"Prime Minister" Henry John Temple Signed 3.5X3.25 Page COA For Sale

Henry John Temple, 3rd ViscountPalmerston, KG, GCB, PC, FRS (20 October 1784 – 18 October 1865)was a British statesman who served twice as Prime Minister in themid-19th century. Palmerston dominated British foreign policy during the period1830 to 1865, when Britain was at the height of her imperial power. He heldoffice almost continuously from 1807 until his death in 1865. He began hisparliamentary career as a Tory, defected to the Whigs in 1830, and becamethe first Prime Minister of the newly formed Liberal Party in 1859. Palmerston succeeded tohis father's Irish peerage in 1802. He became a Tory MP in1807, and, from 1809 to 1828, served as Secretary atWar, as which he was responsible for the organisation of thefinances of the army. He first attained Cabinet rank in 1827, when GeorgeCanning became Prime Minister, but, like other Canningites,he resigned from office one year subsequently. He served as Foreign Secretary from1830–4, from 1835–41, and from 1846–51. In this office, Palmerston respondedefficaciously to a series of conflicts in Europe. His belligerent actions asForeign Secretary, some of which were highly controversial, have beenconsidered to be prototypes of the practice of liberalinterventionism. Palmerston became HomeSecretary in Aberdeen's coalitiongovernment, in 1852, subsequent to the Peeliteadvocacy of the appointment of Lord John Russell to theoffice of Foreign Secretary. As Home Secretary, Palmerston enacted varioussocial reforms, although he opposed electoral reform. When public antipathyover the Government's policy in the Crimean Warlost the Government popular favour, in 1855, Palmerston was the only PrimeMinister who was able to sustain a majority in Parliament. He had two periodsin office, 1855–1858 and 1859–1865, before his death at the age of 80 years, afew months subsequent to victory in a general election in whichhe had achieved an increased majority. He remains, to date, the last PrimeMinister to die in office. Palmerston masterfully controlled public opinion bystimulating British nationalism, and, despite the fact thatQueenVictoria and most of the political leadership distrusted him, hereceived and sustained the favour of the press and the populace, from whom hereceived the affectionate sobriquet 'Pam'. Palmerston's alleged weaknessesincluded mishandling of personal relations, and continual disagreements withthe Queen over the royal role in determining foreign policy.Historians considerPalmerston to be one of the greatest foreign secretaries, as a consequence ofhis handling of great crises, his commitment to the balance of power, whichprovided Britain with decisive agency in many conflicts, his analytic skills,and his commitment to British interests. His policies in relation to India, Italy, Belgiumand Spainhad extensive long-lasting beneficial consequences for Britain: although theconsequences of his policies toward France,the Ottoman Empire, and the United Stateswere more ephemeral.