James Bruce (Lord Elgin)

See also: Lord Elgin, James Bruce, Bruce

James Bruce (July 20th, 1811 - November 20th, 1863), (also known under the name of Lord Elgin ) was the 8th Count of Elgin and the 12th count de Kincardine. It was a colonial administrator and a British Diplomate . It is particularly known like Gouverneur Canada and viceroi of the India S.

He was the son of Thomas Bruce, the 7th count de Elgin and the 11th count de Kincardine. His second wife was Lady Mary Lambton, girl of John George Lambton, 1ier count de Durham (more known in Canada under the name of Lord Durham), author of the report/ratio discussed Report one the Affairs off British North America (1839) , and niece of Colonial Secretary, Henry Grey, 3rd count de Grey.

Career

Jamaica

It was Gouverneur of the Jamaica of 1842 to 1847.

Canada

It was General governor Canada of 1847 to 1854.

It is him which made the first concessions to allow the establishment of a responsible Gouvernement Canada. In 1848, the moderated reforming parties of the Canada-Is and of the Canada-West, directed by Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin, had made elect more representatives than the conservatives. Lord Elgin asked these two parties to form the government jointly. After the formation of the government, Lord Elgin was the first general governor to outdistance businesses of the legislature and to leave real capacities to the elected officials of the people, opening the way with what today primarily symbolic system of the general governor in Canada is the function.

He signed the laws which had been proposed by Lafontaine and voted by the Parliament to abolish the Régime seigneurial with Canada-Is and to grant the amnesty to the chiefs of the Patriots of Canada-Is who had been exiled. This last bill was not accepted by the loyal supporters of Canada-Is who protested violently and even made then burn the Parliament localized in Montreal.

In 1854, Lord Elgin negotiated a treaty of reciprocity with the the United States to stimulate the economy of Canada.

China and Japan

In 1857, he became high commissioner for the China. He visited China and the Japan in 1858 and 1859. He supervised the end of the Second war of opium and ordered the destruction of the Palais of summer (residence and seat of the government of the dynasty Qing) close to Beijing.

He also signed a treaty of friendship and trade with Japan in 1858.

India

He became viceroi India S in 1861, and he died in Dharamsala in 1863.

See too

Reference

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