英仏協商
A former Liberal Unionist, he was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Blackburn (UK Parliament constituency) between the two general elections of 1910 (January and December). He was also a deputy Chairman of the International Law Association. From 1899 to 1900 he headed the British Chamber of commerce and economic work in France involving that helped lead to the Entente cordiale For these works he would be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1913, 1914, 1923, 1925, and 1928.