ABSTRACT
In 1880 William Ewart Gladstone returned to the post of prime minister. He had the support of the Liberal majority in the House of Commons, and even of the two erstwhile leaders of the party, Granville and Hartington. His task now was to construct a ministerial team that would enable him to continue the work he had left unfinished in 1874, as well as to undo what he saw as the harmful effects of the six years of Conservative rule and deal with any unforeseen events that might yet occur. Even without any of these problems, he knew he still had a lot to do. There are two preliminary points that need to be made with regard to the domestic legislation of Gladstone’s second ministry. Gladstone took on the task of forming his third ministry after receiving a summons from the Queen, delivered at about midnight on 29/30 January 1886.
