28 NOVEMBER 1874, Page 3

Lord Lyons, the British Ambassador in Paris, has returned to

his post, and Lord Lytton, who has for a few months been virtual ambassador there, goes as Minister to Lisbon. It is, we suppose, indispensable to maintain some sort of seniority in the Diplomatic Service, or no one without interest could rise in it, but Lord Lytton's special experience and ability will be rather wasted at Lisbon. While the Royal family there persistently refuse the throne of Spain, a policy from which there is no apparent chance of their deviating, politics in Lisbon can be of little interest to the world at large. The only thing to discover is why the sleepy little kingdom gets so rich, and why it feels so little the reflex action of the commotions in Spain.