Changing Social Influences In Parliament - Crown And Aristocrats 1780s

Question 1

Pocket borough

Answer 1

• /rotten borough/crown borough
• controlled by the crown or aristocrat via bribery and patronage

Question 2

Treating

Answer 2

• essentially bribery
• used by MPs to influence voters in the 1780s

Question 3

Why was there pressure to support the local aristocrat in the elections?

Answer 3

• open voting system (people could see who you vote for - threats could be made)
• no legislation to combat bribery
• limited franchise (less people to treat and those with the vote would likely be close to the candidate due to status)

Question 4

Two examples of pocket boroughs in action:

Answer 4

• Cornwall and Lancashire 1701-1831
• Robert Peel in Tamworth

Question 5

Cornwall and Lancashire pocket boroughs:

Answer 5

• 1701-1831 = 29 general elections
• small boroughs had no elections!
• the MP patron either stood as MP or chose one himself

Question 6

Tamworth pocket borough

Answer 6

• Robert peel buys country estate in Tamworth, Staffordshire
• secured won seat as MP
• and his sons seat as MP

Question 7

Even if patronage and treating was used, why was victory still not guaranteed?

Answer 7

• voters could sell their vote for £500 in todays money

Question 8

Two examples of treating and patronage not guaranteeing election win:

Answer 8

• Sir James Lowther 1780
• Lord Penrhyn 1830

Wide range to show was a wide and long lasting issue

Question 9

Sir James Lowther

Answer 9

• 1780
• lost Whitehaven election
• his tenants turned against him
• so threatened to cut off their coal supplies

Question 10

Lord Penrhyn

Answer 10

• 1830
• lost Liverpool election
• even though £30,000 was spent on treating

Question 11

Where in parliament did the aristocracy have power?

Answer 11

• in the commons
• and the lords

Question 12

Aristocratic power in the lords c1780:

Answer 12

• lords is unelected house
• had powerful role, could veto or ammend bills

Question 13

How could the crown influence parliament?

Answer 13

• electing government ministers
• after elections, they would select any MP to be PM
• did not need to be from majority party

Could choose any MP which aligned with the crowns interests the best

Question 14

Which king had a direct role in politics? More than others

Answer 14

George III

Question 15

How did king George III influence parliament?

Answer 15

• selected PM
• influenced via patronage

Question 16

How did king George III influence parliament?

Answer 16

• selected PM (as did the others)
• influenced via patronage

Question 17

What was patronage?

Answer 17

• king promised offices and peerages to MPs
• they returned this political exposure/promotion by supporting the crown in parliament

Question 18

What did king George III recommend in 1776?

Answer 18

• 10 new peerages to be created
• 7/10 given to MPs he previously supported

Question 19

What does ‘economical’ reform mean?

Answer 19

Cutting down on government expenses to be more efficient and ‘economical’

Question 20

Were people concerned about growing influence of the crown?

Answer 20

Yes - by 1780

Question 21

How did American war of independence cause people to be concerned about parliament being influenced by the crown?

Answer 21

• costs from the war were rising
• so it was funded by increasing taxes
• reason why costs were so high was because contracts for military supplies were being given to MPs families/friends not to the lowest costing deal
• = corrupt and inefficiency in govt

Question 22

When was ‘economical reform’ proposed?

Answer 22

1780

Question 23

What did the proposal for economical reform state?

Answer 23

‘ the power of the crown has increased, is increasing and ought to be diminished ‘

Question 24

What did the ‘economical reform’ proposal suggest?

Answer 24

• reduce the number of offices that could be awarded
• reduce governmental cost
• this would also cause less crown influence in parliament because the monarch couldn’t give offices to MPs

Question 25

Outline decrease in Crowns power form 1790-1801:

Answer 25

• 1782 alliance govt of Lord North and radical James Fox formed
• unsupported by king - did not offer patronage
• so North-Fox govt dismissed as weak
• 1783-1801 William Pitt the Younger chosen as PM (small following as most supported North-Fox govt)
• as a consequence had to build coalitions and negotiations through compromise
• leads to rise of cabinet government
• Pitt won the majority in 1784 - supported by his cabinet

Question 26

What was ‘cabinet government’

Answer 26

• decisions made by discussions between ministers
• the ‘cabinet council’ was a group of these core ministers

Question 27

How did the North-Fox, Pitt parliament arch lead to the decline of Crown power in govt 1780-1801

Answer 27

• growth of cabinet government
• combined with weakened (and less) patronage after 1780
• means crown is less influential