John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn

John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn, OM, PC ( born December 24, 1838 in Blackburn, Lancashire, † September 23, 1923 in Flowermead, Wimbledon Park, London ) was a British statesman, biographer, literary critic and publicist.

• 3.1 Biographies
• 3.2 Other writings

Life

John Morley was educated at Cheltenham College, studied at Oxford University and worked as a lawyer since 1873, until he with undivided force turned to the political journalism after a few years. Even as a 22 - year-old he had - "on the side " - taken over the editorship of the Literary Gazette. From 1867 to 1882 he was the successor of George Henry Lewes the Fortnightly Review out from 1880 to 1883 the Pall Mall Gazette, in which he worked with Matthew Arnold, and from 1883 to 1885 the Macmillan 's Magazine.

Political career

1883 Morley was elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament for Newcastle -upon- Tyne to the House ( until 1895 ). From 1896 to 1908 he represented the constituency Montrose Burghs (Scotland).

Morley rose shortly on in the control loop, the liberal group. In February 1886 he was appointed by Gladstone to the Cabinet and appointed Chief Secretary for Ireland. His first term in this key position ended, however, just six months later due to the electoral defeat of the Liberals at the general election in 1886.

Chief Secretary for Ireland

When the Liberals came back to the government with the elections of 1892, Morley was entrusted again with the Office of Chief Secretary for Ireland. As Gladstone's confidant in Dublin Castle, he represented the policy of a moderate Home Rule, ie of autonomy for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In return, Morley was busy in negotiations with Charles Stewart Parnell, to secure the support of the Irish members of the Liberal government in the British Parliament. The reputation that he acquired among many Irish, it benefited in its majority of workers occupied constituency Newcastle -upon- Tyne in the general election in 1892. Although Morley spoke out against the introduction of the eight-hour day due to its liberal economic conviction, he was re-elected thanks to the votes of the Irish workers.

When King Edward VII in 1902 the Order of Merit founded, Morley was among the first personalities to whom he gave the order.

Secretary of State for India

In the cabinet of Henry Campbell - Bannerman (1905-1908) Morley Secretary of State for India was, ie Minister of India. He appointed the first time two Indians as members of its associated Council of India. With Gopal Krishna Gokhale, the leader of the Indian National Congress, he negotiated the demands of the Indian national movement and continued steps to further decentralize the administration of the colony by. When Campbell - Bannerman and Herbert Henry 1908 retired Asquith succeeded him as prime minister, he confirmed Morley as India minister. Together with the viceroy, Gilbert Elliot - Murray - Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto, he prepared the way for the Indian Councils Act 1909 ( commonly referred to as " Morley - Minto Reforms "), a constitutional law of the bases for the participation put Indians in the government of British India.

Lord President of the Council

1908 John Morley was charged with the title of Viscount Morley of Blackburn to the peerage. Apart from the so outspoken award pursued Asquith thus a practical purpose, namely to relieve Morley of the time-consuming obligations of a lower house deputies.

1910 Morley was appointed to cabinet rank to Lord President of the Council. 1911 Morley was instrumental in helping to bring the Parliament Act by the House of Lords. With this long -fought law the House of Lords agreed to in an act of self- disempowerment of lift its veto right against bills of the House of Commons and the House of Commons confirmed therefore as the actual legislature.

As the UK on August 5, 1914 Germany declared war on Morley resigned as Lord President of the Council, as well as a second minister, John Elliot Burns. Morley had always turned in the Cabinet, however, that Britain is tied with an alliance with France and thus encouraged the French revanchism. The reasons for his resignation, he explained in his memorandum on resignation, which his nephew Guy Morley in 1928, after the death of his uncle, published and caused a sensation.

He spent his life in his villa at Wimbledon. He was from 1894 to 1921 Trustee of the British Museum and - until six months before his death - Chancellor of the University of Manchester.

The title Viscount Morley of Blackburn expired with his death, as he had no male offspring. His 1870 Rose Ayling contracted marriage remained childless.

John Morley as a writer and biographer

Morley dedicated the years in which he did not belong to the Cabinet and "only" was a deputy, his second passion ( besides politics ): the biography. Even as a journalist, he had begun: with biographies of Edmund Burke, Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot and Richard Cobden. The selection of portraits of Morley is by no means accidental. Trace a life, it always was (also) an opportunity to develop his own beliefs. From 1878 and 1892 to Morley gave up the series published by Macmillan English Men of Letters, as well as the 1902-1919 New Series published.

His masterpiece is the 1903 published in three volumes biography of Gladstone, a milestone in the development of the historical and political biography. Morley wrote in an elegant style. He was also a brilliant speaker. This contributed, inter alia, it the honorable invitation, the Romanes Lecture to hold 1909 ( on Machiavelli ).

A look of recognition enjoyed Morley as a historian, was that Andrew Carnegie gave him the important library of the late Lord Acton in 1902, which he had bought from his estate. Morley bequeathed his part of the University of Cambridge.

At the age of almost 80 years, Morley completed in 1917 published his two-volume memoirs Recollections.

Works

Biographies

• Edmund Burke. A historical study. Macmillan, London, 1867.
• Voltaire. Chapman and Hall, London, 1871.
• Rousseau. 2 vols. Chapman and Hall, London, 1873.
• Diderot and the Encyclopaedists. Chapman and Hall, London 1878.
• The Life of Richard Cobden. 2 vols. Chapman & Hall, London, 1881.
• Walpole. Macmillan, London, 1889.
• Oliver Cromwell. Macmillan, London, 1900.
• The Life of William Ewart Gladstone. 3 volumes. Macmillan, London, 1903.

Other writings

• Critical Miscellanies. Chapman and Hall, London. In three volumes published between 1871 and 1886.
• The Struggle for National Education. Chapman & Hall, London, 1873.
• On Compromise. Chapman & Hall, London 1874 German edition. Conviction loyalty. Carl Rümpler, Hannover, 1879.
• Aphorisms. An address delivered before the Edinburgh Philosophical Institution. Macmillan, London, 1887.
• Studies in Literature. Macmillan, London, 1891.
• Literary essays. Humphreys, London, 1906.
• Notes on Politics and History. Macmillan, London, 1913.
• Recollections. 2 vols. Macmillan, London, 1917.