John Cam Hobhouse, the son of Sir Benjamin Hobhouse and Charlotte
Cam, was born in Bristol on 27th June
1786. Sir Benjamin Hobhouse had inherited a large fortune from his
father and after being elected to the House of Commons obtained the
reputation as a social reformer. As a staunch Unitarian,
Hobhouse was a stronger supporter of religious freedom.
Hobhouse attended the Unitarian grammar school in Bristol
and Westminster School where he was
bullied for his religious views. Hobhouse went to Trinity College,
Cambridge where he met Lord
Byron. The two men became friends and after university toured
the Middle East together. Hobhouse developed an interested in politics
and wrote several articles supporting liberal causes in Europe.
John Cam Hobhouse became friendly with the radical M.P., Sir
Francis Burdett who encouraged him to became a candidate in the
1819 by-election for Westminster.
He was initially defeated by won the seat in the General Election
that followed later that year.
After his election, Hobhouse established himself as one of the leading
radicals in Parliament. Hobhouse proudly described himself as a leveller
and was a strong opponent of aristocratic privilege. As a result of
one pamphlet that he wrote he was arrested and briefly sent to Newgate
Prison.
In 1819 Hobhouse carried out his own private investigation into the
Peterloo Massacre and in the House
of Commons was highly critical of the way the authorities had
dealt with the demonstrators. In a debate in the House of Commons
on 15th May 1821, Hobhouse argued that the meeting at St. Peter's
Fields had been completely peaceful. He also attacked William
Hulton and other government witnesses of telling "lies"
and providing "misstatements" at the trial of the organisers
of the St. Peter's Fields meeting.
In the House of Commons Hobhouse became
the leading advocate of parliamentary reform and factory legislation.
However, Hobhouse broke with the radicals after the passing of the
1832 Reform Art. Hobhouse joined theWhiggovernment
as Irish Secretary. Hobhouse also held ministerial posts under Viscount
Melbourne (1835-41) and Lord John Russell
(1846-1852). Hobhouse was granted the title Lord Broughton just before
he retired from politics in 1852. John Cam Hobhouse died in 1869.
(1)
John Hobhouse, speech at the House of Commons,
15 May 1821.
The soldiers
were not attacked. I defy all those around to prove that they were
attacked. I defy them to show that any single proof can be given of
an attack previously to the horrid assault made by the soldiers on
the citizens. That resistance - at least some little resistance, too
faint indeed and ineffectual, was made after the slaughter began.
It seems
to be that the gentlemen opposite (Tories) are still resolved to believe
that some attack was made by the people on the military previously
to the charge of the yeomanry upon the crowd. I repeat: the Yeomanry
attacked the people without warning, without provocation. I will take
this opportunity to observe, that the abettors of this outrage (for
so I must call it) have not replied to this charge.
On the contrary, though charged with the misstatements made in 1819,
though called upon to give up those misstatements, or to show why
they should not abandon those refuted errors, they have not been honest
enough to retract. All those who have read the trial, must be aware
that Mr. Hulton's evidence was contradicted by a cloud of witnesses.
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