Chamberlain (JOSEPH an Engstatesman born)

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

JOSEPH, an Engstatesman, born in London in July, JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN He was educated at University School, and entered factory at Birmingham, from however, he retired in 1874. He had by this time acquired considerable from the celebrity as a Radical politician. In 1868 vocate these he was appointed a member of the Bir- the Liberal mingham town - council, was mayor of tariff - reform Birmingham from 1873 to 1876, and feated in chairman of the Birmingham school- elected to board from 1874 to 1876. After unsuccessfully contesting Sheffield against Mr. Roebuck in 1874, he was returned for Birmingham without opposition in June, 1876. He soon made his mark in Parliament, and on the return of the Liberals to power in 1880 he was appointed president of the Board of Trade, with a seat in the cabinet. To Mr. Chamberlain's exertions was due the passing of the Bankruptcy Bill, but his efforts to amend the merchant shipping acts were unsuccessful. Meanwhile his influence was increasing rapidly outside the House; he came to be regarded as the leader of the extreme Radical party. During the last hours of Mr. Gladstone's government he was understood to be opposed to the renewal of the Irish Crimes Act; and during the general election of 1886 he was most severe in his strictures on the moderate Liberals, and produced an "unauthorized" program (in opposition to that of Mr. Gladstone), which included the readjustment of taxation, free schools, and the creation of allotments by compulsory purchase. He was returned by the western division of Birmingham. On Feb. 1, UNITED STATES, 1886, he became president of the Local Government Board, but resigned on March 26, because of his strong objections to Mr. Gladstone's Home Rule measures for Ireland, and after the "Round Table" conference had failed to reunite the Liberal party he assumed an attitude of uncompromising hostility to his old leader's new policy, and was bitterly assailed by Home Rulers as a renegade. He became leader of the Liberal-Unionists when the Duke of Devonshire went to the Upper House. Lord Salisbury sent him to Washington as commissioner on the Canadian fishery dispute, and in 1895 he was made Colonial minister in the Unionist Cabinet. As such he had, besides sharing the responsibilities of his colleagues, to face the troubles in South Washington. Africa, and to cherish closer fellow-feelthe Research De ing with the Colonies, as by welcoming the colonial ministers and colonial troops to London at the queen's "Diamond Jubilee" (1897), and by concessions to Canadian commercial autonomy. He carried the Australian Federation measure in Parliament (1900), and later had to face opposition from within the Liberal party. In 1903 he brought forward proposals for a system of preferential tariffs with the Colonies and advocated the imposition of a tax on foreign goods. He resigned Cabinet in 1903 in order to adproposals. He reorganized - Unionist party in 1904 as a party. The party was de- 1906, but Chamberlain was rethe House of Commons. Ill health prevented active participation in politics after 1906, but he continued as a member of the House until 1914, in which year he died. In 1888 he was married to Mary, daughter of William C. Endicott, Secretary of War in President Cleveland's first administration.