An urgent private cover from Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby (1799–1869), three-time Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, to Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881). Prominently written and underlined at the upper left is “Immediate, ” indicating that the sender intended the cover to reach Disraeli without delay. Hand-addressed: “Right Honble. B. Disraeli M.P. House of Commons” with the clear autograph signature of Lord Derby – “Derby” at the lower left. Lord Derby was one of the leading Conservative statesmen of Victorian Britain, serving as Prime Minister in 1852, 1858–1859 and 1866–1868. Disraeli was his principal political lieutenant, serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Derby’s governments and leading the Conservative forces in the House of Commons; in 1868 he succeeded Derby as Prime Minister. The prominently marked “Immediate”, together with the fact that the cover was addressed directly to Disraeli at the House of Commons, gives the item particular political interest and indicates that its contents were intended to reach him urgently during parliamentary business. Derby and Disraeli stood together at the centre of several major political and parliamentary crises, including the struggles over parliamentary reform, the fall of Derby’s government in 1859, and the later political developments surrounding the Reform Act of 1867. It is possible that the cover relates to an urgent political episode of this kind; however, in the absence of a date or the original contents, no association with a specific event can be established. The reverse bears a crowned blind-embossed device, incorporating an emblem surrounded by the motto “Honi soit qui mal y pense, ” the motto of the Order of the Garter. An especially interesting Victorian autograph and political-history item directly connecting Lord Derby with Benjamin Disraeli at the House of Commons, prominently marked for “Immediate” delivery.
Auction 01: Auction 01 – Historical Letters, Documents & Autographs — Melis Antiques & Art