Lord John Russell

This edition features
• illustration
• a linked Table of Contents and Index

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I EARLY YEARS, EDUCATION, AND TRAVEL 1792-1813
Rise of the Russells under the Tudors — Childhood and early surroundings of Lord John — Schooldays at Westminster — First journey abroad with Lord Holland — Wellington and the Peninsular campaign — Student days in Edinburgh and speeches at the Speculative Society — Early leanings in politics and literature — Enters the House of Commons as member for Tavistock to location
CHAPTER II IN PARLIAMENT AND FOR THE PEOPLE 1813-1826
The political outlook when Lord John entered the House of Commons — The ‘Condition of England’ question — The struggle for Parliamentary Reform — Side-lights on Napoleon Bonaparte — The Liverpool Administration in a panic — Lord John comes to the aid of Sir Francis Burdett — Foreign travel — First motion in favour of Reform — Making headway to location
CHAPTER III WINNING HIS SPURS 1826-1830
Defeated and out of harness — Journey to Italy — Back in Parliament — Canning’s accession to power — Bribery and corruption — The repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts — The struggle between the Court and the Cabinet over Catholic Emancipation — Defeat of Wellington at the polls — Lord John appointed Paymaster-General to location
CHAPTER IV A FIGHT FOR LIBERTY 1830-1832
Lord Grey and the cause of Reform — Lord Durham’s share in the Reform Bill — The voice of the people — Lord John introduces the bill and explains its provisions — The surprise of the Tories — Reform, ‘Aye’ or ‘No’ — Lord John in the Cabinet — The bill thrown out — The indignation of the country — Proposed creation of Peers — Wellington and Sidmouth in despair — The bill carried — Lord John’s tribute to Althorp to location
CHAPTER V THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA 1833-1838
The turn of the tide with the Whigs — The two voices in the Cabinet — Lord John and Ireland — Althorp and the Poor Law — The Melbourne Administration on the rocks — Peel in power — The question of Irish tithes — Marriage of Lord John — Grievances of Nonconformists — Lord Melbourne’s influence over the Queen — Lord Durham’s mission to Canada — Personal sorrow to location
CHAPTER VI THE TWO FRONT BENCHES 1840-1845
Lord John’s position in the Cabinet and in the Commons — His services to Education — Joseph Lancaster — Lord John’s Colonial Policy — Mr. Gladstone’s opinion — Lord Stanmore’s recollections — The mistakes of the Melbourne Cabinet — The Duke of Wellington’s opinion of Lord John — The agitation against the Corn Laws — Lord John’s view of Sir Robert Peel — The Edinburgh letter — Peel’s dilemma — Lord John’s comment on the situation to location
CHAPTER VII FACTION AND FAMINE 1846-1847
Peel and Free Trade — Disraeli and Lord George Bentinck lead the attack — Russell to the rescue — Fall of Peel — Lord John summoned to power — Lord John’s position in the Commons and in the country — The Condition of Ireland question — Famine and its deadly work — The Russell Government and measures of relief — Crime and coercion — The Whigs and Education — Factory Bill — The case of Dr. Hampden to location
CHAPTER VIII IN ROUGH WATERS 1848-1852
The People’s Charter — Feargus O’Connor and the crowd — Lord Palmerston strikes from his own bat — Lord John’s view of the political situation — Death of Peel — Palmerston and the Court — ‘No Popery’ — The Durham Letter — The invasion scare — Lord John’s remark about Palmerston — Fall of the Russell Administration to location
CHAPTER IX COALITION BUT NOT UNION 1852-1853
The Aberdeen Ministry — Warring elements — Mr. Gladstone’s position — Lord John at the Foreign Office and Leader of the House — Lady Russell’s criticisms of Lord Macaulay’s statement — A small cloud in the East — Lord Shaftesbury has his doubts to location
CHAPTER X DOWNING STREET AND CONSTANTINOPLE 1853
Causes of the Crimean War — Nicholas seizes his opportunity — The Secret Memorandum — Napoleon and the susceptibilities of the Vatican — Lord Stratford de Redcliffe and the Porte — Prince Menschikoff shows his hand — Lord Aberdeen hopes against hope — Lord Palmerston’s opinion of the crisis — The Vienna Note — Lord John grows restive — Sinope arouses England — The deadlock in the Cabinet to location
CHAPTER XI WAR HINDERS REFORM 1854-1855
A Scheme of Reform — Palmerston’s attitude — Lord John sore let and hindered — Lord Stratford’s diplomatic triumph — The Duke of Newcastle and the War Office — The dash for Sebastopol — Procrastination and its deadly work — The Alma — Inkerman — The Duke’s blunder — Famine and frost in the trenches to location
CHAPTER XII THE VIENNA DIFFICULTY 1855
Blunders at home and abroad — Roebuck’s motion — ‘General Février’ turns traitor — France and the Crimea — Lord John at Vienna — The pride of the nation is touched — Napoleon’s visit to Windsor — Lord John’s retirement — The fall of Sebastopol — The treaty of Paris to location
CHAPTER XIII LITERATURE AND EDUCATION
Lord John’s position in 1855 — His constituency in the City — Survey of his work in literature — As man of letters — His historical writings — Hero-worship of Fox — Friendship with Moore — Writes the biography of the poet — ‘Don Carlos’ — A book wrongly attributed to him — Publishes his ‘Recollections and Suggestions’ — An opinion of Kinglake’s — Lord John on his own career — Lord John and National Schools — Joseph Lancaster’s tentative efforts — The formation of the Council of Education — Prejudice blocks the way — Mr. Forster’s tribute to location
CHAPTER XIV COMING BACK TO POWER 1857-1861
Lord John as an Independent Member — His chance in the City — The Indian Mutiny — Orsini’s attempt on the life of Napoleon — The Conspiracy Bill — Lord John and the Jewish Relief Act — Palmerston in power — Lord John at the Foreign Office — Cobden and Bright — Quits the Commons with a Peerage to location
CHAPTER XV UNITED ITALY AND THE DIS-UNITED STATES 1861-1865
Lord John at the Foreign Office — Austria and Italy — Victor Emmanuel and Mazzini — Cavour and Napoleon III. — Lord John’s energetic protest — His sympathy with Garibaldi and the struggle for freedom — The gratitude of the Italians — Death of the Prince Consort — The ‘Trent’ affair — Lord John’s remonstrance — The ‘Alabama’ difficulty — Lord Selborne’s statement — The Cotton Famine to location
CHAPTER XVI SECOND PREMIERSHIP 1865-1866
The Polish Revolt — Bismarck’s bid for power — The Schleswig-Holstein difficulty — Death of Lord Palmerston — The Queen summons Lord John — The second Russell Administration — Lord John’s tribute to Palmerston — Mr. Gladstone introduces Reform — The ‘Cave of Adullam’ — Defeat of the Russell Government — The people accept Lowe’s challenge — The feeling in the country 3>to location
CHAPTER XVII OUT OF HARNESS 1867-1874
Speeches in the House of Lords — Leisured years — Mr. Lecky’s reminiscences — The question of the Irish Church — The Independence of Belgium — Lord John on the claims of the Vatican — Letters to Mr. Chichester Fortescue — His scheme for the better government of Ireland — Lord Selborne’s estimate of Lord John’s public career — Frank admissions — As his private secretaries saw him to location
CHAPTER XVIII PEMBROKE LODGE 1847-1878
Looking back — Society at Pembroke Lodge — Home life — The house and its memories — Charles Dickens’s speech at Liverpool — Literary friendships — Lady Russell’s description of her husband — A packet of letters — His children’s recollections — A glimpse of Carlyle — A witty impromptu — Closing days — Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone — The jubilee of the Repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts — ‘Punch’ on the ‘Golden Wedding’ — Death — The Queen’s letter — Lord Shaftesbury’s estimate of Lord John’s career — His great qualities to location
INDEX