12 OCTOBER 1867, Page 3

Mr. Thornton, Minister at Rio Janeiro, has been appointed to

succeed the late Sir F. Brace as Minister at Washington, now by far the most important of English diplomatic posts.' Mr. Thorn- ton's character stands high with the Foreign Office as a man of ability, but Pekin and Rio are odd places from which to select the British representative in America. It is a pity that, owing to a Republican custom, the post can never be technically one of the very first rank, or entitled to the very highest allowances.