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 to whose counsel he expressed deep indebtedness. In addition to attending lectures in the university, he was an active member of the Speculative Society, reading essays before it and taking part in discussions, thereby training himself for a political career. He revisited the Peninsula in 1810, when he was the guest of his brother, Lord George William, at Isla de Leon. He also acquired experience as captain in the Bedfordshire militia, to which he was appointed in 1813, and his military training proved as serviceable to him as it was to Gibbon. At the same time he developed a marked taste for literature. George Ticknor, who met him in 1819, wrote: ‘Lord John is a young man of a good deal of literary knowledge and taste, from whose acquaintance I have had much pleasure’ (Life, Letters, and Journals, i. 270).

In 1812 Russell again visited the continent; he saw Wellington at Burgos and Cadiz, and in 1813 at his headquarters in the Pyrenees. Being at Florence in 1814, he found an opportunity of crossing to Elba, where he had an interview with Bonaparte, and inferred that he did not despair of returning to power (see Introduction to Speeches, i. 7–12).

While abroad in July 1813, being still a month under age, he was elected by his father's directions member of parliament for the family borough of Tavistock. In accordance with the traditions of his family, he was returned in the whig interest. His maiden speech was delivered on 12 May 1814 in support of an address to the prince regent against forcing Norway to unite with Sweden, and he voted in the small minority which favoured the Norwegians. His remarks were not reported. He spoke for the second time on 14 July, when he opposed the Alien Act Repeal Bill. On 26 Feb. 1817 Lord John made his first notable speech in parliament in opposing the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act. Shortly afterwards, owing to weak health, he applied for the Chiltern Hundreds, his place being filled by Lord Robert Spencer, who was elected on 12 March. He was re-elected for Tavistock on 18 June 1818, and on 14 Dec. 1819 he delivered the first of his many speeches on parliamentary reform. Yet, in his earliest as in his latest years, literature had as many attractions for him as politics. He prepared at this period, among other works, biographies of members of his family; a tale, entitled ‘The Nun of Arrouca’ (1822); ‘Don Carlos’ (1822), a tragedy; ‘Memoirs of the Affairs of Europe’ (1824); and a translation of the Fifth Book of the Odyssey (1827). His writings first made his name familiar to the public, and the readers of his books became curious to read his speeches.

At the general election of 1820 Russell was returned for Huntingdonshire. Thenceforth for twelve years he mainly devoted himself to pressing parliamentary reform on the attention of the house. He made the subject his own, and treated it in a spirit that he thought would have won the approval of Fox. As far as electoral reform was concerned, he soon became the recognised leader of the whigs, excluding Lord Grenville's adherents. The disfranchisement of Grampound in 1821 was as much due to his efforts as to its own corruption. He moved in the House of Commons, on 25 April 1822, ‘that the present state of representation of the people in parliament requires the most serious consideration of the House,’ and, though the majority against his motion was 105, his speech was admitted to be an admirable presentation of facts and arguments. Moore was present, and noted in his ‘Diary’ (iii. 346) that Lord John's speech was excellent, ‘full of good sense and talent, and, though occupying nearly three hours in the delivery, listened to throughout with the profoundest attention.’ His next legislative effort was a bill for the discovery and suppression of bribery at elections, which was read a first and second time without a division in 1826, but was abandoned owing to the government declaring that they would oppose it. At the general election of that year he was defeated in Huntingdonshire, but in December he was returned for the Irish borough of Bandon on the nomination of the Duke of Devonshire. On 26 Feb. 1828 he moved for the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts, a motion which, as he said, had not been made since Fox made it in 1790. Brougham powerfully supported and Sir Robert Peel, Huskisson, and Palmerston opposed him, yet he carried his motion by the unexpected and decisive majority of forty-four. After a bill giving effect to it had passed the commons, Lord Holland took charge of it in the House of Lords, from which it emerged with little mutilation, and became law on 28 April. This measure was succeeded by the Catholic Relief Bill, which Lord John cordially supported, and which was added to the statute-book on 13 April 1829.

The death of George IV, on 26 June 1830, was followed by a general election, at which Lord John was a candidate for Bedford; yet, despite his father's influence, he lost the election by one vote. His defeat was due to the Wesleyans, who had taken offence at some remarks of his on prayer. The