The growth of parliamentary democracy (PART 2)
- Created by: ljenkins
- Created on: 22-05-17 15:37
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- The growth of parliamentary democracy (1785-1870) 1820-1870
- pressure for change and reform (1820-1852)
- economic and social distress; emerging popular pressure, 1820-1832
- 1820s; demand for reform reduced - trade with Europe improved
- 1821-1829- gross national product of Britain rose by 16.8%, manufacturing grew by approx. 25%
- Tory government were able to relax their grip on the country
- 1822: Radical Henry Hunt (Peterloo Massacre speaker) released from prison
- Lord Sidmouth and other controversial Tory stalwarts replaced with Robert Peel and other progressive individuals
- 1821: Cornish borough of Grampound disenfranchised, two seats transferred to Yorkshire
- 1822: Whig leader, Lord John Russel, sought to introduce a bill to disenfranchise 100 of Britain's worst boroughs and redistribute seats to growing industrial cities - blocked by large majority
- political radicals muted as general public were content
- 1828 + 1829: series of poor harvests
- food prices rose - aiding discontent (hunger politics)
- February and March of 1830: more than 200 petitions sent to parliament from those living in rural areas - demanded tax reduction
- THE SWING RIOTS - conditions failed to improve - rioting broke out in the countryside - lasted for more than 18 months - mass display of public unrest (hayricks lit, prominent members accused of failing their local people)
- urban area: depressed markets meant workers were now more in support of reform
- after a prosperous decade in the 1820s, middle class wanted reform after having left the issue after the Peterloo Massacre in 1819 - wanted the electorate increased to include them
- February and March of 1830: more than 200 petitions sent to parliament from those living in rural areas - demanded tax reduction
- food prices rose - aiding discontent (hunger politics)
- THE BIRMINGHAM POLITICAL UNION (BPU) -established in 1829 by the banker THOMAS ATTWOOD - created to achieve greater representation for the industrial centres - believed financial reforms important for British prosperity - felt this was not possible without political reform
- united working class (numbers) and middle class (money and respectability)
- 1820s; demand for reform reduced - trade with Europe improved
- Reasons for the passing of the Great Reform Act, 1832
- Declining Tory henemony
- Tory leadership unchanged since 1812
- Lord Liverpool (head of the party), exuded confidence and purpose - were unthreatened by Whigs - didn't feel threatened enough to make changes
- The 'Catholic question' divided the Tory party- Lord Liverpool tried to keep it off the political agender- DANIEL O'CONNELL established the Catholic Association in Ireland in 1823 (determined Irish lawyer) Catholics barred from sitting in parliament since the Penal Laws in 1691
- reshuffle of the cabinet - division amongst government - Robert Peel (new home secretary) avowed anti-emancipator and George Canning a keen supporter of emancipation
- become polarised - emancipation became single most important issue in the 1826 election - Whigs opportunity to break Tory dominance
- Tory's secured another term in office thanks to Lord Liverpool (able to inspire trust and had many years of political experience)
- become polarised - emancipation became single most important issue in the 1826 election - Whigs opportunity to break Tory dominance
- reshuffle of the cabinet - division amongst government - Robert Peel (new home secretary) avowed anti-emancipator and George Canning a keen supporter of emancipation
- Tory leadership unchanged since 1812
- The resignation of Lord Liverpool and Tory crisis
- February 1827: Tory party and Lord Liverpool had been in power for 15 years - Liverpool REIGNED from office after a stroke
- power vacuum-Tories went through 3 different leaders in 11 months
- Third leader, the DUKE OF WELLINGTON took office in August 1828 but divided the party as he supported Catholic Emancipation in 1829 (liberals and ultras)
- The divide between liberals (supported CE) and ultras (rejected CE) split party 0 reduced public confidence
- June 1830 election - Tory party returned with a majority of only 42 MPs
- Duke of Wellington unable to maintain an effective government
- Wellington had to step down - first Whig administration since 1807
- reform now possible
- under leadership of Earl Grey - considering extending the vote as a way of attaining office
- 1 MARCH 1831: BILL PRESENTED TO PARLIAMENT
- under leadership of Earl Grey - considering extending the vote as a way of attaining office
- reform now possible
- Wellington had to step down - first Whig administration since 1807
- Duke of Wellington unable to maintain an effective government
- June 1830 election - Tory party returned with a majority of only 42 MPs
- The divide between liberals (supported CE) and ultras (rejected CE) split party 0 reduced public confidence
- Third leader, the DUKE OF WELLINGTON took office in August 1828 but divided the party as he supported Catholic Emancipation in 1829 (liberals and ultras)
- power vacuum-Tories went through 3 different leaders in 11 months
- February 1827: Tory party and Lord Liverpool had been in power for 15 years - Liverpool REIGNED from office after a stroke
- Middle-class pressure
- middle-class were essential for Britain's prosperity
- government could not use traditional force to combat pressure for middle-class vote as they made speeches and persuasion
- middle class now educated and motivated by a strong sense of purpose
- government could not use traditional force to combat pressure for middle-class vote as they made speeches and persuasion
- middle-class were essential for Britain's prosperity
- Passage of the Act: the first and second bills
- first bill: presented in parliament march 1831
- not excessively radical
- showed how Whigs are conservative at heart
- no secret ballot or uniform voting qualifications
- proposed to disenfranchise 100 rotten and pocket boroughs and redistribute them to the industrial towns
- struggled through house of Commons then subject to rigorous amendment during the committee stage - Grey would not accept Tory changes - Grey asked king to dissolve parliament so he could achieve the majority he needed to pass the bill
- essentially a referendum on the issue of reform, Whigs were returned with a majority of nearly 140
- second reform bill passed the Commons only to be blocked in the Tory-dominated House of Lords in October
- essentially a referendum on the issue of reform, Whigs were returned with a majority of nearly 140
- struggled through house of Commons then subject to rigorous amendment during the committee stage - Grey would not accept Tory changes - Grey asked king to dissolve parliament so he could achieve the majority he needed to pass the bill
- proposed to disenfranchise 100 rotten and pocket boroughs and redistribute them to the industrial towns
- no secret ballot or uniform voting qualifications
- showed how Whigs are conservative at heart
- not excessively radical
- Riots and a third reform bill
- when the bill was defeated in the House of Lords, serious rioting broke out across the country
- Bristol: 130 people killed or wounded after a calvery charge
- prominence of Bristol prompted a third bill to be presented in December
- THIRD BILL (dec) reduced the no. of boroughs who lose one or two MPs from 41 to 30 // and 10 new boroughs to be given two MPs instead of 1
- April 1832: reached committee stage in the House of Lords with a majority of 9 - blocked at House of Lords
- Earl Grey asked the king to create 50 new Whig peers so that the bill could pass through the upper house - king didn't
- Failure of third attempt caused Grey to resign his office in May - country erupted in protest again
- Earl Grey asked the king to create 50 new Whig peers so that the bill could pass through the upper house - king didn't
- April 1832: reached committee stage in the House of Lords with a majority of 9 - blocked at House of Lords
- THIRD BILL (dec) reduced the no. of boroughs who lose one or two MPs from 41 to 30 // and 10 new boroughs to be given two MPs instead of 1
- prominence of Bristol prompted a third bill to be presented in December
- Bristol: 130 people killed or wounded after a calvery charge
- when the bill was defeated in the House of Lords, serious rioting broke out across the country
- The 'Days of May'
- Earl Grey's resignation led to the king asking the Duke of Wellington to form a new Tory government
- middle class responded by withdrawing their savings and investments from banks in attempt to destroy government finances (in 10 days, £1.8 million was removed)
- Wellington unable to form government due to the circumstances
- Wellington told king he could not form administration
- king asked Earl Grey to form a government with the promise that he could have the Whig peers he needed to pass reform - if necessary
- Wellington told king he could not form administration
- Wellington unable to form government due to the circumstances
- middle class responded by withdrawing their savings and investments from banks in attempt to destroy government finances (in 10 days, £1.8 million was removed)
- Earl Grey's resignation led to the king asking the Duke of Wellington to form a new Tory government
- THE GREAT REFORM ACT 1832 AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE
- no need for extra Whig peers as opposition to reform collapsed under public pressure
- rather than have their power in the House of Lords permanently diluted the Tories agreed to let the reform bill pass
- 4 JUNE 1832 THE GREAT REFORM ACT WAS PASSED BY A VOTE OF 106 TO 22
- Provisions of the Act
- /1: 56 boroughs in England and Wales were disenfranchised completely with 30 more losing one of their two MPs /2: 42 new borough constituencies were created /3: Scotland received 8 extra seats and Ireland 5
- /4: counties: vote now given to adult males who owned copyhold land worth £10 a year and rented land worth £50 a year in addition to the existing 40 shilling freeholder
- /5: boroughs: vote made uniform and given to adult males who owned or rented property worth £10 a year as long as they paid all relevant taxes, had been in possession of property for more than one year and had not received poor relief in the previous year. existing voters oculd also retain the franchise but not pass this right to heirs
- /6: voters were required to be registered
- /5: boroughs: vote made uniform and given to adult males who owned or rented property worth £10 a year as long as they paid all relevant taxes, had been in possession of property for more than one year and had not received poor relief in the previous year. existing voters oculd also retain the franchise but not pass this right to heirs
- /4: counties: vote now given to adult males who owned copyhold land worth £10 a year and rented land worth £50 a year in addition to the existing 40 shilling freeholder
- /1: 56 boroughs in England and Wales were disenfranchised completely with 30 more losing one of their two MPs /2: 42 new borough constituencies were created /3: Scotland received 8 extra seats and Ireland 5
- Provisions of the Act
- 4 JUNE 1832 THE GREAT REFORM ACT WAS PASSED BY A VOTE OF 106 TO 22
- rather than have their power in the House of Lords permanently diluted the Tories agreed to let the reform bill pass
- significance
- electorate rose from 366,000 to 650,000 (18% of adult male population in England and Wales)
- only changed a little- appears that those in power before were attempting to preserve a system under threat - prompted demand for further reforms
- still favoured the rural counties: 370 MPs from south of England, 120 from more densely populated north
- did not include working class - just middle class
- still favoured the rural counties: 370 MPs from south of England, 120 from more densely populated north
- only changed a little- appears that those in power before were attempting to preserve a system under threat - prompted demand for further reforms
- electorate rose from 366,000 to 650,000 (18% of adult male population in England and Wales)
- no need for extra Whig peers as opposition to reform collapsed under public pressure
- first bill: presented in parliament march 1831
- Declining Tory henemony
- economic and social distress; emerging popular pressure, 1820-1832
- The rise and fall of Chartism
- reforming reform
- pressure for change and reform (1820-1852)
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