Liberal government, 1859–1866

The Liberal government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that began in 1859 and ended in 1866 consisted of two ministries: the second Palmerston ministry and the second Russell ministry.

History

After the fall of the second of Lord Derby's short-lived attempts at governments in 1859, Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston returned to power, this time in alliance with his former rival, John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, in the first Liberal government. Palmerston remained as prime minister until his death in 1865, when Russell succeeded him. However, disunity within the party caused the fall of the government in the following year, and Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby formed another Conservative ministry.

Cabinets

The Viscount Palmerston's Cabinet, June 1859 – October 1865

• Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston– First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the House of Commons
• John Campbell, 1st Baron Campbell – Lord Chancellor
• Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville – Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lords
• George Douglas Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll – Lord Privy Seal
• Sir George Cornewall Lewis – Secretary of State for the Home Department
• Lord John Russell – Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
• Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle – Secretary of State for the Colonies
• Sidney Herbert – Secretary of State for War
• Sir Charles Wood, 3rd Baronet – Secretary of State for India
• Edward Adolphus Seymour, 12th Duke of Somerset – First Lord of the Admiralty
• William Ewart Gladstone – Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Edward Cardwell – Chief Secretary for Ireland
• Thomas Milner Gibson – President of the Board of Trade and of the Poor Law Board
• Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet – Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
• James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin – Postmaster-General

Changes

• July 1859 – Charles Pelham Villiers succeeds Milner-Gibson as President of the Poor Law Board (Milner-Gibson remains at the Board of Trade)
• May 1860 – Edward Stanley, 2nd Baron Stanley of Alderley succeeds Lord Elgin as Postmaster-General
• June 1861 – Richard Bethell, 1st Baron Westbury succeeds Lord Campbell as Lord Chancellor
• July 1861 – Sir George Cornewall Lewis succeeds Herbert as Secretary for War. Sir George Grey succeeds Lewis as Home Secretary. Edward Cardwell succeeds Grey as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Cardwell's successor as Chief Secretary for Ireland is not in the Cabinet.
• April 1863 – George Robinson, 3rd Earl de Grey becomes Secretary for War following Sir George Lewis's death.
• April 1864 – Edward Cardwell succeeds the Duke of Newcastle as Colonial Secretary. George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon succeeds Cardwell as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
• July 1865 – Robert Rolfe, 1st Baron Cranworth succeeds Lord Westbury as Lord Chancellor

The Earl Russell's Cabinet, October 1865 – June 1866

Changes

• February 1866: The Lord de Grey succeeds Sir Charles Wood as Secretary for India. Lord Hartington succeeds Grey as Secretary for War.

List of ministers

Cabinet members are listed in bold face.

References

• C. Cook and B. Keith, British Historical Facts 1830–1900