Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 1.djvu/641

 that course, if the public opinion of Naples so strongly favoured alliance with Piedmont as to render neutrality dangerous to the dynasty. Elliot's efforts to obtain constitutional reform and abandonment of the arbitrary methods of the previous reign were approved and supported, but had no substantial result. Francis II after some faint signs of a disposition to improve the methods of rule returned to the old methods. Elliot's representations seem on one occasion to have been instrumental in obtaining the release of a certain number of prisoners, who were being detained indefinitely without trial, but generally speaking the advice and the warnings given by him partly on his own initiative and partly under instructions from his government were neglected. The result was not slow in coming. Early in 1860 Garibaldi, with a force of 1000 volunteers, seized Sicily in the name of King Victor Emanuel. In August he advanced on Naples, and handed over the fleet, which surrendered to him, to the Piedmontese admiral. The British government decided on maintaining an attitude of non-inter- vention, despite the appeals of France to oppose Garibaldi. The favourable disposition which the British government manifested towards the progress of Italian unity was largely attributable to the reports of Sir James Hudson [q. v.], the envoy at Turin, and of Elliot regarding the condition of public feeling in Italy. On 10 Sept. Elliot, in pursuance of instructions from Lord John Russell, had an interview with Garibaldi in the cabin of Admiral Munday on board H.M.S. Hannibal, which was then stationed in the Bay of Naples. Elliot stated that he was instructed to remain at Naples for the present, and endeavoured to dissuade Garibaldi from any ulterior intention of attacking Venice (cf. Life of Lord John Russell, ii. 322 seq.). Garibaldi was not much impressed by the arguments of the British minister. But the resistance offered by Francis II's forces at Capua hampered Garibaldi's plans. In October a portion of the Piedmontese army under King Victor Emanuel joined the Garibaldian forces, and finally drove King Francis and his troops into Gaeta, which surrendered after a three months' siege. On 21 October a plebiscite in Sicily and Naples gave an enormous majority of votes for Italian unity under King Victor Emanuel. The formal ceremony of annexation took place at Naples on 8 Nov. Thenceforward the British legation had no raison d'etre, and Elliot left for England a few days later. For some time he was without active employment.

On the death of Sir Thomas Wyse [q. v.], British minister at Athens, in April 1862, he was sent on a special mission to Greece, where discontent against the rule of King Otho was assuming dangerous proportions, and had manifested itself in a mutiny of the garrison of Nauplia. Here again his instructions were to urge the necessity of a more liberal system of administration and of the observance of the rules of constitutional government. He was also to make it clear that the British government would not countenance aggressive designs against Turkey. He returned in July, Peter Campbell Scarlett [q. v.] having received the appointment of minister. During his short residence at Athens he had been greatly impressed with the unpopularity of the king, and his fore-bodings were soon justified. In October a provisional government deposed the king. The British government declined the offer of the crown to Prince Alfred, but promised, if a suitable candidate were chosen, and if the constitutional form of government were preserved and all attempt at aggression against Turkey were abandoned, to cede the Ionian Islands. Elliot was seat back to Athens on special mission to arrange matters with the provisional government on this basis. Prince William, second son of King Christian of Denmark, was on 30 March 1863 unanimously elected as King George I. Elliot returned to England in the following month. In September of the same year he succeeded Sir James Hudson as British envoy to the king of Italy, taking up his residence at Turin. The foreign secretary, Lord John Russell, was freely charged, both in private correspondence and in the press, with un-justly superseding Hudson to make a place for Elliot, his own brother-in-law. 'The Times ' had already suggested (13 March 1860) such an intention on Lord John's part, and a warm political controversy, which Hudson did much to fan, followed the announcement in 1863 of Elliot's appointment. But the imputation of jobbery has no justification. Hudson's retirement was quite voluntary, and he in the first instance warmly approved the choice of his successor ( Lord John Russell, ii. 423 seq. ; Sir James Hudson and Lord Russell, 1886). In May 1865 Elliot moved from Turin to Florence, which had been made the capital of the kingdom, and there his sister and