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Description: | Bronze portrait statue on granite pedestal. Peel in modern dress shown as public speaker, addressing the House of Commons. Left hand holding scroll. Additional Information: Sir Robert Peel (1788-1850), statesman, was born at Chamber Hall near Bury, the son of manufacturer and MP Robert Peel. He was educated at Harrow and Christ Church Oxford. In April 1809 he entered Parliament as MP for Cashel in Tipperary, in the following year becoming under secretary of state for war and the colonies. Between 1812 and 1818 he was chief secretary for Ireland in Lord Liverpool's administration. In 1822 he rejoined Liverpool's government as secretary of state for the Home Department and began a thorough programme of legal reform including the overhaul of England's criminal statutes and the establishment of the Metropolitan Police (1829). On the rise of Canning to the premiership in 1827, Peel resigned, but after his rival's death worked to reunite the tory party and re-entered government under the Duke of Wellington in 1828. In order to maintain the government and quell civil unrest, Peel became converted to catholic emancipation, thereby splitting his party. He returned to office as prime minister in 1834, but left the following year, unable to command a majority in the House of Commons. During this time Peel repeatedly set out the tenets of a reforming conservatism, seen by many as the foundation of the modern conservative party. By 1841 he was back in government as first lord of the treasury and embarking on a programme of economic reform. On 9 December 1845 Peel resigned after failing to get the support of his cabinet colleagues for the repeal of the corn laws, but by the 20th was back in office and introducing a repeal bill. On 25 June 1846 the bill passed the lords but was defeated in the commons and Peel was forced to resign once again. He died on 2 July 1850 four days after falling from his horse.(1) | Subjects: | Statue | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Sculptor: Noble, Matthew | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=7550... | Go to resource |
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