Editing John Russell, 1st Earl Russell (section)

===Backbench MP: 1813–1830===
Russell entered the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] as a [[Whigs (British political party)|Whig]] in 1813 at the age of 20. The future reformer gained his seat by virtue of his father, the [[6th Duke of Bedford|Duke of Bedford]], instructing the 30 or so electors of Tavistock to return him as an MP even though at the time Russell was abroad and under age.{{sfn|Walpole|1889a|pp=69-70}} Russell's [[maiden speech]] in Parliament was in opposition to then [[Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool|Lord Liverpool's]] government's stance on the union of [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]]. Though overlooked by Parliamentary reporters and now forgotten, his second speech, summarised in Hansard, reflected his commitment to liberty.{{Sfn|Reid|1895|p=27}}

Russell's maiden speech was delivered on 14 July 1814, which was in time for opposition to the second reading of the [[Alien acts|Alien Acts]], a measure that nevertheless became law. Russell concisely criticised the act, stating what he considered "the Act to be one which was very liable to abuse. The present time was that which least called for it; and Ministers, in bringing forward the measure now because it had been necessary before, reminded him of the unfortunate wag mentioned in 'Joe Miller,’ who was so fond of rehearsing a joke that he always repeated it at the wrong time". During his early months in Parliament, Russell became a member of [[Grillion's|Grillion's Club]], founded a year earlier in [[Bond Street]] This unique club brought together prominent Whigs and Tories for social purposes, strictly forbidding political debate and fostering only camaraderie and the "amenities of life". In later years, the club became a cherished retreat for Russell and other notable politicians, offering a respite from the pressures of Westminster.{{Sfn|Reid|1895|pp=27–28}}

That year, Russell's health saw a recovery and abled him to travel abroad. He first went to [[Italy]] by sea and arrived at [[Livorno]] in the opening days of December. He further traveled in [[Eastern Europe]] even when Parliament reassembled, and on the Christmas Eve of that year, Russell was able to enjoy a memorable interview with the recently exiled [[Emperor of the French]] [[Napoleon]] Bonaparte.{{Sfn|Reid|1895|p=27}} Russell entered Parliament more out of a sense of duty and family tradition than out of serious political ambition. With the exception the 1806-1807 coalition government in which Russell's father had served, the Whigs had been out of power since 1783, and Russell could have had no certain expectation of a ministerial career. In June 1815, Russell denounced the [[Bourbon Restoration in France|Bourbon Restoration]] and Britain's declaration of war against the [[Hundred Days|recently returned Napoleon]] by arguing in the House of Commons that foreign powers had no right to dictate France's form of government.<ref>{{Hansard|url=1815/jun/05/committee-of-supply|title=Committee of Supply|House House of Commons|access-date=19 January 2021}}</ref>

In 1817, tired of the prospect of perpetual opposition, Russell resigned from Parliament. After spending a year out of politics and travelling on the continent, he changed his mind and re-entered Parliament for Tavistock at the [[1818 United Kingdom general election|1818 general election]].{{sfn|Scherer|1999|p=19}} In 1819, Russell embraced the cause of parliamentary reform and he led the more reformist wing of the Whigs throughout the 1820s. In 1828, while still an opposition [[backbencher]], Russell introduced a [[Sacramental Test Act 1828|Sacramental Test bill]] with the aim of abolishing the prohibitions on Catholics and Protestant dissenters being elected to local government and from holding civil and military offices. The bill gained the backing of the Tory [[Home Secretary]] [[Sir Robert Peel]] and was passed into law.<ref>Norman Gash, ''Mr Secretary Peel'' (1961) pp: 460–65.</ref><ref>Richard A. Gaunt, "Peel's Other Repeal: The Test and Corporation Acts, 1828," ''Parliamentary History'' (2014) 33#1 pp 243–262.</ref>