THE COUNTESS OF ELGIN AND KINCARDINE—THE QUEEN'S MESSAGE OF MONDAY LAST. (Hansard, 13 June 1864)

§ EARL GRANVILLE
My Lords, in accordance with the Notice hate given, have to ask your Lordships' concurrence to the Message which has just been read; and have little doubt that your Lordships' sense of justice will induce you to cordially acquiesce in the course which propose. I think, at the same time, it would not be respectful to your lordships if did not make a short-statement-as to the necessity of the case and the circumstances which from the ground of a debt of gratitude from this country to the late Lord Elgin. Your Lordships are all aware that Lord, Elgin's name was especially dear to the, northern portion of this island. Lord Elgin distinguished; himself at Eton, and he subsequently achieved the highest distinctions at the University. It is a remarkable fact that of those who were his, contemporaries, and with whom he associated at the University, there were: six persons to whom the country looked up as likely for a long period to take a prominent part in the legislative and administrative affairs of the country. Of those five friends of his, only one now remains, in perfect health and strength, and able to discharge public duties. Sidney Herbert, afterwards Lord Herbert, is no more, Your Lordships on both sides of the House, without reference to party, the other day expressed your feelings of regret that the Duke of Newcastle is in that state; of health which gives little hope that he can ever again take an active part in administering the public business of the country. With regard to these two, it would be difficult to say that their labours, administrative and Parliamentary, and the courageous way in which they remained in harness to the last moment after their health had been attacked, may not have contributed to the injury of their constitutions. But of one thing we may feel perfectly certain that with regard to the three 1608 contemporaries who succeeded each other m the government of India, in consequence of the responsibilities of the responsibilities of their high office, and the discharge of their arduous duties in a climate of so unhealthy a character, they fell in the public service as much as Sir John Moore, at Corunna and Nelson at Trafalgar. After leaving the University, Lord Elgin took, his seat in the other House of Parliament, and made one good speech on a question pf considerable importance. Almost immediately afterwards his father died, and he was condemned by our Constitution to that anomalous position in which Scotch Peers who do not obtain a majority of the votes of their brethren are debarred from taking any part in the work of either House of Parliament. Lord Elgin was shortly afterwards appointed, to the office of Governor of Jamaica, and believe he was the youngest governor who ever left these shores. He carried on and consolidated the work which Lord Metcalfe projected and bad partly parried put. For four years he remained there, and for the succeeding eight years he was Governor general of the important colony of Canada; and now that all party feeling is abated, I may, say that by the maintenance of strictly constitutional principles in that colony, in the opinion of those best acquainted with the subject, he did, much, to preserve the loyalty of the people and their attachment to the Crown of this country. I may mention that during his tenure of office in Canada he was appointed to negotiate a most important treaty, with the United States of America. On his return to this country he was sent to China to conduct negotiations which, it must be obvious to your Lordships, were, of a most difficult character. He successfully negotiated the the Treaty of Tien-tsin. On coming back he joined the Government, in which he filled the office of Postmaster General, But in consequence of difficulties, having arisen through the Emperor of China refusing to ratify the Treaty of, Tien-tsin, Lord Elgin was requested to go out again to China; and your Lordships will remember the successful manner in which he conducted the subsequent negotiations. He thought he was fully rewarded by the opportunity afforded him of showing his disinterestedness when he was met by information of the rebellion in India, and took upon himself the responsibility of assenting to Lord Canning's request for the diversion of the troops placed under his orders, for the war. in China, and sending them to assist in quelling the Indian mutiny. 1609 At the same time, Lord Elgin himself proceeded to Calcutta, and we may imagine the feelings that arose in his breast when he Found that one of the few faces which were unblanched with fear was that of his early college friend, tile late distinguished Governor General of India. After that he proceeded to China, having given Lord Canning all the assistance in his power. He was again perfectly successful in China. At the same he had an opportunity of going to Japan, and there making a most important treaty of commerce. On his return to this country, he again joined the Government; but on the death of Lord Canning, he was sent out to fill that most important office, the Governor Generalship of India. My Lords, it has been said that Lord Elgin went out hot Without some anticipation that he should not return to this country; but am informed, on good authority, founded on the statement of his medical adviser, that his health was perfectly sound when he went there. He went out, and I believe he deserved all the credit bestowed upon him for the judgment with which be conducted affairs until he was struck down by the effects of the fatal climate; and after passing through the most expensive part of his career, he was thus without the means of saving money. This, it is expected, a Governor General will generally be able to do, and a larger salary is given them for that purpose. But am sure your Lordships will feel that one who lived in honourable exile from his country on very small means for the support of himself and his family is justly entitled to some recognition on the part of the nation. It is proposed that, in addition to an annual grant of £1,000 to be found by the Indian Government out of the Indian revenue, another £1,000 be paid annually to Lady Elgin out of the Consolidated Fund. I cannot help thinking that your Lordships will cheerfully concur in the Vote I have the honour to propose, not only from your generous feelings, but also from a perfect sense of justice. The noble Earl concluded with his Motion.

§ THE EARL OF ELLENBOROUGH
My Lords, although cordially concur in everything which has fallen from the noble Earl, which must, am sure, have had the full assent of the House; still hope to be permitted to say a few words in favour of the Motion. I only knew Lord Elgin as a public man. I had occasion to see him before his first and second missions to China, and was with him for some time before he proceeded to India, and from the first moment that became acquainted with his public sentiments he acquired my most entire confidence, which he continued to deserve and retain. Lord Elgin's first mission to China was of a most delicate and unusual character, for he had, in conjunction with the envoy of the French Government, to direct the proceedings of the joint forces—military and naval—of the two Powers. The two nations did not stand in exactly the game position in regard to divers matters in China, and Lord Elgin and the French Envoy had different interests to support; but it was to the credit of Lord Elgin that, during the time over which the proceedings lasted, no one point of dispute arose between the two nations, or between the armies of the two nations, and the result was that the operations which he conducted in China were brought to a happy conclusion to the most entire satisfaction of the Government of this country. That having been the ease, Lord Elgin returned to England naturally desirous, after his twelve years of service, to have some rest at home, having passed almost the whole public part of his life abroad in the discharge of great public duties. But difficulties arose with the Chinese Government as to the performance of their obligations under the treaty. A great naval disaster occurred at the mouth of the Peiho, and it was thought right by Her Majesty's Government—and I believe they were perfectly justified in so thinking —to request Lord Elgin again to proceed to the scene of Iris former labours. said at that time, and now repeat, that do not recollect any occasion on which any public servant has been called upon to make so great a sacrifice as was then required of Lord Elgin. Not only had he to forego all the rest and comfort of home to which a man is justly entitled after a 1611 long period of public service, tout he was asked to encounter the risk of losing that great reputation which he had already acquired; in again engaging hi somewhat similar, but much greater, Operations against an enemy, with a very much larger force, and on a coast on which it was exceedingly doubtful whether a landing could safely he effected, and in a country where it was equally doubtful whether operations could be successfully carried on, and under circumstances in which the great abject was to get to the capital of China for the purpose of there securing a permanent and honourable peace. These were the great objects in view, but the difficulties were very great indeed; but these difficulties Lord Elgin surmounted. I know that many persons in this country, looking from a great distance at the operations in China, and seeing that they are conducted with almost uniform success, imagine that that success is obtained with great facility. There cannot be a greater fallacy. Depend upon it that no great public result is ever obtained by small efforts or without the exercise of more than ordinary talents. It is said that fortune is very capricious, but fortune, although not always faithful, generally shows a decided partiality to those who most deserve her favour. When Lord Elgin proceeded to India as Governor General, viewed his appointment with the most entire satisfaction. Able, prudent, resolute, unimpassioned, he appeared of all men to be the best qualified to act in the true spirit of Her Majesty's wise and beneficent proclamation to the people of India; to calm the animosities between the native and English races by impartial justice, and- to make both races forget the past in their common Advance to an amount hitherto unknown of material prosperity obtained by enlightened legislation. Unfortunately it did not seem good to Providence that Lord Elgin should be permitted to complete that great work of reconciliation, without which there is no permanent security for our dominion in India. After a very short illness—full of honour but not full of years—he terminated a life in which there had been no rest, which had been entirely devoted in every part of the world to the performance of great and arduous public duties. My Lords, we may express, as we feel, great grief for the loss we have sustained, added as it has been to the loss Of so many other considerable men connected with the service of India, whose counsels we had reason to hope that we 1612 might for many years have enjoyed; we acknowledge his merits, and it only remains for us to make such provision, as far as we can, for his noble widow—thai anxiety for the future may not increase the poignancy of the grief with which she must ever look back upon the memory of the glorious and happy past.

§ THE EARL OF DERBY
My Lords, although it is not my intention to detain your Lordship, by entering into any detail of the eminent services of Lord Elgin, which have been dwelt on most properly by the Lord President of the Council and by the noble Earl near me, I cannot deny myself the gratification at least of paying to his memory, in a very few words, the high tribute of public respect and personal regard which is due to so eminent a public servant. My official connection with Lord Elgin began at the very commencement of his official career. Since the time when he quitted Jamaica had no official communication with him; but, at the same time, knowing how admirably he had discharged his duties there, watched his subsequent career with unflagging interest; and have upon every occasion been happy to say, that that career has been distinguished by a combination of qualities most rarely met with in the same individual—the qualities of great decision, of great firmness, at the same time of great caution and great conciliation. Above all, Lord Elgin on every occasion showed us, as has been already said by the noble Earl, the, most admirable and entire disinterestedness, and the most absolute abnegation of self. His whole heart was in his work, and in his country's service. He considered' no personal sacrifice for a moment in competition with the great objects which he had to effect, and the great work in which he was engaged. It was impossible, upon an occasion of this kind, not to advert, as the noble Earl has done, to the mysterious dispensation of Providence by which, within the course of a very few years, the country has been deprived of the services of so many of those who had already attained to high political distinction, but who might naturally have looked forward to obtain still higher distinction, and whom the country might have expected to see adding to the services which they had performed and to the honours to which they had already attained. My Lords, the hopes which we might reasonably have entertained have in too many cases been destroyed, hut am convinced that the country will not forget the 1613 services of such men; and am sure that with the names of Dalhousie, of Canning, of Herbert and of Cornewall Lewis—I hope I may not have to add another name to the too long list of the honourable and distinguished men who have within a few years perished in the service of the State—that of Elgin will be honourably associated in the universal tribute which the country will pay to their meritorious services, and the deep regret which all must feel at the untimely disappearance of Bach men from among us. My Lords, need not add that cordially concur in the Motion of the noble Earl.
Address Ordered, Nemine Dissentiente, to be presented to Her Majesty, to return Her Majesty the thanks of this House for Her Majesty's most gracious Message informing this House, That Her Majesty, taking into consideration the distinguished Services performed throughout a long Series of Yars by the late James, Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, Her Majesty's Viceroy and Governor General of India, is desirous, in recognition of such Services, to confer some signal mark of Her Favour upon his Widow. Mary Louisa, Countess of Elgin and Kincardine;" and to assure Her Majesty that this House will cheerfully concur in such' Measures as May be necessary for securing to Mary Louisa, Countess of Elgin and Kincardine, a Pension of £1,000 a Year for her natural Life.—(The Lord President.) And the said Address was Ordered to be presented to Her Majesty by the Lords with White Stares.