Edwardian Conservatism and the Constitution: The Thought of L ord H ugh C ecil

This article presents an analysis of the political thought of L ord H ugh C ecil. It argues that in order to understand C ecil's thought it is necessary to emphasize the role of the constitution in his thinking. There are three reasons for this. First, his opposition to C hamberlain's tariff reform campaign was rooted in a view of the detrimental effects the policy would have on politics, evidence for which C ecil saw in the tactics used by the tariff reformers. Second, because his opposition to the P arliament B ill and to the home rule proposals, which lay behind the removal of the house of lords' veto, was similarly rooted in what he saw as the unconstitutional nature of these measures. Third, because C ecil was an active proponent of constitutional reforms that were designed to ensure that the second chamber could still exercise a restraining influence on government and so stand up for the interests of what he saw as the moderate majority of the people.