How reactionary and repressive was the legislation introduced by Liverpool's government between 1812 and 1827?

Question 1

What was Brock’s opinion?

Answer 1

• Liverpool’s government could be split into two phases:
  
  • reactionary (1812-1821)
  • liberal (1822-1827)

Question 2

What was Brown’s opinion?

Answer 2

• Liverpool’s government was not this simple (referring to Brock)
• it could not be split into two phases as it showed both reactionary and liberal elements throughout

Question 3

What evidence did Brock use?

Answer 3

• there was a transition from reactionary to liberal ministers after Liverpool’s cabinet was reshuffled

Question 4

Who were examples of reactionary ministers?

Answer 4

• Addington
• Vansittart

Question 5

Who were examples of liberal ministers?

Answer 5

• Canning
• Peel

Question 6

What did Brown say was wrong about the term ‘liberal Toryism’?

Answer 6

• it was applied by historians and not used at the time
• thus, MPs didn’t view themselves as liberal

Question 7

What did Brown say about the division of government?

Answer 7

• MPs were divided by the issue of Catholic Emancipation not liberal vs reactionary
• this divide was seen even with the ‘liberal’ cabinet

Question 8

What did Brown suggest about why the later cabinet was more liberal?

Answer 8

• the state of the economy was more stable from 1821-27, meaning there was less radicalism
• this allowed more reform to take place

Question 9

What did Brown say about the continuity in government?

Answer 9

• liberal reforms were proposed/discussed by the older cabinet
• ‘reactionary’ MPs remained in Parliament
• similarities of the years before 1822 outweigh the differences

Question 10

What was the corn law? What was the impact of this?

Answer 10

• no foreign imports of corn until domestic prices reach 80 shillings
• working class couldn’t afford bread = rioting = harsh repressive response

Question 11

Was the corn law reactionary or liberal?

Answer 11

• reactionary in response to the economic fallout
• caused the working class to suffer
• liberal overtime once the sliding scale was introduced

Question 12

When was the corn law passed?

Answer 12

1815

Question 13

What was the repeal of income tax? What was the impact of this?

Answer 13

• income tax only a wartime measured = no longer needed
• led to indirect taxes on commodities - lower class couldn’t afford amenities

Question 14

Was the repeal of income tax reactionary or liberal?

Answer 14

• liberal; reduced government intervention and was a ‘free trade’ method rather than protectionism
• reactionary: indirect taxes impacted the lower class negatively

Question 15

When was the repeal of income tax?

Answer 15

1816

Question 16

What was the Game Laws? What was the impact of this?

Answer 16

• to discourage poaching via harsh penalties
• due to an increase in poaching due to the corn laws/ poor trying to implement into their poor diet
• limited access to food for the lower class = added to food riots

Question 17

Was the Game Laws reactionary or liberal?

Answer 17

• reactionary
• worsened conditions for working class

Question 18

When was the Game Laws?

Answer 18

1816

Question 19

What was the suspension of Habeas Corpus? What was the impact of it?

Answer 19

• those arrested weren’t given a fair trial
• passed in conjunction with the Seditious Meetings Act
• breach on peoples rights & less democratic

Question 20

Was the suspension of Habeas Corpus reactionary or Liberal?

Answer 20

• reactionary
• repressive response to radicalism, but Liverpool still felt justified

Question 21

When was the suspension of Habeas Corpus?

Answer 21

1817

Question 22

What was the truck act? What was the impact of this?

Answer 22

• to stop employers ‘trucking’ and giving out wages in goods instead of cash
• employers earnt less
• workers could afford more in theory
• some workers may have lost access to certain goods

Question 23

Was the truck act reactionary or liberal?

Answer 23

• liberal
• responded to working class grievances

Question 24

When was the truck act?

Answer 24

1819

Question 25

What was the factory act? What was the impact of this?

Answer 25

• banned the employment of children under 9
• restricted the working day to 12 hours
• due to pressure from philanthropists and radicals
• employers earned less
• employers resented it and used loopholes to ignore it
• government didn’t have enough workers to enforce it
• better working conditions in theory

Question 26

Was the factory act reactionary or liberal?

Answer 26

• liberal; improved working conditions for working class
• reactionary; limit to how far the government was willing to go (loopholes)

Question 27

When was the factory act?

Answer 27

1819

Question 28

What was the Six Acts? What was the impact of this?

Answer 28

• series of repressive legislation in response to high levels of unrest and the peterloo massacre
• made it easier to punish those involved in strike actions / riots
• strengthened by the stamp duty which reduced the spread of radical ideas

Question 29

Was the Six Acts reactionary or liberal?

Answer 29

• reactionary; repressive towards radicalism

Question 30

When was the Six Acts passed?

Answer 30

1819

Question 31

What was the return to Bank of England cash payments? What was the impact of them?

Answer 31

• more stable economy as it had to be originally stopped because banknotes were overissued = inflation
• value of British currency increased
• enabled the siding scale of 1828 because the economy was stable

Question 32

Was the return to Bank of England cash payments reactionary or liberal?

Answer 32

• liberal; stimulated the economy = working class had better access to amenities

Question 33

When was the return to Bank of England cash payments?

Answer 33

1819

Question 34

What was the repeal of the Combination Acts? What was the impact of this?

Answer 34

• made strike action legal again
• skilled workmen, led by Francis Place, said that they would avoid violence and work towards prosperity as the economy was stable
• riots and radicalism rose after economic trade boom of 1822-1824 = Amending Act of 1825
• short term positive impact

Question 35

What was the 1825 Amending Act?

Answer 35

made being out of work/disrupting workers illegal

Question 36

Was the repeal of the Combination acts reactionary or liberal?

Answer 36

• liberal; responded to the grievances of workers
  
  • limited
• reactionary response to strike action afterwards

Question 37

Was there any parliamentary reform during Liverpool’s tenure?

Answer 37

no

Question 38

What was the abolition of pillory? When was this?

Answer 38

• banned punishment where someone was tied to a pole and humiliated in public
• 1816

Question 39

What was the Gagging Act? When was this?

Answer 39

• made it in offence to speak out against the King
• 1817

Question 40

When was the Abolition of whipping of women?

Answer 40

1820

Question 41

What was the Frame Breaking act? When was this passed?

Answer 41

• legal penalties for luddites
  -1812

Question 42

When was the Relief Acts (for dissenters) and Toleration Acts (unitarians)?

Answer 42

1812

Question 43

What is the pattern with reactionary legislation?

Answer 43

• all passed before 1822 with the exception of the 1825 Amending Acts

Question 44

What is the pattern with liberal legislation?

Answer 44

passed throughout Liverpool’s tenure (1812-1827)

Question 45

What was the penal code?

Answer 45

• list of punishments for various crimes
• 200 offences punishable by death

Question 46

What did Peel’s penal code reform do?

Answer 46

• only 20 offences punishable by death
• jury system reorganised

Question 47

What was the Jail Act? When was it passed and by who?

Answer 47

• 1823
• Peel
• reformed prison conditions
• magistrates had to inspect prisons regularly
• women prisoners looked after by women jailers
• jailers paid
• prisoners received basic education and doctor visits

Question 48

What was a limit of the jail act?

Answer 48

• only applied to large prisons in London and 17 other cities