Page:Dictionary of National Biography, Second Supplement, volume 2.djvu/575

 ), 1909. Maitland also contributed to 'Social England,' 'Dictionary of Political Economy,' 'Encyclopædia Britannica,' 'Encyclopædia of the Laws of England,' and this Dictionary of National Biography,' and he wrote a preface to Smith's 'De Republica Anglorum,' edited by L. Alston, 1906.

 MALET, EDWARD BALDWIN, fourth baronet (1837–1908), diplomatist, born in the British legation at the Hague on 10 Oct. 1837, was second son of Sir, second baronet [q. v.], by his wife Marianne, daughter of John Spalding of the Holme, and step-daughter of Henry, first Lord Brougham. Educated at Eton from 1850 to 1853, he entered the diplomatic service in 1854 at the exceptionally early age of seventeen, being appointed attaché to his father at Frankfort. On 14 April 1856 he matriculated from Corpus Christi College, Oxford. But a brief stay at the university scarcely interrupted his progress in diplomacy. Transferred from Frankfort to Brussels in 1858, he was appointed paid attaché at Paraná, Argentina, in August 1860, after passing the necessary examination. He was transferred to Rio de Janeiro in 1861, and thence to Washington in 1862, where he served three years under, Lord Lyons [q. v.]. During the various difficult discussions which followed the American civil war Malet was one of the most trusted members of Lord Lyons's staff. After four months in Lisbon in 1865 Malet rejoined Lord Lyons on the latter's appointment to Constantinople, and followed him to Paris in 1867. in September 1870, after the battle of Sedan, he was despatched by Lord Lyons on an adventurous journey to the German headquarters at Meaux with a letter to Count Bismarck, inquiring whether he would entertain negotiations with Jules Favre for an armistice. Bismarck, who had known him as a boy and as Prussian representative in the Diet had been on terms of friendship with his father and mother at Frankfort, received Malet cordially, but merely gave him a verbal promise to receive a member of the government of national defence. Jules Favre's first interview with the German chancellor at Ferridres was the result. On the investment of Paris by the German forces, Malet accompanied Lord Lyons, who followed the provisional government to Tours and afterwards to Bordeaux. On the conclusion of peace in March 1871 the embassy returned to Paris, but during the outbreak of the Commune, when Lord Lyons went to Versailles with the French government, Malet was left in charge at Paris from 19 March to 6 June 1871. For his zealous services during this trying period he was made C.B. Lyons and Malet remained close friends and constant correspondents till the former's death, but they separated, to their great mutual regret, in August 1871, when Malet became secretary of legation at Peking. After a year in China he was transferred to Athens, and thence to Rome in August 1875, where he remained three years, becoming secretary of embassy when the mission was raised to that rank in 1876. He took an active part in the negotiations for the renewal of the treaty of commerce of 1863 between Great Britain and Italy and acted in November 1875 as joint commissioner with (Sir) Charles Malcolm Kennedy in conferences at Rome.

In April 1878 he was transferred to Constantinople. The situation there was critical. The treaty of San Stefano had been signed on 3 March 1878. Russia had agreed to submit the treaty to a European congress, reserving the right of accepting or refusing discussion on any question. The British government demanded that all the provisions of the treaty should ye unreservedly open to consideration. The Russian army was encamped outside Constantinople, while the British fleet was in the Sea of Marmora. Owing to the bad health of Sir [q. v. Suppl. I], the British 