Parliamentary Reform 1851-85.

Question 1

How many unsuccessful attempts by Liberals to extend the franchise?

Answer 1

Five.

Question 2

How many years were the Conservatives in government in the years 1852 to 1866 and what type of government did they run?

Answer 2

=> 2/14 years.
=> They had run minority governments.

Question 3

What organisations of the skilled working classes had been set up by the 1860s which impressed Gladstone as organisations of working class self- help?

Answer 3

=> Model unions and friendly societies.

Question 4

Name the two pressure groups dedicated to parliamentary reform and identify briefly their demands.

Answer 4

=> Reform League - Seeks male household suffrage.
=> Reform Union - Fairer redistribution of seats and secret ballot.

Question 5

What individual and obstacle to parliamentary reform died in 1865?

Answer 5

=> Lord Palmerston.

Question 6

Whom would the reform bill of 1866 be extended to? How many workers did it add?

Answer 6

=> Highly skilled workers:
- Country: £14, Urban: £7.
=> Extends to 400,000 workers.

Question 7

Who led the Liberal opposition to the Liberal bill and what was the name of the oppositional group that he led?

Answer 7

=> Led by Robert Lowe.
=> ‘Adullamites of the Cave.’

Question 8

What happened to the Liberal bill?

Answer 8

=> Defeated by Liberals combined with Conservative MPs, replaced with a Conservative minority.

Question 9

Who replaced them?

Answer 9

=> Disraeli and Derby.

Question 10

What were the public disturbances in July 1866?

Answer 10

=> Hyde Park Riots : Reform League + Reform Union campaigning together, day long riots, national demonstrations.

Question 11

Outline the second bill of Disraeli?

Answer 11

=> The vote was to be extended to all urban householders. Those who paid rates and occupy homes for 2 years. (1867).

Question 12

Outline Hodgkinson’s amendment?

Answer 12

=> Abolished compounding, extended to further 500,000.

Question 13

Outline the Torren and Aryton amendments?

Answer 13

=> Torrens: Added £10 lodgers to franchise for the 1st time.
=> Aryton: Reduced occupation from 2 to 1 year.

Question 14

Strengths of reform?

Answer 14

=> Added 830,000 urban voters, 290,000 rural. - Urban vote increased by 134%.
=> 1/3 adult males could vote.
=> Electorate increased from 1.2m to 2.5m.
=> Uncontested seats decreased from 58% to 32%.

Question 15

Weakness of reform?

Answer 15

=> Agricultural workers excluded, only 40% increase in franchise.
=> Over-representation of SW, SW had 45 MPs. NE had 3 times population but only 32 MPs.
=> 32% of seats still remained uncontested.
=> Women had no vote.
=> Corruption due to absence of secret ballot.

Question 16

Outline the secret ballot Act? When? Who?

Answer 16

=> Introduced by radical John Bright via private member’s bill.
=> Gladstone opposed this but wanted to avoid party divides so passed the Secret Ballots Act 1872.

Question 17

Outline the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act 1883?

Answer 17

=> Controlled excessive election spending e.g set limits.

Question 18

Who attempted to extend the vote to universal male suffrage?

Answer 18

Chamberlain.

Question 19

What did Gladstone try to pass and why was this blocked?

Answer 19

=> Gladstone instead try to end the rural-urban division created by Disraeli’s second reform act of 1867.
=> Conservatives argued that they would lose 47 seats and demanded a redistsribution of seats as well.

Question 20

Why did Conservatives also argue for single-seat constituencies?

Answer 20

=> Loss of vote for Whig MP, could not also vote for radical and Whig.
=> Believed that rate-payers would dominate and would benefit Tories, would vote out of self-interest. -> London 67/75 were Conservative.

Question 21

Outline Gladstone’s Representation of the People’s Act 1884?

Answer 21

=> Extended vote to householders and lodgers in rural counties.
=> Increased electorate to 5m, 2/3 men could vote.

Question 22

Redistribution of Seats Act 1885?

Answer 22

=> Ensured that constituencies were of roughly equal size (50,000). -> 142 redistributed.
=> Ended over-representation. E.g Cornwall, sparsely populated from 44 -> 7 MPs.
=> Mainly single seat constituencies.