1832 Electoral Reform

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1832 Electoral Reform

• Election Day
• By Hogarth 1807

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• The Whig government that took over in 1830, under
  Earl Grey, realised that some parliamentary
  reform was badly needed to take into account the
  changes that had happened in Britain.
• After a long fight with the Lords the Reform Act
  was passed. The actual changes were not as
  important as the fact that the principle of
  reform had been established.
• The major questions asked about this period are-
• What was wrong with the electoral system at this
  time?
• How was the Reform Act passed?
• How did the Reform Act change things?
• How close did Britain come to Revolution at this
  time?

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Political and Economic Background

• By 1828 the Tory partys attitude to reform was
  becoming increasingly unpopular
• From 1828 the British economy was in decline and
  bad harvests were not helping
• Popular discontent in the usually quiet
  countryside did not help the government
• Swing Riots
• The Whigs were promising Reform
• Torys were splitting into progressives and
  Ultras

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Earl Grey
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Politics before 1830I The Constituencies

• The parliamentary system had developed in the
  middle ages and no longer reflected the true
  situation in Britain.
• Each County elected 2 MPs, and each borough
  (town) also elected 2 MPs.
• Many boroughs no longer had people living in them
  while new, large, industrial towns did not have
  any MPs - Pocket and Rotten Boroughs
• Geographical imbalance - The South of England had
  380 out of 588 seats so landowners dominated
  Parliament

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ii The Franchise (right to vote)

• The Franchise was full of anomolies.
• In the Counties the vote went to owners of land
  worth 2 (40 shilling freeholder)
• In the boroughs there were a variety of
  qualifications
• In some virtually all males had the vote
• In others hardly anyone was qualified.
• This meant that most of the workers and some of
  the new middle classes had no vote.

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iii Other factors

• Only about 440,000 out of a total population of
  14,000,000 could vote
• Women could not vote
• There was no secret ballot which led to bribery
  and bullying
• The south was still over-represented at the
  expense of the North.
• Parliament was dominated by landowners
• MPs were not paid
• MPs had to have 300 worth of land
• Constituencies were unequal

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Who was For Reform?

• The Whigs - led by Earl Grey
• Supported by the industrialists and middle
  classes - they believed that unless there was
  some reform from above there could be revolution
  from below.
• They did not want democracy - but they would
  limit the vote to responsible (property owning)
  members of society - Their arguments for change
  were-
• An unreformed Parliament did not reflect the
  changes in society
• The unreformed Parliament was open to corruption
• An unreformed Parliament would not make needed
  changes in society.

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Who was against Reform?

• The Tories - They saw reform as an attack on the
  establishment and status quo which would
  ultimately destroy the great institutions of the
  country
• Peel (their greatest spokesman) argued -
• The anomolies in the system made sure that all
  interests were represented somewhere
• Rotten and Pocket Boroughs were useful in
  allowing men of talent to enter Parliament
• Reform would make it difficult to carry out the
  governments business as there would not be
  enough Government MPs
• Once started, reform would be difficult to stop

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How the reform Bill was Passed

• Grey instructed a committee to draw up a Bill
  that would satisfy demands for reform but would
  not go too far.
• March 1831 Lord Russell introduced the Bill to
  Parliament, it said-
• 56 small boroughs lost 2 MPs 30 others lost 1
• 22 towns gained 2 MPs 20 others gained 1
• The vote - In the countryside 32 qualification
  remained but tenants with property worth 50
  could now vote
• In towns the vote went to men who owned or rented
  property worth 10 a year
• Voters had to be registered

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• The bill got through the House of Commons by one
  vote as the Tories had planned not to oppose the
  introduction but sabotage it at a later stage.
  This they did in the committee stage, delaying
  it. The King allowed the Whigs to hold a general
  election with reform as the main issue.
• The result was an overwhelming victory for the
  Whigs and reform. The Tories then blocked the
  Bill in the Lords. This led to riots and
  demonstrations throughout England and Wales.
  Finally, the threat by King William IV to create
  as many Whig nobles as necessary forced the Lords
  to back down. In June 1832 the Bill became law.

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The Results of the Act

• The Act increased the number of voters by about
  50 from about 440,000 to 652,000. However, the
  first elections after the Act saw a Parliament
  similar to those before the Act. The south was
  still over-represented at the expense of the
  North.
• Still only a fifth of the population could vote
• still no secret ballot
• Parliament remained dominated by landowners
• Although the Great Reform Act had not brought in
  democracy it had paved the way for future reforms
  of Parliament. It did not end the demands of
  reformers and radicals.
• Many people were disappointed with the Act and it
  would not be long before more reform happened

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Discussion points

• Why were the Whigs in favour of parliamentary
  Reform?
• Why were the Tories against Parliamentary Reform?
• What changes were made to the electoral system by
  the great reform Act?
• Was Britain near revolution in 1832?

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Possible examination Questions

• Why was there a demand for parliamentary reform
  in 1830?
• How far did the government meet the demand for
  reform?

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