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Home Politics and Parties from 1815 to 1832 1827-1832, Catholic Emancipation and the Reform Bills |
1827-1832, Catholic Emancipation and the Reform BillsThe third subdivision begins in 1827. The death of Lord Liverpool, in February of that year, followed six months later by that of Canning after a short tenure of the premiership, opens a new period. The time for political reform had at last arrived. The next five years (1827-32) are taken up, first, with the struggle to secure Catholic emancipation, i.e. to allow Roman Catholics to sit in Parliament and to hold offices; and, secondly, with the struggle to secure the reform of the House of Commons itself. The first of these struggles took place during the premiership of the Duke of Wellington. The duke became prime minister in 1828, and his chief supporter was Peel. On Catholic emancipation Lord Liverpool's cabinet had been divided, Canning, for instance, being in its favour and Peel against it. But O'Connell's success in Ireland made both the duke and Peel feel that it was impossible to resist the reform any longer. George IV, after withstanding the appeals and arguments of his ministers in a five hours' interview, finally agreed to the bill being introduced, and it was passed. Henceforth Roman Catholics had the same rights as Protestants, except that they could not hold the office of lord high chancellor or lord-lieutenant of Ireland or succeed to the throne. Jews, however, continued to be excluded from the House of Commons up till 1858.In securing Catholic emancipation, Wellington lost the support of the extreme Tories without gaining the support of the Whigs. Moreover, he was too much of a soldier; his temperament was too domineering and his methods too arbitrary to make him a good prime minister, and he had to resign. The fall of Wellington's ministry in 1830 followed immediately after the death of George IV. To the latter succeeded William IV) a genial and not illiberal monarch, and one who was personally popular. To Wellington's ministry succeeded a Whig ministry, the first since the ill-fated coalition of 1783. Its leader was Lord Grey. He was a high-minded and honourable Whig nobleman, genuinely devoted to Parliamentary reform; moreover, he was a good orator, though perhaps of too cold a temperament to arouse much popular enthusiasm. His chief lieutenants were Lord Brougham, the lord chancellor, a brilliant and erratic man, who, it was said, "knew a little of everything except law", Lord Althorp) who led the House of Commons, and three statesmen who subsequently became prime ministers - Lord Melbourne) Lord John Russell, and Lord Palmerston, who made a conspicuous mark as foreign secretary. The Whigs had long been in favour of Parliamentary reform, and Lord Grey's Government made the passing of a Reform Bill their first and greatest object. Of the final struggle for the reform of Parliament little can be said here. The case for reform was overwhelmingly strong. Yet the opposition on the part of the Tories was fierce and protracted. The Government, amidst intense excitement, carried the second reading of its first Reform Bill in the House of Commons by a majority of one in the largest division known till that time (March, I83I) ("You might have heard a pin drop", Macaulay wrote, “as Duncannon read the numbers. Then again the shouts broke out, and many of us shed tears. I could scarcely refrain”). But in the consideration of the details in committee the Government was defeated. Accordingly the Government dissolved Parliament, and as the result of a general election obtained a largely increased majority. A second Reform Bill passed the House of Commons and was rejected by the House of Lords. A third bill accordingly followed, which the House of Lords mutilated. The popular excitement and indignation were overwhelming. In London the mob broke the windows of the Duke of Wellington's house (The duke consequently put up iron shutters, which remained till his death), and tried to drag him from his horse when he was riding through the City of London. The men of Birmingham threatened to refuse to pay taxes, and to march twenty thousand strong upon London, and the Bristol men burnt and sacked the Mansion-House and other places in that city. Additional troops had to be sent north to deal with threatened disorders in Scotland. The ministry, to bring matters to a crisis, resigned. The Duke of Wellington tried to form a ministry, but failed, and Lord Grey accordingly returned to power. The third bill was sent up again to the House of Lords. The duke, realizing that civil war was imminent, and that the king had agreed, if necessary, to create new peers ("The king", so ran the document from the king, "grants permission to Earl Grey and to his chancellor, Lord Brougham, to create such a number of peers as will be sufficient to ensure the passing of the Reform Bill, first calling up peers' eldest sons"), gave way, and with his followers abstained from voting. The bill was passed, received the king's assent, and at last became law (June, 1832). |
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