Initial Moves: The Liberal Government 1874-1876
Gladstone's government continued many of their policies from their preceding time in office. The first of these, and the act that would cause much controversy amongst the Tories, was the full implementation of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act, which abolished the judicial functions of the House of Lords. [1] The bill established the High Court and the Court of Appeal, which replaced the judicial functions of the House of Lords, which had long been viewed as full of incompetent judges who owed their position to their father's peerage. [2]
Cardwell's continuance as War Secretary, allowed for the further professionalisation of the army, and further regiment restructuring. [3] More importantly, for Gladstone, was the appointment of Walter Bagehot as Chancellor: while continuing Gladstone's policies in order to maintain a surplus, he rejected Gladstone's plans to abolish income tax. [4] Bagehot's dictum in regards to central banking and its response to financial panic, would come to dominate the party's financial programme. [5]
Gladstone's government, following the Elementary Education Act of 1870, decided upon the creation of the Board of Education, which would be a cabinet position to oversee the expansion and management of education within Britain. The Board of Education Act was passed in 1875, and the new body had William Edward Forster appointed as it's first President. [6] The new body, would oversee an expansion in the provision of education, with elementary education extended to all children up to the age of thirteen, with the Elementary Education Act 1876. [7]
Gladstone, who had legalised trade unions, passed the Factories Employment Act, which granted limited protection and workers rights. [8] Gladstone also repealed the Licensing Act of 1872, aware of how controversial and harmful to the Liberal cause it had been. [9] Civil service reform continued, with the Northcote-Trevelyan Report finally, fully implemented (in part thanks to Grenville's marshalling of the House of Lords, which finally established Her Majesty's Civil Service as a unified body, while maintaining strict procedures to prevent patronage. [10]
In Foreign Policy, meanwhile Gladstone's government pursued closer relations with Germany, under Chancellor Rudolf von Bennigsen [11], and established closer trade links with both Germany and the United States under new President Samuel Tilden. [12] In 1876, Gladstone hosted former President and current Radical leader Abraham Lincoln at Downing Street, as part of the latter's European tour. [13] Gladstone's governmental policy of business as usual would begin to find itself sorely tested...
[1] As Gladstone had proposed before his election defeat in 1874 IOTL.
[2] The judicial functions of the House of Lords were removed from its power regarding England, and were gradually eroded in regards to Scotland and Ireland.
[3] Based on OTL Childers Reforms: since Cardwell is going to be in office much longer, there will be further restructuring in regards to the British Army.
[4] Walter Bagehot was opposed to some of Gladstone's laissez-faire economic policies, and his central banking dictum would help drag Britain out of the painful recession of 1873.
[5] We begin to see a shift away from Gladstonian Liberalism, particularly in regards to economic affairs in the 1880s.
[6] Since education is being further expanded by the Liberal government, they create a cabinet department to oversee it: Forster's appointment as President of the Board of Education was seen as a natural development, given his role in the 1870 act.
[7] The same as OTL Elementary Education Act 1880, just implemented five years earlier.
[8] This is as close as Gladstone was going to come to implementing some of Disraeli's social legislation. Limited worker's rights was still an improvement on the horrific factory conditions of the preceding decades.
[9] Blamed by Gladstone for causing hostility towards the Liberals due to its reduction in alcohol sales and causing in some case riots.
[10] The full implementation of the report has long been regarded as one of Gladstone's greatest moments: Grenville's role in unifying anti-Tory Lords allowed for its passage, and by 1876 Britain had a unified (if unwieldy) civil service.
[11] Bennigsen, had replaced Mommsen as Chancellor in 1874 following the latter's appointment in 1871, and was one of the leading moderate liberals, most famous for his successful effort in keeping Hanover neutral in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. The National Liberals were similar to Gladstonian Liberalism, though they were more pro-military.
[12] Samuel Tilden became the first Democrat to win the White House since James Buchanan in 1856, defeating the incumbent Ulysses S. Grant in a long and bitter campaign. Tilden was an surprising winner given Grant's popularity and the Southern Democrats dislike of him and his opposition to slavery. Regardless Tilden pursued a policy that aligned himself with Gladstone, since he reduced tariffs and promoted trade with British aligned Canada. However the overall Democratic majority meant America's blacks were looking at an immediate negative future...
[13] Lincoln, who had served as President from 1861-1869, was fully disillusioned by the widespread corruption of Grant's administration, and had resigned from the party in 1871. The following year he formed the Radical Party out of former Radical Republicans and disillusioned mainstream Republicans and Northern Democrats. Lincoln, was elected Illinois Senator in 1872, and he and his party came third in 1876 (polling strongly.) His tour of Europe in 1876 was undertaken in order to promote his ideas overseas.