Parliament - Boroughs/counties Flashcards
What is patronage ?
The buying or acquisition of MPs seats in Parliament by wealthy landowners
What percentage of MPs were financed by Lords in 1801?
50%
How many different types of electoral systems were there in boroughs?
6
What was a potwalloper borough?
A hearth big enough to boil a pot on to be able to vote
What was a pocket borough?
A borough where the MP was in the pocket of the landowner/lord (patronage) small borough easily manipulated by land owner
Why was old Sarum a problem?
Only 7 voters but 2 MPs/ pocket borough
Why was Dunwich a rotton borough ?
East Anglia former borough fallen into the sea and therefore minimal voters
Which northern industrial town had a population of 250,000 people but no MP
Manchester
Why were catholics unhappy with the electoral system in Ireland?
Restrictions on catholics voting rights/you couldn’t be an MP if you were catholic
When was the Catholic Emancipation Act?
1829
How many MPs did a country return to Parliament ?
2
What could a 40 shilling freeholder in a country do?
Have the right to vote in a county
What percentage of the population of Britain could vote in 1800?
11%
Who could sit in the House of Lords?
Hereditary peers often wealthy landowners
How many county constituencies
40
What fraction of MPs represented constituencies in the south of England?
Two thirds
What were the two main political groups in Parliament ?
Whigs and Tories
What was a Scot and Lot borough?
vote to all male housebolders who paid local rates e.g. Wesminster over 5000 voters but Gatton only had 6.
How many borough constituencies were there?
203
