678
LAYAED.
art which enrich the British Mu- seum. The Gk>vemment and the authorities of the British Museum, however, for a time failed to ap- preciate the value of Mr. Layard's researches. He was appointed At- tach6 to the Embassy at Constanti- nople, April 6, 1849, and Under- Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in Lord Russell's first administration for a few weeks in 1852"; Lord Derby, on his accession to power in Feb. of that year, having offered to retain him in that office until the return of Lord Stanley to England, and then to give him a diplomatic ap- pointment. This offer Mr. Layard, after taking the advice of Lord John Bussell, declined. In the Coalition Cabinet under Lord Aberdeen, he was offered various posts, which, as they were of a nature to remove him from the field of Eastern politics, he declined. In 1853 he was presented with the freedom of the City of Lon- don, in consideration of his dis- coveries amongst the ruins of Nine- veh, and went to Constantinople with Lord Stratford de Bedcliffe; but, disagreeing with his chief, re- turned in the course of the year to England. In the House of Com- mons he became the advocate of a more decided course of action on the Eastern question, and delivered several energetic and impressive speeches on that important subject. In 1854 he again proceeded to the East, was a spectator of the im- portant events then taking place in the Crimea, witnessed the battle of the Alma from the maintop of the Agamemnon, and remained in the Crimea till after the battle of Inker- mann, making himself acquainted with its actuu condition. He was one of the most urgent among the members of the House of Commons in demanding the committee of in- quiry into the state of the army; and he took a leading part in the investigation, to which he contri- buted his evidence. On the forma- tion of Lord Pahnerston's first ad- ministration, in 1855, he was again
offered a post ; but as it was uncon- nected with the foreign ix>licy of the countiy, he declin^ it, became one of the leaders of the Adminis- trative Beform Association, and brought before the House of Com- mons, in June, 1855, a motion em- bodying their views, which was re- jected by a large majority. He spent some time in India during the rebellion of 1857-8, endeavour- ing to ascertain its cause. He was returned as one of the members in the Liberal interest for Aylesbuiy in July, 1852 ; was defeated at the genenJ election in March, 1857; was an unsuccessful candidate at York in April, 1859, and wae re- turned one of the members for Southwark in Dec. 1860. In 1848-9 he published *' Nineveh and its Be- mains ;" and, in 1853, a second part of the work. His "Monuments of Nineveh" appeared in 1849-53, and an abridged edition of Nineveh and its Remains" in 1851. Mr. Layard, who had been elected Lord Bector of Aberdeen University in 1855 and 1856, became Under-Sec- retary of State for Foreign Affiairs in Lord Palmerston's second ad- ministration, in July, 1861, and re- tired on the fall of Lord Bussell's second administration, in July, 1866. He was appointed a trustee of the British Museum in Feb. 1866. He was Chief Commissioner of Works in Mr. Gladstone's administration from Dec. 1868, at which time he was added to the Privy Council, until Nov. 1869, when he retired from Parliament on being appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Madrid. In April, 1877> he was sent as Ambas- sador to Constantinople in succes- sion to Sir Henry Elliot, who, after the failure of the Conference ci Constantinople to secure peaoe be- tween Turkey and Bussia, had re- turned to England and had re- quested a long leave of absence in order, it was said, to recruit his health. On the re-establishment of ordinary diplomatic relations with
