Editing Robert Peel (section)

=== Junior minister ===
In 1810, Peel was appointed an [[Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies]]; his [[Secretary of State for War and the Colonies|secretary of state]] was [[Lord Liverpool]]. When Lord Liverpool formed a government in 1812, Peel was appointed [[chief secretary for Ireland]].<ref name="DNB"/> The [[Peace Preservation Act 1814]] authorised the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to appoint additional magistrates in a county in a state of disturbance, who were authorised to appoint paid special constables (later called "peelers"<ref>OED entry at peeler (3)</ref>). Peel thus laid the basis for the [[Royal Irish Constabulary]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Gaunt |first=Richard A. |title=Sir Robert Peel: The Life and Legacy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SFYBAwAAQBAJ&q=%22Robert+Peel%22+%22basis+for+the+establishment+of+the+Royal+Irish+Constabulary%22&pg=PA69 |date=2010 |publisher=I.B.Tauris |access-date=8 July 2019 |isbn=9780857716842 |archive-date=4 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004014017/https://books.google.com/books?id=SFYBAwAAQBAJ&q=%22Robert+Peel%22+%22basis+for+the+establishment+of+the+Royal+Irish+Constabulary%22&pg=PA69 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Peel was firmly opposed to [[Catholic emancipation]], believing that Catholics could not be admitted to Parliament as they refused to swear the [[Oath of Allegiance (United Kingdom)|Oath of Allegiance]] to the Crown.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hurd|first=Douglas|date=2007|title=Robert Peel: A Biography|publisher=Orion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vm5GDgAAQBAJ&q=%22Robert+Peel%22+%22they+refused+allegiance+to+the+Crown%22&pg=PT45|access-date=7 July 2019|isbn=9781780225968|archive-date=4 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004014018/https://books.google.com/books?id=vm5GDgAAQBAJ&q=%22Robert+Peel%22+%22they+refused+allegiance+to+the+Crown%22&pg=PT45|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 1817, Peel delivered the closing speech in opposition to [[Henry Grattan]]'s Catholic emancipation bill; the bill was defeated by 245 votes to 221.<ref>{{cite Hansard |jurisdiction=United Kingdom |title=Roman Catholic Question |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1817/may/09/roman-catholic-question#column_405 |house=House of Commons |date=9 May 1817 |column_start=405 |column_end=423 |speaker=Robert Peel |position=Chief Secretary for Ireland |access-date=8 July 2019 }} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806225219/https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1817/may/09/roman-catholic-question#column_405 |date=6 August 2020 }}</ref> Peel resigned as chief secretary and left Ireland in August 1818.<ref name="DNB"/>

In 1819, the House of Commons appointed a Select Committee, the [[Bullion Committee]], charged with stabilising British finances after the end of the [[Napoleonic Wars]], and Peel was chosen as its chairman.<ref>Clark, ''Peel and the Conservatives: A Study in Party Politics 1832–1841'', pp. 6–12; Ramsay, ''Sir Robert Peel'', pp. 18–65, 376.</ref> [[Peel's Bill]] planned to return British currency to the [[gold standard]], reversing the [[Bank Restriction Act 1797]], within four years (it was actually accomplished by 1821).<ref>{{cite book |last=Adams |first=Leonard P. |title=Agricultural Depression and Farm Relief in England 1813–1852 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tWj_AQAAQBAJ&q=%22Robert+Peel%22+%22gold+standard%22+%22Peel%27s+Bill%22&pg=PA160 |date=1932 |page=160 |publisher=Routledge |access-date=7 July 2019 |isbn=9781136602672 |archive-date=19 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219100231/https://books.google.com/books?id=tWj_AQAAQBAJ&q=%22Robert+Peel%22+%22gold+standard%22+%22Peel%27s+Bill%22&pg=PA160 |url-status=live }}</ref>