Leonard Courtney, 1st Baron Courtney of Penwith
Leonard Henry Courtney, 1st Baron Courtney of Penwith, ( born July 6, 1832 in Penzance, † April 28, 1925 ) was a British politician of the Liberal Party and later the Liberal Unionists.
Life
Courtney was the son of the banker John Sampson Courtney and Sarah Mortimer. His brother John Mortimer Courtney (1838-1920) became Deputy Finance Minister in Canada, and his brother William Prideaux Courtney (1845-1913) was in the public service and scholar. Courtney studied at Cambridge University (St. John 's College ), where he was Second Wrangler in the Tripos examinations, the Smith Prize won and Fellow of St. John's College was. After that, he became a lawyer ( called to the bar in 1858 in Lincoln 's Inn ). 1872 to 1875 he was Professor of Political Economy at University College London. In 1889 he became a Bencher.
In 1876 he was elected at the second attempt for the Liberals in parliament ( Liskeard, after the election district reform in 1885 Bodmin in Cornwall) and held the seat until 1900, when he no longer took because of his opposition to the Boer War.
He has held various high offices in the second Gladstone government (1880-1885), first Under Secretary in the Home Department, 1881 for Colonies ( Colonial Office ) and 1882 Treasury Secretary. Then he fell out with Gladstone's government, first over the electoral reform in 1884, when he saw violates the principle of proportional representation, and 1885 on the Ireland policy ( Home Rule ). He resigned in 1884 and was among those who seceded in the Liberal Unionist Party of the Liberals.
In 1886 he was Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons (Chairman of Ways and Means ) and 1889 member of the Privy Council. His political independence and waning eyesight prevented the candidacy for the speaker at the next elections in 1895. Particular, prevented its public commitment to the Boers, he again gained higher political office.
In 1906 he received the peer - dignity and became Baron Courtney of Penwith.
1897 to 1899 he was president of the Royal Statistical Society. He wrote occasionally regularly for The Times.
He was since 1883 with Catherine (Kate ) Potter ( 1847-1929 ), sister of Beatrice Webb, married. The marriage remained childless. Courtney supported in conjunction with Beatrice Webb women's rights. He was friends with the painter Norman Garstin.
Quotes
He is the phrase There three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics ( There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics ) attributed that was formerly often wrongly attributed to Benjamin Disraeli.
Writings
- The working constitution of the United Kingdom and its outgrowths, London: Dent 1901, 1920