A coalition of the Conservative and Liberal Unionist parties took power in the United Kingdom shortly before the 1895 general election. Conservative leader Lord Salisbury was appointed Prime Minister and his nephew, Arthur Balfour, became Leader of the House of Commons, but various major posts went to the Liberal Unionists, most notably the Leader of the House of Lords, the Liberal Unionist Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire, who was made Lord President, and his colleague in the Commons, Joseph Chamberlain, who became Colonial Secretary. It was this government which would conduct the Second Boer War from 1899–1902, which helped them to win a landslide victory at the 1900 general election.

The government consisted of three ministries, the first two led by Salisbury (from 1895–1902) and the third by Balfour (from 1902 onwards). __TOC__

The office of Prime Minister

Lord Salisbury was the second and last person to be head of government while not simultaneously holding the title of First Lord of the Treasury. It was said that there were some attempts to distinguish between the two offices, but in the century or more since, they have remained one and the same.

Trade reform Balfour succeeded Salisbury as prime minister in 1902. Eventually, the Unionist government would falter after Chamberlain proposed his scheme for tariff reform, whose partial embrace by Balfour led to the resignation of the more orthodox free traders in the Cabinet.

Chinese miners in South Africa

After the conclusion of the Boer War, the British government sought to rebuild the South African economy which had been devastated by the war. An important part of the rebuilding effort was to get the gold mines of the Witwatersrand, the richest in history and a major cause of the war, back in production as soon as possible. Because the government decreed that white labour was too expensive and black labourers were reluctant to return to the mines, the government decided to import over 60,000 contracted workers from China.

This was deeply unpopular at the time, as popular opinion in much of the Western world, including Britain; was hostile to Chinese immigration. It also happened at a time when poverty and unemployment amongst working-class British people was at very high levels. On 26 March 1904, a demonstration against Chinese immigration to South Africa was held in Hyde Park and was attended by 80,000 people. The Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress then passed a resolution declaring that:

Fall from power With his majority greatly reduced and defeat in the next election seeming inevitable, Balfour resigned as prime minister in December 1905, leading to the appointment of a minority Liberal government under Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman. In the general election which followed in 1906, all but three members of Balfour's cabinet lost their seats, including Balfour himself.

Cabinets Salisbury ministry

June 1895 to November 1900

November 1900 to July 1902 In November 1900, the Cabinet was reformed for the first time.

Balfour ministry

Changes May 1903Lord Onslow succeeds Robert William Hanbury at the Board of Agriculture. September to October 1903 Lord Londonderry succeeds the Duke of Devonshire as Lord President. Londonderry remains President of the Board of Education. Lord Lansdowne succeeds Devonshire as Leader of the House of Lords. Lansdowne remains Foreign Secretary. Lord Salisbury succeeds Arthur Balfour as Lord Privy Seal. Austen Chamberlain succeeds Charles Ritchie at the Exchequer. Chamberlain's successor as Postmaster General is not in the Cabinet. Alfred Lyttelton succeeds Joseph Chamberlain as Colonial Secretary. St John Brodrick succeeds Lord George Hamilton as Secretary for India. H. O. Arnold-Forster succeeds Brodrick as Secretary for War. Andrew Graham-Murray succeeds Lord Balfour of Burleigh as Secretary for Scotland. March 1905 Walter Hume Long succeeds George Wyndham as Irish Secretary. Gerald Balfour succeeds Long at the Local Government Board. Lord Salisbury succeeds Balfour at the Board of Trade. Salisbury remains Lord Privy Seal. Lord Cawdor succeeds Lord Selborne at the Admiralty. Ailwyn Fellowes succeeds Lord Onslow at the Board of Agriculture.

List of ministers

OfficeName DatePrime ministerRobert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Arthur BalfourChancellor of the Exchequer Sir Michael Hicks Beach, 9th Baronet Charles Ritchie Austen ChamberlainSir William WalrondSir Alexander Acland-HoodFinancial Secretary to the TreasuryRobert William HanburyAusten ChamberlainWilliam Hayes FisherArthur ElliotVictor CavendishJunior Lords of the TreasuryHenry Torrens AnstrutherWilliam Hayes FisherEdward Stanley, Baron StanleyAilwyn FellowesHenry ForsterDavid Lindsay, Baron BalnielLord Edmund TalbotLord Chancellor Hardinge Giffard, 1st Baron HalsburyLord President of the Council Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of LondonderryLord Privy Seal R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Arthur Balfour James Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of SalisburySecretary of State for the Home Department Sir Matthew White Ridley, 5th Baronet Charles Thomson Ritchie Aretas Akers-DouglasUnder-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentJesse CollingsThomas CochraneSecretary of State for Foreign AffairsRobert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of LansdowneUnder-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsGeorge CurzonSt John BrodrickJames Gascoyne-Cecil, Viscount CranborneHenry Percy, Earl PercySecretary of State for War Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne St John Brodrick H. O. Arnold-ForsterUnder-Secretary of State for WarSt John BrodrickGeorge WyndhamGeorge Somerset, 3rd Baron RaglanAlbert Yorke, 6th Earl of HardwickeRichard Hely-Hutchinson, 6th Earl of DonoughmoreFinancial Secretary to the War OfficeJoseph Powell WilliamsEdward Stanley, Baron StanleyWilliam Bromley-DavenportSecretary of State for the Colonies Joseph Chamberlain Alfred LytteltonUnder-Secretary of State for the ColoniesWilliam Palmer, 2nd Earl of SelborneWilliam Onslow, 4th Earl of OnslowCharles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of MarlboroughSecretary of State for India Lord George Hamilton St John BrodrickUnder-Secretary of State for IndiaWilliam Onslow, 4th Earl of OnslowAlbert Yorke, 6th Earl of HardwickeHenry Percy, Earl PercyvacantThomas Thynne, 5th Marquess of BathFirst Lord of the Admiralty George Goschen William Palmer, 2nd Earl of Selborne Frederick Campbell, 3rd Earl CawdorParliamentary and Financial Secretary to the AdmiraltyWilliam Ellison-MacartneyH. O. Arnold-ForsterE. G. PretymanCivil Lord of the AdmiraltyAusten ChamberlainE. G. PretymanArthur LeePresident of the Board of Agriculture Walter Long Robert William Hanbury William Onslow, 4th Earl of Onslow Ailwyn FellowesPresident of the Board of Education Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of LondonderryParliamentary Secretary to the Board of EducationSir William Anson, 3rd BaronetChief Secretary for IrelandGerald Balfour George Wyndham Walter LongLord Lieutenant of Ireland George Cadogan, 5th Earl CadoganWilliam Ward, 2nd Earl of DudleyLord Chancellor of Ireland Edward Gibson, 1st Baron AshbourneChancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross Henry James, 1st Baron James of HerefordSir William WalrondPresident of the Local Government Board Henry Chaplin Walter Long Gerald BalfourParliamentary Secretary to the Local Government BoardThomas RussellJohn LawsonArthur Frederick JeffreysPostmaster GeneralHenry Fitzalan-Howard, 15th Duke of Norfolk Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry Austen Chamberlain Edward Stanley, Baron StanleySecretary for Scotland Alexander Bruce, 6th Lord Balfour of Burleigh Andrew Murray John Hope, 1st Marquess of LinlithgowPresident of the Board of Trade Charles Ritchie Gerald BalfourJames Gascoyne-Cecil, 4th Marquess of SalisburyParliamentary Secretary to the Board of TradeWilliam Ward, 2nd Earl of DudleyBonar LawFirst Commissioner of Works Aretas Akers-DouglasRobery Windsor-Clive, 14th Baron WindsorVice-President of the Committee on EducationSir John Eldon GorstPaymaster GeneralJohn Hope, 7th Earl of HopetounCharles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of MarlboroughSir Savile CrossleyAttorney GeneralSir Richard WebsterSir Robert FinlaySolicitor GeneralSir Robert FinlaySir Edward CarsonLord AdvocateSir Charles PearsonAndrew MurrayCharles DicksonSolicitor General for ScotlandAndrew MurrayCharles DicksonDavid DundasEdward Theodore SalvesenJames Avon ClydeAttorney-General for IrelandJohn AtkinsonSolicitor-General for IrelandWilliam KennyDunbar BartonGeorge WrightJames CampbellLord Steward of the HouseholdSidney Herbert, 14th Earl of PembrokeLord Chamberlain of the HouseholdEdward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of LathomJohn Hope, 7th Earl of HopetounEdward Villiers, 5th Earl of ClarendonVice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdAilwyn FellowesSir Alexander Acland-HoodFrederick Glyn, 4th Baron WolvertonMaster of the HorseWilliam Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of PortlandTreasurer of the HouseholdGeorge Osborne, Marquess of CarmarthenRichard Curzon, Viscount CurzonVictor CavendishJames Hamilton, Marquess of HamiltonComptroller of the HouseholdLord Arthur HillArthur Annesley, 11th Viscount ValentiaCaptain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsHenry Strutt, 2nd Baron BelperWilliam Pery, 3rd Earl of LimerickWilliam Waldegrave, 9th Earl WaldegraveMaster of the BuckhoundsGeorge Coventry, 9th Earl of CoventryCharles Cavendish, 3rd Baron CheshamMistress of the RobesLouisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of BuccleuchLords-in-WaitingVictor Spencer, 3rd Baron ChurchillGeorge Harris, 4th Baron HarrisJohn Henniker-Major, 5th Baron HennikerJohn Lawrence, 2nd Baron LawrenceUchter Knox, 5th Earl of RanfurlyWilliam Waldegrave, 9th Earl WaldegraveEdward Villiers, 5th Earl of ClarendonAlexander Hood, 1st Viscount BridportAlgernon Keith-Falconer, 9th Earl of KintoreWilliam Bagot, 4th Baron BagotRudolph Feilding, 9th Earl of DenbighRichard Curzon, 4th Earl HoweLloyd Tyrell-Kenyon, 4th Baron KenyonCharles Hay, 20th Earl of Erroll

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