The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 Flashcards
What was pressure for reform of municipal corporations a by-product of?
Parliamentary reform
What did corporations play a key role in before in 1832?
Controlling the election of MPs
What was the Commission of Inquiry set up to do in 1833 and what were its findings?
They were set up to look into the state of MCs and found that corruption and abuse of the system existed in many boroughs. They were asked to suggest the best measures to correct these abuses
What did the Whig government legislate for following the report by the Comission of Inquiry?
A complete overhaul of local government
How many old corporations were abolished and what were they replaced with?
Over 200 old corporations were dissolved and 179 municipal boroughs were set up to replace them
What were defined within boroughs?
Boundaries
When were the first municipal elections held?
1838
Who ran the new municipal boroughs?
A council elected by ratepayers. Although this extended the franchise more than the GRA, the majority were still excluded
Why did it not matter much in practise that the Act had given councils the power to carry out certain improvements?
Because they were held back by financial constraints, a desire to cap the rates bill, narrow mindedness and a lack of vision from many members
Why was it hard to achieve to achieve uniform standards?
Because there was no central body
What was the negative consequence of there being no uniform standards in the enforcement of the Act?
Essential improvements like drainage, cleansing and paving did not occur in many towns
What did the rapid growth of towns mean for the councils?
That the councils were trying to act beyond their level of competence
What did the act do and fail to do?
It defined the form of local authority but failed to ensure efficiency and professionalism
What happened to larger towns like Birmingham and Manchester?
They were not incorporated until later
State the three findings of the 1833 Inquiry of Commission
- Town corporations were extending into areas beyond their jurisdiction and in some cases into the jurisdiction of the county magistrates
- The fact that a closed self electing corporation existed was seen as corrupt and as encouraging political stagnation and a lack of accountability to the citizens they oversee
- Said that corporate officers should be more popularly chosen if corporations were to be useful and efficient
Why did the Commission of Inquiry recommend setting up a Royal Commission?
They thought they didn’t have the powers to carry out a sufficient review of the existing system
Who dominated the Royal Commission?
Radical MPs
What was the ultimate verdict of the Royal Commission?
That Corporations must become elected before they can become effective instruments of local government
How were the boroughs financially reformed?
They were obliged to publish their public accounts and were liable to audit. Any surplus finances were to be used for the benefit of inhabitants and the improvement of the borough, in order to prevent the misuse of borough funds
What happened to the 100 unreformed boroughs?
They fell into disuse or were replaced under the later terms of the act
Why did the Act not apply to London?
Because of its size
What did the Act allow unincorporated towns to do?
Petition for incorporation
How did the new local elections unfold?
They were annual, with a third of the councillors standing in each election. The council also elected alderman to serve on the council, serving a six year term
Which group benefitted the most from this reform?
The middle classes, as they gained suffrage
What were the new town councils determined to do?
Improve law and order and combat crime
Why did the councils unwilling to enact changes that improved the lives of the people?
Because they were unwilling to impose taxes on the middle class and most of them held laissez faire ideas
