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Northcote ,' he accepted Mr. Gladstone's proposal (December 1852) that he should serve with Sir Charles Trevelyan [q.v.] and J. Booth on a commission for reorganising the board of trade (Report, dated 20 March 1853, in Parl. Papers, 1853, xxviii. 161). In conjunction with Sir C. Trevelyan he also drew up a report (dated 23 Nov. 1853, Parl. Papers, 1854, xxvii. 1) on the permanent civil service. Its recommendations, which have been embodied in subsequent legislation, were 'the establishment of a proper system of examination' by a central board `before appointment;' the principle that`promotion and future prospects should depend entirely upon good conduct,' and `the introduction of the elements of unity into the service.' Of kindred purpose was his paper contributed to the publication of the Oxford Tutors' Association entitled `Suggestions under which University Education may be made available for Clerks in Government Offices, for Barristers, for Solicitors' (1854).

In December 1853 Northcote was taking lessons in elocution from Wigan the actor, and on 9 March 1855 he was returned for Dudley, a seat practically owned by Lord Ward, a staunch Peelite. His maiden speech, on the transport service, was delivered 23 March. `I was very well received,' he wrote, `especially considering that there were very few of my particular friends in the house, and that the subject of civil service reform, and particularly of the competition system, is exceedingly unpopular.' In the following session he spoke on civil service superannuation, but his chief effort was the conduct of a useful Reformatory and Industrial Schools Bill through its various stages. Already (April 1855) he had established a reformatory school for boys, under the act of 1854, at Brampford Wood, near Pynes, on the model of narwick Baker's farm school in Gloucestershire, and he read a paper at the first meeting of the Reformatory Union, held at Bristol (August 1856), `On Previous Imprisonment of Children sentenced to Reformatories.' When Palmerston's government was defeated (3 March 1857), Northcote voted with the opposition, much to Lord Ward's annoyance. He determined therefore to sever his connection with Dudley and stand for North Devon, but was defeated (6 April) after a very expensive contest.

For purposes of economy, Northcote went with his family to France, but on 17 July 1858 he was returned for Stamford, having contested the seat on Disraeli's suggestion. Again returned (29 April) at the general election, together with Lord Robert Cecil, the present marquis of Salisbury, he became in the following session a recognised opposition speaker. Thus on 21 Feb. 1860 he criticised the commercial treaty with France, and on 8 May moved an amendment, which missed success by nine votes only (210 to 219), to Mr. Gladstone's motion for the repeal of the paper duties. Another speech, delivered 2 May 1861, on the relative claims of paper on the one hand, and tea and sugar on the other, to be imported duty free, was considered by Disraeli `one of the finest he ever heard,' though the government secured a majority of eighteen. Soon afterwards he began his treatise, `Twenty Years of Financial Policy,' of which the dedication to Edward Coleridge is dated July 1862. The work, which was praised by Mr. Gladstone, is an admirable summary, though its conclusions are somewhat negative. Northcote was now greatly in Disraeli's confidence, and wrote him numerous letters on public affairs, particularly finance and the defences (for his speeches see Hansard, 17 March, 8 May, and 23 June 1862). Appointed a member of the Public schools commission (18 July 1862), he spoke on the report (Parl. Papers, 1864, vol. XX., Evidence, vol. xxi.) on 6 May 1864, arguing that parliament could not deal with studies or management, but could touch endowments, the constitution of governing bodies, and the removal of restrictions. In the same year he served on the school of art select committee (Report, Parl. Papers, 1864, vol. xii.), and on 20 Dec. 1865 was gazetted a member of the endowed schools commission (Report, Parl. Papers, 1867-8, vol. xxviii.)

At the general election of 1865 Northcote thought of standing for Oxford University, but was debarred by Mr. Gladstone's candidature, and Stamford again elected him without opposition (11 July). On the formation of the third Derby government he became president of the board of trade, with a seat in the cabinet (1 July 1866), Disraeli having made the latter position a condition of his own assumption of office. He delivered a tactful speech at Liverpool (30 Aug.), to celebrate the Great Eastern's departure with the Atlantic cable on board. Next year he sided with Disraeli on the question of reform. When Lord Cranborne, the present marquis of Salisbury, resigned, Northcote took his place (2 March) as secretary for India. He was in agreement with Lord Lawrence [q.v.] on the non-intervention in Afghanistan, but strongly and successfully opposed the annexation of Mysore. He advocated, however, in opposition to the viceroy, a large measure of financial decentralisation, and the creation of a separate government for Bengal, which