The frigid voice, the didactic tone, the reserved gesture - consisting of catlike and cautiously placing his hand on the table, and slowly withdrawing it - are very repulsive to a stranger, who cannot understand how that cold nature got a leadership.
- E.M. Whitty, on Lord John Russell.

Additional Information on
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell of Kingston (1792-1878)
Whig Prime Minister 1846-1851, 1865-1866

John Russell, or 'Little Johnny' as he was nicknamed, was the third son of the sixth Duke of Bedford. In 1813 Russell was elected to Parliament as a Whig member for Tavistock. Ill health forced him to resign in 1817, although he returned to Parliament the next year. Russell was particularly interested in parliamentary reform and when Earl Grey's ministry began in 1830 Russell was given the job of drafting the Reform Bills in Parliament. As a result, he soon gained much fame and popularity, and the first Reform Bill was passed through Parliament in 1832. When Lord Melbourne became Prime Minister in 1834, Russell seemed the obvious popular choice as leader of the House of Commons, Home Secretary and later Colonial Secretary. Between 1834 and 1838 Russell fought for Irish and Church reform, but never succeeded in establishing anything.

In 1841 Peel took office, and by this point Russell had gained enough support to effect the leadership of the opposition. The opposition supported the repeal of the Corn Laws, and this matter eventually led to Peel's resignation in 1845. However, Russell's support was not yet strong enough to be able to take over, so Peel resumed the office.

The following year, Peel was defeated again. Queen Victoria asked Russell to form a ministry, and this attempt succeeded Peel's administration in 1846. Unfortunately, Russell's government possessed little sense of purpose, and the country was in a disastrous state. British trade was at a low ebb, unemployment was high, and conditions in Ireland were diabolical. To his credit, Russell soon set about the introduction of legislation to improve conditions in Ireland. He helped the workers by restricting the working day in the Factory Act (1847), and issued the Public Health Act (1848).

However, quarrels and distractions within the party meant it had little coherence as a body, and therefore little force or power. Russell's Foreign Secretary was Palmerston , who Queen Victoria did not like at all. She warned Russell that he needed to restrain Palmerston's power, and disputes between the two led to Russell asking him to resign in 1851 (he would not). Only two months later Palmerston defeated Russell on the question of the Militia Bill which in turn forced Russell's resignation.

When the Earl of Derby became the next Prime Minister, Russell was made his Foreign secretary and Leader of the Commons. Unfortunately, Russell was unsuccessful in these positions and became a public scapegoat for many of Britain's problems e.g. The Crimean War. In 1855 he resigned due to a complete loss of popularity.

The rest of the 1850's saw continual rivalry and quarrelling between Russell and Palmerston - 'Those two dreadful old men' as the Queen called them. This lasted until a reconciliation was formed in 1859 when Palmerston formed a new ministry and Russell was appointed as Foreign Secretary.

In 1861, Russell was elevated to the House of Lords after accepting a peerage as Earl Russell of Kingston Russell. The following year he was made a member of the order of the Garter. When Palmerston died in 1865, the Queen turned to Russell once again. Although he was 73 years of age, Russell felt obliged to accept the offer, and so formed his second administration. However, in 1866 Russell attempted to pass a new reform Bill and after it was defeated he resigned. Russell never held political office again. He died in 1878.

QUOTATIONS

If a traveller were informed that such a man was leader of the House of Commons, he may well begin to comprehend how the Egyptians worshipped an insect.
- Benjamin Disraeli, on Lord John Russell.

The Foreign Policy of the Noble Earl .... may be summed up in two truly expressive words, 'meddle' and 'muddle'.
- Lord Derby, Speech in the House of Lords, 1864.