¹⁷¹ Derby had written to Disraeli on 22 December 1866, ‘Of all possible hares to start, I do not know a better one than the extension of household suffrage, coupled with plurality of voting’ (Buckle, Disraeli, IV, p. 484).

¹⁷² Augustus Henry Archibald Anson (1835–1877), son of the 1st Earl of Lichfield.

¹⁷³ Naas sent a memorandum the following day to Disraeli stating that he preferred to keep the franchise question beyond the competence of the Commission: F.B. Smith, The Making of the Second Reform Bill (Cambridge, 1966), p. 145.

¹⁷⁴ F.S. Reilly (1825–1883), professional legal expert, had produced the first draft of the bill.

¹⁷⁵ Sir Hector-Louis Langevin (1828–1906), Solicitor-General, Quebec Parliament (1864–1866), Postmaster-General (1866–1867).

¹⁷⁶ Sir Frederic Rogers (1817–1889), Permanent Under-Secretary at the Colonial Office (1860–1871), Baron Blachford (1871).

¹⁷⁷ Carnarvon was recovering from a severe attack of gout and was unable to walk: see Carnarvon to Gen. Grey, 20 January 1867: CP, TNA, PRO 30/6/144, fo. 126.

¹⁷⁸ The scheme, devised by Dudley Baxter, was based on the system of plural voting in parochial elections.

¹⁷⁹ Carnarvon to Disraeli, 2 February 1867: Hughenden Papers, 100/1. Reflecting on the letter in the light of subsequent events, Carnarvon stated, ‘The system of separate and confidential communications which Mr Disraeli had carried on with each member of the Cabinet from whom he had anticipated opposition had divided them and lulled their suspicions whilst the pre-arranged decision of the interior Cabinet had so strengthened Mr Disraeli's hand that the individual in question stood in an isolated and therefore powerless position’ (‘Memorandum on Reform 1867’, CP, BL 60831, fos 152–153).

¹⁸⁰ The Cabinet wished to alter the constitution of the Canadian Senate. The delegates accepted the principle, but proposed six additional members to the existing seventy-two and that the appointments should be approved by the Crown. Ten members of the Cabinet stated their options at the end of Carnarvon's memorandum on the subject. See Carnarvon, ‘Confederation of the British North American Provinces’, 2 February 1867: CP, TNA, PRO 30/6/109, fos 162–163.

¹⁸¹ The Queen's Speech, to be read when Parliament assembled the following day.

¹⁸² Major-Gen. Arthur Richard Wellesley (1807–1884), 2nd Duke of Wellington (1852). MP for Aldeburgh (1829–1832) and for Norwich (1837–1852).

¹⁸³ Walter Francis Scott (1806–1884), 5th Duke of Buccleuch and 7th Duke of Queensberry (1819). Lord Privy Seal (1842–1846), Lord President of the Council (1846).

¹⁸⁴ After a long discussion it was decided not to delay but to proceed by resolutions, prior to a bill.

¹⁸⁵ General Peel had threatened resignation on 6 February if the resolutions were not amended. Disraeli saw Peel two days later, telling Derby, ‘I soothed him and it is all right’ (Buckle, Disraeli, IV, p. 492).

¹⁸⁶ Disraeli had announced in the Commons on 11 February that the Government proposed to proceed by resolutions; the motion was agreed to (Hansard, CLXXXV, 11 February 1867, cols 214 –219).

¹⁸⁷ After the meeting, Derby and Disraeli saw the Queen to seek her support and learn her attitude towards possible Cabinet changes. She agreed that the reform was more important than the loss of Peel (see Jones, Lord Derby and Victorian Conservatism, p. 304). Neither Cranborne nor Carnarvon had raised any objections to the scheme at the Cabinet meetings of 15 and 16 February (M. Cowling, 1867: Disraeli, Gladstone and revolution: the passing of the second Reform Bill (London, 1967), p. 141).

¹⁸⁸ In a draft letter to the Queen, written possibly on that day, Disraeli stated that, besides the possible resignation of General Peel, there were more rumours that Cranborne might join him.

¹⁸⁹ Peel had called on Derby before the meeting and agreed to support Disraeli.

¹⁹⁰ Hansard, CLXXXV, 19 February 1867, cols 157–182.

¹⁹¹ Cranborne sent the memoranda from Baxter, setting out the respective figures for likely borough householders and direct taxpayers. Cranborne was alarmed at Baxter's calculations for the immense increase in numbers in the latter category alone to 200,000 (Cranborne to Carnarvon, 22 February 1867: CP, BL 60758, fos 32–34.)

¹⁹² Nevertheless, Derby reported to the Queen that the scheme had been accepted by the Cabinet (Harris, Memoirs of an Ex-Minister, p. 627).

¹⁹³ See also Cranborne to Carnarvon, 24 February 1867: CP, BL 60758, fo. 36.

¹⁹⁴ For Cranborne's letter to Derby, see Cecil, I, pp. 233–234.

¹⁹⁵ Carnarvon told Hardy ‘that both he and Cranborne would resign if our measure went on’ (Johnson, p. 31).

¹⁹⁶ Derby received Cranborne's letter early in the morning. He quickly sent it to Disraeli with a note: ‘The enclosed, just received, is utter ruin. What on earth do we do?’ Disraeli replied, ‘This is stabbing in the back.’ (See Smith, The Making of the Second Reform Bill, p. 155.)

¹⁹⁷ Carnarvon wrote to Derby, ‘The position in which we are placed is almost desperate. I have no time to vary any proposed course of action and hardly even time to consult calmly upon what should be done.’ For Derby's account of the meeting, see Derby to Queen Victoria, 25 February 1867: Royal Archives, F15/31. For Carnarvon's own version, see Carnarvon to Malmesbury, 25 February 1867: CP, BL 60831, fo. 88.

¹⁹⁸ Sir Samuel Tilley (1819–1896), Lib. leader, New Brunswick (1866), office-holder in Macdonald's ministries (1868–1873, 1878–1885).

¹⁹⁹ The British North America Bill had passed through the House of Lords the previous night.

²⁰⁰ Richard Plantagenet Grenville (1823–1889), 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos (1861). Lord President of the Council (1866–1867), Colonial Secretary (1867–1868).

²⁰¹ Carnarvon to Derby, 2 March 1867: Derby Papers 920 DER (14) 143/6.

²⁰² Derby wrote to the Queen afterwards that it had been impossible at the Cabinet meeting to obtain Cranborne's withdrawal of his intention to resign: ‘If he had given way, both Carnarvon and General Peel would have waived their objections. Lord Carnarvon most reluctantly followed Lord Cranborne and General Peel, finding that unanimity was hopeless and felt that he was absolved from his undertaking to sacrifice his own personal feelings and opinions’ (Buckle, Letters, I, p. 404).

²⁰³ Algernon George Percy (1810–1899), Lord Lovaine (1830), 6th Duke of Northumberland (1867), Lord Privy Seal (1878).

²⁰⁴ Carnarvon had written to Lord Grey the previous day on whether to take his place in the Lords ‘when I am no longer, as I consider, a member of the Government’ (Carnarvon to Grey, 3 March 1867: Grey Papers, 80/3). Grey advised him to be in the House ‘whether I get the Queen's permission or not’ (Carnarvon to Cranborne, 4 March 1867: Hatfield House Papers, 3M/E).

²⁰⁵ Hansard, CLXXXV, 4 March 1867, cols 1284–1289 and 1298–1300.

²⁰⁶ Ibid., cols 1289–1291. Carnarvon wrote to Cranborne, ‘Read in The Times, what happened last night in the Lords and let me know whether you think I went too far’ (Carnarvon to Cranborne, 5 March 1867: Hatfield House Papers, 3M/E). Derby wrote the next day to the Queen, ‘Lord Carnarvon went rather fuller in his personal explanations last night than he was warranted in doing: and by doing placed Lord Cranborne and General Peel in a difficult position’ (Derby to Queen Victoria, 5 March 1867: Royal Archives, A35/45).

²⁰⁷ Hansard, CLXXXV, 5 March 1867, Cranborne, cols 1347–1351. Carnarvon called it a ‘masterpiece’ (Carnarvon to Cranborne (copy), 6 March 1867: CP, BL 60761, fo. 24).

²⁰⁸ Philip Henry Stanhope (1805–1875), 5th Earl Stanhope (1855). Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1834–1835), Con. MP for Hertford (1835–1852).

²⁰⁹ George Frederick Samuel Robinson (1827–1909), Viscount Goderich (1833), 2nd Earl of Ripon and Earl de Grey (1859), 1st Marquess of Ripon (1871). Secretary of State for War (1863–1866) and for India (1866), Lord President of the Council (1868–1873), Governor-General of India (1880–1884), First Lord of the Admiralty (1886), Colonial Secretary (1892–1895), Lord Privy Seal and Liberal Leader, House of Lords (1905–1908).

²¹⁰ On 4 March, Disraeli had announced that a Reform Bill would be introduced on 18 March.

²¹¹ See Shannon, Gladstone, II, pp. 32–33.

²¹² Relating to electors in cities and boroughs: Hansard, CLXXXV, 11 March 1867, cols 1633–1643.

²¹³ Richmond was appointed President of the Board of Trade on 8 March.

²¹⁴ Carnarvon stated, ‘I do not desire to make mischief or even give way to bitterness which I can hardly help feeling when I see the ruin to which he [Disraeli] brought a great Party’ (Carnarvon to Richmond, 11 March 1867: Goodwood Papers, 822.7).

²¹⁵ The meeting, held in Downing Street to explain the Reform Bill to be introduced in the Commons in three days time, attracted 195 MPs (Buckle, Disraeli, IV, pp. 518–519).

²¹⁶ Sir William Boxall (1800–1879), Director, National Gallery (1865–1874).

²¹⁷ The Earl and Countess of Lucan.

²¹⁸ John Wodehouse (1826–1902), 1st Earl of Kimberley (1866), Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1864–1868), Lord Privy Seal (1868–1870), Colonial Secretary (1870–1874, 1880–1882), India Office (1882–1885, 1886, 1892–1894).

²¹⁹ Lady Alicia Peel.

²²⁰ Sir Robert Peel (1822–1895), 3rd Baronet (1850), Chief Secretary for Ireland (1861, 1865).

²²¹ In the event neither resigned, though, on 17 May, Hardy replaced Walpole as the Home Secretary.

²²² Cairns resigned as Attorney-General in October 1866 when he became Justice of Appeal.

²²³ John Wilson Croker (1780–1857), friend of Peel, resigned as Secretary of the Admiralty in 1830; opposed the Reform Bill and resigned as MP on its passing. See M. Brock, The Great Reform Act (London, 1973), p. 216.

²²⁴ Hansard, CLXXXVII, 23 May 1867, cols 991–1011.

²²⁵ Ibid., CLXXXVIII, 9 July 1867, cols 1264–1292.

²²⁶ See The Times, 11 July 1867, p. 9.

²²⁷ Earl Grey, during the debate on the second reading of the bill in the House of Lords on 16 July, sought to obtain more time for discussion (Hansard, CLXXXVIII, 16 July 1867, col. 1616).

²²⁸ He wrote the following day to Cranborne, ‘Lord Salisbury is very anxious we should get together a meeting. I am not very sanguine: but the attempt is worth making and I have written to Percy to ask for Northumberland House’ (Carnarvon to Cranborne, 14 July 1867: Hatfield House Papers, 3M/E).

²²⁹ First reading of the Reform Bill in the Lords.

²³⁰ Dudley Ryder (1797–1882), 2nd Earl of Harrowby (1847), Lord of the Admiralty (1827–1828), Secretary, India Board (1830–1831), Chancellor, Duchy of Lancaster (1855).

²³¹ See entry for 2 March 1867.

²³² When Grey laid an amendment on the table in the Lords on 22 July, Derby remarked to Disraeli, ‘I have immediately sent out as strong a Whip as possible, against it. But I learn that the whole of the Opposition will support him and he has been tampering, with the aid of Carnarvon, not unsuccessfully with our people’ (Jones, Lord Derby and Victorian Conservatism, p. 316).

²³³ Dunbar James Douglas Hamilton (1809–1885), 6th Earl of Selkirk (1820), Keeper of the Great Seal (1852, 1858–1859).

²³⁴ Charles Stewart Hardinge (1822–1894), 2nd Viscount Hardinge (1856), MP for Downpatrick (1852–1856).

²³⁵ Thomas Dundas (1795–1873), 2nd Earl of Zetland (1839), Grand Master of the Freemasons (1844–1870).

²³⁶ Horace Pitt-Rivers (1814–1880), 6th Baron Rivers (1867).

²³⁷ Charles Fitzroy Wriothesley (1804–1872), 3rd Baron Southampton (1810).

²³⁸ George Guy Greville (1818–1893), 4th Earl of Warwick (1853), ADC to Queen Victoria (1878–1893). Warwick, described by Carnarvon as ‘a very uncompromising opponent of the bill’, was pessimistic about the wisdom of Grey pressing for amendment of the Reform Bill: ‘In any event, he will be in a small minority, and unless the Whigs take it up as a party question to turn Lord Derby out, that minority will be small’ (Warwick to Carnarvon, 21 July 1867: Grey Papers, 80/3).

²³⁹ Charles Marsham (1804–1874), 3rd Earl of Romney (1845), Con. MP for Kent West (1844–1845).

²⁴⁰ William Amhurst Tyssen-Amherst (1835–1909), 1st Baron Amherst (1892), Con. MP for Norfolk West (1880–1885) and for Norfolk South-west (1885–1892).

²⁴¹ Thomas Veasey de Vesci (1803–1875), 3rd Viscount of Abbeyleix (1855).

²⁴² Abdul Aziz I (1830–1876), Sultan, Ottoman Empire (1861–1876).

²⁴³ Fuad Pasha (1814–1869), Grand Interpreter for the Porte (1852, 1855), Grand Vizier (1861–1866).

²⁴⁴ Hansard, CLXXXVIII, 22 July 1867, cols 1838ff. Kimberley noted, ‘Carnarvon was admirable’ (A. Hawkins and J. Powell (eds), The Journal of John Wodehouse, First Earl of Kimberley, for 1862 to 1912, Camden 5th series 9 (Cambridge, 1997), p. 206.

²⁴⁵ Hansard, CLXXXVIII, 23 July 1867, cols 1916–2033.

²⁴⁶ Ibid., Derby, cols 2023–2031.

²⁴⁷ Ibid., Shaftesbury, cols 1917–1934.

²⁴⁸ Charles Wood (1800–1885), 1st Viscount Halifax (1866), a former First Lord of the Admiralty and a Liberal, proposed that there should be an increase in the number of representatives for the larger and more important constituencies (Hansard, CLXXXIX, 29 July 1867, cols 256–327; Halifax, cols 256–271, Carnarvon, cols 280–285). Cairns moved the amendment: Contents 124, Non-Contents 76.

²⁴⁹ Ibid., cols 405–473.

²⁵⁰ Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen (1829–1893), Lord of Treasury (1859–1866), Under-Secretary for the Colonial Office (1871–1874), 1st Baron Brabourne (1880).

²⁵¹ James Henry Legge Dutton (1804–1883), 3rd Baron Sherborne (1862).

²⁵² Hansard, CLXXXIX, 1 August 1867, cols 526–539.

²⁵³ Ibid., cols 565–571. Earlier in the day, Carnarvon wrote to Grey, ‘You must remember that we have but a few hours tonight in which to put our views forward – and no time to inform men's minds. If we produce a reasonable and symmetrical scheme, the Government are not likely to be able to make much of an answer, especially if Lord Derby is absent’ (Carnarvon to Grey, 1 August 1867: Grey Papers, 80/13).

²⁵⁴ Hansard, CLXXXIX, 1 August, 1867, cols 565–571.

²⁵⁵ Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot (1803–1868), 18th Earl of Shrewsbury (1856), Vice- Admiral.

²⁵⁶ Richard Edmund Boyle (1829–1904), 9th Earl of Cork and Ossery (1856), Deputy Speaker, House of Lords.

²⁵⁷ Hansard, CLXXXIX, 5 August 1867, cols 821–828, Lodger Franchise in Boroughs; amendment moved by Earl Russell, cols 821–822; motion agreed.

²⁵⁸ Cranborne had invited Carnarvon to take on the task ‘both for auld lang syne and political sympathy’. He added, ‘I am sure it would have the effect of implanting some principles in the infant's mind. Shall we call him “Benjamin” in memoriam of this year's campaign or Ichabod?’ (Cranborne to Carnarvon, 26 July 1867: Hatfield House Papers, 3M/E).

²⁵⁹ Hansard, CLXXXIX, 6 August 1867, cols 930–952; Derby, cols 948, 950–951. At the end of the debate, Derby stated, ‘No doubt we are making a great experiment and “taking a leap in the dark”.’ The bill was passed with only Lords Ellenborough and Selkirk against. The Royal Assent was given on 15 August. See also Hawkins, A., ‘Lord Derby and Victorian Conservatism’, Parliamentary History, 6 (1987), p. 254Google Scholar.

²⁶⁰ Cranborne was equally pessimistic. He told Carnarvon, ‘The best thing would be to settle some compromise at a Conference; but I feel that everybody was too weary to attempt it’ (Cranborne to Carnarvon (copy), 9 August 1867: Hatfield House Papers, 3M/E).

²⁶¹ Hansard, CLXXXIX, 12 August 1867, cols 1306–1326; Derby, cols 1306–1316.

²⁶² Ibid., cols 1329–1332; Carnarvon, cols 1329–1330.

²⁶³ Appointed as High Steward of Oxford University on 13 October 1859, Carnarvon continued to hold office until his death.

²⁶⁴ Sophie Friederike Mathilde (1818–1872), first wife of King Wilhelm III of Holland.

²⁶⁵ George William Frederick Villiers (1800–1870), 4th Earl of Clarendon (1838), Foreign Secretary (1853–1858, 1865–1866, 1868–1870).

²⁶⁶ Henry Richard Charles Wellesley (1804–1884), 1st Earl Cowley (1857), ambassador at Paris (1852–1867).

²⁶⁷ John Stuart Mill (1806–1873), author and Lib. MP for Westminster (1865–1868).

²⁶⁸ Mayo to Carnarvon, 9 November 1867: CP, BL 60829, fo. 2.

²⁶⁹ William Parsons (1800–1867), 3rd Earl of Rosse (1841), scientist and educationist, had died on 31 October. Carnarvon declined the invitation to chair the Commission on Irish Primary Education: see Diary, 12 November 1867.

²⁷⁰ Edward Bouverie Pusey (1800–1882), Regius Professor of Hebrew, Oxford University since 1828.

²⁷¹ Henry Liddon (1829–1890), Vice-Principal, St Edmund Hall, Oxford (1859–1870), canon at St Paul's Cathedral and Ireland Professor of Exegesis, Oxford University (1870–1890). Both Pusey and Liddon were leading lights in the Oxford Movement.