RADICAL REFORMERS - Part C; How effective was the government's response to protest in the years to 1819?

Question 1

INTRO

What did the government rely on to maintain order and WHY?

Answer 1

No organised police force meant that it was difficult to maintain order in towns (particularly in the pre-railway age)

The government relied on local magistrates, yeomanry, and agent provocateurs in order to uphold Pitt’s laws in the 1790s.

Question 2

1. TRIAL OF THE LEADERS OF THE LCS + SUSPENSION OF H.C

1794

What happened in 1793?

Answer 2

LCS and SCI sent delegates to an Edinburgh meeting to agree on calling for a national reform convention with the intent of parliamentary reform.

The govt saw this as dangerous so they sent troops to arrest some of the delegates.

Question 3

1. TRIAL OF THE LEADERS OF THE LCS + SUSPENSION OF H.C

1794

What did the reform societies do in early 1794?

Answer 3

They regrouped and announced calling for a national reform convention.

This was bad because Britain had been at war with France since 1793 so there was little radical sympathy.

Question 4

1. TRIAL OF THE LEADERS OF THE LCS + SUSPENSION OF H.C

1794

Why did the government arrest the leaders of the LCS and SCI?

Answer 4

They arrested them for high treason.

They were concerned with LCS growth BUT it had never been more than 5000 members. As membership grew, the govt was concerned that the message was reaching a larger audience.

Pitt feared Thomas Hardy’s unlimited membership for the LCS.

Question 5

1. TRIAL OF THE LEADERS OF THE LCS + SUSPENSION OF H.C

1794

How did habeas corpus get suspended?

Answer 5

Parliament suspended H.C which allowed the government to interview the accused to prepare a case against them.

Question 6

1. TRIAL OF THE LEADERS OF THE LCS + SUSPENSION OF H.C

1794

Result of the trial?

Answer 6

Lengthy examination resulted in the government being unable to present a convincing case to the courts.

They even claimed that the LCS wanted to kill George III but their evidence was flimsy, so the jury refused to accept the evidence.

Question 7

1. TRIAL OF THE LEADERS OF THE LCS + SUSPENSION OF H.C

1794

What did this all indicate?

Answer 7

Pitt’s serious approach towards the LCS and SCI.

Question 8

1. TRIAL OF THE LEADERS OF THE LCS + SUSPENSION OF H.C

1794

Consequences for radicalism

Answer 8

It worked for the government - most of the LCS leadership (inc Thomas Hardy) withdrew from politics.

For the rest of the 1790s, Pitt was able to harass the radical movement and change existing laws to achieve its purpose.

Question 9

2. TREASON ACT AND THE SEDITIOUS MEETINGS ACT 1795

Why did ministers feel they should amend the law to strengthen their powers?

Answer 9

1795 = was a time of war, distress, and growing unrest.

There was rising unemployment in industrial towns and poor harvests, and rise in food prices.

The (practical) failure of the 1794 trials persuaded ministers and Pitt to amend treason laws to strengthen their powers.

Question 10

2. TREASON ACT AND THE SEDITIOUS MEETINGS ACT 1795

What did the Treason Act 1795 say?

Answer 10

It made it an offence to kill or injure the king.

For reformers, it was extended and defined so that any intention to ‘intimidate or overawe’ parliament was also chargeable.

ANYONE outside parliament who called for parliamentary reform could be charged with treason.

Question 11

2. TREASON ACT AND THE SEDITIOUS MEETINGS ACT 1795

What did the Seditious Meetings Act 1795 say?

Answer 11

This restricted meetings to 50 people unless they were pre-approved by the magistrates.

All the large outdoor meetings taking place were now banned.

Question 12

2. TREASON ACT AND THE SEDITIOUS MEETINGS ACT 1795

Were Pitt’s policies successful?

Answer 12

They were successful because radical activity was diminished and was constrained by the patriotic feelings of the war.

Question 13

2. TREASON ACT AND THE SEDITIOUS MEETINGS ACT 1795

Consequences

Answer 13

Leading radicals escaped - Thomas Paine escaped to France where he continued to produce reforming pamphlets, such as the Age of Reason 1794-1797, but people in the UK, France, or the USA didn’t find his arguments favourable.

Question 14

3. GAGGING ACTS

1817

What government was in power? What challenges did they face?

Answer 14

Lord Liverpool’s govt.

1812-1827

Poor harvests, economic depression, rapid unemployment because of troops returning home.

The govt clung to laissez-faire believing the economy would revive itself.

Question 15

3. GAGGING ACTS

1817

When did the War with France end?

Answer 15

1815 - 22 years of conflict ends

Question 16

3. GAGGING ACTS

1817

Conspiracy fears (Spenceans)

Answer 16

The government was increasingly suspicious of the existence of a broad national revolutionary conspiracy between 1815 and 1817:

the Spenceans’ hare-brained attempt at the Spa Fields and attacks on the Prince Regent all created the perception of a linked series of events.

Question 17

3. GAGGING ACTS

1817

How many measures passed by Liverpool in 1817 to combat radicalism?

Answer 17

3

Question 18

3. GAGGING ACTS

1817

a) Treason Act 1795

Answer 18

Treason Act 1795 was due to lapse but the attacks on Prince Regent meant Parliament made it a permanent measure.

Question 19

3. GAGGING ACTS

1817

b) Habeas Corpus

Answer 19

Habeas Corpus was suspended for all those suspected of treasonable activities.

Question 20

3. GAGGING ACTS

1817

c) Seditious Meetings Act 1817

Answer 20

Seditious Meetings Act 1817 built on the terms of the 1795 measure –

Justices of the Peace were given power to attend any public meeting and could disperse it.

Organisations that required a secret oath were banned – the government also banned all Spencean clubs (they were so fearful of them!!!)

Question 21

3. GAGGING ACTS

1817

Consequences

Answer 21

All three measures did suppress radical activity in the short term in areas like London – when these terms lapsed in 1818, radical activity was up and running again.

Question 22

4. SIX ACTS

1819

Causes

Answer 22

Peterloo in 1819 meant the government REALLY wanted to restore and maintain order.

Question 23

4. SIX ACTS

1819

Unlawful Drilling

Answer 23

many people who attended Peterloo were known to have practiced drilling and marching.

The govt viewed this as preparation for future insurrection, and so this act banned unlawful, military-style drilling with the penalty of transportation on any lawbreakers.

Question 24

4. SIX ACTS

1819

Seizure of Arms

Answer 24

Empowered magistrates to enter any property where they suspected arms were stored.

Question 25

4. SIX ACTS

1819

Misdemeanours

Answer 25

Reduced the ability of any arrested person from being granted bail.

Question 26

4. SIX ACTS

1819

Seditious Meetings Prevention

Answer 26

Revived terms of the 1795 and 1817 Acts (because they were lapsing).

*This was really unpopular and was repealed in 1824.

Question 27

4. SIX ACTS

1819

Criminal Libel Act

Answer 27

Ineffective but introduced the penalty of transportation for libellous writings.

Question 28

4. SIX ACTS

1819

Newspapers and Stamp Duties Act

Answer 28

No. of publications who had to pay stamp duty extended so that the number of newspapers and pamphlets reduced because they weren’t making any profit.

Question 29

4. SIX ACTS

1819

Consequences

R.J White

Answer 29

Desired effect was achieved.

Crisis years of 1812-1819 were not repeated.

R.J White, historian, points out how the govt was just trying to maintain law and order and that London had a small police force, and anywhere outside of that had peacekeeping as a voluntary thing.