Alexander Baring Ashburton, baron, an English merchant and statesman, born Oct. 27, 1774, died May 13, 1848. He was the second son of Sir Francis Baring, who sent him to the United States, where he married in 1798 the eldest daughter of William Bingham of Philadelphia. After his return to England, he published in 1808 a pamphlet relating to the orders in council and to the conduct of Great Britain toward the neutral commerce of America, which passed through several editions. From a partner he became on the death of his father in 1810 the head of the house of Baring, and was a member of parliament from 1812 to 1835, when, after having been for four months president of the board of trade and master of the mint, he was raised to the peerage under the title of Baron Ashburton, which had become extinct in 1823 on the death of his first cousin. (See Dunning, John.) In the house of commons he had opposed the reform bill, and in the house of lords he opposed the repeal of the corn laws. The unsettled condition of the northeastern boundary question led Sir Robert Peel to send him on a special mission to the United States, where he concluded, Aug. 9, 1842, the so-called "Ashburton treaty.'1 It was assailed by the opposition in England, led by Lord Palmerston, as the " Ashburton capitulation;" and in the United States, Mr. Webster was charged with having been overreached; but public opinion on both sides of the water has sanctioned it as a satisfactory adjustment of difficult matters of controversy, some of which had embarrassed the relations of the two countries for 60 years.

The extraordinary compliment of a vote of thanks for a diplomatic achievement was paid to Lord Ashburton, on the motion of Mr. Hume in the house of commons, and of Lord Brougham in the house of lords; and an earldom was ottered to him, which he declined. The negotiations were facilitated by his high character and intelligence, by his amiable disposition, and by his excellent personal relations with Daniel Webster, then secretary of state, one of whose grandsons was named after him. Lord Ashburton was a privy councillor, a trustee of the British museum, and D. C. L. of Oxford. Talleyrand at one time confided to him the custody of his memoirs, and presented him with Canova's bust of Napoleon. He died at the country seat of his daughter Harriet, the widow of the marquis of Bath. His wife, who was a woman of superior accomplishments, died about six months after him. - His eldest son, William Bingham Baking, Lord Ashburton, who was a member of parliament for 17 years and held various official positions, died March 23, 1864; and his brother Francis, the 3d baron, died Sept. 6, 1808. The present and 4th baron, Alexander Hugh Baring, is the son of the latter.