Representation of the people act 1884-85

Question 1

Why was another reform bill introduced in 1884?

Answer 1

• 1884, William Gladstone PM
• believed it was safe to enfranchise agricultural and rural workers
• they were also likely to vote liberal

Question 2

What were the terms of the 1884 reform act on the franchise?

Answer 2

uniform national electoral qualification extended to all households in counties, and lodgers who paid £10 in rent

Question 3

Why was the 1884 reform bill initially blocked?

Answer 3

• blocked in HoL
• Salisbury aware of liberal advantage to enfranchise rural workers
• feared bill would weaken conservative support

Question 4

What was the Arlington street compact?

Answer 4

• conservatives would allow the act to pass if it was followed with a major redistribution of seats
• creation of equal electoral districts and single member constituencies
• many suburbs would become constituencies separate from the towns
• “gerrymandering”

Question 5

What was the impact of the 1884 reform act on the franchise?

Answer 5

• uniform electoral qualification
• miners and agricultural workers now had the vote
• dramatic 84% increase in size of electorate
• 2.5 million new voters

Question 6

What were the limitations of the 1884 reform act on the franchise?

Answer 6

• household suffrage still excluded 40% adult males
• many still didn’t meet the residency qualification
• women still disfranchised
• w/c MPs still rare due to no payment for MPs

Question 7

What was the impact of the 1885 redistribution act?

Answer 7

• roughly 50,000 per constituency
• number of seats for each large city would now reflect population size
• Liverpool 9 seats
• 28 boroughs with larger populations had 2 MPs
• wider London area went from 22 seats to 62

Question 8

How did the 1885 redistribution act benefit the conservatives?

Answer 8

• many suburban constituencies created
• majority of electorate property owning m/c in redrawn constituency boundaries
• likely to vote conservative

Question 9

How did the 1885 redistribution act lead to a decline in power of the landowning class?

Answer 9

• reduction in number of rural seats
• enlargement of country electorate reduced influence of landowning patrons
• MPs from commerical and industrial backgrounds outnumbered those related to the aristocracy
• MP’s became more proffessional