The Second Reform Act Flashcards

1
Q

Long term pressures for reform - why had the issue of reform never completely gone away
- action from above

A
  • Power from above proposed bills
  • Russell - 1852,54,60
  • Derby 1859
  • Regardless of motivation there was an assertive pressure within a united govt
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Long term pressures for reform - why had the issue of reform never completely gone away
-pressure from below

A
  • Since the end of Chartism, 4 of 6 Charter points had been achieved, arguably a consequence of the moevment’s extra-parliamentary protest
  • The electorate has increased by more than 60% since 1832 from inflation & higher wages
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Long term pressures for reform - why had the issue of reform never completely gone away
-Out of date system

A
  • Out of Date MP systems - reform was common sense to mitigate discrepancies, which could limit the effectiveness of govt, with suitable people unable to be MPs
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

The Property Qualification for MPs Act 1858
-attention?

A
  • receives very little attention - as it maintained only the wealthy could serve as MPs, having little signifcance to the working classes
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

The Property Qualification for MPs Act 1858
-what caused it?

A

In 1711, property qualification was first introduced, restricting memebrship to the HofC

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

The Property Qualification for MPs Act 1858
-what catalysed it?

A
  • Glover, an MP, was arrested after his qualification as an MP included fraud, failing to acknowledge his properties were heavily mortaged
  • However, he was used as a scapegoat, receiving a lenient sentence, as over 1/2 MPs were expected to have done this
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

The Property Qualification for MPs Act 1858
-Why did the Liberals push it through?

A
  • As property rights emerged as out of date & unnecessary,
  • as it doesn’t impact how effectively they could do to the job,
  • & if you can do the job without a salary, you don’t need property rights
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Why did the Liberals propose the 1866 Reform Bill
-faith in reform

A
  • Supportive of reform:
  • 1832 reform act was succesfull & the Tories didn’t anticipate this
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Why did the Liberals propose the 1866 Reform Bill
-intellectual changes

A
  • New innovative ideas, which would create a new type of reform which shouldn’t alienate people
  • e.g J.S Mill reform should be a moral ideal, with the rich accepting responsibilities to extractthe capacity of energy & virtue from society
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Why did the Liberals propose the 1866 Reform Bill
-better working class rep

A
  • Working class growing repsctability –> new organisations & American civil war - deserving
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Why did the Liberals propose the 1866 Reform Bill
-political balance

A
  • redress politcal balance, to reform borughs where support is strongest & they care about ‘urban opinion’
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Why did the Liberals propose the 1866 Reform Bill
-political expedience

A

Bright felt artisanal voters would increase support for Liberal policies, e.g low tax & spending

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What were the details of the Liberals proposals

A
  • lower property value in boroughs & counties –> more votes
  • new seats in borughhs & counties –> only 30% more in boroughs to ensure domination
  • get rid of more small boroughs –> by joining or removing MPs
  • 1 seat to London university –> atheist institution
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

The Liberal proposal would increase the working class voters from…

A
  • From 1in 5 working class men
  • to 1 in 4 working class men
  • This would be smaller than the 1832 percentage increase
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Of the 1 in 4 working men who would be able to vote from the Liberal Proposals 1866, who would be included in the wc receiving suffrage

A
  • skilled, elite working class, such as artisans
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Which 2 groups are the reason the 1866 Reform Bill fails

A
  • Adullamites
  • Conservatives
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Why does the 1866 Reform Bill fail
-The Adullamites

A
  • A group of aristocratic liberals don’t like this as they arescared of giving too many people the vote
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Explain Robert Lowe, the figurehead of the Adullamites, argument against reform

A
  • more votes would go to those more prone to corruption e.g bribery
  • he carries enough Tory support with him to get majority
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Why does the 1866 Reform Bill fail
-The Conservatives

A
  • don’t want liberals to pass bill - would benefit the radicals
  • some Tories are still completely against reform
  • Tories win most votes in counties, & this bill threatens Tory dominance in counties
20
Q

What were the additions to the November 1866 bill compared to the Liberal Bill

A
  • occupation franchise, based on rates (vote based on value of property occupied, as opposed to ownership)
  • fancy franchises
  • boundaries to be investigated by a Royal Commission
21
Q

What is meant by ‘‘Fancy Franchises’’

A
  • a means of balancing the impact of a franchise extension by giving additional votes to non-working class households
22
Q

What opposition was there to Fancy Franchise

A
  • Adullamites oppsoed as it would benefit the Tories
  • Radicals opposed as the working class votes increased, would have no influence
23
Q

The November 1866 Bill was ____________as radical as the liberal bill

A
  • nowhere near
24
Q

The November 1866 Bill could be seen as a…

A
  • time wasting mechanism
25
Q

What were the additions to the February 1867 bill compared to the November 1866

A
  • £6 rating franchise in boroughs
  • £20 rating franchise in counties ?
  • Fancy Franchises - BUT no plural voting
26
Q

What is meant by Plural Voting or compounding

A
  • connected to rates (council tax) - a way of less well off poor people paying their rates in order to get discounts
  • Disraeli wants to disclude compounding in the February 1867 Bill propsoal
27
Q

What is the significance of Cranborne, Carnavon & Peel in the passing of the 1867 Reform Act

A
  • Cranborn is increasingly suspicous of Disraelis intentions
  • Peel & Carnavon are very angry opposing conservatives
  • They all threaten to resign, & actually do
28
Q

Who was Disraeli

A
  • young, leading member of the conservatives
  • effectively unofficially in charge of the HofC
29
Q

What were the additions to the March 1867 bill compared to the February 1867

A
  • Household suffrage for those who have lived in the property for 2+ years & not compounded their rates
  • Fancy franchises given to uni graduates, members of the professions & those iwth savings above £50
  • In counties, occupancy franchise reduced to £15
  • 15 seats redistributed
30
Q

What were the additions to the May 1867 bill compared to the March 1867

A
  • Household suffrage for those who have lived in the property for 2+ years, reduced to 1 year
  • Lodgers to enfranchised too
31
Q

What was removed in the May 1867 bill

A
  • Hodgkinson’s amendment - abolished compounding
32
Q

Who was Gladstone

A
  • wants to propose changes to get credit for the March 1867 bill, but even then will see benefits for the liberals
33
Q

Who was Hodgkinson

A
  • proposes an amendment to make compounding illegal, and it gets through in the May 1867 bill
34
Q

What is the impact for Radicals of the Second Reform Act
-Franchise

A
  • 1 in 3 working men now have the vote, from 1 in 5
35
Q

What is the impact for Conservatives of the Second Reform Act
-Franchise

A
  • 2 out of 3 males still had no vote, as they ensured that multiple generations could be excluded from the vote in boroughs
36
Q

What is the impact for Radicals of the Second Reform Act
-Representation

A
  • 800,000 voters were added, so for the first time, working classes dominated the electoral registers in boroughs
37
Q

What is the impact for Conservatives of the Second Reform Act
-Representation

A
  • minimal redistribution meant rural areas remained over-represented, meaning the counties have an increased proportion of seats
  • Counties: electorate increased by 45% - so counties remained largely middle class
  • Carefully managed boundary changes, esnure those without the vote, the agricultural labourers, shifted Liberal voters out of counties, into boroughs
38
Q

What is the impact for Radicals of the Second Reform Act
-Parties

A

1877, National Liberal Federation - Liberal response to the effectiveness of the Conservative’ organisation in helping them to defeat the liberals in the 1874 election

39
Q

List some of the activities of the new politcal organisations which were designed to locate & persuade potential voters as a consequence of the Second Reform Act

A
  • Employment of paid local agents to recruit and retain new members
  • Keeping records of members
  • Ensuring members vote on election day
  • Developed local ‘clubs’ - a means of raising funds as well as maintaining contact with and influence over the electorate.
40
Q

What is the impact for Conservatives of the Second Reform Act
-Parties

A
  • Sir John Ghorst, (had to appeal to new voters)
  • He set up the Conservative Central Office, which provided guidance to a wide n. of party associations group into,
  • National Union of Conservative Associations: by 1877, 791 associations
  • Primrose League gained female support (could influence male voting habits)
41
Q

What is the impact for Conservatives & Radicals of the Second Reform Act
-Parties

A
  • Party organisations became more conscious of ‘image’.
  • Clear leaders and personal animosities matter more, speaking tours showed a recognition of the importance of the electorate, by appealing with clear policies
  • Election paraphernalia was produced - banners, mugs, plates
  • The growing influence of the press and the railway network aided this swift distribution
42
Q

What is the impact for Conservatives of the Second Reform Act
-Crown & Aristocracy

A
  • In counties, local aristocracts retained influenced particularly those who had recently been enfranchised
  • landowners continue to dominate parliament
43
Q

What is the impact for Conservatives of the Second Reform Act
-social impacts

A
  • Elementary Reform Act –> minmal education is provided to working classes, which can appease new voters
  • having to appeal to the newly enfranchsied
44
Q

What is the impact for Radicals of the Second Reform Act
-social impacts

A
  • more working class MPs
  • arguably voters are more powerful
  • Elemenatry Education Act will support eligibility of future w/c to vote
45
Q

Which aspects of the Second Reform Bill suit radicals most

A
  • Household Franchise increases electorate in boroughs by 134%
46
Q

Which aspects of the Second Reform Bill suit conservatives most

A
  • counties have an increased proportion of seats
  • The minority clause ensured Conservative representation in large boroughs
  • Lodger find it very difficult to get on the electoral register
47
Q

What was the minority clause

A
  • The Minority Clause - three seat boroughs with only two votes per elector
  • Typically the two Conservative candidates in two-member seats both polled well (c40%)
  • this was way of trying to ensure minority, so Conservative representation in large boroughs.