Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-03-21
GREAT BRITAIN.
RTsIGSAFION OF LORD LYONs-sIR FREDERICK BRUCE
POINTED MINISTER TO THE UNITED STATES.
From the London Times Feb. d.


[From the London Times, Feb. %
The public will hear with great regret. that Lord
Lyons has been compelled by the state of his health
to resign the post of British Minister at Washing
ton which he has filed Eor six years with much
liability aura Judgment. No one, indeed, who knows
the nature Of the work (which he has had 90, dis
charge during the last four years of his office will
he surprised at his being compelled TO retire. The
mere physical labor which has been entailed upon
him would alone be enough TO account for the ne
cessity of his resignation, NJ Layard gave an ac
CONT the other night OF the busipess which has
been transacted during the hast three or four yesrs
at the W ashngtOn embassy, and, except upon such
authority, the amount would be almost incredible.
The correspondence OF one year hiled sixty large
toiio volumes In less than three years there were
thirteen thousand nine hundred and lorty-eight
entries Of single dispatches IN the foreign Oniee
registers and nearly all of these contained in
closures, one of them having no less than two hun
bred and three. The elOSe.snd pqltitudloIs rela-
tions of this country with America have, in fact,
been entangled and twisted in inextrieabie con.
I'm sion, and these voluminOuS letters and iGelo-
snras are probably but an inadequate represen-
tation of the iunlunerabs knots which Lord Lyons
has had to unite. Mr.. lineOins government, in
deed has il mnSt be confessed, displayed eFrdh,
ale on prndent selEc0ntrol under the various eE
cjtemgnts OF the time; VET the temper OF the Amerl-
can public has constantly been such that slght IN
discretion on our part might have made il Impossible
for ths President and his minister TO bs more mod
er ate thaIftbe people whom they represent. IL re-
heets the greatest credit on Lord Lyons that during
this critical aud dliilcpt period lac ma uniformly
snloothed the rOughnesSRS aud adjusted the difficult
tick which arose aud that Mr.. Layard could say the
other night that ''n no one INSTANCE has he not re-
.eiged the entire approval Of her maiesty's govern
mar; . The successor of Lord Lyons in this mos
meatous post will be Sir Frederick Bruce, who at
prtsentholdSthe ocS Of minister in China, bnt hap
mems opportunely to be in England. There is no
reason 20 doubt that in making this selection the gov
erament have had ample regard TO the qualifications
necessary for the office. Sir Frederick Bruce has
yreatv distinguished himself by his conduct Of our
troublesome negotiations with the conrt of Pekin;
and tbongh ne will have very different persons to
deal with In Washington, yet man Elo has been
energetic, acute apd slceessiul IN. one place Whl
probably be energetic and acute, and viii at least
deserve TO be successful, in another FeFhsPs, ~
the ,urging sea which American politicsFepresenF
az the present time, an intimate Scqualptsnre With
the recent traditions Of our ministry q tNashhg-
ton NAV be of less Importance than 1t would have
| been Otherwise. The moYemehfs are so rapid, the
Influences uncertain, that the eogFao pnrsued az
| one moment may have 20 be forgotten the next.-
| But though Sir g. Bruce has not been recently en-
ployed In any post connected with his new office,
/ he is not entirely inexperienced In american al
| fairs His first employment was when attached 10
tle late Lord Ashburton's special misSlont TO ash
5nQton in 1912, when the famous Ashburton tttHty
was negotiated. FSubse quently, torg year. hey was
4 I lent GOyeTnOT Of Newfoundland, aRd from le4I
"a ls5I lac was employed in various posts IN Soath
/ AmeriOa Pour wears after this he weht with ms
brrther, Lord Elgin. 10 China, and has since been
| eatirely employed in that country BY fortunate
Coincidence, he will arrive in AmOfics jHs ghen Mr.,
| lincoln wilfhayo entered upon his second tefm OF
aaice In will perhaps, have an oppOrtune signl-
seanee that new minister should thus DC ae-
crcdted 10 ths United States ai che cohinle nee
n,eDr of this new period in her annall wild fam
les hat little time ago possession OF the American
,;,d ,bal Pnciond ANA France Contemplated sort
of underhand recognition of the Coniederacy on
the 4th OF March, BY acknowledging Nj; Lincoln
as President oAy OF those States which lad taken
part in his election. The iDcredpoGs sHrpFiSe"hh
which this announcement o. ouT Intentions was re-
lceived on this side Of the water wOnld haYe been
shfcient 10 coRVipce the public Of most countries
Al their mistake. But the 4merie ans arc peculiar
liz hard 10 eohVj0ee against their WILL and It may
II fortunate, therefore, marked refutaticp will
/ ~ given to their dslnsiOu. Tho arrival OF new
minister accredited to the government whose al
thorily vr sill seknoEisdgs Nill be more Con