Liberal Tories Flashcards
List the 4 main contributors to the end of post war civil unrest
- The middle classes did not join in the calls for reform
- The economy recovered
- Radical leaders were arrested
- Those in power had a loyal army at their disposal to squash protests
What was the key demand of post war radicals following the war?
Universal manhood suffrage
How was the radical movement different when it flared up again in the 1830s?
It was noticeably more moderate and focused on parliamentary reform in order to encourage the middle classes to support
Why was the government response to radicalism not that harsh considering the context of the time?
- It was the responsibility of the local authorities to provide poor relief, rather than the government
- The governments primary responsibility was to protect the country from internal and external threats, meaning it was just performing its duty
List the 4 key players in Liverpool’s more liberal government
- Sir Robert Peel - Home Secretary from 1822
- George Canning - Foreign Secretary from 1822
- Frederick Robinson - Chancellor from 1823
- William Huskisson - President of the Board of Trade 1823
Why did Liverpool promote these young men to positions of authority in his cabinet?
- He recognised his own limitations and looked to them to provide dynamism in running government departments
- He also needed able men to speak on behalf of the government in the commons as many of his other cabinet ministers were peers
Why was Liverpool’s government able to become more liberal?
Trade increased, unemployment fell and good harvests meant that food prices went down. There was subsequently far less unrest, allowing the government to relax some of its harsher policies
What do people mean when they call Liverpool’s government liberal?
Refers to their willingness to respond to the middle classes, who had become more popular during the industrial revolution
List some of the reasons that Liverpool’s government can be seen as liberal
- More responsive to middle class opinion
- Willing to listen to the needs of industry and trade as they recognised that economic growth is the best way of remaining popular
List some of the ways Liverpool’s government was not so liberal
- Rejected whig proposals for parliamentary reform
- Ignored the issue of Catholic Emancipation, with ministers unable to bring up their support for the cause in cabinet
Describe the improving economic conditions in the 1820s
Trade increased an unemployment fell. Succession of good harvests meant cheaper bread. Therefore less discontent and social unrest - proven by the fact that Hunt’s release from prison in 1822 was not met with much fanfare
When were the liberal tories promoted from cabinet
1822-3
What was the political consequence of the economic improvement
Some of the govt’s harsher policies were relaxed as there was less protests and radical politics
Who were the liberal tories
Peel, who became Home Sec in 1822
Canning, who became foreign sec in 1822
Frederick Robinson, who became chancellor in 1823
Huskisson, who became president of the board of trade in 1823
All these men were already experienced cabinet ministers. Huskisson had been Liverpool’s main economic adviser while Peel was already regarded as the most able member of Liverpool’s team despite being in his early 30s. Peel, Canning and Robinson would all go on to become PMs
Why were these men promoted to cabinet
Needed their administrative experience in running govt departments. Needed their debating skill in the commons because he and several other ministers were lords and so could not defend govt policy in the commons. Important at this time because the govt was having a rough ride in the commons due to the Queen Caroline Affair (1820-1)
What was the Queen Caroline Affair
The Queen Caroline Affair was a scandal in early 19th-century Britain involving Queen Caroline of Brunswick, the wife of King George IV. The affair, which spanned from around 1814 to 1820, was characterized by personal, legal, and political drama, capturing public attention and generating widespread controversy.
Background
Caroline of Brunswick married George, Prince of Wales (later George IV), in 1795. Their marriage was unhappy from the start, marked by mutual dislike and infidelity. They separated soon after the birth of their only child, Princess Charlotte, in 1796.
The Affair
Exile and Return: After the separation, Caroline lived abroad in Europe. While in Italy, rumors of her relationships with other men, particularly her Italian servant Bartolomeo Pergami, spread widely. In 1820, following the death of George III and the accession of George IV to the throne, Caroline returned to England to assert her rights as queen.
Divorce and Trial: King George IV sought to divorce Caroline and initiated proceedings against her. The government, supporting the king, introduced the Pains and Penalties Bill of 1820 to Parliament. The bill aimed to dissolve the marriage and strip Caroline of her title on grounds of adultery.
Public and Political Reaction: The trial was a sensation. Public opinion largely favored Caroline, seeing her as a wronged woman standing up to a dissolute and unpopular king. The affair divided the nation and Parliament, with the public staging mass demonstrations in Caroline’s support.
Outcome: The Pains and Penalties Bill passed in the House of Lords but by a narrow margin, leading the government to withdraw it to avoid further public unrest. Caroline attempted to attend George IV’s coronation in 1821 but was barred from Westminster Abbey. She died shortly after, in August 1821, under somewhat mysterious circumstances.
Significance
The Queen Caroline Affair had significant implications:
Public Sentiment: It highlighted and intensified public discontent with the monarchy and the government, reflecting broader social and political undercurrents in Britain.
Legal and Political Precedent: The affair demonstrated the limits of royal power and the influence of public opinion on political decisions.
Cultural Impact: The scandal permeated literature, pamphlets, and satirical cartoons, becoming a defining event of the era and a symbol of the era’s gender and power dynamics.
In summary, the Queen Caroline Affair was a multifaceted scandal involving personal intrigue, legal battles, and political maneuvering, reflecting the complexities of early 19th-century British society and politics.
Give some examples of how they failed to be liberal
Did not favour parliamentary reform any more than the PM. When an 1822 Whig parliamentary reform bill was introduced there was no govt support and it failed by a large maj
Most were not liberal on the other big issue of religion, particularly CE. Catholics could vote but did not have any right to become MPs or hold public office. Liverpool knew that the king of many tory party members were opposed so decided to ban the issue from cabinet discussion. Individual ministers could support in private but not in cabinet
Who did the term middle class describe at this time
People below the landowning aristocracy, but who did not do manual labour. Many manufacturers, merchants, bankers and shopkeepers made their money from industry and trade. Others were members of professions like teaching, law and medicine
Give some examples of issues that they were liberal on
More responsive to public opinion due to the better conditions in the 1820s, especially the respectable opinion of the new property owning, industrial and commercial classes. The views of the middle classes were increasingly being voiced by newspapers like The Times and regional newspapers like The Manchester Guardian and the Leeds Mercury. More willing to listen and respond to the needs of industry and trade. Believed it was important to balance the needs of merchants and industrialists with the aristocracy.
They realised that an increasing proportion of Britain’s wealth being produced in factories, mills and mines. Also recognised trade was increasingly important for both the import of raw materials needed by industry and for the export of manufactured goods. Keen to encourage this economic growth. New that increased prosperity would lead to less criticism of govt and less protest across the country. A strong economy was key to social and political stability. One area where they were especially liberal and keen to reform was trade
Which two particular ministers believed that British trade was hampered by old and outdated regulations
Huskisson and Robinson
How were the Navigation Acts an example
Passed in order to protect British shipping from foreign competition with the Dutch in the 17th century. Prevented foreign ships from transporting goods to or from Britain and British colonies so only British ships could do this. These laws were no longer necessary as Britain was now a much stronger trading nation. Navigation Acts also restricted trade because other countries retaliated by banning ships from their ports
1823 Reciprocity of Goods Act
Huskisson persuaded parliament to pass. Allowed the govt to make agreements with other countries where Britain would get rid of such restrictions on trade with a particular country if that country agreed to do the same. This would help reduce the cost of imported raw materials, which was particularly important for the textile industry, which was the fastest growing industry in Britain and depended on imports of raw cotton from the USA. More cotton imported meant more cloth could be manufactured. This meant more jobs, more profits and more wealth, especially because the textile industry accounted for 80% of British exports at this time
When were import duties on many goods reduced
1823-9
Reduction of import duties…
Hundreds of different import duties, charging different amounts for different goods. These had been built up over centuries to regulate trade and build up money for the govt. Liverpool and his chancellor Robinson decided to simplify this complex and muddled system of duties and make it more efficient by reducing import duties
In a series of budgets in the mid 1820s, Robinson reduced duties on imports, cutting duties on manufactured goods from 50% to 20% and on raw materials like cotton, wool and coal from 20% to 10%. Although this might mean less income for govt, he was able to do this because Britain was undergoing economic revival and trade was growing. In fact, despite lowering import duties, govt revenue raised from this source grew by 64% between 1821-7 because trade increased so much. The chancellor got the nickname ‘prosperity’ Robinson and the govt became more popular than ever
In many ways these policies were a continuation of the free trade policies started by Pitt before the wars. By reducing high import duties and removing othe restrictions, they helped make trade more efficient just like Pitt had done.
Reasons why they decided to reduce import duties
If they did this then other countries might do the same for British goods
Britain was now the leading industrial nation. Producing more industrial goods and often more cheaply than other countries and the govt was confident that Britain would be able to export more of its manufactured goods in an atmosphere of freer trade
If they were reduced on raw materials like cotton, the textile industry would be stimulated because more cheaper cotton can be imported so cotton goods can be produced more cheaply. This industrial growth would lead to greater natioanl prosperity
Smuggling would be less profitable and so would reduce
The corn laws
This was the one area of trade where any interference with import duties was met with fierce opposition. Although the corn laws were hated by the middle and working classes, most of the aristocracy who dominated parliament and Liverpool’s govt resisted any major change to them. Despite this minor adjustments were still made. In 1822, even before Huskisson and Robinson were promoted, the laws were modified so that imports of wheat were allowed when the price reached 70 shillings a quarter. However, with good harvests and increased wheat production in the 1820s, the price stayed low and never reached this level. Huskisson, as the MP for the city of Liverpool, recognised that ‘cheap bread was good for the labouring parts of the population’
In 1828 a sliding scale was introduced which meant that wheat could be imported when the price reached 60 shillings a quarter, paying a duty that was progressively reduced as the price went up and that could then be imported duty free when the price reached 73 shillings. Although these modifications were disliked by many landowning tory MPs, they were relatively minor, meaning the govt was not all that liberal on the issue of the corn laws
What was Liverpool’s father
Political adviser to George III
When did he become a tory MP
1790
Cabinet positions he held between 1801-12
Home, foreign and war sec
Repressive or liberal
Associated with the repressive govt of 1815-20. Yet cautiously reforming; wanted to keep income tax after the war but parliament insisted on its removal, supported tough laws to deal with radical agitation after 1815, but also encouraged liberal reforms as prosperity returned in the 1820s
Leadership abilities
Not a dynamic or inspiring leader, but he was hugely experienced, highly regarded and widely trusted. Appointed capable young men and supported them and their policies. Kept the balances between the different groups in parliament and strong personalities in his cabinet. The fact that the party split up so quickly and spectacularly after his death suggests that he had a unifying influence. One historian has said that he was the only man who could have held the cabinet together between 1822-7
Reform of the law
Crime rates doubled between 1815-22 and this alarmed people. Govt committee had already been set up in 1819 and had made some recommendations but it was Home sec Peel who steered the subsequent reforms through parliament. Used his vast knowledge and debating skill to convince MPs that reform would make the legal system more effective
What is the penal code
Document that states what the penalties should be for certain offences
What was transportation
Common sentence for convicts to be sent to Australia for prison or compulsory labour
1826 Reform of the Penal Code
English penal code was made up of hundreds of laws which stated what sentences should be administered for different offences. Many of these laws were old, overlapping and contradictory. Whole system was chaotic. Many of the sentences were inappropriate. Over 200 offences that carried the death penalty. Some of them seemed excessively harsh, like poaching or stealing a sheep, so the jury acquitted people who were obvs guilty because they felt the crime was not worth hanging, meaning the law was not respected or enforced
Peel wanted to change this and make the law more effective. Got rid of many old laws and simplified the whole penal code. Reduced hundreds of laws down to just 8. Cut down the number of offences you could be hanged for, now receiving transportation instead. By the late 1820s, over 5000 a year were being transported to prison camps. Transportation was more humane and it became a pretty permanent solution
Peel was no humanitarian and wanted the law to be more punitive so more people could be convicted. Wanted the system to be more effective and efficient, only in this sense was he a liberal
1823 Gaols Act
Local prisons were often filthy and inhumane. Jailers often unpaid and therefore likely to try and extort money from inmates. The act obliged each county and large town to maintain a prison paid for by rates and controlled by the magistrates. Established a standard system of discipline and inspection and stated that jailers should be paid and inmates provided with a basic education
Undoubtedly influenced by humanitarian reformers who had been campaigning for many years as he clearly wanted a fairer system. However, his motives were largely administrative, keen to establish a uniform and effective system
Metropolitan Police Force 1829
Previously the authorities had had to rely on a system of part time, low paid, constables and informers, but this did not prevent rising crime in a city of 1.5 million, ten times more than any other area. Many people were suspicious and saw the new police force as a threat to civil liberties. Associated the force with some of the more harsh, dictatorial govts on the continent. Earlier attempts to set up a police force had failed
As with his legal reforms, he worked hard to gather evidence and the arguements he needed to convince parliament to institute a professional police force. Established a force of 3000 men, organising in five divisions across London. Deliberately dressed in uniforms that were non military and only armed with truncheons. In the next few years London crime rates came down and in the 1830s police forces were established in other areas of the country
What were the combination acts
Laws passed to ban the formation of TUs or combinations of working men
What is picketing
Standing outside a workplace to discourage other people from going to work
1824 Repeal of the Combination Acts
In 1799-1800 at the height of the French war, the govt banned combinations of working men. Acts were passed because the govt was afraid of men joining together to form unions that may challenge the govt. Time of war and so there were great fears of plots and conspiracies
20 years later a campaign was organised by radical politician Francis Place to repeal the acts and make it legal to form TUs. Argued it was safer to allow working men to form unions and bargain with employers over wages and working conditions than it was for unions to remain illegal and thus have to become secretive, underground organisations
Although the govt did not actively support the repeal campaign they did not oppose either. By the mid 1820s Britain was more prosperous and peaceful and so there was less fear of TUs. Thousands of men formed TUs following repeal, especially in the north and midlands. With the economy booming and a shortage of labour, the workers were in a stronger position to call for higher wages and threaten strike action if their demands were not met. There were a rash of strikes. This alarmed MPs and in 1825 an amending law was passed that banned the use of force or intimidation. Became an offence to force a man to become a union member of join a strike. Effectively made strikes and picketing illegal. TUs were allowed but their powers were restricted
