He was in Russia in 1820, and in 1822 was arrested at Calais and thrown into prison, being suspected by the Bourbon Government of abetting the French Liberals.

Canning as Foreign Minister took up his cause, and he was speedily released.

He assisted Jeremy Bentham in founding _The Westminster Review_ in 1824.

Meanwhile he was seeking official employment, and in conjunction with Mr.Villiers, afterwards Earl of Clarendon, and that ambassador to Spain who befriended Borrow when he was in the Peninsula, became a commissioner to investigate the commercial relations between England and France.

After the Reform Bill of 1832 Bowring was frequently a candidate for Parliament, and was finally elected for Bolton in 1841.