Lord Palmerston (1855-8, 1859-65) - Prime Minister - Parliament

Henry John Temple was born in 1784 and was educated at Harrow and Oxford. Plamerston became secretary of war under Perceval and between 1832 and 1852 he served both the Whig and Tory governments. Although he had great support from the Parliament itself, Palmerston was strongly disliked by Queen Victoria.

Palmerston was eventually sacked for congratulating Napoleon on his coup in France. Weeks later he took revenge by bringing down the Russell government. His first term in office began when he was aged seventy and it lasted three years. Although Queen Victoria found it hard working with him, their relationship did eventually improve. Palmerston’s second period in office was when he was at the ripe old age of seventy-five and during this term it was he that had to deal with the strain of the American Civil War. Domestic problems involved the continuing debate over Parliamentary reform. Eventually Palmerston had to retire from office due to deteriorating health.

Lord Palmerston to William Gladstone – 11th May 1864:
“No doubt many working men are as fit to vote as many of the ten pounders, but if we open the door to the working class the number who may come in may be excessive, and may swamp the classes above them. The result would arise not merely from the number let in, but also from the fact that the influx discourages the classes above them from voting at all; and then these working men are unfortunately under the control of trade unions, which are directed by a small number of directing agitators”.

Lord Palmerston to William Gladstone on Parliamentary reform – 12th May 1864:
“I read your speech and I must frankly say, with much regret, there is little in it that I can agree with. You lay down broadly the doctrine of universal suffrage which I can never accept. I deny that every sane and not disqualified man has a moral right to vote. What every man and woman too have a right to, is to be well governed and under just laws, and they who propose a change ought to show that the present organisation does not accomplish those objects. Your speech may win Lancashire for you, though that is doubtful but I fear it will tend to lose England for you”.

Lord Palmerston to William Gladstone with complaints about reforming the Parliamentary system – 16th June, 1864:
“A member of the government when he takes office necessarily divests himself of the perfect freedom of individual action which belongs to a private and independent member of parliament and the reason is this, that what a member of the government does and says upon public matters must to a certain degree commit his colleagues. If any of them follow his example and express publicly, opposite opinions, which in particular cases they might feel obliged to do, differences of opinion between members of the same government are unnecessarily brought out into prominence and the strength of the government is thereby impaired”.