Men of the Time, eleventh edition/Arnold, Arthur
ARNOLD, Arthur, M.P., third son of Robert Coles Arnold, J.P., of Whartons, Framfield, Sussex, and Heath House, Maidstone, was born May 28, 1833. On the passing of the Public Works (Manufacturing Districts) Act, 1863, to meet the necessities of the cotton famine, Mr. Arnold was appointed Assistant-Commissioner, and in that capacity resided in Lancashire till 1866, during which time he wrote "The History of the Cotton Famine," of which the original edition was published in 1864, followed by a cheaper one in 1865. On the termination of the cotton famine Mr. Arnold retired from the district, having received the thanks of the Poor Law Board, and of a large number of the local authorities for his zealous and efficienl services. After two years of subsequent travel in the south and east of Europe and in Africa, Mr. Arnold returned to England in 1868, when he published "From the Levant," in two vols., containing letters descriptive of his tour. He then became the first editor of the Echo, a journal which, under his direction and control, attained an enormous success and circulation. In years anterior to those to which we have alluded, Mr. Arnold wrote two novels, one of which was published under the name of "Ralph; or, St. Sepulchre's and St. Stephen's," the other being entitled "Hever Court." Mr. Arnold married, in 1867, Amelia Elizabeth, only daughter of Captain Hyde, late 96th Regiment, of Castle Hyde, county Cork. In 1873, the King of Greece conferred the Golden Cross of the Order of the Redeemer upon Mr. Arnold, with special reference to his work, "From the Levant." In the same year, upon the death of Mr. Baring, Mr. Arnold became a candidate for the representation of Huntingdon, where there had not been a contest for forty years. He was, however, defeated by Sir John Karslake. In 1874, on the death of Mr. Charles Gilpin, Mr. Arnold was unanimously invited by the Liberal Committee of Northampton to become a candidate, but he declined. Mr. Arnold resigned his connection with the Echo in 1875, and passed a year in travelling through Russia and Persia. The notes of this journey appeared in 1877 under the title of "Through Persia by Caravan." In 1879–80, Mr. Arnold issued two works; one entitled "Social Politics," a collection of some of his contributions to monthly reviews, and the other, "Free Land," an exposition of his views upon reform of the laws relating to land. At the general election of 1880, he was returned to Parliament for Salford. In the same year, in succession to Sir Charles Dilke, Mr. Arnold was elected Chairman of the Greek Committee, which was actively concerned in promoting the enlargement of the Hellenic kingdom in accordance with the suggestions of the Treaty of Berlin. In 1882, Mr. Arnold proposed in the House of Commons resolutions in favour of uniformity of franchise throughout the United Kingdom, and redistribution of political power, and upon a motion for adjournment, the policy of the resolutions was, for the first time, sanctioned by a large majority.