The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-14
net news from Wheatland or John Barney, we
have wide margin to spare for the lobby.


The New British MIN lister.
Our well informed London correspondent states
that Mr.. Villers has declined the post Of British
Minister to Washington in consequence of the
difficulties which were limited at in former arti-
Gle in the HERALD, and that the next best man for
the post is thought to be Lord Elgin, late Cover
nor General of Canada.
Such an appointment weu)d be very popular
in this country. Lord Elgm he's been two or
three times here, and once or twice at Portland
and has always shown remarkable good sense for
history is very brief and matter of fact
Brought up as barrister, he practised in Edin-
burg till the sudden death OF relative placed
him in possession of the Scotch title of Earl of
ElGA- with an estate worth about s5Oe year
less than nothing. His ancestor, the Elgin of the
Marbles, notwithstanding his propensity to steal,
had been honest enough to ruin himsef in the
purchase of rare antiques; SO the present Earl
found himself none the better, but in fact cOnsi
derably the worse for the Earldom. In the hope
of something turning up he went into Parlia-
ment, as a follower of Sir Robert Peel that
is to say moderate conservative" and
made no particular figure till he was
sent to Jamaica as Governor. It was in
that distracted colony that Lord Elgin
developed his rare talents and administrative
capacity. He restored order where all had been
chaos before him; by proper mixture of concili-
alton and frmness, he persuaded the colonists to
renounce their various turbulent schemes; and
when he left the island he was followed by the
regrets OF all its citizens Removed from ia
maica to Canada, at time when it seemed i'm.
possible to find Governor who could work with
the violently excited parties Of that hyperborean
province, Lord Elgin achieved his browning
work there. In the teeth OF an opposition as
ruthless as it was senseless, from the decayiug
rnmp OF the old tory party and the bard skulled
English merchants of the seaports, Lord Elgin in
augurated constitutional government in Canada,
long list of her colonial Governors. He was
without question, the ablest, most honest, and
best Governor the Canadians ever had.
Since he returned to Scotland, be appeared to
be of the opinion that his browning feat in
Canada was the passage of the Reciprocity treaty
with this country. Some Loose expressions of
his are quoted from some speech, amounting to a
sort of assertion that he had got the better of
our negotiators in that matter We know not
bow this is, and are inclined to think
Lord Elgin much too prudent man TO
make any such remarks; but one thing we
DO know, and that is that our government at
Washington does openly pique itself on having
outwitted Lord Elgin and the Canadians in this
same Reciprocity matter. 1t is pretty safe to as
sumo that nobody can be very badly swindled
stree both parties claim to have been the swindlers
We hope Lord Elgin may come to this country.
He is man of hard practical, common sense.
Though a Peer Of England-to which dignity he
elevated after the successful result of his adj
ministration in CaDada-he is thorough demo-
crat in his ideas and notions, and would, we're be
at Washington. be hail fellow well met in
month with with every member of Congress aud
every head of department in the country. He is,
moreover, good lawyer and shrewd diploma
tisi; were be on the ground we suspect that the in
trieues Of the Russian and French embassies
would be very rapidly brought to close and
that the course Of opinion in Washington would
not be- as it has been lately, persistenty hostile
TO England