The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-13
The Leader of the Conservatives.


The Rt. Hon. Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoigne
Cecil, K. g., Marquis of Salisbury, who will
probably succeed Gladstone, is the eldest sur
viving son of the second Marquis of Salisbury,
by his first wife, the daughter and heir of Bam-
ber Gascoigne, ESQ. He was born at Hatfield in
1880, was educated at Eton and at Christ Church,
Oxford, where he graduated, and was elected a
Fellow of All Souls College 1883. In 1853 he
was elected M. p. for Stamford, and he rep
resented that borough in the Conservative in
terest until his succession to the Marquisate on
the death of his father, April II, 1868 While
in the lower house he was known Lord Robert
Cecil, until the decease of his elder brother,
June Ia, 1862 when he assumed the courtesy
title OF Viscount Cranborne In 1857 he married
Georgiana Caroline daughter of Sir Edward
Hall Anderson, Baron of the. Exchequer, and
niece of the celebrated Mrs. Opie. His Lordship
took an active part in all public measures which
affected the interests of he Established Church,
and in the leading Church of England institu-
tions, and he was frequent contributor to the
Quarterly Review and to other periodicals. In
Lord Derbys third administration he was, in
July, 1866, appointed Secretary of State for
india which post he resigned on account of a
difference in opinion respecting the reform bill,
March 2, 1867, when two other Cabinet minis
ters, viz General Peel, War Secretary, and
Lord Carnarvon, Colonial Secretary, also gave
in their designations. On Nov. H. 1869, he was
elected Chancellor of the University of Oxford,
in succession to the late Earl of Derby. In 1871
II he and Lord Cairns, as arbitrators, conducted
long investigation into the complicated affairs
of the London, Chatham & Dover Railway
Company His Lordship was again appointed
Secretary of State for India when Mr..
Disraeli returned to Office, in February,
1874. When, at the close of the war between
Turkey and Servia, differences arose between
the former power and Russia, the Marquis of
Salisbury was sent as special ambassador to the
Sublime Porte, and he and Sir Henry Elliott
acted as joint plenipotentiaries of Great Brit
ain at the conference at COnstantinople His
Lordship left England Nov. 90 1876, and en- route
visited Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Rome. The
progress towards agreement made at the pre-
liminary meetings, held at the Russian En- mbassy,
in Constantinople, were so satisfactory that the
formal conference, at which the joint proposals
OF the powers were pressed upon the Porte, was
opened Dec. 90 At the same time, the new
Constitution of the Ottoman empire was form
ally promulgated by its author, Midhat Pasha.
The Marquis of Salisbury really took the place
leader at the'conference, which held altogether
seven plenary meetings. Sunday, Jan. IA, 1877,
he had an audience of the Sultan, at which
Sir Arnold Kemball acted as interpreter
which the powers intended to insist, informing
him that if they were not accepted the embaSsa-
dors would Immediately leave Constantinople.
These two proposals were that there should be a
supervision, and that the the first appointment
of the Governors should be ratified by the pow
ers. JAM 18 special meeting of the Ottoman
Grand Council was held, and about 140 Mussul
mans and about sixty leading Christians were
present The proceedings lasted two hours and
were opened by Midhat Pasha With one dis
sentiment voice the council were unanimous in
insisting on the rejection OF the proposals of the
powers. The conference held its last sitting Jan.
20, and Immediately afterwards Lord Salisbury
left for England. April 2, 1878, he was appointed
Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs, in the
room of the Earl of Derby, resigned, and he at
once wrote memorable dispatch, in which he
clearly enuncia.ed the policy of the government
with regard to the Eastern question. He and
the Earl of Beaconsfed soon after-vaMs wese
the representatives of Great Britain at the Con
gress of Berlin, and on their return to London
they met with a most enthusiastic reception at
Charng Cross July 49, l878) The Queen in
vested the Marquis of Salisbury with the Order
of the Garter July 80. Aug. he and the Earl of
Beaconsfeld received the freedom of the city of
London, and were afterwards entertained at a
grand banquet at the Mansion House. He went
out of Office with his party after the defeat they
sustained at the general election of April 1880.
At meeting of the Conservative peers, held
May 8, 1881, at the residence of the Marquis of
Abergavenny, the Marquis of Salisbury was
elected to load the party in the House of Lords.
The Marquis of Salisbury is member of the
council of Kings College, London, Deputy
lieutenant of Middlesex, and Honorable Colonel
of the Herts militia. For many years he was
chairman of the MiddleSex Sessions