The Great Reform Act. docx
The Great Reform Act
= Not just one even but a whole remodelling of 18th C. Gov & Soc.
—> Parl. Reform not out of the blue; present since Radicals 1790 & 1810’s.
+ remained v. important issue
—> Post Pitt = Reform was only issue that united TORIES
+ All against:
a) King George III
b) French Revolution b/c messed w/ constitutions
= dangerous
= frightened many off idea of Parl. Reform.
Causes
1) Discrediting System Itself
a) Boroughs = complicated
b) Counties = simple; 40s- freeholders
—> Views = counties were fine + ideal w/ property owners holding vote
h/e
Radicals (only) wanted to separate vote from property ownership.
—> Views = borough system was wrong, confusing & complete mess
—> Rotten Boroughs = v. small electorate; controlled
—> Open Boroughs = w/ larger electorate; better
Nevertheless,
Strong argument present that CURRENT system was GOOD =
- Opinion that too based on LAND
h/e
not the case; very open to MONEY + COMMERCIAL INTERESTS were v. well
represented in H. of Commons.
- Opinion that too open to TALENT; any rich talented person could buy their way in
-
= allows young MP’s & PM’s (e.g. Peel; 21st bday
present)
Opinion that system must be retained on property
- System was NOT corrupt (h/e not really the case)
a) exchanging money for votes = all fine
h/e
some votes bought on HUGE national scale;
incredibly corrupt using national issues to buy votes.
- Britain now successful empire = suggests old system is reason for this.
Argument opposition to old System =
- Rotten Boroughs = nom. of candidate by absentee who was never seen.
- Problem of North vs. South = old system represented med. demographic
—> most people lived in S & SE
= most MP’s & boroughs in S & SE
h/e
1820’s = industrialisation in NORTH; big cities
= North now underrepresented
- Controversial issue of rising M/C attitudes (had no vote under old syst.)
h/e
by mid. 19th C. = distinct M/C + people who championed it
(although hard to see if this present pre-1832)
- Radical view = Vote is a right & NOT a privilege
= want to break bonds of difference b/w poor/wealthier = 1 man, 1 vote
h/e
M/C wanted vote
+ increasingly disliked aristocracy although not prepared to accept W/C either.
- Landed Aristocratic View = Need to balance b/w old & new
= make some changes; preserve importance of aristocracy
= 1832 —> Clever WHIG manoeuvre to preserve
aristocracy.
- Britain becoming wealthier & wealthier
h/e
old syst. becoming more and more costly (e.g. bribery at elections)
= these costs must be cut.
—> Old system both attacked & defended; good & bad
(causes) 2) Public opinion & it’s role in undermining old syst.
- Rise of non-conformists = v/ wealthy & high status
= focus on CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE; succeed 1828 (Test
& Corp.)
+ v. influential in moulding public opinion
+ owned many newspapers = public opinion v/ closely tied to
rise of non-conf.
- Some M/C Radicals = e.g. Atwood (B’ham manufacturer) —> founded campaign for
Parl. Reform w/ Political Union
= was copied by others
- 1826 Election = hit headlines more than any other for all wrong reasons
a) huge corruption; punished by losing MP’s = redistribution
—> L’Pool decides to give to Yorkshire instead of B’ham = v. bad
decision.
- Panacea Factor = trying to find ‘one target’ (e.g. Hitler w/ jews)
= many people find absurd targets & reasons;
Ultras —> Catholics
Inflationists —> Cash payments
= Parl. Reform starts to be seen as SOLUTION.
(causes) 3) Catholic Emancipation; (leads to Parl. Reform?)
- Disturbs Tory party who are major opponents
- Sets a ceiling = things can be changed w/o disaster
h/e these are not causes —> many people agreed & Tory Gov. survived
(causes) 4) Disruption of Tory Party
= undeniable & had been going on for a long time
h/e
not necessarily disastrous (unlike Wellington’s leadership)
(causes) 5) Party Advantage
- No Gov. ever loses election (controlled by Patronage)
—> as this was built up by the Tories = Whigs permanently EXCLUDED
= Whigs would want to change system to advantage
of their party.
(causes) 6) Rise of Economic Distress after 1829
- h/e not main reason & hardly significant
- depends on size of ‘Captain Swing Riots’ = not v. significant.
(causes) 7) French Revolution 1830
- 1830 = Wellington feels secure
+ helped by GIV death as William easier to deal
w/
= confident about election
however,
- July 1830 = FRENCH REVOLUTION w/ Rise of Bourbons
—> England informed by Aug. 3rd = some Radicals made big issue of this
- Election July/Aug 1830 = Wellington; 250 seats
Opposition; 192 seats
Independents; 212 seats
= looks fine
h/e
Gov. did badly in open boroughs; where public opinion
mattered & couldn’t be controlled
+ odd results based upon revolts that were influenced = shows
that w/o control, Gov. were in danger.
= Wellington’s prestige PLUMMETS b/c draws wrong conc. from French Revolution
—> thinks it will become nasty = Parl. Reform must be opposed & public
opinion will rally round.
h/e
- 1790’s is NOT repeated
= decision to completely ignore Parl. Reform is BAD as French Rev. ended
WELL & opposite was happening in London;
- Revolutions etc. b/c everyone knew of free press in France
—> Peel’s police force ridiculed.
= Difficult for Wellington’s Gov. to act now
- STOCK MARKET CRASHES = Petitions for Parl. Reform by big organisations
Captain Swing Riots
—> due to economic & other issues
= panics gentries & land owners
+ blame French Rev. coming across for things happening to poor.
= Gentry doubt Wellington’s competence; expect him to come up w/ Parl. Reform speech
in Nov - does not.
= Loses Vote & hands over to King.
= NEW TORY GOV. expected
h/e
only person is Peel; refuses b/c would be expected to introduce Parl. Reform
= didn’t want to because already punished for Cath. Emancipation
= would only be brief
—> King has to call on WHIG; EARL GREY b/c only option for Gov. that would pass Parl.
Reform (NOT b/c whigs won)
= CRUCIAL; Wellington’s misinterpretation of French Rev.
Results & Impacts of the Great Reform Act How ‘great’?
a) Did it give power to MIDDLE CLASSES?
—> NO
h/e
some viewpoints state that:
a) 1832 almost as ‘great’ for Whigs as 17th C. Revolution
= v. magnified; say they ‘saved’ Britain = very warped view
- still had MIDDLE CLASS supporters; John Bright & Richard Cobden
= very M/C & v. wealthy
—> create idea that Aristocracy is poor & M/C are great; industry vs. landed
gentry.
= argued that G/R/A did pass power onto them.
- Marxist view; history is history of CLASS STRUGGLE
h/e
NOT the case;
b)
All above views assume M/C are easy to define & hand power over to
h/e
definitely not the case; can go from millionaire to shop owner = v/ varied.
= not an organised, set group.
c)
Assume that M/C had no power before
h/e not the case
—> new-monied men had too much power & no barrier to wealthy M/C actions
d)
Can’t be seen in Marxist terms;
18/19th C. NOT based on class struggles but rather on property & land
e.g. Liverpool, Huskisson, Sidmouth; powerful but M/C
Sidmouth only picked title up on the way
= if anything, M/C businesses seen as too powerful.
e)
Assumption that M/C actually want power
= true that Bright & Cobden saw it in that way
h/e
for most, they don’t; only want power to vote (nothing Rad.)
+ Westminster = ‘Club’
= if wanted vote, had to spend time in Parl; communicate, contact & network
h/e
M/C didn’t have the time
= had to vote for a landed Gent as MP rather than a M/C if they wanted benefits for
a M/C business.
—> M/C wanted LOCAL influence & power = Acts post.1835 much more important.
So, why was power not transferred?
a) Increase in Electorate (doubles) = sounds Radical
h/e
are they M/C? different to previous electorate? - NO
= exactly the same; mix of propertied people
+ slightly more of same type of person w/ vote after 1832
= more uniform electorate & wealthier
—> Old system actually more representative than new?
Post 1832 = £10+ had vote
Pre- 1832 = £2-£20 had vote (so even artisans)
= Middle Class issue more of a SYMBOL
e.g. Cobden & Bright = suited them to say that power was now balanced
“It might not have been a good bill but it was a great bill”
—> said after event
= did not hand power to M/C but symbol of it being
passed was great.
+ Anti-Corn Law League then founded (M/C Organisation) = to get what
they wanted
—> Whig motive = detach propertied from any alliance w/ M/C
= M/C completely on their own; detached from giving support to Rad W/C
b) Test for transfer or power =
- Social constitution of MP’s was the same; no more M/C becoming MP’s
—> Althorp; v. aristocratic Whig (Grey’s Gov) - claimed that it gave aristocrats too
much power
“MP’s will continue to be selected from same classes” = very true &
hardly any
change seen
= Liverpool (v. M/C) replaced by Viscount Sandom (landed
aristocrat)
c) Power transfer to Local Gov’s where M/C did want power?
- Only 1835 = MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT (no town council previously)
= provided mech. where it was suggested that boroughs could
establish town councils
h/e ensures that electorate are RATE PAYERS; people who own
property
b) Did it give power to ARISTOCRACY? (more telling)
- Key Whig aristocratic aim = save & preserve aristocratic system.
(easy to look at what G/R/A doesn’t do to see if it preserved system)
—> What doesn’t change about aristocratic power?
a) ELECTORAL PROCESSES;
- No secret ballot until 1872 (h/e still takes long time for honest votes)
- Not illegal to bribe until 1883; 1832 only spreads bribery wider (+ agreements to avoid
contests
= Corruption continues
b) NAMES
- 1832 = Rotten boroughs abolished h/e all TORY-OWNED
—> Whig owned boroughs continue until 1885
c) CLASS VOTER
- Same sort of voter before & after
- Much less representative
—> G/R/A limited growth rate of electorate;
almost doubled 1780-1832
only 150,000 increase after G/R/A (strange
seeing as economy was booming)
d) ORGANISING ELECTORATE
- £10 line = defines electorate simply + more controllable & organisable
—> What does change?
a) HELPS LANDED ARISTOCRATS RETAIN POWER & CONTROL ELECTORATE
- Have to be registered to vote
- 1832 = Legal requirement to be in poll book
—> made it easy to look people up
—> work out who to bribe
—> w/ enough influence, could change names on books (post 1832 = 40% of
should-be voters were not) = complaints
b) COMPOUNDING
- Worry when £10 line introduced
= local tax included in rent
= people who were meant to get vote didn’t because it was Landlords who paid.
= Once again, reduced electorate size —> more controllable.
c) CHANDOS CLAUSE
- 1/3 voters = chandos voters
= voters had to do what they were told or thrown out of electorate
d) DIVIDING
- Divided counties = SMALLER & more controllable
e) STOP TO OUTVOTING
- Had to be resident for 1yr min.
= kept lots of working class out of electorate
f) BOUNDARIES
- Some boundaries re-drawn
= neutralised whole groups of people
= A lot reinforces LANDED CONTROL
- Impact on Political Parties
- WHIGS = great beneficiaries
—> only lost one election (1841)
otherwise, system created obvious benefits for Whigs;
1st election = 483:175 votes.
+ All rotten boroughs that go = TORY-owned
+ Boosts party-image of ‘liberty’
h/e Whigs disillusioned w/ measure; thought it would be quick to get passed but
wasn’t
—> Also strengthens RADICAL END of Whigs
= Irish policy listened to
= Church reform listened to
—> Aristocratic Gov. only listen to intellectuals = alienates W/C
= Whigs are great beneficiaries h/e not all great; some things are mishandled
- Tories = v. damaged by G/R/A
+ leader still Duke of Wellington (awful)
—> Depends a lot on whether Tories can reinvest themselves + create moderate electorate
h/e not possible w/ Wellington
= PEEL comes in; more Conservative than Tory
= asks for propertied by appealing to them
Long term = maybe good for Tories to give a chance to grow
gradually w/ good public opinion
+ definitely not Radical unlike what Whigs thought.
—> only obstacle = Duke of Wellington
- Radicals = v. varied
—> had hoped for most from 1832 but gain LEAST (lots lost vote post 1832)
—> feel that propertied have far too much power despite initially supporting
them.
- Individual Radicals = bigger group than Tories; hardly affected
+ G/R/A SPLITS TORIES = Radicalises anyone below £10 line and leads to Chartism
= Not just one even but a whole remodelling of 18th C. Gov & Soc.
—> Parl. Reform not out of the blue; present since Radicals 1790 & 1810’s.
+ remained v. important issue
—> Post Pitt = Reform was only issue that united TORIES
+ All against:
a) King George III
b) French Revolution b/c messed w/ constitutions
= dangerous
= frightened many off idea of Parl. Reform.
Causes
1) Discrediting System Itself
a) Boroughs = complicated
b) Counties = simple; 40s- freeholders
—> Views = counties were fine + ideal w/ property owners holding vote
h/e
Radicals (only) wanted to separate vote from property ownership.
—> Views = borough system was wrong, confusing & complete mess
—> Rotten Boroughs = v. small electorate; controlled
—> Open Boroughs = w/ larger electorate; better
Nevertheless,
Strong argument present that CURRENT system was GOOD =
- Opinion that too based on LAND
h/e
not the case; very open to MONEY + COMMERCIAL INTERESTS were v. well
represented in H. of Commons.
- Opinion that too open to TALENT; any rich talented person could buy their way in
-
= allows young MP’s & PM’s (e.g. Peel; 21st bday
present)
Opinion that system must be retained on property
- System was NOT corrupt (h/e not really the case)
a) exchanging money for votes = all fine
h/e
some votes bought on HUGE national scale;
incredibly corrupt using national issues to buy votes.
- Britain now successful empire = suggests old system is reason for this.
Argument opposition to old System =
- Rotten Boroughs = nom. of candidate by absentee who was never seen.
- Problem of North vs. South = old system represented med. demographic
—> most people lived in S & SE
= most MP’s & boroughs in S & SE
h/e
1820’s = industrialisation in NORTH; big cities
= North now underrepresented
- Controversial issue of rising M/C attitudes (had no vote under old syst.)
h/e
by mid. 19th C. = distinct M/C + people who championed it
(although hard to see if this present pre-1832)
- Radical view = Vote is a right & NOT a privilege
= want to break bonds of difference b/w poor/wealthier = 1 man, 1 vote
h/e
M/C wanted vote
+ increasingly disliked aristocracy although not prepared to accept W/C either.
- Landed Aristocratic View = Need to balance b/w old & new
= make some changes; preserve importance of aristocracy
= 1832 —> Clever WHIG manoeuvre to preserve
aristocracy.
- Britain becoming wealthier & wealthier
h/e
old syst. becoming more and more costly (e.g. bribery at elections)
= these costs must be cut.
—> Old system both attacked & defended; good & bad
(causes) 2) Public opinion & it’s role in undermining old syst.
- Rise of non-conformists = v/ wealthy & high status
= focus on CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE; succeed 1828 (Test
& Corp.)
+ v. influential in moulding public opinion
+ owned many newspapers = public opinion v/ closely tied to
rise of non-conf.
- Some M/C Radicals = e.g. Atwood (B’ham manufacturer) —> founded campaign for
Parl. Reform w/ Political Union
= was copied by others
- 1826 Election = hit headlines more than any other for all wrong reasons
a) huge corruption; punished by losing MP’s = redistribution
—> L’Pool decides to give to Yorkshire instead of B’ham = v. bad
decision.
- Panacea Factor = trying to find ‘one target’ (e.g. Hitler w/ jews)
= many people find absurd targets & reasons;
Ultras —> Catholics
Inflationists —> Cash payments
= Parl. Reform starts to be seen as SOLUTION.
(causes) 3) Catholic Emancipation; (leads to Parl. Reform?)
- Disturbs Tory party who are major opponents
- Sets a ceiling = things can be changed w/o disaster
h/e these are not causes —> many people agreed & Tory Gov. survived
(causes) 4) Disruption of Tory Party
= undeniable & had been going on for a long time
h/e
not necessarily disastrous (unlike Wellington’s leadership)
(causes) 5) Party Advantage
- No Gov. ever loses election (controlled by Patronage)
—> as this was built up by the Tories = Whigs permanently EXCLUDED
= Whigs would want to change system to advantage
of their party.
(causes) 6) Rise of Economic Distress after 1829
- h/e not main reason & hardly significant
- depends on size of ‘Captain Swing Riots’ = not v. significant.
(causes) 7) French Revolution 1830
- 1830 = Wellington feels secure
+ helped by GIV death as William easier to deal
w/
= confident about election
however,
- July 1830 = FRENCH REVOLUTION w/ Rise of Bourbons
—> England informed by Aug. 3rd = some Radicals made big issue of this
- Election July/Aug 1830 = Wellington; 250 seats
Opposition; 192 seats
Independents; 212 seats
= looks fine
h/e
Gov. did badly in open boroughs; where public opinion
mattered & couldn’t be controlled
+ odd results based upon revolts that were influenced = shows
that w/o control, Gov. were in danger.
= Wellington’s prestige PLUMMETS b/c draws wrong conc. from French Revolution
—> thinks it will become nasty = Parl. Reform must be opposed & public
opinion will rally round.
h/e
- 1790’s is NOT repeated
= decision to completely ignore Parl. Reform is BAD as French Rev. ended
WELL & opposite was happening in London;
- Revolutions etc. b/c everyone knew of free press in France
—> Peel’s police force ridiculed.
= Difficult for Wellington’s Gov. to act now
- STOCK MARKET CRASHES = Petitions for Parl. Reform by big organisations
Captain Swing Riots
—> due to economic & other issues
= panics gentries & land owners
+ blame French Rev. coming across for things happening to poor.
= Gentry doubt Wellington’s competence; expect him to come up w/ Parl. Reform speech
in Nov - does not.
= Loses Vote & hands over to King.
= NEW TORY GOV. expected
h/e
only person is Peel; refuses b/c would be expected to introduce Parl. Reform
= didn’t want to because already punished for Cath. Emancipation
= would only be brief
—> King has to call on WHIG; EARL GREY b/c only option for Gov. that would pass Parl.
Reform (NOT b/c whigs won)
= CRUCIAL; Wellington’s misinterpretation of French Rev.
Results & Impacts of the Great Reform Act How ‘great’?
a) Did it give power to MIDDLE CLASSES?
—> NO
h/e
some viewpoints state that:
a) 1832 almost as ‘great’ for Whigs as 17th C. Revolution
= v. magnified; say they ‘saved’ Britain = very warped view
- still had MIDDLE CLASS supporters; John Bright & Richard Cobden
= very M/C & v. wealthy
—> create idea that Aristocracy is poor & M/C are great; industry vs. landed
gentry.
= argued that G/R/A did pass power onto them.
- Marxist view; history is history of CLASS STRUGGLE
h/e
NOT the case;
b)
All above views assume M/C are easy to define & hand power over to
h/e
definitely not the case; can go from millionaire to shop owner = v/ varied.
= not an organised, set group.
c)
Assume that M/C had no power before
h/e not the case
—> new-monied men had too much power & no barrier to wealthy M/C actions
d)
Can’t be seen in Marxist terms;
18/19th C. NOT based on class struggles but rather on property & land
e.g. Liverpool, Huskisson, Sidmouth; powerful but M/C
Sidmouth only picked title up on the way
= if anything, M/C businesses seen as too powerful.
e)
Assumption that M/C actually want power
= true that Bright & Cobden saw it in that way
h/e
for most, they don’t; only want power to vote (nothing Rad.)
+ Westminster = ‘Club’
= if wanted vote, had to spend time in Parl; communicate, contact & network
h/e
M/C didn’t have the time
= had to vote for a landed Gent as MP rather than a M/C if they wanted benefits for
a M/C business.
—> M/C wanted LOCAL influence & power = Acts post.1835 much more important.
So, why was power not transferred?
a) Increase in Electorate (doubles) = sounds Radical
h/e
are they M/C? different to previous electorate? - NO
= exactly the same; mix of propertied people
+ slightly more of same type of person w/ vote after 1832
= more uniform electorate & wealthier
—> Old system actually more representative than new?
Post 1832 = £10+ had vote
Pre- 1832 = £2-£20 had vote (so even artisans)
= Middle Class issue more of a SYMBOL
e.g. Cobden & Bright = suited them to say that power was now balanced
“It might not have been a good bill but it was a great bill”
—> said after event
= did not hand power to M/C but symbol of it being
passed was great.
+ Anti-Corn Law League then founded (M/C Organisation) = to get what
they wanted
—> Whig motive = detach propertied from any alliance w/ M/C
= M/C completely on their own; detached from giving support to Rad W/C
b) Test for transfer or power =
- Social constitution of MP’s was the same; no more M/C becoming MP’s
—> Althorp; v. aristocratic Whig (Grey’s Gov) - claimed that it gave aristocrats too
much power
“MP’s will continue to be selected from same classes” = very true &
hardly any
change seen
= Liverpool (v. M/C) replaced by Viscount Sandom (landed
aristocrat)
c) Power transfer to Local Gov’s where M/C did want power?
- Only 1835 = MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS ACT (no town council previously)
= provided mech. where it was suggested that boroughs could
establish town councils
h/e ensures that electorate are RATE PAYERS; people who own
property
b) Did it give power to ARISTOCRACY? (more telling)
- Key Whig aristocratic aim = save & preserve aristocratic system.
(easy to look at what G/R/A doesn’t do to see if it preserved system)
—> What doesn’t change about aristocratic power?
a) ELECTORAL PROCESSES;
- No secret ballot until 1872 (h/e still takes long time for honest votes)
- Not illegal to bribe until 1883; 1832 only spreads bribery wider (+ agreements to avoid
contests
= Corruption continues
b) NAMES
- 1832 = Rotten boroughs abolished h/e all TORY-OWNED
—> Whig owned boroughs continue until 1885
c) CLASS VOTER
- Same sort of voter before & after
- Much less representative
—> G/R/A limited growth rate of electorate;
almost doubled 1780-1832
only 150,000 increase after G/R/A (strange
seeing as economy was booming)
d) ORGANISING ELECTORATE
- £10 line = defines electorate simply + more controllable & organisable
—> What does change?
a) HELPS LANDED ARISTOCRATS RETAIN POWER & CONTROL ELECTORATE
- Have to be registered to vote
- 1832 = Legal requirement to be in poll book
—> made it easy to look people up
—> work out who to bribe
—> w/ enough influence, could change names on books (post 1832 = 40% of
should-be voters were not) = complaints
b) COMPOUNDING
- Worry when £10 line introduced
= local tax included in rent
= people who were meant to get vote didn’t because it was Landlords who paid.
= Once again, reduced electorate size —> more controllable.
c) CHANDOS CLAUSE
- 1/3 voters = chandos voters
= voters had to do what they were told or thrown out of electorate
d) DIVIDING
- Divided counties = SMALLER & more controllable
e) STOP TO OUTVOTING
- Had to be resident for 1yr min.
= kept lots of working class out of electorate
f) BOUNDARIES
- Some boundaries re-drawn
= neutralised whole groups of people
= A lot reinforces LANDED CONTROL
- Impact on Political Parties
- WHIGS = great beneficiaries
—> only lost one election (1841)
otherwise, system created obvious benefits for Whigs;
1st election = 483:175 votes.
+ All rotten boroughs that go = TORY-owned
+ Boosts party-image of ‘liberty’
h/e Whigs disillusioned w/ measure; thought it would be quick to get passed but
wasn’t
—> Also strengthens RADICAL END of Whigs
= Irish policy listened to
= Church reform listened to
—> Aristocratic Gov. only listen to intellectuals = alienates W/C
= Whigs are great beneficiaries h/e not all great; some things are mishandled
- Tories = v. damaged by G/R/A
+ leader still Duke of Wellington (awful)
—> Depends a lot on whether Tories can reinvest themselves + create moderate electorate
h/e not possible w/ Wellington
= PEEL comes in; more Conservative than Tory
= asks for propertied by appealing to them
Long term = maybe good for Tories to give a chance to grow
gradually w/ good public opinion
+ definitely not Radical unlike what Whigs thought.
—> only obstacle = Duke of Wellington
- Radicals = v. varied
—> had hoped for most from 1832 but gain LEAST (lots lost vote post 1832)
—> feel that propertied have far too much power despite initially supporting
them.
- Individual Radicals = bigger group than Tories; hardly affected
+ G/R/A SPLITS TORIES = Radicalises anyone below £10 line and leads to Chartism