108 



SALISWKY 



few |.l:i.-i- in England where the ancient sport gf 

 hawking i- -i ill pursued. 



Salisbury. MARQUIS OF. Robert Arthur Tal 

 but Gascoyne-Cecil, third Marquis of Salisbury, 

 was born at Hatrield House on the 13th of Febmary 

 1830. The famous name Cecil is said to have been 

 Sitsilt originally ; a certain Robert Siteilt, who 

 served in the Welsh wars of Rufus' time, is 

 believed by the family to have been its founder. 

 It is more distinctly traceable to David Cyssell, of 

 Stamford, who was sheriff of Northamptonshire in 

 the reign of Henry VII. David's eldest son found 

 a place at court as one of Henry VIII. 's pages, and 

 after returning to private life became sheriff of 

 Rutland. His dwelling was at Burghley, near 

 Stamford ( q. v. ) ; and here his son was born ( his eldest 

 son) who served England and Elizabeth so wisely 

 for forty years. This statesman, Lord Burghley 

 ( q. v.), hail two sons, one by his first wife, a daughter 

 of Sir John Cheke, the other by his marriage with a 

 daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke. The eldest was 

 made Earl of Exeter, and from him the present 

 Marquis of Exeter descends. The younger son 

 was the famous Robert Cecil, whose great services 

 to James I., and to the state, were rewarded within 

 two years by three steps in the peerage. In 1603 

 he became Lord Cecil of Essendine, in 1604 Vis- 

 count Cranborne, and in 1605 Earl of Salisbury. 

 The marquis is directly descended from the first 

 Earl of Salisbury, and inherits Hatlield (q.v.) from 

 him. As Lord Robert Cecil he proceeded from 

 Eton to Christ Church, Oxford, in 1847. Two 

 years afterwards he took the B.A. degree with an 

 honorary fourth-class in mathematics. He shared 

 in the L nion Society's debates, always as distinctly 

 Conservative, and yet more distinctly as a church- 

 man. He was treasurer of the Union Society in 

 his time, and gave great satisfaction in that 

 office. His Oxford life over, Lord Robert Cecil 

 went forth on a round of travel, extending to 

 Australasia. On his return lie was elected a 

 Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and very soon 

 afterwards entered the House of Commons, at the 

 age of twenty-three being returned for Stamford. 

 His address to the electors declared him a Con- 

 servative, warmly attached to the Church of Eng- 

 land, eager to associate religion with education, 

 and anxious for social and sanitary improvements 

 for the good of the poor particularfy. He took his 

 seat in the House of Common* when that assembly 

 met in February 1834 ; and his first speech therein 

 (on university reform) was delivered in the April 

 following. A year afterwards he made his first 

 foreign-affairs speech on the terms of peace that 

 should be imposed on Russia (Crimean war). He 

 came further into notice when, on a motion con- 

 demning the conduct of the Aberdeen adminis- 

 tration as 'the first and chief cause of the calam- 

 ities that Iwfell ' our soldiery in the Crimea, he 

 seconded General Peel in moving ' the previous 

 question.' He took a busy part in the domestic 

 reforms of 1856. 



In 1857 Lord Robert Cecil launched his first 

 legislative proposal, which was that parliamentary 

 electors should lie enabled to record their votes by 

 means of voting papers, filled in before a justice of 

 the peace ; a proposal of particular service at 

 county and university elections. In 1858 he 

 OppOMd the abolition of church-rates in a speech 

 which further advanced him in the estimation of 

 his party ; and he again distinguished himself in 

 supporting a motion of Mr Gladstone's bucking 

 up the plan of uniting Moldavia and Wallarhia. 

 The Conservatives were now in office, and their 

 leaders resolved to take up the question of Parlia- 

 mentary Reform. In 1859 Mr Disraeli introduced 

 hi Reform Hill of 'fancy franchises,' Lord Robert 

 Cecil supporting it by arguments which he had set 



forth in the 'Oxford Essays' for J858. The bill 

 upset the government. When, in the time of its 

 sucfc.s-ors, tli' paper-duties question threw the 

 two Houses into conflict, and when Mr Gladstone 

 paralysed the opposition of the House of Lords by 

 including the nliolition of the duties in one single 

 Budget Hill, Lord Robert Cecil opposed the novel 

 device with extraordinary vigour and acerbity. 

 It was now seen that he had all the gifts that 

 carry a man from the back seats of the House of 

 Commons to the most honourable position* on ' the 

 front bench.' From this time forth Lord Robert 

 Cecil liecame a frequent speaker ; facile on many 

 subjects, studious of all that he dealt with, pug- 

 nacious, vigorous, often brilliant, and remarkable 

 for a rather unfortunate kind of sarcasm. In 

 deliates on pauperism, on army organisation, on 

 civil service reform, on finance he was heard to 

 considerable effect in those years ; but he never 

 spoke more warmly, or with more obvious personal 

 interest, than in defence of the church or when 

 popular education was discussed. Foreign affairs 

 engaged his attention hardly less, as was seen, for 

 example, when the German attack on Denmark, 

 and the conduct of Lord Palmerston's government 

 in relation thereto, was brought before the House 

 of Commons by Mr Disraeli. 



The years 1865 and 1866 were important in the 

 history of Lord Salisbury. On the 14th of June in 

 the first named year he became Viscount Cran- 

 borne and heir to the marqnisate by the death of 

 his elder brother ; in July of the following year he 

 was admitted to the cabinet under Lorf Derby's 

 administration as Secretary of State for India. In 

 1865 parliament had been dissolved, and Lord 

 Palmerston had liecn confirmed in office by the con- 

 stituencies ; but within three months afterwards 

 (October 18) Palmerston was dead. Thereupon 

 Mr Gladstone took the leadership of the House of 

 Commons and virtually of the cabinet ; the Reform 

 question was revived, and a bill brought in of 

 which Lord Cranborne was one of the most effective 

 opponents. One of his speeches (on an amend- 

 ment by Earl Grosvenor) is an epitome of some of 

 the strongest objections of Conservatism to such 

 an extension of the franchise as was soon afterwards 

 carried by Mr Disraeli. Mr Gladstone's Reform 

 Bill was defeated ; and when on the resignation 

 of the government Lord Derby took office, Lord 

 Cranborne was made Secretary for India. It is 

 asserted by many and denied by none that to this 

 office Lord Cranborne brought good business habits 

 and a remarkably prompt apprehension of detail. 

 But he was not to hold it long. The Reform agita- 

 tion continued, and Lord Derby and Mr Disraeli 

 resolved upon one of those measures railed 'dish- 

 ing.' The first business of the new Tory govern- 

 ment was to concoct a Reform Bill. Discontent 

 with its provisions compelled Lord Cranliorne, Lord 

 Carnarvon, and General Peel to resign their offices. 

 The bill was proceeded with when, quitting his 

 place on the Treasury bench for a seat below the 

 gangway, Lord Cranborne fought against the 

 measure \\itli extreme jiertinacity and vigour; we 

 should add, with honourable consistency. His un- 

 sparing invective on this occasion did not improve 

 liis relations with Mr Disraeli, which were never 

 rooted in personal friendship at any time. 



When, in the spring of 1868, Mr Gladstone 

 moved for the disestablishment and disendowment 

 of the Irish Church his strongest opponent was 

 Lord Cranliorne. The last speech he ever made in 

 the House of Commons was addressed to this sub- 

 ject. On the 12th of April 1868 he became Marquis 

 of Salisbury, and his first work in the House of 

 Lords was still to defend the church. After 

 (petting against anti-ritual legislation, he had 

 again to deal with the disestablishment question. 



