the following year he attended the coronation of the Emperor Nicholas II, who had succeeded to the throne in November 1894. He received the grand cross of St. Michael and St. George and was sworn a privy councillor in the same year. He was as popular at St. Petersburg as at his previous posts, but towards the close of his residence our relations with Russia were seriously complicated by the course taken by the Russian government in obtaining from China a lease of Port Arthur and the Liao-Tung Peninsula. ”

“ The country contained a considerable and influential Chinese population, and China could easily create trouble by raids into the frontier districts. A friendly arrangement was almost imperative. After a tedious negotiation O'Conor succeeded in concluding an agreement on 24 July 1886, making provision for the delimitation of frontiers by a joint commission, for a future convention to settle the conditions of frontier trade, and agreeing to the continuance of the decennial Burmese mission, in return for a waiver of any right of interference with British authority and rule. ”

“ British relations with Spain gave no cause for anxiety, and Wolff's natural geniality and hospitable instincts secured him a general popularity, which was unimpaired by the war between Spain and the United States, when English public opinion pronounced itself somewhat clearly on the American side. After his retirement he lived for reasons of health quietly in England. ”

“ But the resistance offered by Francis II's forces at Capua hampered Garibaldi's plans. In October a portion of the Piedmontese army under King Victor Emanuel joined the Garibaldian forces, and finally drove King Francis and his troops into Gaeta, which surrendered after a three months' siege. On 21 October a plebiscite in Sicily and Naples gave an enormous majority of votes for Italian unity under King Victor Emanuel. The formal ceremony of annexation took place at Naples on 8 Nov. Thenceforward the British legation had no raison d'etre, and Elliot left for England a few days later. ”

“ Currie was an admirable official, rapid in his work, clear in judgment, and wanting in neither courage nor decision. As a diplomatist he was somewhat lacking in power to appreciate and make allowance for the susceptibilities of those with whom he had to deal. In social life he was a warm friend, kindly, hospitable, and good-naturedly sarcastic, not universally popular but greatly liked by the majority of those with whom he was closely associated. ”

“ After some months Wolff concluded with the Turkish government in Oct. 1885 a convention providing that the two governments should each send a special commissioner to Egypt who should in concert with the Khedive reorganise the Egyptian army, examine and reform all branches of the Egyptian administration, and consider the best means for tranquillising the Soudan by pacific methods. When these ends were accomplished, the two governments would consider terms for the withdrawal of the British troops from Egypt within a convenient period. ”

“ After five years' service as permanent under-secretary, during which he was made G.C.B. in 1892, he was appointed by Lord Rosebery in December 1893 British ambassador at Constantinople, being sworn as usual a privy councillor. This post he held for four and a half years. The period of his service was one of exceptional difficulty. The continued misrule and oppression of the Christian subjects of the Porte in Asia Minor drove the Armenians into an active and widespread conspiracy of revolt, which was repressed by the authorities and the Mussulman population with savage severity. ”

“ The Russian and British delegates were often at diplomatic odds, the former being openly hostile to the separation of the newly formed province from Bulgaria and seeking to give to it a fuller freedom from Turkish sovereignty than the treaty of Berlin sanctioned. Wolff appealed to the higher Russian authorities with considerable success. ”

“ The British government declined the offer of the crown to Prince Alfred, but promised, if a suitable candidate were chosen, and if the constitutional form of government were preserved and all attempt at aggression against Turkey were abandoned, to cede the Ionian Islands. Elliot was seat back to Athens on special mission to arrange matters with the provisional government on this basis. ”

“ In July 1894 the disputes between China and Japan as to the introduction of reforms in the administration of Korea led to open war between the two countries, and O'Conor's responsibilities were heavy. The Chinese forces were routed by land and sea, and in April 1895 the veteran statesman Li-Hung-Chang concluded the treaty of Shimonoseki, by which the Liao-Tung Peninsula, the island of Formosa, and the Pescadores group were ceded to Japan, China agreeing further to pay an indemnity of 200 millions of taels. Popular excitement in China ran high during these events. ”

“ In recognition of O'Conor's arduous labours he received the honour of K.C.B. in May 1895. Meanwhile the signature of peace was followed by anti-foreign outbreaks in several provinces of China, in one of which, at Kucheng, British missionaries were massacred. The Chinese government, as usual, while ready to pay compensation and to execute a number of men arrested as having taken part in the riot, interposed every kind of obstacle to investigation of the real origin of the outbreaks and to the condign punishment of the officials who secretly instigated or connived at them. ”

“ In December 1887 he was appointed to succeed Sir John Kirk as British consul-general at Zanzibar. Here he was plunged into the various thorny discussions arising out of German annexations and claims advanced by France and other European countries to the immunities flowing from consular jurisdiction in the territories on the mainland, which had been acquired from the sultan by the British East Africa Company. ”

“ He was attached as secretary to the marquis of Northampton's special mission to invest King Alfonso XII of Spain with the garter in 1881, and in October 1882 was appointed assistant under-secretary of state by earl Granville, who succeeded Lord Salisbury as foreign secretary. In June to August 1884 Currie acted as joint protocolist to the conferences held in London on the finances of Egypt. In 1885 he received the K.C.B., and in December 1888 he was promoted permanent under-secretary of state in succession to Lord Pauncefote, who had become British envoy at Washington. ”

“ MACDONELL, Sir HUGH GUION (1832–1904) , soldier and diplomatist, was second son of Hugh MacDonell, who as British consul-general at Algiers rendered important services, and with his second wife, daughter of Admiral Ulrich, the Danish consul-general, went through a period of great personal suffering and danger during Lord Exmouth's mission and the bombardment of the town in 1816. ”

“ The measures taken by the British government for the protection of life and property in Ireland after the 'Phoenix Park murders' of 1882 caused intense excitement among sympathisers with the Fenian movement in the United States. ”

“ When the conservatives took office in February 1858, Wolff became assistant private secretary to the foreign secretary the earl of Malmesbury, and in October private secretary to the secretary for the colonies, Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton (afterwards Lord Lytton) . Having been made C.M.G. and king of arms of the order in April 1859, he was secretary to Sir Henry Storks [q. v.] , high commissioner of the Ionian Islands, from June 1859 till the transfer of the islands to Greece in June 1864. ”

“ Here his versatile energy found ample occupation in watching the progress and development of Russian policy on the northern frontier, in devising plans for harmonious action by the two powers in lieu of the traditional rivalry between their legations, in promoting schemes for the development of British commercial enterprise, and in encouraging the Persian government in efforts for administrative and financial reform. ”

“ Malet rendered Layard substantial assistance until February 1879, when the ambassador was compelled to take leave of absence, and Malet, who assumed charge, was largely instrumental in procuring the acceptance by the Turkish government of various arrangements necessitated by the provisions of the treaty of Berlin — among others those for the occupation of Bosnia by Austria-Hungary and the policing of Eastern Roumelia after the withdrawal of the Russian troops. ”

“ Monson was selected for the newly created post of consul-general at Buda-Pesth, the diplomatic nature of the appointment being subsequently emphasised by the additional rank of second secretary to the embassy at Vienna. In February 1876, when it grew evident that Servia and Montenegro were in danger of being driven into active hostilities against Turkey in aid of the insurgents in Servia and Herzagovina, it was deemed prudent to have a British representative at the Hontenegrin capital, and Monson was sent on a special mission to Cettigne. ”

“ Nevertheless, and in spite of the protests of the British government, the United States government passed in Aug. 1912 a law allowing free passage through the canal to American coasting vessels.
Growing years, the climate of Washington, the constant strain of work, and sedentary habits had by 1901 seriously impaired Pauncefote's naturally vigorous constitution, and he died at Washington, of a prolonged attack of gout, on 24 May 1902. He had been made Hon. LL.D. of Harvard and Columbia Universities in 1900. His death called forth unprecedented expressions of public regret in the United States ”