Between
1770 and 1830, the Tories were the dominant
force in the House of Commons. The Tories
were strongly opposed to increasing the number of people who could
vote. However, in November, 1830, Earl Grey,
a Whig, became Prime Minister. Grey explained
to William IV that he wanted to introduce
proposals that would get rid of some of the rotten
boroughs. Grey also planned to give Britain's fast growing industrial
towns such as Manchester, Birmingham,
Bradford and Leeds,
representation in the House of Commons.
In April 1831 Grey asked William IV
to dissolve Parliament so that the Whigs could secure a larger majority
in the House of Commons. Grey explained
this would help his government to carry their proposals for parliamentary
reform. William agreed to Grey's request and after making his speech
in the House of Lords, walked back through
cheering crowds to Buckingham Palace.
After Lord Grey's election victory, he tried again to introduce parliamentary
reform. On 22nd September 1831, the House of
Commons passed the Reform Bill. However, the Tories still dominated
the House of Lords, and after a long debate
the bill was defeated. When people heard the news, Reform
Riots took place in several British towns; the most serious of
these being in Bristol in October 1831.
On 7th May 1832, Grey and Henry Brougham
met the king and asked him to create a large number of Wigg peers
in order to get the Reform Bill passed in
the House of Lords. William was now having
doubts about the wisdom of parliamentary reform and refused.
Lord Grey's government resigned and William
IV now asked the leader of the Tories,
the Duke of Wellington, to form a new
government. Wellington tried to do this but some Tories, including
Sir Robert Peel, were unwilling to join a
cabinet that was in opposition to the views of the vast majority of
the people in Britain. Peel argued that if the king and Wellington
went ahead with their plan there was a strong danger of a civil war
in Britain.
When the Duke of Wellington failed
to recruit other significant figures into his cabinet, William was
forced to ask Grey to return to office. In his attempts to frustrate
the will of the electorate, William IV
lost the popularity he had enjoyed during the first part of his reign.
Once again Lord Grey asked the king to create
a large number of new Whig peers. William
agreed that he would do this and when the Lords heard the news, they
agreed to pass the Reform Act.
Many people were disappointed with the 1832
Reform Bill. Voting in the boroughs was restricted to men who
occupied homes with an annual value of £10. There were also property
qualifications for people living in rural areas. As a result, only
one in seven adult males had the vote. Nor were the constituencies
of equal size. Whereas 35 constituencies had less than 300 electors,
Liverpool had a constituency of over 11,000.
(1)
John Cam Hobhouse, Recollections of
a Long Life (1910)
Lord John Russell began his speech
at six o'clock. Never shall I forget the astonishment of my neighbours
as he developed his plan. Indeed, all the House of Commons seemed
perfectly astounded; and when he read the long list of the boroughs
to be either wholly or partially disfranchised there was a sort of
wild ironical laughter. Baring Wall, turning to me, said, "They
are mad! They are mad!" and others made use of similar exclamations
- all but Sir Robert Peel; he looked serious and angry, as if he had
discovered that the Ministers, by the boldness of their measure, had
secured the support of the country. Burdett and I agreed there was
very chance of the measure being carried, and that a revolution would
be the consequence. We thought our Westminster friends would oppose
the £10 qualification clause; but we were wrong, for we found
all our supporters delighted with the Bill.
(2) Thomas
Macaulay, letter to Thomas Flower Ellis on the vote in the House
of Commons on the Reform Act (30th March,
1831)
Such a scene as the division of last Tuesday I never saw, and never
expect to see again. If I should live fifty years the impression of
it will be as fresh and sharp in my mind as if it had just taken place.
It was like seeing Caesar stabbed in the Senate House, or seeing Oliver
taking the mace from the table, a sight to be seen only once and never
to be forgotten. The crowd overflowed the House in every part. When
the doors were locked we had six hundred and eight members present,
more than fifty five than were ever in a division before.
When Charles Wood who stood near the door jumped up on a bench and
cried out. 'They are only three hundred and one.' We set up a shout
that you might have heard to Charing Cross - waving our hats - stamping
against the floor and clapping our hands. The tellers scarcely got
through the crowd. But you might have heard a pin drop as Duncannon
read the numbers. Then again the shouts broke out - and many of us
shed tears - I could scarcely refrain. And the jaw of Peel fell; and
the face of Twiss was as the face of a damned soul. We shook hands
and clapped each other on the back, and went out laughing, crying,
and huzzaing into the lobby.
(3) Princess Lieven to her
brother Alexander, 2nd March, 1831.
I was absolutely stupefied when
I learnt the extent of the Reform Bill. The most absolutely secrecy
has been maintained on the subject until the last moment. It is said
that the House of Commons was quite taken by surprise; the Whigs are
astonished, the Radicals delighted, the Tories indignant. This was
the first impression of Lord John Russell's speech, who was entrusted
with explaining the Government Bill.
I have had neither the time nor
the courage to read it. Its leading features have scared me completely:
168 members are unseated, sixty boroughs disfranchised, eight more
members allotted to London and proportionately to the large towns
and counties, the total number of members reduced by sixty or more.
(4) Charles
Greville, journal, 10th October, 1831
Yesterday morning the newspapers
(all in black) announced the defeat of the Reform Bill by a majority
of forty-one, at seven o'clock on Saturday morning, after five nights'
debating. By all accounts the debate was a magnificent display, and
incomparably superior to that in the House of Commons, but the reports
convey no idea of it.
The Duke of Wellington's speech
was exceedingly bad; he is in fact, and has proved it in repeated
instances, unequal to argue a great constitutional question. He has
neither the command of language, the power of reasoning, nor the knowledge
requisite for such an effort.
(5) John
Cob Hobhouse, Recollections of a Long Life (1910)
In Bond Street I saw a large placard
with this inscription: "199 versus 22,000,000!" and I went
into the house to persuade the shopman to take it down. He was a shoemaker,
and, though very civil, was very firm, and refused to remove the placard,
saying he had only done as others had done. When I told him who I
was, he said, "Oh, I know you very well", but he still declined
to follow my advice.
(6) Thomas Creevey, letter
to Miss Ord about the Duke of Wellington
and the passing of the Reform Act (26th May,
1832)
One more day will finish the concern
in the Lords, and that this should have been accomplished as it has
against a great majority of peers, and without making a single new
one, must always remain one of the greatest miracles in English history.
He (the Duke of Wellington) has destroyed himself and his Tory high-flying
association for ever. This (the Reform Act) has saved the country
from confusion, and perhaps the monarch and monarchy from destruction.
(7) Thomas Creevey, letter
to Miss Ord on Earl Grey and the passing
of the Reform Act (2nd June, 1832)
In the House of Lords yesterday
Grey, according to his custom, came, and talked with me. It is really
too much to see his happiness at its being all over. He dwells upon
the marvellous luck of Wellington's false move.
(8) Thomas Creevey, letter
to Miss Old on the passing of the Reform Act
(5th June, 1832)
Thank God! I was in at the death
of this Conservative plot, and the triumph of the Bill! This is the
third great event of my life at which I have been present, and in
each of which I have been to a certain extent mixed up - the battle
of Waterloo, the battle of Queen Caroline, and the battle of Earl
Grey and the English nation for the Reform Bill.
(9)
Sir Denis Le Marchant, journal (5th June, 1832)
There were very few peers
in the House during the ceremony of the Commission of assent. Ministers
had been very anxious to avoid the appearance of triumph, so the time
had been kept secret. The Duke of Sussex did not enter the body of
the House but remained behind the curtain. When the assent was given,
he said, loud enough to be heard at some distance, 'Thank God the
deed is done at last. I care for nothing now - this is the happiest
day of my life.' An old Tory standing behind him, lifted up his hands
in horror, and fervently ejaculated, 'O Christ!'
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