PEEL, SIR ROBERT, an English statesman, son of Sir Robert Peel, a wealthy manufacturer ; born in 1788, and studied at Harrow and Oxford. When just 21 years of age he entered Parliament. He was no orator, nor was he, properly speaking, a natural and sim ple debater. His manner was the artifi cial one of thorough training, and the House from his practice got to like it. In 1811 he was made under-secretary for the colonies, and in 1812, when only 24, he received the very responsible appoint ment of chief secretary for Ireland. After carrying his celebrated currency measure of 1819, he became, in 1822, home secretary. Refusing to take office under Canning, he joined the ministry of the Duke of Wellington in 1828. Here, by conceding Catholic emancipa tion (against which he had previously protested), he did one of those acts which have been called tergiversation by some.
He still, however, professed to belong to the Conservative party, and he became a strenuous opponent of Earl Grey's min istry, and the Reform Bill. When a Con servative government was established in 1834, he gallantly undertook the attempt to work it, though conscious that the task was hopeless. He became prime minis ter in 1841. The position was that of the head of a protectionist government, established to defeat and suppress the free trade party. As circumstances de. veloped from 1841 to 1846, it was seen that the prime minister, becoming con vinced of the truth of free trade, was determined to carry its principles into practice. After the repeal of the Corn Laws and other measures in the same spirit, he resigned office in 1846. He died in 1850.