Chapter Nineteen

Question 1

What political party did the five main political groups in Parliament support?

Answer 1

Protectionist Conservatives- Conservatives
Peelites- uncertain
Whigs- Whigs
Radicals- Whigs, but did criticise aspects
Irish MPs- whichever party they believed would concede to their demands.

Question 2

What happened to politics in the 1850s?

Answer 2

It was confusing, with shifting policies. The fact that there were nine ministries over 20 years suggests a period of political instability and a clear two-party system seemed unlikely to emerge.
Although could also be viewed as a formative phase out of which merged robust political alignments and beginning of a modern party system.

Question 3

Lord Russell’s First Ministry

1846-52

Answer 3

Whig.
Viewed as weak and ineffective, unable to inspire followers but survived with Peelite support. Survived 6 years with support from the Peelites and achieved the furtherance of Free Trade by the abolition of the Navigation Actsin 1849.

Question 4

Lord Aberdeen

1852-1855

Answer 4

Whig-Peelite coalition

Defeated by the stress of the Crimean War

Question 5

Lord Palmerston’s First Ministry

1855-1858

Answer 5

Whig
At 71 he surprised with all his energy, directed at foreign affairs. Palmerston concentrated on foreign affairs, patriotism and promoting British interests abroad and won popular support for a time.

Question 6

Lord Derby’s Second Ministry

1858-1859

Answer 6

Conservative
Assisted by Disraeli but lacked a majority. His minority Conservative government in 1858 progressed democracy, by abolishing the property qualification to stand as an MP, one of the six demands of the Chartists, and in theory opened the way for men of few means to stand for Parliament. It also allowed practising Jews to sit in Parliament.

Question 7

Lord Palmerston’s Second Ministry

1859-1865

Answer 7

Whig-Peelite and Liberals
More cohesive government, bridge between group politics of 1850s and party politics, but chief concern foreign affairs; little legislation; Palmerston blocked all reform and died in office.
After more than a decade of shirting pol power, various Rad/Liberal grops came to an agreement to work together to achieve a stable government.
Palmerston’s chief interest was foreign affairs. In spite of the Liberal label, Palmerston persisted in refusing to contemplate reform. Died 81

Question 8

Lord Russell’s Second Ministry

1865-66

Answer 8

Whigs, Peelites, Liberals and Radicals
Moving towards unity as Liberals; Russell retired and handed over to Gladstone. Russell immediately introduced a bill for the reform of Parliament, but failed to convince enough of his own party and was defeated.

Question 9

Lord Derby’s Third Ministry

1866-68

Answer 9

Conservative
Politically powerless, but passed the Second Reform Act in 1867, one of the most important pieces of legislation of this era. He resigned due to ill health, nominating Disraeli as his successor.
Supported by rhe Monarch but lost the 1968 election and so resigned. By his actions, he publicly acknowledged the effective sovereignty of the electorate. Smyolic recognition that the modern political system was in being.

Question 10

What was the impact of party politics at this time?

Answer 10

A period of political uncertainty but also one that marks an advance in the process of party realignment.

Question 11

What was the impact of the 1832 Great Reform Act on the monarch?

Answer 11

It weakened the political power of the Monarch. Continuing wealth in Britain was gradually increasing the size of the electorate, as more men met the property requirements to qualify for a franchise (although this was abolished in 1858 by Lord Derby’s Conservative Second Ministry).

Question 12

When Victoria came to the throne in 1837, what was the situation regarding the British monarchy?

Answer 12

It was exceedingly unpopular, perceived as having low morals, extravagant tendancies, and as stupid.
Although, through her personal integrity Victoria restored some of the dignity of the monarchy and popular appeal.

Question 13

What was the 1839 Bedchamber Crisis?

Answer 13

Melbourne was defeated in Commons and Peel was called to form a goverment. He asked Victoria to replace some of her Ladies of the Bedchamber with the wives of some of his Conservative supporters, to demonstrate her faith in his appointment, she refused and Peel was unable to form a government and so Melbourne returned to office.

Question 14

What was Victoria’s political power?

Answer 14

She did take great interest in government and wielded influence in the appointment of bishops and high-ranking army officers. She was often humoured by her ministers, but in reality she did not get her way. Business of the government continued, for the most part, without royal interference.

Question 15

What was The English Constitution, 1867?

Answer 15

Walter Bagehot’s study of the Parliamentary system, The English Constitution 1867. He defined the Monarch’s rights as ‘the right to be consulted, the right to encourage and the right to warn’. Giving an opinion on what he believed to be the appropriate political boundaries within which Queen Victoria should operate.

Question 16

What did political reform ensure?

Answer 16

Despite its snail’s pace, it ensured that political party in power was the choice of the people, and as political parties continued to develop, the power of the monarchy continued to decline

Question 17

What was the Liberal party?

Answer 17

Formed 1859, combining of Whigs, Liberals, Radicals and Peelites. By 1859 they increasingly pursued similar aims, the most pressing of which was to remove the minority Conservative administration led by Lord Derby, thus it made sense to unite into one political party and mount a stronger challenge against the Conservatives.
First true Liberal government had Palmerston as PM and Gladstone as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Not until Palmerstone’s death in office in 1865 that Liberalism became firmly establish as a political creed and people began to refer to it as a Liberal Party. Dominated political scene for next 20 years under forceful leadership of Gladstone.

Question 18

What had changed since the 18th century politics?

Answer 18

Little remained of old system of political patronage, so there was little control over the various groups. No compunction to contest seats at elections, enabling MPs to act independently of any party constraints and contributed to regular government defeats and political instability.
Role of MP was becoming more professional, Parliament was meeting more often and MPs took more of an interest in the concerns of their constituents.

Question 19

Who were members of the Liberal party?

Answer 19

Some Junior Whigs began to disassociate themselves from their more aristocratic kinsmen and call themselves Liberals. Most however, were from middle class business and commercial backgrounds, or were lawyers and professional men and had come into Parliament after 1832. 
Believed in , free press, religious freedom, free trade and individual liberty.

Question 20

Who were the Peelites?

Answer 20

Followed Peel in his repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, which split the Conservatives in Protectionists and Peelite free trades and ensured the Cons did not have a majority in the Commons for a long time to come. Peelites increasingly voted with the Whigs and gradually their numbers fell away and the remainder were content to fuse with the Libersals by 1859. Came from wealthy industrial and commercial backgrounds. Gladstone was a leading Peelite.

Question 21

WHo were the Radicals?

Answer 21

Free thinking middle class individuals. Many adopted the Benthamite doctrine of Utilitarianism- belief in taking actions that would be of the greatest benefit to the greatest number of people. Wanted change in the social order.
Opposed the political and economic dominance of the landowning classes and the privileged position of the Church of England as the established Church. Extended franchise, removal of government restrictions and Free Trade. Most influential was John Bright.

Question 22

Where did the Liberal party draw their power from and what disagreements did this cause?

Answer 22

Half the parliamentary Liberal Party drew their wealth from land ownership. The other half of the Liberal Party, however, had no aristocratic or landed connections- therefore it is not surprising that division and disagreement dogged the Liberal Party during this period. These Liberals had gone to public school and associated themselves with aristocracy through sociual manner.

Question 23

Who were the Liberals influenced by?

Answer 23

The political philosophers of the day- John Stuart Mill, Jeremy Bentham and Walter Bagehot. Viewed free trade as a means of creating prosperity for all. Upheld principle of parliamentary government, within a limited democracy. But accepted that an overhaul of the parliamentary system was necessary, to reflect the changes in the distribution and wealth of the population, which had occurred after the Industrial Revolution.
Brit- becoming more of an urban nonconformist and secular society, reflected through growth of Liberalism