1820s Flashcards
Penal Code Reform
1824
Cut the number of crimes punishable by death. Made it more efficient as people had been unwilling to declare someone guilty for a small crime, knowing it was punishable by death, and made the system more humane.
Repeal of the Combination Act
1824
Repealed after pressure from the skilled Artisan class, led by Francis Place. Trade was expanding and unemployment had risen. He argued that by allowing trade unions to have legal status, members would reject violence and work towards greater productivity and so their own prosperity.
Free Trade Budget
1824-25
Important in history of economic policy because the government was the first to apply the principles of free trade. Customs duties were lowered on raw materials used in the textile and metal industries, raw wool could be exported for the first time, and prohibitions on manufactured goods entering Britain were abolished and protective duties reduced.
Reciprocity Act
1823
Encouraged trade treaties with other countries on the basis of mutual tariff reductions. This and the free trade budget stimulated industry and trade and brought lower prices in manufactured goods and an increase in the volume of British exports and shipping.
The Amending Act
1825
The trade boom 1822-24 led to a rise in living costs, followed by a recession. This created hardship and striking and so the government pulled back on their reform and passed the amending act which made it illegal to strike.
End of Lord Liverpool’s time in office.
Canning PM
Goderich PM
Wellington PM
1827
1827
1827
1828
Repeal of Test and Corporation Acts
1828
The act meant that anyone with a position in office had to be confirmed into the Anglican Church. It was designed primarily to exclude Roman Catholics. Pressure on the government had been increasing from Protestant Dissenters, and the T and C Act was seen by a lot of people as being outdated. Peel was caught off guard and despite his protests the will of the commons remained firm.
Sliding Scale of Duties for Corn Law
1828
Idea of substituting the fixed rate of duty for a sliding scale to address the problems e.g when there was a poor harvest but the prices of corn rose. To Huskisson Was a solution to maintain a steady market and income for farmers and achieve a lowering of bread prices to satisfy the working men. It was brought in a year later by Peel, Wellington had resisted it and Huskisson resigned before he could bring it in.
Metropolitan Police Improvement Act
1829
Founded by Peel, an attempt to reverse the upward crime rates, particularly in London. It was also a corresponding measure to the Penal Code (removal of so many capital offences increased crime rate). Was not an immediate success but it improved the existing inadequate system which relied on corrupt parrish constables and watchmen, who often had no cohesive, centralised maintenance of law and order.
Catholic Emancipation Act
1829 Movement had ground to a halt since George 111 had refused to contemplate it as part of the 1800 Act of Union. 1823, David O'Connell founded Catholic Association and took up emancipation cause (also wanted to repeal act of union). It quickly became an effective pressure group, he had united the Catholic Church, middle class and Irish peasants to press for emancipation. He stood for Parliament, won the election, caused outcry, no choice other than to pass Catholic Emancipation.
Thomas Attwood founds the Birmingham Political Union
1829
Inspired other similar groups to form in places as diverse as Manchester and Worcester.
Commercial Crisis
1825
Commercial upturn ended which resulted in heavy criticism of Huskisson’s free trade theories and of the Liverpool Government’s economic policies. Optimism of previous years vanished, banks failed, businesses went bankrupt and distress amongst labouring classes whose wages were reduced or even lost their job. Once the worst was over the government responded with the Bank Act.
Bank Act
1826
Made it legal for banks other than the Bank of England to operate as joint-stock banks. These could issue notes and had a more robust foundation than the small private banks, which had quickly gone to the wall in a crisis
