Page 32 - History 2020

just the narrow interests of those who elected them. Second, the idea of “virtual

representation”; MP’s were duty-bound to consider the interests of those who were
excluded from the right to vote. This including those in the growing industrial towns
who had no MP’s. Thus, whether people could or could not vote was irrelevant to
whether they were represented by parliament*. A further argument was put forward
in favour of rotten and pocket boroughs; although they might give undue power to
the property-owning classes, they also allowed poor but brilliant young men to enter
parliament through being nominated for the seat by its wealthy aristocratic patron.
One of these was Thomas Babington, Lord Macaulay, MP for Calne in Wiltshire, who

was nonetheless one of the most effective voices in favour of reform.

*This argument had been used in 1776 against the American colonists; it didn’t convince them
either.

The Reform Bill passed its first reading in the Commons in March 1831 - by one vote.
But it was defeated at the Committee stage in April a month later. The government
called a general election and returned with a large majority. A slightly amended Bill
was introduced and passed by the Commons, then defeated in the House of

Lords in October. This triggered riots in Nottingham, Derby and Bristol, and mass
meetings elsewhere. Grey then introduced a third Bill with more minor changes.

Popular agitation reached new heights. Some, like John Stuart Mill, seriously feared
revolution. Wellington thought it was the Whigs’ fault for stirring up the public; he
knew a way to make them quiet, he said; his own regiment was a match for the
whole London population.

Historians disagree about how close, if at all, we were to the outbreak of revolution.
Some praise the Whigs for managing to both restrain the protest movement while
simultaneously using it to intimidate the Tories to give way. It worked; Tory
“waverers” began to wobble. In May 1832 the Tory Lords were finally persuaded to
give up the game by two decisive blows: the Political Unions orchestrated a run on
the banks by supporters withdrawing their money, with the inspired slogan, “To stop
the Duke, go for gold!”

The coup de grace came when Grey managed to persuade King William IV to threaten
to use his royal prerogative to create enough new peers to overcome the inbuilt Tory
majority in the House of Lords. “Creation” (once used by Queen Anne) worried both
the king and Grey who were both concerned that it could weaken the aristocracy. It
was not needed; the Lords surrendered and the Reform Act became law on June 4

1832. Grey was hailed as a hero. Atwood returned in triumph to Birmingham.