The Unreformed Political System 1785-1832 Flashcards
How many MPs were in the House of Commons?
658
Did MPs get a salary?
No
What was the minimum income needed to become an MP?
£300 per year
What did many people have to do in order to qualify financially to become and MP, and what system did this create?
Get a patron (sponsor), therefore creating a system of patronage
Approximately how many MPs had patrons in the House of Lords, and what did this mean in terms of control?
Approximately 111, meaning the House of Lords had control over the House of Commons
Approximately how many MPs did the King control, and what were they called?
Approximately 100 MPs, called placemen
What were sinecures?
Essentially meaningless jobs given by the king which allowed the king to ‘buy’ MPs. This meant that the king’s PM had support
When did being Church of England stop being a requirement for being in parliament?
1829
In 1785 how many voters were there in the country, and what percentage of the adult male population was this?
1/2 million voters, 3% of the adult male population
What property value did you need to have in order to be enfranchised for county elections?
40 shillings (£2) (40 shilling freehold)
What are the requirements for enfranchisement in freeman boroughs?
If you were a free man (paid taxes) you could have the vote
What are the requirements for enfranchisement in Scot and Lot boroughs?
If you paid local rates (local taxes, eg. poor tax) you could have the vote
What are the requirements for enfranchisement in burgage boroughs?
If you had a back garden you could have the vote
What are the requirements for enfranchisement in potwalloper boroughs?
If you had a fireplace that could fit a big pot you could have the vote
What was the population of Manchester and how many MPs were there in 1831?
144 000 people, 0 MPs
What was the population of Gatton and how many MPs were there?
6 houses, 1 voter, 1 MP
What was the population of Dunwich and how many MPs were there?
By 1831 had a population of 232 and only 44 houses, but still had 2 MPs
How many voters did Yorkshire have and how many MPs were there?
20 000 voters, 2 MPs
How many voters did Ruttland have and how many MPs were there?
800 voters, 2 MPs
How many boroughs had their MPs through nomination? (MP decided by local landowner, not by voters)
276
Approximately how many counties and boroughs were there?
Approximately 200 counties, 400 boroughs
What fraction of MPs were sons of Lords in 1800?
1/5
How did the distribution of population change since the medieval times?
Originally many people lived in the south + in East Anglia for farming. However during the industrial revolution most people moved to big industrial towns + cities in the north
What affect did the change in the distribution of population have on the worth of the vote and why?
It meant that votes weren’t worth the same because the distribution of seats stayed the same. This meant that where there were more people, the votes were worth less
What was the population in Birmingham and how many MPs were there in 1831?
188 000 people, 0 MPs
How many voters were there in Old Sarum and how many MPs were there?
Abandoned town, 3 houses, 7 voters, 1 MP
Which area was underrepresented, and what impact did this have on what was looked after in parliament?
The north was underrepresented, which meant that parliament looked after the land and not industry
Was the vote a secret ballot?
No, people voted on the hustings (open voting)
How much was spent in Yorkshire in 1807 to bribe people?
£228 000 (modern £4.5 million)
What was treating?
Paying for voter’s food and drink while they stayed to vote (elections lasted approximately 15 days)
Why did each political party have a lawyer at the elections?
The lawyer was there to decide if people could vote because there were no electoral registers
What was cooping?
Kidnapping opposition voters until after the election
What fraction of elections were unopposed?
2/3
