Lord Liverpool and the Tories 1812-30 Flashcards
When was Liverpool PM?
June 1812 to March 1827
When was the Corn Law passed?
March 1815
When was the battle of Waterloo?
June 1815
When was the March of the Blanketeers’?
March 1817
When was the Derbyshire rising?
June 1817
When was the Peterloo massacre?
August 1819
When did George the third die?
January 1820
When was the Cato street Conspiracy?
February 1820
When was the Queen Caroline affair?
February 1820
When did Castlereagh kill himself? What happened as a result?
August 1822
Peel, Huskinsson, Robinson and Canninf dominate governement
When was the Reciprocity Act?
January 1823
When were the combination acts repealed?
Feb 1824
When was the banking crash?
1825 June
When was the Test and Corporation Act repealed?
1828 May
When did Canning die?
August 1828
When did the Goderich ministry start?
August 1828
When did the Wellington ministry start?
January 1829
When was Catholic Emancipation?
April 1829
Which party entered office in November 1830?
The Whigs
What was Luddism?
In 1811 there was an outbreak of protest against the industrial revolution. It began in Nottingham but spread to other areas.
The handloom weavers, traditional craftsmen were at the centre of this
Their action was machine breaking
When were the Hampden clubs formed? What did they do?
1812
A group that encouraged the union of upper and middle class reformers with the working classes.
Hampden clubs were founded all over the country
They held meetings and published newspapers
Survived govt attempts to suppress it with spies
Had large membership for the time
What happened at Peterloo? When was it? How many died?
The Patriotic Union Society in Manchester (inspired by Hampden clubs) met in St Peter’s field, August 1819
Henry ‘orator’ Hunt was due to speak about reform
Large crowd (50,000 to 60,000 expected) - concerns that a riot may occur) 1000 troops assembled and special constables hired
Order the arrest of Hunt and the Yeomanry advance, the crowd resists
15 killed 400 wounded. This caused national outrage
What was the importance of the emergence of a radical press?
Radical press aided the movement
The ‘political register’ was a newspaper founded by William Cobbett in 1802
- had a circulation of 40,000
Leeds Mercury was aimed at the respectable middle classes - advocated extending the vote to all taxpayers
Sheffield Independent and Manchester Guardian appealed for freer trade and changes in economic policy
Radical speakers like Henry Hunt also played their part
What divided radicals? What issues did they face
How far democracy should go
Whether there should be property qualification for voting
Difficult to meet and coordinate for to the ‘seditious meetings’ legislation and radicals didn’t always get along
Made little appeal to agricultural workers and radical ideas frightened local gentry who controlled areas in Britain
The reformers could not agree on a single programme and often faces effective govt repression.
When did the Political Union societies begin? How many petitions to parliament did they co-ordinate?
1818
2,000 petitions
What was the March of the Blanketeers?
Protest march to London to protest the hardships of handloom weavers in the North West to the Prince reagent
Only got seven miles to Stockport
John Johnson (Hampden club missionary) who led it arrested after infiltrated by spies
When was the Derbyshire Rising? How was it foiled?
June 1817
Foiled by informer Oliver the Spy
300 iron workers and stocking makers involved
What was the Cato Street Conspiracy?
A govt spy encouraged a group of London radicals (led by Arthur Thistlewood) to plan to murder the cabinet
The house on Cato Street was raided and conspirators dealt with (4 hanged)
Thistlewood hanged and beheaded 1820
Example of use of spies and provocation
This was not liked by the general public, seen as very extreme
What was the Queen Caroline affair?
George the 4th wife (Queen Caroline) had taken lovers abroad and he wanted to divorce her.
June 1820 she arrived back in England to be queen and George convinced Liverpool to make a bill to end the marriage
Whig opposition, radicals and popular opinion supported the Queen. This was a way to opposing the Crown and govt. The Bill failed
What happened to radicalism in the early 1820’s?
It went into a decline
When was Habeas Corpus suspended under Liverpool?
1817
When was Machine breaking made a hanging offence? Why?
Due to the outbreaks of 1811-1812 of Luddism
1812
What were the Six Acts? When were they introduced?
1819
Newspaper and Stamp Duties Act (hit low cost radical publications)
Misdemeanours Act
Blasphemous and Seditious Libels Act
Seditious Meetings Prevention Act ( no more than 50 people)
Seizure of Arms Act
Training Preventions Act
What repression idea of Pitt’s did Liverpool revive?
The ‘Gagging Acts’
Why was Liverpool’s repression limited?
Britain didn’t become a police or military state
Repressive legislation discussed and passed by Parliament
The numbers punished small compared to repression following the restoration of Monarchy in France
Jury trial meant radicals with popular sympathy were not hanged
You could voice opposition to the government and have opinion still
When did machine breaking become a hanging offence?
1812
When did Luddism kick off? Why did it kick off?
1811 it began in Nottingham but spread to other industrial areas
Threat to traditional crafts by machines (handloom weavers). Jobs lost
Decline in trade caused by the economic warfare of the continental system made it worse. Napoleon domination of England had bad effects on trade
Growing cities depended on trade conditions, unemployment was a consequence of bad trade
Bad harvests also threatened to drive food prices up (like in the drought of 1812)- food prices highest in 1783-1900 period
War with USA 1812-1814 threatened trade further
What particularly bad things did Luddites do?
1812 a mill in Leeds was burnt down
New machines were destroyed at Cleckheaton in Yorkshire 1812
April 1812 an armed clash between 100 machine breakers and soldiers
April 1812 a mill owner was shot dead in protest
How did the Government react to Luddism?
Informers
Stationing 1200 troops in industrial areas (no police force)
When did Luddism die down?
1813 despite a few incidents in 1814
What did Luddism show?
Industrial change was causing hardship and unrest
Organised industrial violence needed large numbers of troops to control it
Fluctuations in wheat prices combined with trade fluctuations to creat unrest
That with no voice in Parliament ordinary people would turn to direct protest to show discontent
Was there a danger of revolution after 1812?
YES - there were armed gang, widespread economic discontent, radical speakers, the state only had limited resources to repress discontent
NO- central government was strong, countryside did not rise against the landlords, govt action against radicals was effective. Landlords kept control of the countryside. There was no linking between middle class and lower class mobs. The revolutionary threat wasn’t constant, changes with trade and bread prices.
In the 1820’s the reorganisation of Liverpool’s cabinet and the willingness to make ‘liberal’ reforms put distance between the objectives of the lower and middle classes
What was the Corn Law?
Corn Law of 1815 was made to keep a balance to allow grain to not be so expensive that poor people couldn’t afford to buy it yet not be so cheap that farmers couldn’t afford to grow it. It prohibited the entry of foreign corn until the price of British corn reached 80s a quarter
Some felt that it was good as low food prices might have depressed wages, others felt it against the free trade ‘liberal’ principles and favoured the landed classes as it protected the landowners from a drop in bread prices ( as in 1812 they were at all all time high, a big drop was expected when peace came)
What was the reaction to the corn law? Why was it unpopular
Rioting in London, mobs threatened parliament and broke Ministers windows.
Seen as keeping price of bread high for ordinary people so the landowning elite could maintain their position of wealth
Fear that high bread prices would keep wages high and threaten trade due to these high labour costs
Duty of corn would burden urban areas due to the poor law being linked to bread prices
Corn Law contrary to the pre-war ideas of free trade
Became a symbol of class domination
Corn Law seemed more appropriate to an old agrarian Britain not the growing population and industry of the Britain at the time
Made Britain uncompetitive
Showed an outdated and corrupt parliamentary system
What can be said in defence of the Corn Law?
If prices had been allowed to fall, land would have gone out of cultivation and there would be no incentive to grow crops for market
This would have led to a permanent shortage of wheat in Britain
Also lower food prices may have depressed wages and given those who worked on the land less purchasing power (Britain still predominantly rural so this is a big deal)
Over the war lots had been invested in wheat farming, it would be silly to waste that
Without homegrown wheat, internal unrest might have been great in the future.
With a growing population Britain needed a steady supply of wheat, it hadn’t been self sufficient in corn since 1760.
A bad harvest would usually hit the whole of Europe as badly as the UK. There was no guarantee that due to transport costs and local European demand that foreign corn would even fill any gap.
The corn law was greatly misunderstood.
What was the disagreement about the corn laws actually about?
Landlords fearing the manufacturing and industrial classes and urban middle classes believing their interests were being sacrificed
Emotions raised by predictions of famine
Context of repression of radicals, game laws with severe penalties for poaching, foreign policy that favoured established monarchies in Europe and the harsh penalties for small crimes, and the enclosure acts. Corn Laws seemed to be another example of corruption and repression
Did the Corn Laws actually have much effect?
The price of corn did not rise over 80s after 1816 ( a year of bad harvests all over Europe) (corn belt of USA not opened up yet so couldn’t import from there)
After 1819 the price fell and the 1820’s were years of cheap food anyway
In 1828 a sliding scale was adopted.
What did Liberal mean in the early nineteenth century?
A belief in freedom from the restrictions imposed by a state led by kings and aristocrats and supported by the church.
At this time very few liberals were deomcrats
What does reactionary mean?
Trying to stop change and preferring to maintain the existing political, social and economic system. Or even trying to go back to another time
What does progressive mean?
Belief in improvement, taking the state and society forward to adapt to new circumstances.
What actions made Peel seem like he was acting in the interests of the landed classes?
Corn Laws 1815
Game laws (poaching)
Repeal of Pitt’s wartime income tax 1816
From 1815 the govt relied on indirect taxes which hit the poor harder than the rich
Liverpool did not adopt free trade policies or favour Catholic emancipation. In foreign and domestic policy he seemed to favour opposition to change and reform and class based policies.
When was Pitt’s wartime income tax repealed?
1816
Why did the Tories get more liberal after 1822?
Composition of the Cabinet change
Better times economically (better harvests, higher employment, less radicalism)
Europe more stable and at peace
Key figures favoured more modern policies ( Peel at the Home office, Huskisson at the Board of Trade, Robinson as Chancellor of the exchequer)
Canning saw a change in foreign policy
Some say these new ministers transformed the government into liberal Toryism. Others say they were just maintaining the status quo by making limited change
What stat can back up a spike in crime 1809-1825?
1809-1816 there were nearly 30,000 criminal convictions
1817-1825 there were over 63,000
What issues did Peel face when he became Home Secretary in 1822?
Crime rate rising as the population grew
More people lived in cities away from the traditional control of local gentry
No established police force in a modern sense existed (when there were big disturbances the army was used)
Law enforcement haphazard
Legal penalties for crimes were extreme for those caught and convicted, juries were reluctant to convict as 200 often trivial crimes had the death penalty.
Whig reformers were pressuring with a more humane system but didn’t want more enforcement as they saw that as tyranny.
Peel at the home office saw the need for change in the legal system, what did he do?
The death penalty was removed for trivial crimes
The juries regulation act (1825) made qualification for jury service uniform through England and Wales
Series of laws 1826-28 standardised procedure in justice trials. Judges were paid salaries to ensure fairness
278 laws relating to criminal offences were repealed and replaced by eight new laws which consolidated them
How far did Peel’s reforms as Home Secretary go in the legal reform?
Offences that did not involve murder still had the death penalty (like making counterfeit coins)
1822-28 there were still 63 executions per year, this was no less than the 1805-1812 stats.
People still reluctant to give death sentences, preferred the use of transportation.
What did Peel as Home Secretary do to change prisons?
Pass a new Gaols Act 1823- this required all major towns and cities to have a prison.
The plan was to ensure prisoners were treated equally
What did Peel do to reduce crime as Home Secretary?
Set up the metropolitan police force in 1829
Successful
London population at 1.5 million at the time and the crime rate was rising, the introduction of the MET reduced this.
What changes to trade were made in the 1820’s?
The Trade Reciprocity Act 1823 - led to lowering duties on imports
The maximum duty on imported goods was set at 30%
Foreign ships allowed cheaper and easier access to British ports
Navigation Acts changed- allow colonies freer trade with foreign countries
Trade with South American’s new independents encouraged
William Huskisson (new president of the Board of Trade) aimed to promote trade. However the govt had to be cautious as removing duties on imports would not be popular with all merchants.
What changes to finance were made in the 1820’s?
Joint stock companies could be formed for he first time since 1720
Issuing of paper currency controlled/ this led to business confidence
Robinson set aside money to pay off the deficit in a new sinking fund. He also reduced many taxes (halves the window tax and reduces tax on foreign imports) a this is v liberal. Products became cheaper as a result and living became cheaper and the budget was balanced due to increased trade.
How much did customs revenue increase 1821-27?
64%
How big was the Met police in 1830?1850?
3,000 men in 1830
5,300 men by 1850, in a population of 2.5 million
Explain the banking crash of 1825? ( the panic of 1825)
There had been a boom in 1823/1824. The govt had liberalised the currency, £1 and £2 notes were in circulation and as well as more money in circulation, the increase of South American trade led to the creation of 600 new companies.
Banks lent money to dubious companies and this led to a crash which saw 80 regional banks collapse in a matter of weeks
Crash created panic, people wanted to trade paper money for safer gold
The govt restricted the issue of bank notes to control money in circulation and permitted the Bank of England to set up regional branches
1,500 bankruptcies in the first half of 1826
Crash coincided with higher bread prices - govt had to relax duties on corn
Troops called to industrial areas
Economic revival at the end of 1826 prevented unrest.
What were the combination acts?
1799-1800 they forbade people combining in organisations that could interfere with trade and commerce
The new acts established trial without jury for these activities but offering less severe penalties than existing laws
Intended to stop workmen meeting to discuss change (although already a criminal act)
When were the Combination Acts repealed? What was the result of this repeal?
1824, a time of trade expansion and social calm
Workers took advantage of conditions to unite and strike and protest
Huskisson introduce the Combinations of the Workmen Act in 1825 to stop these sorts of protests. Workmen needed to know their place and strengthened laws against criminal conspiracies
It didn’t forbid trade Unions but restricted them , no picketing or pressuring worker to join strikes for example
Why were the combination acts repealed?
The existing laws made combinations more likely to be secret and violent
Joseph Hume and individual MPs put it through not the govt
When dangers of repeal were revealed It was quickly amended
Liberal elements to it but govt priority was still control of the masses
What did the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts (1828) do?
A constitutional revolution
Allowed Nonconformists to take public office (Catholics were still discriminated against)
Lord John Russel proposed the measure
What restrictions were there of the repeal of the test and Corporation Acts?
Discrimination remained
Nonconformists still had to pay taxes to the Anglican Church
Only Anglican ministers could conduct marriage services
Restrictions on burials of non conformists and Catholics
Not allowed Nonconformists or Catholics at Oxbridge
Catholics could not hold office and be MPs
Limits to liberalism and Govt merely accept a Whig measure and made sure it didn’t go too far
What was the Issue of Catholic Emancipation?
The Union of Ireland had happened in 1800, this abolished their parliament.
Catholics formed 80% of Irish population and could not stand to be Irish MPs. Peel wanted to allow Catholics to stand for election but the King and his subjects opposed this.
The issue became a symbol for those who disliked the union and wanted a return to a separate Irish Parliament
Who wanted Catholic Emancipation?
Protest movement called the Catholic Board (suppressed in 1814 by Peel as Secretary for Ireland)
Whigs pushed for it, they introduced a bill in 1817
The Catholic Association is set up By Daniel O’Connell in 1823. Funded by Irish peasants and the middle classes (the Catholic rent)
Act in 1825 made the Catholic Associations activities illegal.
In 1826 election, the Catholic Association did well.
When and why was Catholic Emancipation passed?
Daniel O’Connell wins a by election even though he isn’t eligible for county Clare. Peel had to accept Emancipation even though he was the leading figure opposing it.
Passed 1829
The number of Irish eligible to vote was cut due to property qualifications- reducing the power of the Catholic Association to bring large numbers of Catholics to support a popular cause.
Peel resigned his Oxford University seat and took the rotten borough of Westbury in Wiltshire
What at the time did Liberal mean?
Opposed to the power of the Church and Monarchy, fought for constitutions that allowed representation of the views of the people to some extent.
Later Liberal came to mean belief in freedom of trade and freedom from govt interference in the economy. Reduction of power of the state, freedom of conscience, freedom of opportunity and carrying out the necessary reforms
Was Liverpool reactionary up until 1822 and Liberal after or was it more continuous?
Debatable
What continuity with the past was there in Liverpools time?
Corn laws, reformed but remained
Duties on trade lessened but not removed
Still difficult for workers to take collective action to improve conditions
Church of England still established church and those not in it did not have equal opportunities, despite some reform
Unrest still dealt with firmly
When did Britain take the route of ‘sound finance’?
1819
Currency convertible to gold
For this there was a need to increase revenue, expanding trade opportunity and encouraging financial and political stability.
The Tories had to follow this
How could you argue that they were liberal?
More willing to accept Whig ideas
Key individuals bought reform
Old restrictions lifted
New freedoms granted
More free trade
What were the ‘liberal’ Tory aims?
Sustain prosperity by creating employment for browning numbers of people.
Maintain a gold based currency and balance the budget
Reduce increasing crime level
Keep power in the hands of the social and political elite. Preventing unrest by making moderate reforms
How did the confect change for Tory aims after 1822?
1820’s were a time of economic revival
Growing sympathy for liberal measures
New men in the cabinet were more flexible and aware of new ideas
What were Liverpool’s challenges in his fifteen year rule?
Prevent damaging splits
Ensure New men were given opportunities- stop the govt being stuck in the past
Maintain the support of the Price Reagent
Keep support in Parliament (no modern party discipline)
Win elections and show he was better than the Whig alternative
Deal with the War against France and the USA and handle the problems peace bought
Maintain internal security
Ensure the currency was sound while reducing taxes and having prosperity
Balance the demands from trade and agriculture
What issues are there with Liverpools long reign?
He had a lack of personality, Disraeli mocked him
He relied heavily on more energetic colleagues (relied heavily of Viscount Castlereagh) then overshadowed by Canning. Reform initiatives often came from others (Peel, Robinson and Canning) not Liverpool himself.
Led into supporting the King against Queen Caroline which made his govt unpopular
His policies before 1822 are repressive and reactionary
Despite his reform record, Catholic Emancipation and parliamentary reform were not passed by him ( the biggest issues)
After his resignation big splits in the party revealed
How did Liverpool show political skill?
He left difficult questions open to avoid party clashes (Catholic Emancipation)
Accepted the need to change and was open to Whig ideas ( for example over penal reform) - this undercut Whig appeal and made the Whigs look too radical
When Grenville, leader of the Whigs, resigned in 1820. Twenty MPs who were loyal to Grenville gave support to Liverpool as Grenville had praised his economic policy
Although Liverpool was pressured to do some unpopular things like the Corn Laws 1815 and the Queen Caroline thing 1820. He acted independently when needed, modifying the Corn laws in 1822 and suspended them for a while in 1825. He overrode the Kings objections to leading ministers like Canning and Peel when their abilities were necessary for the ministry
How did Liverpool exhibit his lack of statesmanship?
Statesmanship involves a consideration of the nations best interests
Major issues unresolved by Liverpool- the political rights of non-conformists and Roman Catholics, the reform of Parliament, how to address the social problems caused by the rising population and industrialisation.
Was Canning successful as PM?
Found it difficult to form a ministry
Wellington and Peel would not serve under him and the King accepted him very reluctantly and he had to rely on bringing some less prominent Whigs into a coalition.
To keep support Canning had to avoid parliament reform and Catholic Emancipation despite his like of the idea.
Attempts to modify the Corn Laws were defeated by Wellington in the lords.
He was only PM for four months as he died.
Was Wellington a successful PM?
He lacked political experience and could not keep all the range of the Tory party happy. He had little in common with the Whig grouping (he was an Ultra Tory)
Peel supported him the commons but had issues with the Whigs in the Lords
Forced to repeal the Test and Corporation Acts in 1828, Catholic Emancipation 1829 and also introduce a revised Corn law with a sliding scale.
In 1829 Britain faced economic downturn and Wellington did little to help, hence a Whig revival began.
Wellington divided the Tories
Wellington spoke of how great the existing parliament system was and seemed ridiculous.
Was Goderich a good PM?
No ineffective
Only lasted 5 months
