The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-05-31
SIR JULIAN pAUNCEFOTE.
Something About the New British Minis
ter to the United States.

ter to the United States.
There are few more cosmopolitan
men in the British Government service
than Sir Julian Pauncefote, the newly
appointed Envoy OF the English Cow
eminent to the United States. He was
born at Munich, was educated at Paris,
Geneva and at Marlborough College,
in England; has acted as Attorney
General at Hong Kong and as Chief
Justice of the West India Islands. and
is now about to crown his erratic but
successful career by becoming the
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of Queen Victoria to
the United States. Though far from a
brilliant man, and even reputed as
somewhat slow and ponderous, yet he
has the advantage of being a particu-
larly safe man-one, In fact, who will
duly weigh the pros and cons of every
matter, even the most trivial, before
coming to a decision as TO what
particular course to pursue. If any
thing, he is too cautious, the effect,
perhaps, of legal training which
enabled him to devise code of civil
procedure for the colony of Hong Kong
and subsequently for the Leeward ISL
ands.
In 1874, after having been knighted
by the Queen, he was appointed AS
sistant Legal Under-Secretary of State
to the Colonial Department He, how
ever, did not succeed in getting on
very well with the Permanent Under
Secretary. Sir Robert Herbert, who
complained that the excessive caution
exercised by his legal assistant de-
layed business. In fact Sir Robert
used every means in MS power to shunt
Sir Julian from the Colonial Off ce.
But the Pauncefotes have considerable
staying powers, and not even the offer
of the lucrative -Justiceship of
Ceylon could induce him to forgO the
sweets of a fat Office in England.
At length, however, Sir Robert per-
suaded the Earl of Derby, at that time
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
that Sir Julian was the very man of all
others whose legal services would be
of incalculable value to the Foreign
Office. Lord Derby accordingly Of
fered the newly-created Legal Under
Secretaryship of the Foreign Office to
Sir Julian, and the department has
never had occasion to regret the bar
gain since. For, with all his little
faults of pomposity and self-consciOus-
ness, the newly-appointed Envoy to
the United States is one of the most
eminent experts of international law
now alive.
Sir Julian's favorite amusement is
fencing, and he is almost as clever
with the foils as in dealing with in
tricate questions of international law.
Although far from rich and dependent
almost entirely on his official pay, yet
he has always been renowned for his
kindly hospitality, especially to stran-
gers Sir Julian, besides being a
Knight Commander of the Bath, is also
a grand Cross of the Order of ST.
Michael and St. George. Lady Paunce-
fote was Miss Cubett by birth and is
descended from the famous Lord Mayor
of that name. She is very popular, as
is also her pretty daughter
On the whole both the new British
Minister and his family are likely to
be quite as popular at Washington as
were the Thorntons, especially if Sir
Julian can manage to lay aside little
of the pompdsity which hides a very
warm and kindly heart N. Y. World.