Reform Flashcards
When were the Reform Acts?
1832-‘Great’ Reform Act
1867-Second Reform Act
1884-Third Reform Act
What was the purpose of the 1832 Reform Act?
1) Rotten boroughs (56)
2) New seats for urban areas
3) Standard voting qual-occupancy of property worth £10/year
4) Electoral register est.
What and whom was pushing for the 1832 Reform Act?
1) Conservatives-wanted to exploit growing middle class
2) Fear of revolution-as in France
To what and whom can the successful passing of the 1832 Great Reform Act be attributed to?
Lord Grey (Whig) encouraged King to intro. more Whig Peers into HoL-when conservatives heard this they abstained on the vote and the bill passed. Avoiding creation of more Whig peers.
What were the main new provisions in the 1867 Reform Act?
1) Male householders resident in Borough for 1 year
2) Male lodgers-£10+/year
3) Counties-ratepayers £12+/year
Impact of the 1867 Reform Act
1) Electorate=2.5m
What was so ‘radical’ about the 1867 Reform Act?
1) Was supposed to be a tactic by Disraeli (Cons) to take advantage of growing working/middle class.
2) And increase rural constituencies (good for Cons)
3) But amendments to the bill increased the electorate significantly. (Manipulation by Gladstone?)
Where was demand for 1867 Reform Act coming from?
1) Reformist’s movement.
2) 1866 failed Act increased appetite for reform.
3) Disraeli wanted to show working classes he was on their side (backfired temporarily)
What is believed to have contributed to the fact that the 1867 enfranchised so many new people?
Disraeli was fearful of losing a single MP in his minor. gov. so was relaxed in what reform could be added.
Positive effects of the 1867 Reform Act?
1) Some areas now had 3 member constituencies like Manchester
2) Bribing voters became harder in large pop. areas.
Negative effects or shortfalls of the 1867 Reform Act?
1) Property qual. left many people in rural areas without vote-thus favouring land owners.
2) Voting was still public
3) Some urban areas only minimal MP’s e.g. Glasgow w/ 2 MP’s
