1832 Reform Act

• The general election following George IV death, saw the return of Wellington. The Tory Party was weak and unpopular since there were now several MPs who supported parliamentary reform.
• Wellington was not prepared to support any reform measures and made this clear in his speech to the House of Lords in November 1831.

  • He later resigned after losing a vote in the HoC.
• Earl Grey formed a Whig government with other reform groups.

  • First Whig government since 1806.
• Long-term factors promoting reform:

  • French Revolution - Spreading reformist ideas on liberty and equality and were strongly supported by people excluded from the franchise.
• Long-term factors promoting reform:

  • Pamphlets and newsletters were spreading radical political ideas to wide, receptive audience.
• Long-term factors promoting reform:

  • Working class were becoming increasingly politicised.
• Long-term factors promoting reform:

  • Large political meetings - debated issues and demanded reform of parliament.
• Short-term factors promoting reform:

  • Fragmented unity of the Tory Party, due to religious beliefs and Wellingtons opposition to change.
• Short-term factors promoting reform:

  • Economic crisis - Poor harvests in 1828-30 caused higher food prices.
• Short-term factors promoting reform:

  • Agricultural distress - Southern and Eastern counties of England were experiencing intense levels of hardship, sparking the Swing Riots
• The 1830 Swing Riots was the widespread uprising of agricultural workers protesting on harsh labour and mechanisation.

  • Arson and threshing machines destroyed
  • 19 killed
  • 500 transported
  • 600 imprisoned
  • Suppressed in 1831
• Short-term factors promoting reform:

  • Extra-parliamentary protests - originating outside of parliament were becoming more organised and frequent.
• Short-term factors promoting reform:

  • Changing French Monarch - Charles X replaced by Louis Philippe who was more accepted by the French middle class.
• The 1832 reform act was passed in June on its third attempt
• March 1831, Russell introduced the first reform bill, which was rejected by the House of Lords.

  . Proposed to remove all borough voting qualifications and replace them with a uniform franchise of £10 householders.
• June 1831, second bill was introduced with Whig government and rejected in October by the HoL by 41 votes.
• March 1832, third bill introduced and becomes law in June.
• Second bill propsed to extend the franchise to tenant farmers who paid £50 annually for their land.
• The rejection of the second bill caused riots in Bristol for 3 days, where hundreds of men assembled in Queen Square and burned down the Bishops palace and attacked other homes and businesses.
• HoL tried to wreck the third bill by voting to postpone it. Causing Grey to request King William IV to create more pro-reform peers, but was rejected.
• In response to William IV rejecting the creation of peers, the government resigned and William IV was forced to accept the request after the Days of May and the Lords yielded and passed the bill.
• The Days of May - series of protest aimed at preventing Wellington returning to PM.

  • Standstill of trade
  • public demostrations
  • petitions
  • Birmingham Political Union encouraged people to remove their money from banks.

  Days of May came to a stop when Grey returned to office.
• Franchise Impacts:

  • Counties - 40 shilling franchise retained
  • Chandos amendment introduced
• Chandos amendment gave the vote to tenant farmers who rented property over £50 annually.
• Franchise Impacts:

  • Boroughs - qualifications eradicated
  • Standard borough franchise established - male householders with a house worth £10 a year.
• Franchise Impacts: England

  • County electorate increased 55% from 240,000 to 370,000 voters
  • Borough electorate increased 40% from 200,000 to 280,000
• Franchise Impacts: Scotland

  • Electorate increased from 4,500 to 64,000
• Franchise Impacts:

  • Women and Working class remained excluded
• Franchise Impacts:

  • Boroughs - resident for 1 year to qualify. Industrial men moved several times in search of work and so were never qualified for the vote.
• Franchise Impacts:

  • Poor rates had to be paid to relieve the poor
• Franchise Impacts:

  • Men who possessed the vote prior to 1832 were able to retain their vote.
• Franchise Impacts:

  • Borough electoral significantly decreased