pressures for change to the franchise
The franchise c1780 and its significance for representation of the people
the county franchise
vote to all freeholders of property worth 40 shillings a year
uniform
inflation + rising price of land had increased the amount of men who qualified
the borough franchise
not uniform
open boroughs - vote exercised by many men, various qualifications, not very
susceptible to influence
scot and lot - males who paid their local tax
potwalloper - those who posessed a hearth where they could boil their pots - large
electorates
burgage - men who ownded various properties - ownership of the votes guarded
corporation - voters were members of the town councils - seats were filled through
nomination rather than election - extremely corrupt
tresury - seats that came under the control of government departments - chief
employers
pocket boroughs - most property owned by one person - could nominate his chosen
candidate for election to parliament
rotten boroughs - once been areas of economic activity, now depopluated - still
retained their parliamentary representation
the size of the electorate
estimated 214,000 electors out of a population of 8 million
even more restricted in scotland - 4,500 men out of 2.6 million
elections and ‘interests’
in the 1790s there was no signifcicant pressure for reform - even though the system
was corrupt
content with a system that represented ‘interests’ e.g. agriculture rather than the
population
limited amount of contests - only 72
elections could be v expensive - candidates persuaded electors to vote for them
through bribes - ‘treating’ of food
large amount of popular involvement in elecetions
O’Gorman’s perspective on the unreformed system
o in many ways it worked quite well
o concerned with not numerical but virtual representation - MPs sat not as
representatives of the voters but as champions of the interests which made up
the nation
The franchise c1780 and its significance for representation of the people
the county franchise
vote to all freeholders of property worth 40 shillings a year
uniform
inflation + rising price of land had increased the amount of men who qualified
the borough franchise
not uniform
open boroughs - vote exercised by many men, various qualifications, not very
susceptible to influence
scot and lot - males who paid their local tax
potwalloper - those who posessed a hearth where they could boil their pots - large
electorates
burgage - men who ownded various properties - ownership of the votes guarded
corporation - voters were members of the town councils - seats were filled through
nomination rather than election - extremely corrupt
tresury - seats that came under the control of government departments - chief
employers
pocket boroughs - most property owned by one person - could nominate his chosen
candidate for election to parliament
rotten boroughs - once been areas of economic activity, now depopluated - still
retained their parliamentary representation
the size of the electorate
estimated 214,000 electors out of a population of 8 million
even more restricted in scotland - 4,500 men out of 2.6 million
elections and ‘interests’
in the 1790s there was no signifcicant pressure for reform - even though the system
was corrupt
content with a system that represented ‘interests’ e.g. agriculture rather than the
population
limited amount of contests - only 72
elections could be v expensive - candidates persuaded electors to vote for them
through bribes - ‘treating’ of food
large amount of popular involvement in elecetions
O’Gorman’s perspective on the unreformed system
o in many ways it worked quite well
o concerned with not numerical but virtual representation - MPs sat not as
representatives of the voters but as champions of the interests which made up
the nation
