The New York herald., 1872-11-24
o B IT U A r Y.



mont, Devon, died on Friday, the I'D instant, in
the eighteth year OF his age.
John Bowring was descended from q very dis
tnguished family. He was son OF the late Charles
BOwrIng, Esq, OF Larkbear, near Exeter, who died
April 4, 1885. His mother was Sarah, daughter of
the Rev. 7. Lane, OF st. Ives, Cornwall, who was
descended from the famous lawyer, Sir John May
nard, and through him from William of Wykeham,
the munlGcent founder OF the two Colleges OF st.
Mary ut Winchester and New college at oxford.
His family Is of Saxon origin and Of great antiquity
in Devonshire, In which county the Bowrings
nave been seated for many centuries. Members Of
the family are mentioned in the ancient records OF
the county as occupying important positions as ia r
back as the reign OF Henry w.. and even to an
earlier date. Among them John Bouring otherwise
Bowryng) filled the office Of Rector Of the well
known Collegiate church OF Slapton, near Kings
bridge, in the year l4lO. The former seat OF the
family in the neighborhood OF Kngsbridge still re-
tains Its ancient name OF Bowrngsleigh but passed
into other hands several centuries ago. One OF Sir
]. BOwring's ancestors, however, we learn from a
pnDlication OF his own, reprint OF winch forms
part OF the Harlelan miscellany shared the captivi-
ty Charles l. mt CarisDrooke Castle, and received
from that sovereign patent Of baronetcy. which,
unfortunately, was eaten by the rats and mice In
chamber where it was placed Tor safety during the
great rebeliion." There is halipenny coined in
the reign OF Charles II. by John BOwr OF Chun-
leigh bearing the insignia OF w0ol-combing. The
family tor several generations were largely en-
gagged in the staple wOolicn trade at Exeter; and
the grandfather OF sir John BOwrlng, merchant
OF that city, was the intimate friend OF John Adams
President OF the United States.
Sir I0hn BOWrlng was born at Exeter on
the 17th Of October, 1892, and was educated
at Moreton Hampstead, in his native coun-
try. His family being attached to the anti
Episcopal and anti-Stute Church party, he was
not sent to any OF the pnblic schools Os uni
yersities SO intimately connected with the estab-
lshed faith At an carly age ne was placed by his
parents ID y large commercial house IN Exeter, by
the partners of which ne was sent to Spain in 1872
In charge OF very large conslgnments Tor the use
ing retired from commercial affairs in
1873, and devoted much Of his spare time
TO the study OF the principles OF political
economy, he travelled through the various coun-
tries of Europe for the purpose OF observing the
mercial systems, and published accounts OF his re-
searches rom time to time In various newspapers
fully the languages of the countries which he
visited, and made the songs and poetry OF more
than one European nation popular 10y the means OF
translations into the English tongue. warm and
enthusiastic admirer and q Jealous pupil OF the
late Jeremy Bentham, Mr.. Bowring became under
the editor OF, the West0siaster Rertep,
which he conducted with great ability
a1s and , success making It the organ no Of
toryism may have been partially deIunc the Old re-
strictions OF the Corn laws fettered the CONNER
cial enterprise OF Britain Aided by the pens OF Mr.
Grote, Mr.. Fonbanque Mr. w. J. Fox, Mr.. MILL Mr.
J. $. MILL MI. Roebuck and other powerful writer's
MI BOWflng was enabled through the pages OF tnat
periodical TO enlighten the thinking portion OF the
English nation as to the practical results OF the re-
strlctlve system 10 commerce, ands may be said to
have contributed as largely as any other individual
to the great trade change which was inaugurated
by Sir Robert Peelin 1860.
So far back as 1925, on the recommendation OF the
late Lord Ashburt6n and the Parliamentary Finance
Committee, Mr.. Bowring Was sent by the late
Right Hon. J. G. Herries, the Chancellor OF the
Holland and In 1851 visited France, in company
with Lord Clarendon, as commercial commits
sOner. Though not successful TO the extent that
had been hoped, they obtained some liberal modi-
fcatiOns OF the tarlif-the first concessions made
by the French government. In 1882 MIR. Bow ing
was appointed Secretary to the Commission
for the Reform OF Public Accounts, OF which
the late Sir Fl. Parne afterwards Lord Congeton)
was chairman He visited and examined in the
closest detail the comptabllite OF the French gov
ernment, and presented two reports which form
the groundwork OF the present improved sys-
TEN in England. In conjunction with Sir ID.
Parnell he wrote the reports on the ex-
chequer, and prepared those resolutions which
nc accOuntancy in Great Britain and the colonies.
Mr.. Bowring also presented reports on the public
missions mentioned above, which have become
the information OF Parliament elaborate reports OF
his commercial missions undertaken at various
times to Egypt syria, Lombardy. Tuscany, Rome
and Switzerland.
on two occasions he visited Belgium with view
to the modification OF the commercial system of
that country, and he represented Great Britain at
the meeting of the ZOllveren at Berlin in 1888; and
there is reason TO believe that his communications
ence In bringing about that change in England's
commercial system which has been proved so ex-
also wrote the greater part OF the report OF Mr..
Joseph Hume's Committee on the Import Duties-a |
report which has been translated into all the Euro.
pean languages and circulated to the extent OF
several hundred thousand COPIES
THE TREATY OF SIAM,
peaceably negotiated by Sir j. Bowrng, in 1855,
after the repeated failures OF former British Pleni-
pouentiaries, is already showing itself by realized
results one Of the most satisfactory that has ever
created by that treaty Is already showing large
and progressive increase
UNIVERSITY HoNoRs.
Sir J. Bowring received in 1923 the degree OF
LID. from the University of Gronngen; he was
q very large number OF works on foreign Ian
gnages and literature, politics, political economy
ss '.sass., N tSsiI.sssT y =:
He was member of Parliament for Kllmarn0ck,
&c, from 1885 TO 1887, when ne was an unsuccess.
when he accepted the Chiitern Hundreds on being
appointed
BRITISH CONSUL AT CANTON.
In the latter part OF 1853 he promoted to the
post of superintendent Of Trade in China and Plen
poientlary to that empire, and in 1884 was ap
pointed Governor OF Hong Kong, when he received
the honor Of knighthood.
Sir John Bowrngs
ADMINISTRATION IN CHINA
has been severely canyassed, and formed the sub
stance of long discussion in Parliament In Fcbru
ary 1857, which resulted IN practical vote
TO the Arrow, in the shape OF defeat of
Lord Pamerston's government by combination
OF political parties. Lord Palmerston, however,
appealed from the House OF Commons to the peo-
pie who reversed that decision by the results OF
the general election in that year, whicn gave
the Cabinet Minister majority OF some SIXTY
or seventy supporters. The Chinese govern
ment,' from the very first, had shown every
disposition to recede from the terms OF the
English treaty formed with them by the late
Sir IL. Pottinger, in 1912, and steadily refused
to give Sir J. Bowrinc an Official reception as Her
PleutDO-
teHtiary TO take strong measures which were fuly.
endorsed by Lord Eigin, who was sent out IN 1857
special MISSION TO the Court OF Pekn-thus
reaplnG the harvest OF which Sir ]. Bowring had
sown the seeds and throwing open to British CON-
merce and enterprise the trade rot only OF China,
Dut also japan.
THE PRESS.
Since his return to England In August, 1850, Sir
]. Bowrng has gwen 10 the world, through the
pages OF once Week, q faithful narrative Of the
wreck OF the Alma where he was himself one Of