Granville

Granville, GEORGE LEVESON-GOWER, second EARL, statesman, was born May 11, 1815, being the eldest son of the first earl. He was educated at Eton and Oxford, and entered parliament in 1836 as member for Morpeth, exchanging that seat for Lichfield in 1840. His long and intimate acquaintance with foreign politics began at this time, and he filled for a brief period the post of Under-secretary for Foreign Affairs. He was a consistent Liberal and a free-trader. He succeeded to the peerage in 1846, and five years later entered the cabinet of Lord John Russell, holding the seals of the Foreign Office. From that time forward he held office in every Liberal ministry. He became President of the Council in 1853, and leader of the House of Lords in 1855. He laboured arduously in connection with the great exhibitions of 1851 and 1862. Lord Granville was charged to form a ministry in 1859; but having failed to do so, he joined Lord Palmerston's second administration. He retired with Earl Russell in 1866, having the preceding year been made Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. In December 1868 he was appointed Colonial Secretary in Mr Gladstone's first ministry, and on the death of Lord Clarendon in 1870 became Secretary for Foreign Affairs. He arranged the treaty between England, France, and Prussia guaranteeing the independence of Belgium; and confirmed with Prince Gortschakoff the agreement that Afghanistan should form an intermediary zone between England and Russia. His lordship went out of office in 1874, took the temporary leadership of the Liberal party on Mr Gladstone's retirement in 1875, and for six years led the opposition in the House of Lords with ability and spirit. In 1880 he again became Foreign Secretary under Mr Gladstone, and displayed considerable diplomatic skill in matters relating to the Berlin Treaty, the occupation of Tunis, and the revolt of Arabi Pasha in Egypt. He issued a circular note to the powers on Egyptian reforms, and in 1884 convened a conference on Egyptian finance, which proved abortive owing to the hostile attitude of France. Troubles in the Soudan, difficulties with Germany in consequence of Prince Bismarck's colonial schemes, differences with France, and the threatened rupture with Russia over the demarcation of the Afghan boundary caused Lord Granville much solicitude during the closing years of Mr Gladstone's second administration. He retired with his chief in 1885, but returned once more to office as Colonial Secretary in 1886, resigning again with his colleagues in August of the latter year. A steady supporter of Mr Gladstone's Home-rule policy, he died 31st March 1891.