Description
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour. British Conservative statesman who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1902-1905.
Autograph envelope postmarked London 21st March 1908. Addressed and signed in Balfour's hand. "To The Rev Canon Kelly, Cathedral Library, Manchester. A.J. Balfour".
Approx 13 x 11 cms. Fine.
Balfour replaced his uncle, Lord Salisbury , as Prime Minister in 1902. Lord Salisbury had acted as his own Foreign Secretary in his last administration but Balfour had taken the role during Lord Salisbury's illness and when he was abroad. As such he was to take some of the blame over the disastrous start to the Boer War. From 1906 to 1909 Balfour remained as leader of the Conservative party and, through his influence in the House of Lords, he concentrated his efforts in blocking the Liberal Reforms of David Lloyd George's government. This led the latter to dub the upper House "Mr Balfour's poodle".
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