PARLIAMENT - WHY WAS IT SO CONTROVERSIAL 1785-1832?

BECOMING AN MP 1785

Unpaid, aristocracy, land owning, financial means (factory owners) nepotism and rotten burrows

POLITICAL LANDSCAPE AROUND 1785

House of Lords require peerage (titles)
House of commons require national elections - eligibility was an issue as only the wealthy could apply - must have a landownership equal to £300+ per year
No salary, middle class men thus not eligible
Patronage ruined any pretence of democracy by giving significant influence over the commons to the Lords. 1761 - calculated that the election of 111 members was funded by 55 peers
½ of Britains 658 members of parliament owned positions to benefactors in the lords

POLITICAL LANDSCAPE AROUND 1785 (COUNTIES)

Rural shires in Britain - select 2 MPs to Westminister
Based on an act in 1430 that set requirement as ownership of a freehold property
2 MPs regardless of size

POLITICAL LANDSCAPE AROUND 1785 (Burroughs)

Urban towns given administrative rights. 2 mps - qualification broad

Freemen

Freemen - anyone with status. Freemen could vote, title gained through family and marriage

Corporation

Any members of a town could vote

Scot+Lot

Anyone who paid poor rates could vote

Burgage

Ancient form of rent applied to burough + owners could vote

Electorate

Votes were public - people face backlash and pressure on who to vote. Landed gentry pressure tenants/intimidation/bribery.
Pocket boroughs easy way to make wealthy interest through political dominance. Gatton, Surrey: 1801 bought for £90,000 to not compete against a rival
Wealthy landowners control political ideology
Only 11% of population take part in election
Borough lost importance mid 19th century as seating system reformed
Therefore did not reflect the differing interests in the country
New industrial cities, ie. Birmingham and Manchester did not have any representation at all as they had no parliamentary borough despite their population:
Birmingham - 144,000 citizens 1831
Manchester - 182,000 citizens 1831
Dunwich - 32 dwellings, 14 voters, 2 MPs

Rotten Borough vs Pocket Borough

Rotten Borough - A small town/hamlet that used to be a prominent settlement in the Middle Ages but had over time declined in stature. Despite their reduced status rotten boroughs still retained their two MPs because of their past importance
Pocket Borough - A small borough which could easily be manipulated or controlled by the prominent family or landowner of the area either by coercion or through the extensive use of bribery