Refom Acts 1832-1928 Flashcards
What political party passed the 1832 reform act
WHIGS
Fall of Wellington’s Government
1830
Election after DEATH of George IV sees Wellington get back into power as PM but fails to assemble a government due to many MPs being in support of parliamentary reform.
FORCED TO RESIGN
Allows for Earl Grey (Whig leader) to form Whig and reformer government.
Who passed the 1832 Representation of the People Act
Lord John Russel (prime minister)
Earl Grey (Whig leader in 1830s)
When was the Catholic Emancipation
1830
What does the catholic emancipation do to the Tory group
Splits them, so after the next election Duke of Wellington (prime minister) can’t form a government.
Who was the Great Reform act a political advantage for?
Whig political group
Who was enfranchised after the Great reform act?
Middle Class
What were the voting qualifications after the Great reform act?
In boroughs: properties £10 and above, £50 leaseholders
In counties: 40 shilling franchises
What was the electorate before and after ‘32?
435000 to 81300 (from only 4% of adult males to 20%)
Impacts of 1832 reform act
- uniform voting rules
- introduced voting registers
- increased electorate by 16% of adult males
- plural voting continued
- the “hustings” (name for old elections) were not secret and were violent so often were dominated by the wealthy
What are constituencies?
A ‘voting area’ - each with one or two MPs to represent
The county franchise pre 1832
- 122 MPs in county seats
- 40 shilling freehold needed to vote
- very few could vote - eg: 1% in Middlesex
Borough Franchise:
- parliamentary boroughs - towns granted right to have MPS
- each borough had different enfranchisement rules
Enfranchisement rules in the boroughs:
boroughs where most could vote:
- Scot and Lot - all who contribute shares into local poor fund
- Potwhalloper - all who own a hearth to feed
Minority voter boroughs:
- burgage - someone who owned ‘burgage’ land (wealthy could buy up all the burgage)
- FreeMan - all who were free men
- Corporation - MPs elected by local Corporation - NO ELECTIONs
University Seats
Both Oxford and Cambridge got 2 seats each - only graduates could vote!
Also plural voting common.
Overview of the Franchise before 1832:
- lower wealth.social standing unrepresented
- elections highly influenced by wealth and social status - hustings public
- before 1832 no elections in 40% of constituencies
- eg: Edinburgh seat elected by 33 voters
- decision could also be vetoed by HOL - no changes for benefit of WC passed