Britain- B1- Reform of Parliament c1780-1928 Flashcards
What is another name for the Reform Acts?
The Representation of the People Acts
When were all the different Representation of the People Acts in this period?
1832, 1867, 1884, 1918, 1928
When did the war of American Independence end?
1783
Why did the demand for parliamentary reform decline in 1783?
Taxes and government expenditure had been cut once the American war had ended.
When was the French Revolution?
1789–1799
When were the Napoleonic wars?
1793–1815
Why did the calls for parliamentary reform quieten down during the Napoleonic wars?
Government action to stifle demands, and a patriotic sense of duty to focus on winning the war.
Why did many of the middle classes oppose parliamentary reform from 1815 to 1820?
They believed that only those who owned property had the right to vote.
From 1815 to 1820, what kind of parliamentary reform did the middle classes support?
Granting the vote to the new middle classes and better representation for industrial areas in the North and Midlands.
Evidence of over/underrepresentation in 1780.
By 1780, Lancashire had a population of 1,300,000 and only 14 MPs, compared with Cornwall with a population of 300,000 but with 44 MPs.
Which large city had no parliamentary representation in 1815, and what was its population?
Manchester, with a population of 180,000.
What political changes were there in 1830 which removed barriers to political reform?
Wellington’s (Tory) government fell in November 1830. Wellington had not been willing to support any reform measures. Earl Grey (Whig) became PM who was more open to reform.
Why did the demand for reform fade in the 1820s?
The economy had revived.
As a result of the economic revival, between which years were there no petitions for reform presented to Parliament?
1824 to 1829
What was a notoriously corrupt rotten borough and what happened to it in the 1840s?
The Suffolk town of Sudbury, lost both of its MPs in 1844.
Which king was opposed to parliamentary reform and the Whigs, unlike his successor, and when did he die?
George IV, died June 1830
When was the Act of Catholic Emancipation passed?
1829
What did the Act of Catholic Emancipation do?
It allowed Roman Catholics to become MPs and hold public office.
Who were Prime Minister and Tory leader in the Commons at the time of passing the Catholic Emancipation Act?
The Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel.
Why did the Tory government pass the Act of Catholic Emancipation?
To prevent a potential rebellion in Ireland.
Why did many Tories oppose their leaders for passing the Catholic Emancipation Act?
They saw it as a betrayal of the Church of England and British constitution.
Why did the Tory government lose more support in the 1830 election?
Poor harvests, rising unemployment, and renewed calls for reform.
When was the second French Revolution, and what was its result?
July 1830; it overthrew the Bourbon monarchy and installed a new king.
When did political unions (e.g. BPU, MPU) reappear?
1830s-ish
What triggered the return of political unions?
Economic hardship, increasing politicisation of WC, and events in France.
What was the Birmingham Political Union (BPU)? When was it formed and by who?
Formed in 1830, led by Thomas Attwood, it gained middle- and working-class support despite its leader, not backing universal suffrage.
How many attended the BPU’s first meeting?
15,000
What inspired the formation of the BPU?
Attwood saw the power of public pressure during the Irish campaign.
What was the MPU? Who founded it and when?
The Metropolitan Political Union, founded in 1830 by Henry Hunt in London. Dominated by artisans and craftsmen.
What did the Whig (Earl Grey) government prioritise in 1830?
Parliamentary reform
How many versions of the first Reform bill did it take to finally pass?
3
Why was the Reform Act 1832 finally passed through HoL?
Earl Grey resigned in May 1832 after the King refused to make new peers to force the bill through the Lords. This led to the ‘Days of May’ which pressured the King into recalling Earl Grey to office and agreeing to create new peers if necessary. Facing that threat the lords finally gave in and the bill was passed in June.
Why did Peel and the Tories oppose the bill?
They believed it wouldn’t be the final reform.
Which newspaper strongly supported reform?
The Times
How many pro-reform county candidates won in June 1831?
76 out of 82
How many people (according to Attwood) attended a meeting in Birmingham in support of the reform bill in May 1832?
100,000
Where did riots break out after the Lords rejected the bill?
Nottingham, Derby, and Bristol
Who was targeted in the Bristol riots in 1831?
The bishop who voted against the bill—his palace was burned.
Why did violence alarm reform supporters?
It could discredit the movement and deter the government.
What were the ‘Days of May’?
Early May 1832- period of large scale protest and agitation, wanted to prevent Wellington from coming back to office. London was placarded with the slogan ‘To Stop the Duke, Go for Gold’, urging people to take their money out of banks in order to threaten the financial system and pressure for reform.
When did the 1832 Representation of the People Act pass?
June 1832
When did PM Viscount Palmerston die? Why is this significant?
October 1865. He was a major obstacle to reform.
Who became PM after Viscount Palmerston’s death?
Lord John Russell
Why was reform placed on the political agenda once more when Russell became PM?
He had steered the 1832 Act through Parliament
What made the passing of the 1867 RPA different to that of the 1832 RPA?
There was no substantial pressure or real grievances outside Parliament for reform before 1865
When was the American Civil War?
1861–65
When was the Reform Union formed?
1864
When was the Crimean War?
1854–56
What did the Reform Union promote?
Moderate extension of the franchise and secret ballot
What had allowed for an easier distribution of information by 1865?
Growth of mass-circulation newspapers
Who did the Reform Union gain support among?
Prosperous middle classes
Why did the Reform Union gain support?
Reform was seen as a means of furthering commercial interests and challenging inefficiency and waste within government
When was the Reform League formed?
1865
How did the Reform League compare to the Reform Union?
It was much larger, committed to universal manhood suffrage, and had strong trade unionist and skilled working-class support. Hoped reform would lead to increased trade union rights and extended labour laws.
What position did Gladstone hold in Russell’s government?
Chancellor of the Exchequer
When did Gladstone introduce the 1st draft of the 1867 RPA to the HoC?
March 1866
How many people did Gladstone originally propose to add to the franchise in the 1867 RPA?
370,000 overall
Who led the opposition to the 1st draft of the 1867 RPA?
Adullamite (Anti-reform) Whigs and Disraeli’s Conservatives
What happened to the 1st draft of the 1867 RPA?
The bill failed and the government resigned in June
Who led the government that took over from Russell and Gladstone?
Minority Conservative government with Lord Derby (PM) and Benjamin Disraeli (Chancellor)
Why did Derby and Disraeli take up the issue of political reform?
To restore the Tory Party’s image
How did the Reform League protest against the failure of the 1st draft of the 1867 RPA? How many people were involved?
Hyde Park meeting turned riot, July 1866. Meeting of 200,000.
Why did the economic situation decline dramatically in 1866?
Collapse of financial houses (Overend and Gurney), crop failure, cattle disease (caused prices to soar).
What were the factors promoting reform in 1867?
Rise of popular press, Reform Union and League, economic distress, and Tory support
Who led the resistance to the 1867 RPA within the Conservatives?
Cranborne
When did Disraeli introduce his reform proposals?
February 1867
When did Disraeli introduce the 2nd draft of the 1867 RPA?
18 March 1867
Which Tory ministers immediately resigned when Disraeli first introduced his proposals?
Cranborne, Carnarvon, General Peel
What is a compounder?
Someone whose landlord paid taxes/rates on their behalf
What was Hodgkinson’s amendment and how many men did it enfranchise?
Abolished distinction between compounders and direct ratepayers; enfranchised 500,000 men
When did the 1867 RPA pass?
August 1867
What was the size of the electorate after the 1867 RPA?
2 million
How many people was the county electorate increased from and to by the 1867 RPA?
From 540,000 to 800,000
After the 1867 RPA, which constituency drew its majority from the working class?
Sheffield
What proportion of adult males could vote after the 1867 RPA?
1/3
What was the common ground between the bills introduced by Liberal and Conservative governments in 1866–67?
Neither was willing to give the vote to the ‘residuum’. These were the very poorest unskilled, largely uneducated labourers living in slum conditions. Even ignored by skilled WC who saw themselves as superior to them
What did the 1867 RPA mark?
The beginning of a clear shift of political influence away from traditional agricultural interests in South to manufacturing towns of Midlands and North.
How did the parties try to win support of the electorate after 1867 RPA?
Passed reforms in the 1870s including about education, urban housing and public health.
What made the 1884 RPA different from the two previous RPAs?
No significant internal or external pressure for reform
Who pushed for the 1884 RPA?
Gladstone
What were the results of the 1880 election?
Returned Gladstone to office for a second time
How did the first draft of the 1884 RPA fare in Parliament?
Passed HoC easily, blocked in HoL by Lord Salisbury
Why was Salisbury against the 1884 RPA?
Feared it would weaken Conservatives and benefit Liberals in towns and countryside
Why was Gladstone eager to pass the 1884 RPA?
Believed rural voters would support the Liberals
What was the official reason Gladstone gave for the 1884 RPA?
It was hard to justify separate borough and county franchises
What was the difference between borough and county franchises pre-1884?
Boroughs: household suffrage and renters over £10; Counties: property worth over £5 a year or renters over £12
When did Queen Victoria urge the parties to negotiate over the 1884 RPA?
October 1884
What was the Arlington Street Compact?
Tories agreed to 1884 RPA in exchange for major seat redistribution
What was the significance of the 1884 Act? What was the percentage increase in the electorate due to the 1884 RPA?
This was the first time in British history that there was a uniform national electoral qualification based on household suffrage in towns and counties. Electorate increased by 84%
What percentage of adult males did the 1884 RPA still exclude?
40%
How did the 1884 RPA make the franchise more equal?
Universal male householder suffrage; renters over £10 included
What was the electorate after the 1918 RPA?
21 million
What proportion did the electorate grow by after 1918?
Tripled
How many women did the 1918 RPA give the vote to?
8 million
Who drew up the 1918 RPA proposal and when?
Representatives of both major parties at the Speaker’s Conference, 1916
What did women enfranchised by the 1918 RPA have to be?
30 + years old, Householders, wives of householders, university grads, or property renters over £5/year
How were political leaders reassured about extending universal suffrage after 1918?
Elections from 1918–1924 showed little change in voting habits
Which group continued to campaign for female suffrage after 1918?
National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship (NUSEC)
What proportion of employed women could vote before the RPA of 1928?
1 in 15
How many female Conservative Party members were there by 1928?
Over 1 million
In which decade were women more likely than men to vote Conservative?
1920s
When did Stanley Baldwin support equal suffrage from and why?
1924 as wanted to gain women conservative voters.
When did the Conservative Party agree to extend the vote to women aged 21+?
1927
How did the Daily Mail oppose equal suffrage in 1927? (boooo daily mail)
Published articles warning of giving votes to ‘flappers’
What did opponents argue about equal franchise in 1927?
That it would feminise political culture
How many votes did the 1928 RPA pass by?
387 to 10
How many women did the 1928 RPA add to the electorate?
5.2 million
How many female and male voters were there after the 1928 RPA?
14.5 million women; 12.3 million men
What legislation abolished the Irish parliament?
Act of Union of 1800
Example of Scottish over-representation pre 1832?
Scottish county of Sutherland returned 1 MP despite having an electorate of just 84.
When did Pitt become PM?
December 1783
When was the Yorkshire Association founded?
1780
Who founded the Yorkshire Association?
Christopher Wyvill
What was the aim of the Yorkshire Association?
To eliminate corruption in parliament
When did Pitt make unsuccessful proposals to reform parliament?
Early 1782; May 1783; April 1785
What did Pitt propose in April 1785?
Abolition of 36 corrupt boroughs; transfer of their seats to London/counties
What did Pitt propose in May 1783?
Disenfranchise a number of corrupt boroughs and transfer their seats
Why was Pitt’s April 1785 proposal such a failure?
George III was openly hostile to measure; no widespread support in the country as a whole for reform
Who was Pitt’s chief opponent in the HoC?
Fox
What had Fox long supported?
Reform
Why did Fox oppose Pitt’s April 1785 proposal?
Refused to accept Pitt’s suggestion that £1 million should be made available to compensate owners of seats
How did Pitt’s April 1785 bill fare in the HoC?
Defeated (by 248 votes to 174)
Why did Pitt not take up the issue of reform again after the April 1785 bill?
French Revolution; explosive growth in radical activity and ideas
When did Whig Charles Grey introduce a reform proposal that was almost identical to Pitt’s in 1785 but strongly opposed by him?
1792
When was Peel elected as MP for Oxford University?
1817
What led to Peel resigning his seat for Oxford University and forcing a by-election?
His support of Catholic Relief
When did PM, Earl Grey, order a comprehensive review of the whole electoral system that would inform the government’s proposals in the reform bill?
1830
How many English towns had a population of over 10,000 people but returned no MPs in 1830?
33
How many boroughs lost both of their MPs as a result of the 1832 RPA?
56
How many boroughs lost one of their MPs as a result of the 1832 RPA?
30
What is an example of the lack of uniformity in the boroughs that persisted after the 1832 RPA?
Lancashire had an electorate of 1,497; Reigate had just 153—both returned 1 MP
Which larger towns still didn’t have any representation after the 1832 RPA?
Yorkshire; Warwickshire
What was the imbalance in the distribution of seats in counties and boroughs before 1867?
334 borough MPs represented a total 9.5 million; 11.5 million people in counties had 162 MPs
How many constituencies were created as a result of the 1867 RPA?
11
How were boroughs with a population below 10,000 affected by the 1867 RPA?
Lost one or both of their MPs
Which large towns were assigned 3 MPs rather than their previous 2 as a result of the 1867 RPA?
Liverpool; Manchester; Leeds; Birmingham
What suggested that Disraeli had miscalculated the effects of the 1867 redistribution on the Conservative Party?
1868 election
How did the 1868 election pan out?
Gladstone’s Liberals stormed to power with a substantial majority
When was the Ballot Act?
1872
What was different about the Ballot Act from most of the other reform legislation passed?
It wasn’t controversial
Where was the most important short-term effect of the Ballot Act seen?
Irish Home Rule movement grew as supporters were less open to intimidation.
How effective was the Ballot Act?
While it may have ended some of the worst forms of malpractice, its initial effects weren’t clear
When was the Corrupt Practices Act?
1883
What led to the Corrupt Practices Act?
MPs were scandalised by widespread bribery and corruption that had taken place during 1880 election
How many English boroughs were ‘extremely corrupt’ in what period according to which Historian’s Research?
H.J. Hanham’s research determined 21 boroughs to be ‘extremely corrupt’ between 1865-1884.
What did the Corrupt Practices Act do?
Set stringent limits on campaign expenses; candidates and their agents were required to keep detailed records of expenditure
What was the impact of the Corrupt Practices Act?
Finally brought end to culture of electoral corruption
What were the stringent limits put on campaign expenses in England and Wales as a result of the Corrupt Practices Act?
Candidates could spend no more than £710 for first 2,000 votes and £40 for each additional 1,000 voters
When was the Redistribution Act?
1885
Why was it a surprise that the Marquess of Salisbury pushed for the Redistribution Act?
Resigned from Derby’s cabinet in 1867 in opposition to Disraeli’s proposed reforms
What changed the Marquess of Salisbury’s mind about reform?
Conservative victory in 1874 convinced him that the extension of the franchise hadn’t damaged Tory Party
Which group was only of limited value to the Conservatives in reality?
Suburbans
What kind of redistribution of seats did the Arlington Street Compact favour?
Equal electoral districts
How many MPs sat in multi-member constituencies in 1885?
70%
When were boundary commissioners appointed to determine the new electoral geography?
1884
What did the Redistribution Act do?
28 boroughs with populations of over 50,000 remained as two-member constituencies; in all other cases single-member seats were established
When did MPs drawn from industry and commerce outnumber those related to the aristocracy for the first time?
General election of 1885
What provided the biggest single boost to the Conservative Party throughout the period?
Redistribution Act 1885
Why did Salisbury push for single-member constituencies?
Believed that it would provide significant electoral benefits for the Tories
When was the Easter Rising in Ireland?
1916
What was the redistribution of seats like with the 1918 RPA?
Some major towns and cities gained seats—limited growth of urban influence in the counties
