liverpool radicalism and return to stability

radical threat faced by liverpool

years 1815 to 1820 faced a large amount of popular unrest, no longer a local affair but national, merged social protest with demands for political change so attacked a larger idea, and leaders of the reform movement appeared who achieved national reputation

main forms of radicalism faced

mass open-air meetings, marches, and risings and conspiracies using violence to achieve their ends

cause of unrest

corn law, emergence of radical political leadership, social stress caused by the industrial revolution – new machines like the power loom displaced hand labour resulting in technological unemployment,

Economic issues – fall in agricultural prices, increase in indirect taxes fell disproportionately on the poor, demobilisation increased pressure on labour markets, return to gold standard increased deflationary pressure

riots eg

March 1815 riots in London opposing the Corn Bill.

December 1816 Spa Fields Riots – during a mass meeting at Spa Fields in London which was largely peaceful, a section of the crowd broke away and attacked nearby shops including a gunsmith, and tried to seize the Tower of London and Bank of England

petitions eg

March of the Blanketeers’

march of the blanketeers date

March 1817

march of the blanketeers people involved

organised by the Manchester Union Society, 300 handloom weavers marched

march of the blanketeers reason

suffering from economic depression and the mechanisation of weaving

march of the blanketeers events

marched from Manchester to London to present a petition to the Prince Regent which called for a cut in government spending and appointment of a pro-reform ministry

march of the blanketeers outcome

march was blocked by magistrates, and only one man was allowed to proceed to London to present the petition

meetings eg

1819 monster meetings in Leeds and Birmingham calling for political reform

birmingham monster meeting

20,000 gathered at new hall hill Birmingham to hear speeches by local radicals who attacked the corn law, elections were held amongst the crowd to choose representatives to go down to London.

peterloo date

August 1819 Peterloo in St Peter’s Field Manchester

peterloo involved

60,000 workers gathered, led by henry hunt

peterloo demands

planned to demand parliamentary representation for the people and select representatives to go to London

peterloo event

local magistrates feared a rising and sent in constables and local yeomanry to arrest the leader Henry Hunt. These forces were insufficient and the regular cavalry were sent in who cleared the area and arrested hunt, but killed 11 people and injured 400 in the process.

result of peterloo

home secretary Lord Sidmouth wrote to congratulate the local magistrates on their action, unrest reached a peak, in the house of commons lord john Russell raised for the first time in years the case for parliamentary reform

spy eg

February 1820 Cato Street Conspiracy

cato street conspiracy intention

number of radicals plotted to assassinate the entire cabinet while it attended a dinner at Lord Harrowby’s house which would trigger a mass rising with a provisional government being set up

cato street conspiracy outcome

spy informed the government of the plans and the conspirators were seized and executed

hampden clubs

1811 founded by Major John Cartwright and Sir Francis Burdett – intended to provide middle class leadership to the reform campaign, became popular in 1816 when became affiliated with other societies eg Manchester union society and Oldham union society.

william cobbett

wanted to see a restoration of traditional rural society, founded leading radical paper of the period in 1802 Weekly Political Register, and was selling 60,000 copies by late 1816.

henry hunt

effective public speaker. From a farming background and advocated for universal suffrage, secret ballot and annual parliaments. Spoke at many great meetings including Spa Fields and St Peter’s Field, was elected to parliament in 1830.

cabinet initial ops on radicalism

initially reluctant to respond to the situation because they were optimistic the unrest would soon subside, believed magistrates and yeomanry possessed sufficient powers to maintain order, and had the hindsight of 1790s unrest and riots causing surge in support for the established order

why had gov had to take action against radicalism

prompted to take a more forcible response after the attack on the Prince Regent’s coach at the stage opening of Parliament in January 1817. In order to retain George’s confidence passed laws

legislation passed 1817

        Suspension of habeas corpus until July 1817.

·        Seditious meeting act 1817 – made public meetings of more than 50 people illegal without the prior permission of magistrates.

·        Incitement to mutiny act 1817 – made incitement to mutiny in the armed forces a capital offence.

effect of 1817 legislation

helped bring end to wave of radical protest but 1817 saw an excellent harvest and a revival of trade which resulted in a decrease in unemployment and food prices.

surge in radicalism after 1817

1818 and 1819 saw a return of trade depression. Unemployment rose and wages were cut, and protest movement reawakened and demands for parliamentary reform were raised in large meetings in Birmingham and Manchester

gov response to 1818 surge

alarmed at the threat of popular disturbance, and used this fear to push through an emergency session of parliament from November to December 1819, and produced the Six Acts

six acts

·        Magistrates could search houses without warrants for unauthorised firearms.

·        Drilling and military training by private individuals was forbidden.

·        Public meetings involving more than 50 people were to be limited to those living within the parish in which the meeting was held.

·        The courts were given the right to seize every copy of a pamphlet or book which was deemed to be seditious or blasphemous.

·        The definition of a newspaper was made wider and many more publications were now subject to the 6d duty per copy. Clamped down on radical publications.

·        Removed procedures which were used by the accused to delay the commencement of a trial eg the right to make specific written replies to specific charges.

assessing liverpool response to radicalism

·        There did appear to be a threat of revolution.

·        The government’s resources for maintaining order were very small. There was no organised police force and the standing army was very small. This meant trouble had to be stopped quickly before larger movements could develop. The government was reliant on local magistrates and volunteers, so had to keep them happy eg congratulating them after Peterloo.

·        The government lacked a security service and was reliant on the services of a network of paid spies, was useful as allowed authorities to block conspiracies. However spies were incentivised to exaggerate the threat of revolution, and juries were reluctant to convict on the basis of evidence produced by hired spies.

no government reign of terror as their legislative response to the unrest was basically moderate.

·        There was a consensus among the propertied classes on the need to deal firmly with unrest. The government resisted calls for more repressive measures.

liverpool couldnt have done more to relieve causes of unrest

·        Main reason for unrest was social stress caused by industrial revolution. Technological unemployment and rapid population growth was a result of IR, an unprecedented event in history.

End of war consequences could not have been avoided. Demobilisation increasing pressure on labour markets was inevitable

liverpool could have done more to relieve causes of unrest

·        Corn law of 1815 deliberate act which added to unrest.

Abolition of income tax in 1816 led to increased indirect taxes which increased cost of living for the poor

reason liverpool could make economic changes in 1821

economic conditions were significantly improving from 1820. For example, in the year 1819 the total exports value was £34 million, but they rose to £41 million in 1821, and £49 million in 1824. As the economy improved and reform agitation subsided, Liverpool’s ministry were able to implement policies

liverpool promoting free trade evidence

1821 reduced duties on timber imports, 1822 relaxation of navigation acts so let colonial trade travel in non-british ships

liverpool stabilising economy

reduce national debt – increase indirect taxes on spending, expenditure cuts, short term loans to pay off old debts, formally returned to gold standard, gov budget balanced

robinson action as chancellor of the exchequer

reduced taxation by £12 million between 1822 and 1825 – reduced indirect taxes in 1824 by reducing import duties on rum, coal, wool and silk, and export bounties on whale fishery, herring curing and linen exports scrapped.

budget surplus - 1823 budget leftover £7 million, £5 million used for debt and £2 million tax cuts

huskisson as president of board of trade 1823

combination acts banning trade unions lifted 1824,tariffs on manufactured goods and raw materials reduced by 30% from 1824, colonies allowed free trade with other countries in 1825, duties on colonial imports reduced

home office reform

peel 1822-1827 wanted to increase the efficacy of the criminal law by making them less severe

issues with convicting crimes

in 1822 about 160 crimes punishable by death including stealing a sheep, so juries were frequently not prepared to convict the accused because of the severity of the punishment

peel severity of punishments

five statutes passed in 1823 reduced the number of offences carrying the death penalty by 100.