PRIME

See also:

• MINISTER (Lat. minister, servant)

MINISTER, or PREMIER  , in England, the first minister of the Crown . Until 1905 the office of prime minister was unknown to the law,' but by a royal warrant of the 2nd of December of that year the holder of the office, as such, was given precedence next after the archbishop of York . The prime minister is the medium of intercourse between the cabinet and the sovereign; he has to be cognizant of all matters of real importance that take place in the different departments so as to exercise a controlling influence in the cabinet; he is virtually responsible for the disposal of the entire patronage of the Crown; he selects his colleagues, and by his resignation of office dissolves the ministry . Yet he was until 1905, in theory at least, but the equal' of the colleagues he appointed . The prime minister is nominated by the sovereign . " I offered," said Sir Robert Peel on his resignation of office, " no opinion as to the choice of a successor . That is almost the only act which is the personal act of the sovereign; it is for the sovereign to determine in whom her confidence shall be placed." Yet this selection by the Crown is practically limited . No prime minister could carry on the government of the country for any length of time who did not possess the confidence of the House of Commons . The prime minister has no salary as prime minister, but he usually holds the premiership in connexion with the first lordship of the treasury, the chancellorship of the exchequer, a secretaryship of state or the privy seal . Sir Robert Walpole must be regarded as the first prime minister—that is, a minister who imposed harmonious action upon his colleagues in the cabinet . This was brought about partly by the capacity of the man himself, partly by the lack of interest of George I. and II. in English home affairs . This creation, as it were, of a superior minister was so gradually and silently effected that it is difficult to realize its full importance .

In previous ministries there was no prime minister except so far as one member of the

administration dominated over his colleagues by the force of character and intelligence . In the reign of George III. even North and Adding-ton were universally acknowledged by the title of prime minister, though they had little claim to the independence of action of a Walpole or a Pitt . British Prime Ministers . Sir R . Walpole . . 1721-1742 Earl of Shelburne John, Lord Carteret (afterwards Mar- quess of Lans- downe) . 1782-1783 Lord North (after- wards Earl of Guil- ford . . . 1783 (afterwards Earl 1742—1744 Granville) . Henry Pelham . 1744-174 Duke of Newcastle . 1754-1756 William Pitt and Duke of Newcastle 1756-1762 W .

Pitt . . 1783-1801 Earl of

Bute . . 1762-1763 H . Addington (after- George Grenville . 1763-1765 wards Viscount Marquess of Rock- Sidmouth) . 1301-1.804 ingham 1765-1766 W . Pitt . . . 1804-1806 W . Pitt, Earl of Lord Grenville 1806-1807 Chatham . . 1766-1767 Duke of Grafton . 1767-1770 Duke of Portland 18o7-18o9 Lord North .

. 1770-1782

Spencer Perceval . 1809-1812 Marquess of Rock- Earl of Liverpool . 1812-1827 ingham . . . 1782 G . Canning . 1827 1 The first formal mention in a public document appears to be in 1878, where, in the opening clause of the treaty of Berlin, the earl of Beaconsfield is referred to as " First Lord of Her Majesty's Treasury, Prime Minister of England." Viscount Goderich B . Disraeli (after- 1868 (afterwards Earl wards Earl of of Ripon) . . . 1827-1828 Beaconsfield) . . Duke of Wellington . 1828-183o W .

E .

Gladstone . 1868-1874 Earl Grey . . 183o-1834 B . Disraeli (Beacons- 1874-1880 Viscount Melbourne 1834 field) . . . Sir R . Peel . . 1834-1835 W . E . Gladstone . . 188o-1885 Viscount Melbourne 1835-1841 Marquess of Salis- Sir R .

Peel 1841-1846

bury . . 1885-1886 Lord John Russell W . E . Gladstone . . 1886 (afterwards Earl Marquess of Salis- 1886-1892 Russell) . 1846-1852 bury . . . Earl of Derby . 1852 W . E . Gladstone . . 1892-1894 Earl of Aberdeen .

1852-1855 Earl of

Rosebery . 1894-1895 Viscount Palmerston 1855-1858 Marquess of Salis- Earl of Derby . . 1858-1859 bury . . . . 1895-1902 Viscount Palmerston 1859-1865 A . J . Balfour . 1902-1905 Earl Russell . 1865-1866 Sir H . Campbell- 1905-1908 Earl of Derby . 1866-1868 Bannerman . . H .

H .

Asquith .